A student who's behind in maths can feel it in every lesson. In Shepton Mallet, our maths tutors help students close those gaps with focused, weekly sessions tailored to exactly what they need. Whether the problem is ratio and proportion, word problems, or exam technique, we've seen students move up by a full grade within a term when they get the right support.
KS1 and KS2 Maths
Strong maths skills start early. For primary-age children in Shepton Mallet, our tutors focus on number bonds, times tables, fractions, and the reasoning skills tested in Key Stage 2 SATs. A child who arrives at secondary school without these foundations will find it increasingly difficult to keep up. Our approach for younger students balances structured practice with engaging activities, building confidence without pressure.
Maths at Whitstone School
Schools in Shepton Mallet typically use Edexcel or AQA for their maths specifications. Our tutors know both, and they'll match their teaching to whichever syllabus your son or daughter follows. This means practice questions, old exam papers, and revision materials are all relevant to the exact exam your son or daughter will sit — not generic content from a different board. At Whitstone School, we're familiar with how topics are sequenced and where students most commonly need extra support.
Getting Started
Let us know to arrange an initial chat about your son or daughter's maths needs. We'll match them with a tutor in Shepton Mallet who knows the Edexcel syllabus and can start making a difference from the first session.
The Tutoring Process
Each session lasts around an hour. The tutor works through concepts with your son or daughter, sets practice problems, and reviews previous work. There's no one-size-fits-all script — sessions are shaped by what the student actually needs that week. For students preparing for GCSEs, we use old exam papers from Edexcel to build familiarity with the format. For younger students, we focus on number confidence, mental arithmetic, and problem-solving strategies. Progress is shared with parents so you can see improvement building week by week.
Building Good Study Habits
The aim of tutoring is not dependence — it is independence. Working with Shepton Mallet learners always includes helping them develop effective study habits: how to plan a revision timetable, how to use active recall instead of passive re-reading, how to break large tasks into manageable steps. These meta-skills are as valuable as the subject knowledge itself, and they serve pupils long after tutoring ends.
Monitoring Outcomes
Parents in Shepton Mallet should be able to see tangible evidence that tutoring is working. After each block of work, the tutor provides a brief update on what was covered, how the learner responded, and what comes next. For exam-level pupils, we track scores on topic tests and timed papers, giving a concrete picture of improvement — not vague reassurances. If progress stalls, we adjust the approach rather than repeating what is not working.
Does Tutoring Work?
Most students who work with a tutor weekly for a term see a noticeable improvement — typically one to two grades at GCSEs level. We track progress through regular topic tests and past-paper scores. But it's not just about grades: students also develop better problem-solving habits, stronger mental arithmetic, and the confidence to tackle questions they'd previously skip. For parents in Shepton Mallet, that shift from "I can't do maths" to "I worked it out" is often the most valuable outcome.