Use the holidays
to close the gaps.Start next term strong.

Before we teach anything, we find out exactly what is missing. A short diagnostic assessment and a look at recent tests and reports show us which topics, skills and earlier-grade concepts are holding the learner back.

• Diagnostic assessment at the start
• We look at where marks are being lost, not just the final mark
• A clear list of priorities for the holiday

Most difficulties in Mathematics start lower down: a skill from an earlier grade that was never fully secure. We go back to that root, rebuild it properly, then work forward to the current work so the gap is fixed for good.

• Re-teach the underlying concepts, step by step
• Guided practice until each skill is secure
• Link the foundation to this term's topics

Many learners know the work but run out of time, or panic when they see a hard question. We practise under timed conditions and teach a plan for every paper, which helps reduce test and exam stress and anxiety.

• Timed practice on exam-style questions
• How to read the paper first and plan the order
• What to do when you get stuck, so one question doesn't cost the whole paper

Knowing a method is only half the work; the learner must recognise when to use it. We train learners to read a question carefully, pick out what is given and what is asked, and use that to figure out which method solves the problem.

• Unpacking the wording of questions, diagrams and graphs
• "Given / Required / Method" for every problem
• Practice with unfamiliar, exam-style questions