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Your personal online Math teacher

Your personal online Maths teacher

About Me
Terms and Conditions
Privacy Policy
About Me
Terms and Conditions
Privacy Policy
  • Interactive lessons with exceptionally clear explanations from an experienced Maths teacher

  • Dynamic questions give unlimited practice of the concepts explained in the lesson

  • Full worked solutions always available

  • Built in common errors tell you what you did wrong when you give an incorrect answer

  • Easier Question option provides a stepping stone where necessary

  • Progress Chart with 4 levels of difficulty (separate from your Target Grade)

  • Weekly targets based on your Target Grade and Progress Chart

  • Prompts to revisit completed lessons until Mastery achieved to ensure learning retention 

  • Comprehensive statistics

  • Messaging service gives access to an experienced Maths teacher. Use as and when needed.

  • New lessons added weekly. Full access to all content until 30th June 2021 for £19.

Frequently Asked Questions
Main page
Create account
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×

Are you studying GCSE Maths?

Frequently Asked Questions

Please fully read the notes below to see how the website works and try the

sample lessons. There is also a list of frequently asked questions at the end.

If so then this website is for you.

Will you be taking the Foundation tier exam?

Note that this website has not been designed for use on phones. Accounts can only be created and accessed on desktop and laptop computers and tablets.

Using this website can be just as effective as having a private tutor if you know how to make best use of it.

Pythagoras' Theorem 1
Pythagoras' Theorem 1

Sample

lessons

Pythagoras' Theorem 2
Pythagoras' Theorem 2

Note that your progress in the sample lessons is not retained

This website uses third-party cookies in order to monitor traffic. Once an account is created local browser storage is used to enable progress tracking and target setting. See the Privacy Policy for full details.

OK

Go to www.gcsemaths.online using a desktop or laptop computer or tablet to try the sample lessons.

Please fully read the notes below to see how the website works. There is also a list of frequently asked questions at the end.

Interpreting Frequency Tables
Interpreting Frequency Tables

In each lesson you are initially presented with a summary of the key points and a worked example. To complete the lesson you must give five correct answers in a row to the questions. The questions are computer generated and provide unlimited practice of the concept being taught in the lesson.

 

Pressing the “More explanation” button will give you a full explanation together with additional worked examples. You can answer the questions at any time. If you give an incorrect answer you will be given a full worked solution so that you can see where you went wrong. You can also see the worked solution instead of answering the question if you wish by pressing the “Show solution” button.

  

If you are finding it difficult to answer the questions correctly despite using the full explanation notes and the worked solutions, you can press the “Easier question” button. The Easier Questions come with their own accompanying notes and again full worked solutions are provided if you get them wrong. Once you have given a correct answer the questions revert to normal. However, you can have an Easier Question at any time by pressing the “Easier question” button. The Easier Questions are     designed as stepping stones to the main questions.

 

Common errors that students make are built in, so if you give an incorrect answer you may find that you are told specifically where you went wrong. This will be at the end of the worked solution.

 

If despite all this you are still having difficulty, or if there is something specific you want to ask, you can contact me directly using the Messaging service on this website. Each message costs £1. Credits are bought in advance up to a maximum of five and are deducted when you receive your reply. Your previous 12 messages are stored for you to refer back to at any time. Two free credits are included with your subscription. You can also upload files for me to look at. For example you can scan work you have done, a question from a textbook, a worksheet or an exam question and then upload the image file. If you have an electronic copy of a worksheet then you can upload the document file. Note that password protected documents cannot be uploaded. 2 credits (cost £2) are deducted for replies to messages with uploaded documents.

 

Your progress for each lesson is indicated at the top of the screen by a coloured square. These are also shown all together in your Progress Chart. The numbers in the squares show how many more correct answers in a row are needed to turn the square green. The numbers in the green squares show how many more correct answers are required to achieve Mastery, which is explained below.

Progress for each lesson:

6

Green means the lesson has been completed and you understand the concept explained in the lesson. This is achieved by giving five correct answers in a row.

Dark green shows the lesson has been Mastered. A further 10 correct answers must be given at set intervals, indicated by the square turning blue.

5

White means that no questions have yet been answered.

2

Yellow means that only correct answers have been given to the questions.

5

Orange means that both correct and incorrect answers have been given to the questions.

5

Red means that a large proportion of incorrect answers have been given to the questions.

4

Blue means that a correct answer must now be given to work towards mastery.

Answers to the Easier Questions have no effect on your progress for the lesson, whether answered correctly or incorrectly. You can have the notes for the lesson displayed when you are answering the questions, unless you are one or two correct answers away from turning the square green or if the square is blue, in which case the notes will be hidden and the "Show solution" button also will be unavailable. You can hide the notes yourself at any time if you wish by pressing the "Hide notes" button.

 

Once a square has turned green it will never go back to orange or red, regardless of any incorrect answers you may give. A further 10 correct answers are required to achieve Mastery for a lesson and these have to be given at set intervals, depending on how long there is until the exam. Whenever the square turns blue a correct answer is required. You can answer the questions at any time, but if you give a wrong answer when the square is blue it will take longer to achieve Mastery. It takes a minimum of 10 weeks to achieve Mastery when there is more than 21 weeks to go before the exam. Revisiting material and correctly answering questions over a period of time ensures that what you have learnt is not forgotten.

 

New lessons are made available each week. Lessons cover key concepts and techniques, as well as problem solving and exam style questions. Once a lesson has appeared on the website you will be able to access it at any time. Targets will be set for you each week based around the new lessons for the week as well as your target grade and your progress with previous lessons.

All subscriptions last until 30th June 2021, regardless of when purchased. Subscriptions cost £19 and have a 30-day money back guarantee.

Main page
Create account
Create account

To create an account you need to provide the name of the student (which will be displayed on screen and used to log in), and the name and email address of the person providing payment. You will also need to provide a password. All payments are made using PayPal, although you can also pay by cheque if you contact me before creating an account.

You can only be logged in on one device or browser at a time. If you want to switch to a different device or browser you must log out from the original device or browser first. Your progress data is stored in a remote database so that you can use different devices and browsers and to prevent accidental loss of the data.

 

This website is available on desktop computers, laptops and tablets (e.g. iPads). It is not available on phones. All major browsers are supported. However, you should look at the sample lessons on the device and browser you intend to use to ensure compatibility. Although all major browsers are supported, this website is optimised for use with Google Chrome. You should use the most up-to-date version of your browser if possible. Note that you should use the buttons on the website to navigate between pages rather than the Back and Forward buttons in your browser.

 

This website uses local browser storage. Clearing local browser storage will cause you to be logged out from the website, so you must log out yourself before doing this to avoid problems logging back in. The same applies to clearing browsing data or clearing cookies and other site data since these actions will also clear local storage.

 

Your subscription comes with a 30-day money back guarantee. If during this period you decide that you don't want to continue using this website you can press the "Cancel subscription" button on the main page and receive a refund (minus the £0.85 PayPal fee that I paid for the original transaction).

New lessons are added each week. The following are currently available:

  • Converting fractions to decimals using a calculator

  • Converting fractions to percentages using a calculator

  • Expressing one number as a percentage of another 1

  • Expressing one number as a percentage of another 2

  • Pythagoras' Theorem 1

  • Pythagoras' Theorem 2

  • Pythagoras' Theorem problem solving 1

  • Pythagoras' Theorem problem solving 2

  • Interpreting Frequency Tables

  • Mean from a frequency table

  • Median from a frequency table

  • Mean for grouped data

Richard Jones

Teacher of Mathematics

I am an experienced Maths teacher, having taught in secondary schools for 20 years. Despite the demand for Maths teachers, instead of continuing in the classroom I have decided to create a website to support students with their preparation for their GCSE Maths exam. Work was started on the website at the beginning of 2019 and I am now ready to accept students who will be taking the Foundation tier exam.

About me
Terms and Conditions
Privacy Policy

Is the content aligned with the curriculum?

Yes, of course. Some websites emphasise that they are "curriculum aligned", but this should go without saying.

What about different exam boards?

All three exam boards (Edexcel, AQA and OCR) examine the same content. This is set out in the National Curriculum and is split into Number, Algebra,

Ratio, Proportion and Rates of Change, Geometry and Measures, Probability and Statistics. All three exam boards have calculator and non-calculator papers and all three have Foundation tier papers and Higher tier papers. 

Does the website have videos?

Originally I was planning to deliver the content of each lesson in a video. However, I later realised that putting the content into a series of slides makes it easier for the student to find what they need and is also more flexible. It means the student can first look at a summary and then decide if they need to study a full explanation. The Easier Questions for each lesson are also accompanied by their own slides.

In what ways are the lessons interactive?

The student has the choice of looking at a summary of the lesson, which is usually on a single slide, or a full explanation. The  student can always see a worked solution to the accompanying dynamic question rather than giving an answer. The slides can be hidden. If the student is struggling they can answer an Easier Question, which is designed to provide a stepping stone to the main question. This is accompanied by its own notes and again worked solutions are always available.

How can the lessons be tailored to meet my needs?

You can select what you need from each lesson (summary, full explanation, worked solutions, easier questions) by using the interactive features described in the previous answer. Common errors to the questions are built in, so if you give an incorrect answer you will often be told what you have done wrong. You will always be given the worked solution to look at as well. Your Progress Chart shows the lessons you need to work on. The lessons shown on your Progress Chart and your weekly targets take account of your target grade. You can also ask me questions via Live Chat.

How many questions accompany each lesson?

Each lesson is accompanied by a question which changes each time it is answered or the worked solution is shown. All of the questions are computer generated and theoretically provide unlimited practice of the concepts being taught in the lesson. As well as the questions using different numbers each time there are other variations as well to ensure that they cover everything explained in the lesson. Where appropriate they also use different contexts and different wording. As far as possible the website tries to ensure that you are not asked the same question twice - some lessons try not to repeat a question until 100 more questions have been generated while you stay on the same page.

What is meant by "Mastery"?

Your first goal with each lesson is to complete it by giving five correct answers in a row to the questions. This will turn the square on your Progress Chart green. Once the square is green it does not go back to any other colour, even if incorrect answers are given. However, once you have learnt something it is important to make sure it is not forgotten. Green squares on your Progress Chart turn blue at various intervals, depending on how long there is until the exam. This is your prompt to answer another question. Once you have given 10 correct answers when the square is blue the square will become dark green and the lesson will be Mastered. The square will not turn blue again. The number in the square tells you how many more correct answers are needed to achieve Mastery. Notes, worked examples and Easier Questions are not available when the square is blue. If the exam is more than 21 weeks away the Progress square will turn blue after each of the following numbers of days: 1, 2, 4, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 14, 14. This is 10 weeks in total.

Are the weekly targets personalised?

An algorithm is used to generate your weekly targets, which tell you the lessons you should aim to complete. It takes into account the lessons you have not yet completed along with a logical order for following the lessons. It also considers any lessons you have nearly completed, regardless of the order in which they come. It avoids any of the targets being the same as those for the previous week as long as some progress has been made towards those targets. Your Target Grade determines which lessons appear on your Progress Chart and can therefore appear in your targets. However, this does not stop you accessing any of the lessons on the website. Note that as well as completing the lessons listed in your targets each week you should also make sure that no red or blue squares remain on your Progress Chart.

How does the Messaging service work?

You can send me a message via Live Chat if there is something you want to ask. To do so you first have to buy some credits. They currently cost £1 each and you can buy between one and five. Each message you send uses one credit. My availability is described as "Online", "Available" or "Unavailable". Online means that you can expect a reply within 15 minutes. Available means you can expect a reply within 2 hours. You can still send a message if I am Unavailable, but you may have to wait until the next day for a reply. You can also upload files for me to look at, for example you can scan and then upload work you have done or a question from a textbook. Document files can also be uploaded, for example if you have an electronic copy of a worksheet. Note that password protected documents cannot be uploaded. Messages with uploaded files use two credits. Your last 12 messages and replies are available for you to see from the Live Chat page. Each message you send should focus on one specific question or problem that you have.

Does my Target Grade affect my Progress Chart?

I have assigned each lesson a grade, although these are not shown on the website because grades are not actually assigned to topics in the National Curriculum or by exam boards. The lessons that are one grade above, equal to, one grade below and two grades below your Target Grade are the ones that appear on your Progress Chart.

Can this website replace a private tutor?

My goal is for this to be the case. The explanations I provide in the slides are exceptionally clear. The dynamic questions provide unlimited practice and give immediate feedback. You are often told what you have done wrong when you have given an incorrect answer and you are always given a worked solution. Your weekly targets and Progress Chart tell you what to do next and what you need to work on. Blue squares on your Progress Chart and the aim to achieve Mastery ensure you do not forget what you have learnt. You can tailor each lesson to meet your needs by using the summary or full explanation, studying worked solutions rather than giving answers and by using the Easier Questions (accompanied by their own slides) if necessary as stepping stones to the main questions. I have created everything on this website and am an experienced Maths teacher. If despite everything provided by the website there is still something you want to ask then you can contact me via Live Chat.

Does the website cater for different learning styles?

Some tutors claim that each student learns differently and that they can adapt their teaching accordingly to meet the needs of each individual. However, cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham points out that students are more alike than different in the ways in which they learn and that evidence strongly supports focusing teaching on the common ways in which students learn rather than putting students into different categories and focusing on the differences.

How can the website improve my motivation?

A comprehensive set of statistics is given on your Main Page showing things such as the total number of questions you have answered correctly and how many lessons have been completed and mastered. As well as overall statistics, statistics are also shown for the current and previous weeks. Each week you are given up to five stars according to how many of the previous week's targets were met. You should also find that completing (and especially mastering) lessons and seeing the progress you are making will motivate you to achieve even more.

How can the website improve my confidence?

As you start to give correct answers to the questions (using the Easier Questions as stepping stones if necessary), and then start turning squares on your Progress Chart green your confidence will improve. Be prepared to study the information on the slides more than once and get questions wrong initially. If you seem to be stuck with a particular question then leaving it and coming back later can often help. Remember that you can use the Live Chat if necessary. Achieving Mastery for any lesson will give a large boost to your confidence. This takes a minimum of ten weeks, which is why it represents a significant achievement.

Is the website useful for students in Year 9?

The website is suitable for Year 9 students who are good at Maths. You can select "Summer 2023" as your exam time when you create your account and will probably want to select Grade 3 as your target grade initially. You will be able to renew your subscription next year and I am hoping to add the material necessary for the Higher tier by the end of 2021. 

Is the website useful if I'm taking the Higher tier?

There will be some benefit from using the website if you are taking the Higher tier and your target grade is 4 or 5, although if your target grade is 4 then you are likely to be taking the Foundation tier anyway. Grades 4 and 5 can be achieved at both tiers, and the website will cover the material necessary to achieve these grades. However, if your target grade is 5 and you are taking the Higher tier there will be topics above your target grade that you may be able to do but which will not be covered on the website. The Higher tier students for whom the website will be most beneficial are those in Year 10 with a target grade of 5 or 6.

Why are all the lessons not already available?

I currently have 87 lessons on which I have done a significant amount of work, including most of the programming to create the dynamic questions with their worked solutions. However, work is still needed to make these lessons ready for the website with all the features that I advertise. This includes rigorously testing the worked solutions to ensure that they function correctly in various different cases and don't ever give the impression of being computer generated. During the 20 months I have so far spent on this website a lot of material has been rewritten and a lot of changes have been made to the overall format, with new features being added. Despite the fact there is still work to do I am now in a position to make the website available to Foundation tier Year 11 students at this important time for them. Students can work through the lessons as they are released, guided by their weekly targets and Progress Chart.

Can I access lessons not listed in my targets?

You always have access to all of the lessons that are available on the website. This includes any lessons that are not on your Progress Chart because of your Target Grade. You don't have to follow the targets set by the website if you don't want to.

Can I change my target grade?

You can change your target grade at any time if necessary. Note that your target grade does not stop you accessing any of the lessons. Currently the website caters for students hoping to achieve grades 3, 4 and 5.

Can I try the website for free first?

You can (and should) try the sample lessons before buying a subscription. However, all subscriptions have a 30-day money back guarantee. Just press the "Cancel Subscription" button on the Account page for a refund. Note that I do reserve the right to keep the £0.85 PayPal fee that I incurred for the original transaction.

How do I pay for a subscription?

Currently all payments on the website are made using PayPal. Note that you do not need to have a PayPal account in order to do this. If you don't want to use PayPal then rather than creating an account on the website you can send me an email at r.jones@gcse-maths-tutor.co.uk with your name and the name of the student. I will then set up your account and give you a password (which you can change if you wish) and tell you how to send me a cheque.

Do subscriptions auto-renew?

There is no automatic renewal. All subscriptions require a single payment and expire on 30th June 2021. Subscriptions can be renewed, but note that the price will be higher to reflect the amount of content that there will be on the website.

 

Can two people in my household use the website?

Progress tracking is available for one person per subscription, so you will need to buy another subscription if someone else wants to use the website. You can do this by going to the Account page and pressing the "Create account" button, or by logging out and pressing the "Create account" button on the homepage as you did when you bought your first subscription.

Can I use this website on different devices?

As well as being stored in your browser, your progress data is also stored in a remote database. This means that you can use different devices and if necessary different browsers on the same device. However, you can only be logged in on one device or browser at a time, so you have to log out first before logging in on a different device. Note that you won't be able to log out if for any reason the database has not been updated with your most recent data.

Which browsers does the website support?

The website supports all major browsers. The recommended browser to use is Google Chrome, although you probably wouldn't  notice any difference with any other major browser if you are using the most up-to-date version. You should try the sample lessons before buying a subscription to ensure compatibility with the device and browser you intend to use. 

What is "local browser storage"?

Local browser storage is used to store your progress data on your computer. It is similar to but not the same as cookies. If you should ever want to clear your local browser storage then you must first log out of this website. Be aware that clearing browsing data or deleting browsing history may also clear local browser storage, depending on the options you select. Clearing local storage without logging out first can cause problems logging back in, although you can always sort this out by contacting me at r.jones@gcse-maths-tutor.co.uk if necessary. You won't be able to create an account if local browser storage is not enabled, although it will probably be enabled by default.

Why is the website not available on phones?

The small screen size means that this website is not suitable for use with phones, due to the amount of content displayed on the slides and the number of other  elements (buttons, input boxes, text fields and diagrams) that are on each page. The width of each page of this website is 980 pixels, so it is compatible with iPads and tablets.

Was this website created by a Maths teacher?

I taught Maths in secondary schools for 20 years and have created everything on this website. See the About Me page for more details. 

How can I contact you?

My email address is

r.jones@gcse-maths-tutor.co.uk. If you have an account then there will be a phone number on the "About me" page and at the end of the terms and conditions. There is also a business correspondence address in the same two places.

Frequently Asked Questions

Select a question below

My goal is for this to be the case. The explanations I provide in the slides are exceptionally clear. The dynamic questions provide unlimited practice and give immediate feedback. You are often told what you have done wrong when you have given an incorrect answer and you are always given a worked solution. Your weekly targets and Progress Chart tell you what to do next and what you need to work on. Blue squares on your Progress Chart and the aim to achieve Mastery ensure you do not forget what you have learnt. You can tailor each lesson to meet your needs by using the summary or full explanation, studying worked solutions rather than giving answers and by using the Easier Questions (accompanied by their own slides) if necessary as stepping stones to the main questions. I have created everything on this website and am an experienced Maths teacher. If despite everything provided by the website there is still something you want to ask then you can contact me via Live Chat.

There will be some benefit from using the website if you are taking the Higher tier and your target grade is 4 or 5, although if your target grade is 4 then you are likely to be taking the Foundation tier anyway. Grades 4 and 5 can be achieved at both tiers, and the website will cover the material necessary to achieve these grades. However, if your target grade is 5 and you are taking the Higher tier there will be topics above your target grade that you may be able to do but which will not be covered on the website. The Higher tier students for whom the website will be most beneficial are those in Year 10 with a target grade of 5 or 6.

I currently have 87 lessons on which I have done a significant amount of work, including most of the programming to create the dynamic questions with their worked solutions. However, work is still needed to make these lessons ready for the website with all the features that I advertise. This includes rigorously testing the worked solutions to ensure that they function correctly in various different cases and don't ever give the impression of being computer generated. During the 20 months I have so far spent on this website a lot of material has been rewritten and a lot of changes have been made to the overall format, with new features being added. Despite the fact there is still work to do I am now in a position to make the website available to Foundation tier Year 11 students at this important time for them. Students can work through the lessons as they are released, guided by their weekly targets and Progress Chart.

Is the content aligned with the curriculum?

Is the content aligned with the curriculum?

Is the website useful if I'm taking the Higher tier?

Is the website useful if I'm taking the Higher tier?

What about different exam boards?

What about different exam boards?

Why are all the lessons not already available?

Why are all the lessons not already available?

Does the website have videos?

Does the website have videos?

Can I access lessons not listed in my targets?

Can I access lessons not listed in my targets?

In what ways are the lessons interactive?

In what ways are the lessons interactive?

Can I change my target grade?

Can I change my target grade?

How can the lessons be tailored to meet my needs?

How can the lessons be tailored to meet my needs?

Can I try the website for free first?

Can I try the website for free first?

How many questions accompany each lesson?

How many questions accompany each lesson?

How do I pay for a subscription?

How do I pay for a subscription?

What is meant by "Mastery"?

What is meant by "Mastery"?

Do subscriptions auto-renew?

Do subscriptions auto-renew?

Are the weekly targets personalised?

Are the weekly targets personalised?

Will the price go down as the exam gets closer?

Will the price go down as the exam gets closer?

How does the messaging service work?

How does the messaging service work?

Can two people in my household use the website?

Can two people in my household use the website?

Does my Target Grade affect my Progress Chart?

Does my Target Grade affect my Progress Chart?

Can this website replace a private tutor?

Can this website replace a private tutor?

Does the website cater for different learning styles?

Does the website cater for different learning styles?

How can the website improve my motivation?

How can the website improve my motivation?

How can the website improve my confidence?

How can the website improve my confidence?

Is the website useful for students in Year 9?

Is the website useful for students in Year 9?

Can I use this website on different devices?

Can I use this website on different devices?

Which browsers does the website support?

Which browsers does the website support?

What is "local browser storage"?

What is "local browser storage"?

Why is the website not available on phones?

Why is the website not available on phones?

Was this website created by a Maths teacher?

Was this website created by a Maths teacher?

How can I contact you?

How can I contact you?

©Richard Jones 2020

r.jones@gcse-maths-tutor.co.uk

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