Bridging the Gap from GCSE to A-Level in Science and Maths

Nearly one month ago to the day, the best triathletes in the World dived off the Alexandre III bridge to battle with the fast-flowing currents of the River Seine in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Excitement and nerves were sky high with the winners not only guaranteed a medal to last a lifetime but also a significant boost in future earnings. It took years of training to get there. Dedication, resilience and consistency. A roller coaster of highs and lows, difficult to overcome if injury struck but easier to succeed if the groundwork had been done in the winter months.

This is where students beginning their A-Levels (Key Stage 5) are at right now. If they are going on to study their chosen science or Maths they will have been really successful and shown great promise in their GCSE (Key Stage 4). The similarities between them and the recent Olympians are stark. They will be excited, nervous and all of the characteristics needed to succeed are the same; the currents will be fast-flowing and challenging to swim against. A-Level moves very quickly and can be really tricky.

The difference between them and the Olympians is that they are at the start of their groundwork to cross the bridge rather than end up in the Seine; the gap between GCSE and A-Level is large. Grade boundaries (the number of marks needed to get a particular grade) go up. So, an A at A-Level is a hard-win (no disrespect to those sixes to nines at GCSE which show skill, an enjoyment of the subject and hard work). And, they really need to know and understand their GCSE subject well to successfully cross the bridge and become happy and confident Year 12s. Year 12 also brings the challenge of more independent study. Probably, every hour of lessons should be matched with two hours of independent work if high grades are wanted. Organisation is key. Some students thrive whilst others can struggle in the early days whilst they get into the flow. Learning subjects is also like building a wall. Missing bricks (misconceptions at GCSE or independent work not done in the early days of A-Levels) mean the wall falls down. Students can quickly lose confidence and become disheartened, disliking the subject and wishing they had chosen a different route.

All of this can be avoided and easily overcome with a brief bespoke tutoring package.

Tutoring can help. A lot. I can work through groundwork provided by teachers, or I can work through groundwork I have designed to move seamlessly from GCSE to A-Level. I can help to provide stable foundations for the next two years in biology, chemistry or Maths and provide support with organisation and completing work in those crucial early days. It may be that only a month of one weekly sessions will be enough. If further support is wanted in the long-run, I am happy to provide this too. Introductory sessions are free so we can meet, check we are a good match, and that I can provide your child with the support they need in the way you want. Visit my website to find out more, or contact me at educate.em1@gmail.com .