Resources for GCSE (9-1) Maths post-16 resit students
10 December 2024
Rebecca Atherfold, FE Maths Education Support Specialist, MEI
I’m constantly impressed by the resources we have available to us as maths teachers, however they are usually produced with either primary, secondary or Level 3 students in mind. Teachers of GCSE (9-1) Maths resit students have the challenge of trying to find resources that contain the right level of maths, but are also appropriate for older teenagers. In this blog I will share some of my ‘go-to’ resources for different purposes, all with post-16 resit students in mind.
Subject pedagogy
It can be challenging to teach both students who are on the verge of a grade 4 (or attempting the higher paper) and students who are struggling with some of the mathematical concepts that they would have ideally mastered in primary school, particularly when they’re both in the same class! The Oak National Academy has fully resourced lessons from Key Stage 1 through to Key Stage 4, alongside videos of teachers delivering the lessons. They are my first port of call if I need to brush up on how a topic would have been introduced at school, or if I am preparing to teach some higher tier content that I haven’t considered for a while.
Looking for the gaps in student knowledge
With little over eight months to teach a resit course we need to quickly find which topics students have under their belt and where they have gaps. The checkpoint activities from the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM) are a consistently reliable way of drawing out students’ strengths and at the same time giving an insight into their misconceptions. Although they are written with Key Stage 3 pupils in mind, the maths is spot on for resit students and the slides are engaging for a post-16 audience.
The NCETM checkpoints dovetail nicely with the content of OCR’s Key Stage 3 – Key Stage 4 transition guides on Teach Cambridge. The transition guides contain rich tasks that are designed to be completed collaboratively and expose students’ understanding of concepts that are critical for GCSE success.
Both the NCETM and the OCR resources have detailed advice for teachers, suggestions for questioning and misconceptions to look out for.
Making maths visual
I am a firm believer that exploring the structure of mathematical concepts, through carefully selected representations, is necessary to support resit students in developing their understanding and making connections between topics. The NCETM has produced comprehensive guidance documents on using representations, which have helped me select the ones that work best for me in a resit classroom.
However, budgets are tight in FE and buying manipulatives is not always an option. Mathsbot has all the (free) virtual manipulatives you could need, alongside many other resources that highlight mathematical structures. The interactive Gattegno and percentage of amounts charts are favourites of mine, but I find something new every time I explore.
Mathspad also has useful online interactive tools. You can explore how linear sequences relate to times tables, or plans and elevations from different perspectives (both topics that I find resit students can struggle with).
Preparing for the exam
There is a delicate balance between making sure resit students get the exam practice that they need, but not overwhelming them with past papers that contain more questions that they can’t answer than ones that they can.
OCR has Grades 1-4 practice materials on Teach Cambridge aimed specifically at students working between these grades. The questions come from previous exam series and cover all topics and assessment objectives. They are accompanied by a mark scheme and an analysis grid. The analysis grid shows your students’ strengths and weaknesses as well as how many marks students who achieved U through to grade 4 achieved when the questions were first set. They’re a win-win. Your students get exposed to questions at the right level, while you get useful information that shows you where your students are now and what they need to do to improve.
Some of the links to resources featured in this blog are available on Teach Cambridge, the secure area of our website. If you don’t already have access, visit the landing page to find out how to sign up.
Stay connected
Share your thoughts in the comments below. If you have any questions, you can email us at maths@ocr.org.uk, call us on 01223 553998 or tweet us @OCR_Maths. You can also sign up for subject updates to receive the latest maths news, updates and resources.
If you are considering teaching any of our qualifications, use our online form to let us know, so that we can help you with more information.
About the author
Rebecca Atherfold is Maths Education Support Specialist for MEI and works in the FE CPD team. Rebecca has been with MEI since February 2023, following over 20 years teaching experience in schools and colleges.
Related blogs