Read the result calmly
Whether the grades are better or worse than expected, avoid reacting to the headline number alone. Mocks are often sat before the course has been fully taught, so a lower grade can reflect topics not yet covered as much as gaps in understanding.
Break it down by topic
Ask to see the marked papers if you can. Go through them question by question and sort every lost mark into one of three groups, because each needs a different fix.
- Topics not yet understood: these need teaching or reteaching.
- Careless errors: these need a checking routine and practice.
- Running out of time: this needs timed practice and exam technique.
Talk to the school
- Ask which topics the teacher sees as the priority.
- Check which tier your child is likely to be entered for.
- Ask how the mock result feeds into predicted grades.
Plan the months to the summer exams
GCSE exams usually run through May and June. Check your child's school for the exact timetable. Working back from that, a simple plan looks like this:
- January and February: fix the biggest topic gaps from the mocks.
- March: mix topic practice with timed past-paper questions.
- Easter holidays: full past papers under exam conditions, reviewed carefully.
- May: shorter sessions focused on the mistakes list, plus rest.
Get support where it counts
If the mocks showed gaps that are hard to close alone, small-group or one-to-one tuition can help. We teach GCSE Maths, English and Science at Foundation and Higher level across all major exam boards, at Cheadle, Longsight and Didsbury or online. Our exam-board-matched GCSE mocks are a useful check on progress later in the year.
