Success at Year 11 GCSE Mathematics at Ryedale School.

1. Success at GCSE
Mathematics
To learn, you must
want to be taught.

2. Why is Maths important?
•Many courses and jobs require GCSE Maths
•It improves your problem solving skills
•It gives you the skills to manage your personal
finances
•Research shows that people who are good at
Maths, on average, earn more
Pencil, protractor and calculator –
weapons of Maths destruction.

3. • The final score in a football
match was 3 – 2.
• How many different
possible half-time scores
are there?
• The answer is 36.
• What was the question?
Nessie, the Loch Ness monster,
weighs
‘600kg plus half her weight’.
How much does Nessie weigh?
In an enclosure at the zoo there
are ostriches and giraffes.
If there are 16 heads and 52 legs,
how many of each animal are there?

4. Course Overview
•The GCSE course started inYear 9.
•It takes 3 years.
•The exams are in May or June 2018.
•AQA Mathematics – 3 exams at the end of the course.
•There is no coursework.
5 out of 4 people have difficulty with fractions

5. Expectations
Behaviour for learning Complete homework
Do your best Complete practice papers
Show your working Keep your book neat and accurate
Attendance Be prepared for each lesson
If there is a 50 – 50 chance that something will go wrong,
then 9 times out 10 it will.

6. Equipment
Calculator – have your own to become familiar with it
Pen & Pencil Sharpener
Ruler Protractor
Rubber Compasses
It is not how many times you fall that is important,
it is how many times you get back up again.

7. Homework
•Set twice per week
•Revision and practice papers
•Should take between 30 – 40 minutes
Failure is the opportunity to begin again,
more intelligently.

8. The Maths Exam AQA Mathematics (8300)
Higher
Old
Grade
A* A* A B B/C C
New
Grade
9 8 7 6 5 4
Foundation
Old
Grade
B/C C D E F/G
New
Grade
5 4 3 2 1

9. The Maths Exam
•AQA Mathematics (8300)
•The higher the number, the higher the grade.
•Set 1 and Set 2 follow the Higher course.
•Set 3, Set 4 and Set 5 follow the Foundation course.
Maths, the only place where you can buy 80 watermelons
without anyone thinking you’re weird.

10. The Papers
• Foundation Higher
•Paper 1 non-calculator 80 marks 1h 30m 1h 30m
•Paper 2 calculator 80 marks 1h 30m 1h 30m
•Paper 3 calculator 80 marks 1h 30m 1h 30m
•Any topic can appear on any paper
Parallel lines have so much in common, it’s a
shame they’ll never meet.

11. What do the students do?
• Individual work and Paired work
• Basic skills and applied skills
• Familiar and unfamiliar situations
• Multi-stage problems
• Regular assessments to track progress
• Targets set to enhance progress
• Complete practice papers (Year 11)
• Attend study club whenever possible
Because something is difficult doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try,
it just means you should try harder.

12. What can parents do?
• Provide an appropriate place to work free from distraction
• Be supportive and encouraging
• Ask your child to explain what they have been doing
• Get a revision guide
• Check that homework and practice papers are completed
• Do not say ‘well I was never any good at maths’.
• If you are positive then your child will be positive.
• Encourage your child to attend study club.
• If you have a concern contact the school.
The will to succeed is not nearly so important as
the will to prepare to succeed.

13. Websites
•Mymaths
•Mr Barton maths
•bbc bitesize
•Khan Academy
•AQA for past papers
The only way to learn Maths is to do Maths.