GCSE Exam Preparation

GCSE exam preparation is a short, practical course for pupils who have done the revision and now need to turn knowledge into marks on the day. It is not a second run through the whole specification. We look at how papers are marked, where marks are lost, and what a pupil can change in the final weeks. Lessons are one-to-one, online or at home, for pupils aged 7 to 18, though the work is built around GCSE papers and usually taken in Years 10 and 11.

Sound Footing Tuition uses DBS-checked qualified tutors. Every pupil gets progress reports for parents, so you can see what has changed between lessons. The aim is simple: fewer dropped marks on questions the pupil already understands.

What this GCSE exam preparation course covers

A pupil can know the content and still lose marks. They run out of time on the last question. They miss the command word. They show the right method but forget the unit. They write a long answer when the paper asks for two reasons. These are the habits this course targets.

We work through the pupil's own exam board papers, whether that is AQA, Edexcel, OCR or another board. Lessons can focus on command words such as describe, explain and evaluate; timing across a whole paper; the language of the mark scheme; showing working in maths and science; reading graphs and tables; structuring longer answers; and a revision plan that fits around school.

This is exam craft. It sits beside subject teaching, not instead of it.

Who it suits, and who it does not

It suits a pupil who has covered most of the content, is attending school, and wants a sharper finish. The mock paper may show a grade below the school's target. The pupil may finish the paper but leave three questions blank. They may know the topic in class and freeze in the hall. A short block of one-to-one lessons can target those specific habits.

It does not suit a pupil with large gaps in whole topics. If a pupil cannot attempt most of the paper, start with subject tuition in maths, English or science. Exam preparation works best once the content is in place. It is also not a replacement for school attendance or for completing set work between lessons.

Parents often book this course when the school report says working at one grade and the mock paper says something lower. That gap is usually made of technique and timing, not only knowledge. A marked paper tells us which.

How the course works, step by step

1. A short fact-find

Before the first lesson, we ask for the exam board, tier, target grade and the date of the next paper. We ask for a recent mock or class test, even if the mark is poor. A marked paper tells us more than a conversation about confidence.

2. Mark-leak diagnosis

The first lesson is a diagnostic. Tutor and pupil read the paper together: which questions were left blank, which ran over time, which lost method marks. We sort the leaks into three groups: knowledge, technique and timing. Knowledge gaps go on a short list. Technique and timing become the lesson plan.

3. Weekly one-to-one lessons

Lessons are online or at home. Online lessons include recorded lesson notes, so a pupil can revisit a worked example before the next paper. Each lesson has one or two exam targets, not a vague instruction to revise harder. A typical session might cover four-mark explain questions, then a timed section under exam conditions, then marking against the board's mark scheme.

4. Practice between lessons

Pupils leave with a small task: one exam question, one page of a past paper, or a timed section. They mark it before the next lesson. We use an error log with three columns: what the question asked, what I wrote, what the mark scheme wanted. That log becomes the revision list for the final weeks.

5. Progress reports for parents

After an agreed block, parents receive a progress report. It sets out the exam skills covered, the marks that have stopped slipping, and the next two priorities. It is written in plain English, not teacher code. If a pupil needs subject tuition as well, we say so.

What the pupil needs to bring

You do not need to buy a new set of books. Bring what the school already uses. For the first lesson, have:

• the exam board and tier, Foundation or Higher, for each subject;
• a recent mock, class test or past paper, with the mark scheme if the school has returned it;
• the school revision guide and any knowledge organiser;
• a calculator for maths and science, and the set text or anthology for English;
• a note of the next exam date and any controlled assessment deadlines.

We prepare the paper selection, the mark scheme extracts and the lesson notes. If you do not have a mock paper, we can use a board specimen paper. Tell us the board at booking.

What affects the timing and the price

Price is on request. Several things change the quote and the number of lessons needed:

• How many subjects: one paper or three. Two subjects can share one revision plan, which saves duplication.
• The exam board and tier: some papers have more long-answer questions, which need more timed practice.
• How close the exams are: a block starting in the autumn can spread practice; a block in May has to be tight.
• Online or at home: home lessons depend on location and travel, so ask when booking.
• Frequency and block length: weekly, twice weekly, or a short intensive run.
• Marking between lessons: whether you want past paper sections marked before the next session.

We can quote for a block and for more than one subject together. Ask for a combined quote when you book; it is often the simplest way to see what the total will be. Progress reports are part of the course, not an extra admin task.

Timing also depends on the pupil's calendar. November mocks, December rehearsals, the May half-term and the summer exam season all change what can be done. A Tuesday evening in March is not the same as a Saturday morning in April.

The value is in targeting marks that are already within reach. A lesson that fixes timing across a whole paper can change how a pupil uses the rest of the revision time, because they stop spending ten minutes on a two-mark question and then rushing the last page.

Questions parents ask

Is this the same as maths, English or science tuition?

No. Subject tuition teaches content. This course teaches how to use that content in an exam: command words, timing, mark scheme language and paper strategy. If the pupil has gaps in a topic, we may recommend subject lessons first or alongside.

Can lessons be online or at home?

Yes. We offer one-to-one lessons online or at home. Both use DBS-checked qualified tutors, and both include progress reports for parents. Online lessons include recorded lesson notes.

How close to the exam should we start?

There is no single right time. A block in the autumn gives room for timed practice across several papers. A short block in the final weeks can still target one paper or one question type. The earlier you book, the more choice of lesson times you have.

Do you promise a grade?

No. We do not promise a grade or a score. We teach the exam skills, mark against the board's scheme, and report what has changed. The pupil still has to do the practice.

What does it cost?

Price is on request. The quote depends on subjects, frequency, online or home lessons, and how close the exams are. Ask when booking and we will set out the options.