A GCSE maths tutor from Priority Education teaches a one-hour weekly lesson in a small group of students with similar ability and similar target grades. The lessons cover Years 8 to 13, from pre-GCSE through GCSE to A-level, and the site says it teaches students “locally, Nationally and Internationally”.
What does a GCSE maths tutor from Priority Education do?
A GCSE maths tutor from Priority Education teaches a weekly one-hour lesson that works through the GCSE maths content and the exam skills needed to score on it. Students are placed in small groups of similar ability and similar target grades, and the site says these groups “show excellent progress”.
The site says its tutors are qualified and experienced teachers. Priority Education is a family-run business directed by Steven Finn and Louise Finn, who have both taught science in the classroom for over 15 years, in roles including Deputy Headteacher (Steven) and Head of Science (Louise). The weekly maths lessons sit alongside four-hour Revision Booster days before mocks and final exams, one-hour school-holiday sessions built around exam questions, and Exam Question Workshops for students who know the content but struggle to turn it into marks.
Should my child sit Foundation or Higher tier GCSE maths?
GCSE maths is tiered: Foundation covers grades 1 to 5 and Higher covers grades 4 to 9, so a student who needs a grade 6 or above must sit Higher. A student whose realistic target is a 4 or 5 is often better served by Foundation, where the whole paper is written for grades 1 to 5 rather than 4 to 9.
Both AQA and Pearson Edexcel set three papers of 1 hour 30 minutes and 80 marks, with Paper 1 non-calculator, and all three must be sat at the same tier. On Higher, Pearson Edexcel allows a grade 3 for students who fall just short of a 4. The Department for Education treats grade 4 and above as a ‘standard pass’, and its May 2019 parents’ factsheet says a student who does not reach a 4 in maths needs to continue studying it as part of their post-16 education.
| Foundation tier | Higher tier | |
|---|---|---|
| Grades available | 1 to 5 | 4 to 9 (Pearson Edexcel allows a 3) |
| Papers | 3 papers, 1 hr 30 min, 80 marks each | 3 papers, 1 hr 30 min, 80 marks each |
| Calculator | Paper 1 none; Papers 2 and 3 allowed | Paper 1 none; Papers 2 and 3 allowed |
| Suits | Targets of 4 or 5 | Targets of 6 and above, or a 5 with room to grow |
Schools decide the tier, often using Year 11 mock results, and the tutor works to it. If your child is borderline, say so on the call; a small group of similar target grades only works if the target is right.
How do the small-group maths lessons work?
Small-group maths lessons put students of similar ability and similar target grades together for a one-hour lesson each week. That grouping is specific to maths on Priority Education’s site, and it is what lets a lesson move at one pace rather than three.
Priority Education recommends two lessons a week for GCSE students in Years 10 and 11 where possible, to cover twice as much content with time for exam questions. Year 9 students have one lesson a week. The approach is “little and often”: core content, then exam skills and technique, every week, rather than a long block before the exam. For the trade-offs between group and one-to-one, read small-group tuition vs one-to-one.
Which year groups does the maths tuition cover?
Priority Education’s maths tuition covers Years 8 to 13 across pre-GCSE, GCSE and A-level courses, and the site describes the maths lessons as small groups of similar ability and target grades.
Starting in Year 8 or 9 is less about getting ahead than about securing number, ratio and algebra before GCSE builds on them. In Years 10 and 11 the lessons track the GCSE course and build towards the three papers. In Years 12 and 13 the maths lessons continue into A-level, and the Revision Booster calendar lists A-level maths alongside biology and chemistry.
What does a weekly GCSE maths lesson cover?
A weekly GCSE maths lesson covers content from the six GCSE content areas, which AQA lists as number; algebra; ratio, proportion and rates of change; geometry and measures; probability; and statistics, together with the exam technique to score on them. Lessons are one hour, in a small group, with exam questions practised in the lesson.
The point of practising on real questions is the non-calculator paper and the multi-step problems: a student who knows the method but drops marks on working, units or reading the question usually needs exam-question practice more than re-teaching. Between lessons, Year 11 students should follow a mock plan; see how to prepare for Year 11 mock exams.
Are there GCSE maths revision days?
Priority Education runs four-hour Revision Booster days for GCSE maths, split 9:30 to 11:30 and 12:30 to 14:30, covering key exam content and exam skills before mocks and final exams.
The published calendar runs through the exam year: a Year 10 into Year 11 Boost in July, Back to School in August, Mock 1 Prep in October and November, Mock 2 Prep in January and February, and Pre-exam Warmups in May and June. The site asks parents to book in advance because the sessions before exams are especially popular. One-hour school-holiday maths sessions, focused on exam questions or a specific topic, run as well.
Can I find a GCSE maths tutor near me in Teesside, or is it online?
Priority Education’s registered office is in Wynyard, in the Teesside area, and its site says it teaches students “locally, Nationally and Internationally”. It does not list the towns it covers or say which lessons are online, so families in places such as Yarm, Stockton-on-Tees, Middlesbrough or Billingham should ask on the call.
Which lessons run in person, where, and which online is confirmed on the call, since the timetable is not published. Local boards vary by school: Conyers School in Yarm, for example, lists Pearson 1MA1 for Higher and OCR J560 for Foundation maths, so tell the tutor your child’s school and tier. For the full local picture, read GCSE tutors in Teesside.
What does a GCSE maths tutor cost?
Priority Education does not publish prices; times and prices are discussed on the free call-back. Small-group lessons generally cost less per child than one-to-one, and the group model is the one Priority Education describes for maths.
For a benchmark before the call, read tutoring cost per hour in the UK.
To arrange a free call-back with a teacher, fill in the short form on the enquiry page.
