GCSE Mathematics Call our expert GCSE and IGCSE advisors on
Build lifetime success with our flexible, accredited courses We re the UK leader in online learning, and our flexible courses are perfect if you ve got a busy life. They allow you to shape your study around your schedule: learn at your own pace, in your own time, wherever suits you best on whatever device you are on, whether that be mobile, tablet or laptop. That s why over 13,000 students a year trust us to help them take their career to the next level. Fully Supported Learning You ll have unlimited support from your expert Maths tutor, plus live online classrooms where you can ask questions in real time. Years of Experience We ve been pioneers in flexible learning for 128 years, so you ll benefit from more than a century of educational expertise. Payment Plans You can spread the cost of your course with an interest-free monthly payment plan. Is the Maths GCSE the same as the one in High School? Yes - even though you re studying online, you ll sit the same exam at the same time as other GCSE students in the UK, and the qualification you ll receive is exactly the same. The GCSE is awarded by Edexcel, the qualification branch of internationally-respected educational organisation Pearson - they re a world-class provider of academic qualifications. We re the UK s #1 provider of online GCSE, IGCSE and A Level courses.
Why this course is right for you Studying GCSE Maths from home with us isn t like studying in school. You can go at your own pace, set your own timetable, join and rewatch our live classrooms as many times as you need, and get unlimited help from your dedicated tutor. Our course has been specially designed so that you start with the easiest parts, moving gradually on to more complex material when you re ready. Everything you ll learn builds on what came before, so you won t learn one topic inside out only to realise you ve forgotten it six months later! You ll be fully supported in getting the GCSE Maths grade you need without having to sacrifice your job, family time or social commitments - your study can be completely shaped around your life. This course is perfect for you if: You struggled with Maths in school and want to benefit from our unlimited tutor support and live classrooms You need a certain grade for a course or job - GCSE Maths is a particularly common entry requirement You want to prepare for college or university You want to study a Maths-related subject at a higher level or work in a Maths-related field Entry Requirements We believe in making education as accessible as possible, so you don t need any prior qualifications to enrol on this course. As this course is online, you will need access to a computer and the internet. If you have any disabilities which you believe may impact your studies or assessments, please inform your Course Advisor before enrolment so that we can advise you on whether reasonable adjustments can be made to accommodate your needs. A firm knowledge of Maths is essential in many jobs and industries, so your GCSE Maths is an extremely valuable qualification.
What s it like studying online? Get expert advice & get started Whether you re set on a course or are still deciding which level is right for you, the first thing to do is call our specialist course advisors. There won t be any sales pressure - we know that taking a new qualification is a big decision. We ll take the time to learn about your experience, education and ambitions to make sure you pick the right course. Study when & where it suits you You can get started on your course whenever you choose, and complete it as quickly or slowly as you like within the support period - there are no cohorts or deadlines, so we won t chase you if you need to take some time off. Plus, all your study materials are online, so you can study from anywhere and on any device! Attend live online classrooms with our in-house Maths tutor Our in-house tutor Melissa runs regular live classrooms that cover every aspect of the course. You can watch her work through problems and ask questions in real time. All our classrooms are recorded, so if you miss a session you can watch it back any time. Plus, you can re-watch a class as many times as you need. Get unlimited support from your GCSE Tutor All our tutors are carefully selected subject experts with years of experience in distance learning, so they re perfectly positioned to give you all the help you need. They ll be with you from enrolment to graduation, so there ll always be a real person on hand by phone, email or chat if you get stuck. Sit your exams at a local school or college You ll arrange to sit your exams at a local school or college at the same time as all the other students in the UK. The qualification you receive will be exactly the same as if you d studied in school. Whether you want your GCSE Maths for university, college or to get a job, you ll have the qualification you need to succeed.
Flexible, affordable payment options Our mission is to make learning affordable and accessible for all, no matter your circumstances. That s why we make spreading the cost of your course as simple and manageable as possible with our flexible, interest-free payment plans. You can get started right away with a deposit, then pay the rest through monthly direct debit. Our plans are flexible, so you can pay your balance off sooner if you d like. If you think your company will fully or partly fund your learning, we can help you put together a case, and invoice them for the cost of your course. Simply discuss this with your advisor when you enrol and they ll give you all the information you need. You also have the option of paying the full amount up-front if you d prefer. Exam fees Your exam fees aren t included in the cost of the course, as these are paid directly to the exam centre. The cost will vary depending on the exam centre you choose, with private schools and colleges being more expensive than state schools. They could be in the region of 80 to 150 per paper. Our course advisors will be more than happy to tell you more about arranging your exams. You can find out the cost of the course on our website, along with payment plan details and any discounts we re offering this month. Alternatively, you can call our course advisors to find out more. I watched two webinars by the utterly brilliant maths teacher Melissa Lieberman and I have to be honest and say that I was hooked! Melissa has been so supportive, she explained any difficult areas so well, and I would have really struggled without her. I scored 185/200 (A*) and now I head off to my access course with a renewed vigour for learning. ICS Learn is the perfect way to learn. Hayley Vanderhuizen, GCSE Maths student Read her story: https://www.icslearn.co.uk/blog/posts/2016/october/ics-real-stories-meet-hayley/
How we support you When you enrol, you ll be able to join a live induction webinar so that we can show you how to navigate the Student Community, answer any questions you have, and - most importantly - give you a warm and friendly welcome to studying with us! The Student Community is our easy-to-use online learning platform. It s a one stop shop that allows you to: Access your course materials Contact your tutor and Student Support team Submit your assignments Connect with your fellow students You ll also benefit from a huge range of resources, including: Live online classrooms Lively Group Forums Personal Journal Edexcel Resources E-textbooks Interactive Quizzes Progress Checks Online Activities Your study materials have been specially designed for online learning by distance learning experts, and they re split into bitesized sections so they re easy to follow from home. Learning online doesn t mean learning alone. You ll be supported throughout by your assigned tutor as well as our in-house Maths tutor, Melissa - they ll answer all your questions about coursework and exams, give you detailed feedback on your mock tests, You ll also have our Student Support team waiting in the wings to help you with administrative tasks, using the Student Community, and any other nonacademic queries you might have. That means that no matter what you need, there will always be someone here to help. We re with you every step of the way.
Our live online Maths classrooms If you struggled with Maths in school, or could simply benefit from seeing someone work out problems in real time, our weekly online classrooms with our Maths tutor Melissa will be perfect for you. They re not compulsory by any means, but we think you ll find them really useful. They re set up similarly to a Skype call you can see and hear Melissa, but she can only see what you type (pretty good if you ve always dreamed of coming to class in your jammies.) You ll be able to: See and hear her explain topics and problems in clear, easy-to-follow language with plenty of examples Work out maths questions alongside other students and get real time feedback and guidance Learn from other students questions and mistakes Re-watch the classes as many times as you like so you can pause, slow it down, and take notes Watch the recording if you couldn t make it to the class Here s what our students say: Melissa explains things in a way that you can understand and makes you feel at ease participating in the session. Initially, I didn t want to do a live session in case I was put on the spot but I will join in now that I have seen what is involved. I love the online classrooms! I struggle a lot with maths and having the online webinar feels like a teacher is actually here with me. The test examples were very helpful to demonstrate whether or not I understood what was said. It s easy to go, oh yeah, that makes sense but in practice it could be very different. The input from other people was also helpful, as questions were asked which I didn t think of. Melissa is a wonderful teacher. She has a way of keeping you motivated and teaching each topic in simple terms which are easy for me to understand. I found Melissa really easy to understand, I have probably learned more from her in an hour than I did the entire time I went to school!
About your exams This course will prepare you for the Edexcel GCSE Mathematics (1MA1) exams that take place in May/June and November every year. You must be over 16 to take November exams. They re set nationally, so you can t take them at any other time. You ll be able to take either the Foundation tier exam, which will allow you to achieve grades between 1 and 5, or the Higher tier exam, which will allow you to achieve grades 3-9. Your tutor can advise you which one would better suit your needs. Before you sit your exams, you ll submit test papers to your tutor. They won t count towards your final grade - they re just there to make sure you re well prepared for the real thing, and to allow you and your tutor to track your progress. When it s time to book your exams, we ll remind you - this is usually about six months before the exam date. We ll help you find a suitable exam centre and you ll book your exams as a private candidate. Exam centres are usually schools or colleges within the UK that are already presenting internal candidates for the exam (ie. students who go to that school). Not every centre accepts private candidates - we ll provide you with a list of ones that do, and Edexcel also has one on their website. If you have a special relationship with a school, such as it being your old school or your child s school, they might accept you even if their policy is against private candidates. If you re still at school or college and you re sitting exams there, you ll have to go elsewhere for your exams for this course. You can t be both an internal and a private candidate at one exam centre in the same exam diet. The qualification you ll receive is exactly the same as if you d studied in school or college. You ll get your results at the same time as all the other Edexcel GCSE students in the UK. A guide to the new grades 9 = above A* grade 8 = roughly A* 7 = roughly A 6 = roughly B 5 = top end of grade C 4 = lower end of grade C 3 and below = grades D to G Visit our website to find out which exams you can take within the support period for this course.
About your course With our flexible GCSE courses, you ll get the same exceptional learning experience as you d expect in a traditional classroom, but with no restrictions on when, where, and at what pace you learn. Our courses cover everything you need to know to get your Maths GCSE and build lifetime success. Our course covers all the main topics you ll be assessed on: Numbers Algebra Ratio, Proportion and Rates of Change Geometry and Measures Statistics and Probability You ll need: A scientific calculator A ruler with cm and mm A protractor A pair of compasses However, instead of studying each topic individually as you would in school, you ll study four units based on level of difficulty. You ll cover all the material at Grade 1 to 2 level, then move on to work that s about Grade 3 to 4 difficulty. Then, when you re ready, you can move to Grade 5-6 and even Grade 7-9 work if you decide to. You don t need to study Grade 7-9 level content unless you want to sit the Higher tier exam, so if you only need a Grade 4 or 5, there s no pressure to learn the trickier stuff. This better prepares you to get the grades you need, and means you can progress to more difficult topics when you feel you re ready - not when it comes up in the textbook. If there was any part of the coursework that I did not understand or struggled with, my tutor, Melissa was only a click away. She was very efficient at replying to queries and marking the practice tests, and always had encouraging remarks or constructive feedback on the mock exam papers. To me, her support was as important as the course notes. I booked my exam with a local exam centre and I am delighted to say that I passed with an A! Jemma Sharrat, IGCSE Student
What you ll learn Study Unit 1: Revising the Basics - Foundation 1 This first study unit will provide a basic introduction to all the key areas of the course including number, algebra, ratio, proportion and rates of change, geometry and measures, and statistics and probability. It ll give you a solid Mathematical foundation and the tools you need to progress through the remainder of the course with confidence. The content of this unit will approximately target the level of demand required for the award of the new GCSE grades 1 to 2 (roughly equivalent to the old GCSE grades F to E). You must complete this unit whether you re aiming to complete the Foundation Tier or the Higher Tier exams. However, depending on your current level of maths knowledge, you could take a few months to master the content or finish it in several weeks. There are no set time limits on this course. If you want to complete the test paper immediately at the end of Unit 1 to progress to Unit 2, that s possible as long as you can prove you re sufficiently competent to move on to the next part of the course. Study Unit 2: Moving On - Foundation 2/Higher 1 The content of this unit will approximately target GCSE grades 3 to 4 (roughly equivalent to the old GCSE grades D to C) and will be assessed in both Foundation and Higher tier exam papers. You ll build on the topics introduced in Unit 1 and will gain confidence in the skills needed to progress to the next Study Unit. New topics introduced in this unit will include index laws, solving more complex linear equations and inequalities, transformation geometry and using frequency tree diagrams. Study Unit 3: Preparing for Higher tier Foundation 3/Higher 2 The content in Study Unit 3 will approximately target GCSE grades 5 to 6 (roughly equivalent to the old GCSE grades C to B). You ll be introduced to a variety of topics including standard form, quadratic functions, trigonometry and vectors. Once you ve completed Study Units 1, 2, and 3, you ll have covered all the Foundation tier content for the Maths GCSE. The benefit of this course structure is that if you want to stop at this point and enter the Foundation tier exams, you can. Your tutor will be there to support you as you continue to practice, review and revise the content from the first three Study Units in preparation for your Foundation tier exams. Study Unit 4: Preparing for Higher tier Foundation 3/Higher 2 The content of this unit will approximately target GCSE grades 7 to 9 (roughly equivalent to the old GCSE grade B to A* and beyond). You ll complete this unit if you want to enter the Higher tier GCSE Maths exams. In Study Unit 4, you ll be introduced to many topics new to GCSE Maths including iterative methods, quadratic inequalities and inverse and composite functions. On completion of this final unit you ll have the confidence to answer the majority of questions on the Higher tier exam papers.
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