GCSE Maths Rescue
15 years of making maths easy
Not getting the pass you need? Or maybe not quite the grades you are wanting? Maths confusing or demoralising? School letting you down? Facing retakes, or re-retakes?
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I fix all that.
I make maths easy and approachable. My students all pass, to date no lower than a Level 6 for higher tier GCSE students. That includes students who failed their mocks and turned to me just months before their exams.
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Read on to learn how I can help you!
hello!
I'm David Coombes, a tutor who's here to turn your maths world around. Like I did for Morgan who failed her mocks with single digit marks...
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Morgan was in lower set maths all through Secondary School, until Year 11 when she was moved up to higher. In class she was struggling with work she had never learnt and in her Christmas mocks she failed maths with only 8 points. Thankfully she was friends with another student of mine who recommended me and we started lessons in January. That year Morgan passed with a Level 6.
Such a joy to watch my daughter understanding and enjoying maths. Her confidence soared with David as her tutor. She couldn’t wait for her next lesson!
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Lizzie M., Farncombe
Mr Coombes went the extra mile for me as a tutor. As a pupil who was always in the lowest set, I could never have predicted getting a B in GCSE Maths.
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Kat.S.
(Grade B, St. John the Baptist)
honestly, I'm that good ;)
Dylan came out of the Pandemic with social anxiety. He knew he needed help with his maths after failing his Christmas mocks with single-digit marks, but didn't want to deal with a stranger. I was recommended to the family just before Easter.
In our first assessment he could barely look in my direction but he clearly had skills. "Dude, how can you only get single digit marks in your maths when you've got these algebra skills?!" I observed with keen professional insight. "What's your school doing?!"
Two lessons later, he booked 5 days, 2 hours a day over Easter. For the next two months he worked hard, did what I told him, and sat his GCSEs. He passed his maths with a Level 6.
My daughter was struggling with maths in Year 3, but I thought she was still young and we'd see how she goes. Until I went into her room one day and she had written, "I hate maths," over and over and stuck it all over the room. I don't know what you did but it worked.
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Cecile D.
(Level 7, St. John the Baptist School)
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Mr Coombes (as he will forever be known to us!) was the shining light along a challenging path for my daughter. He totally 'got' her and her mental and emotional blocks with maths. He went out of his way to understand her style of learning and put emphasis on what maths means day to day, and continually thought of ways to make it fun. It's thanks to him that she got successful results at SATS and GCSE.
Emma S.
(Grade B, St. John the Baptist School)
what makes me special
First up, I'm not a teacher. I'm a really nice guy who sits in a relaxed lesson in your home having a chat about maths and school/college. My students are allowed to talk about and overcome their emotional obstacles, something teachers don't allow. It's okay to hate maths (though you won't when I'm done!)
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I explain how to do maths the easy way, with the very simplest, least complicated, matter-of-fact approaches, some of which I developed myself. But if the student has a system they prefer that works, or we are working on some homework or class work that needs a particular way of doing things, that's fine. I'm not going to force them to use a technique. Whatever works, it's good.
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Most importantly, I don't just tell the student what to do and how to do it, but also why we do it. It's easier to remember things when there's story grounding them. Maths makes sense and it all fits together. Turns out it's a lot easier than it seems when explained properly.
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Finally, we look at exam technique. How to minimise mistakes. How to deal with those epic five and six marker questions that go on for days. How to get smart marks and optimise learning to the marks they need. This question needs a lengthy paragraph text answer? Skip it! It's 4 minutes' work for 1 mark where you can get 3 marks in 1 minute on the easy indices questions. ;)
I'm actually looking forwards to the [GCSE Maths] exam tomorrow. I like maths now, where I didn't before Mr. Coombes taught me. I enjoy the satisfaction of using my skills to solve problems.
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Peter A.
(Level 7, Woking High School)
super approachable
For some of my students, just being able to sit with a tutor is an extra worry.
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M. had social anxiety and, though she told her parents she was rubbish at maths and was going to fail her GCSE, she didn't want a tutor. I was recommended and in our first lesson, she was clearly uncomfortable, head down, very quiet, eczema flaring.
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Within only a couple of lessons she was comfortable with me and chatty. We have a great rapport now. Turns out she's quite good at maths and her teacher was just setting insanely difficult and inappropriate work for Year 9. This girl who felt apprehensive at the idea of a tutor actually asked her parents for one last lesson in the summer holiday before their vacation!
my students
95% of my students come from word-of-mouth recommendation, being friends and neighbours of existing students. I've tutored every age from 6 to 16 to adult. Some are really struggling, having the emotional weight of failing at maths getting in the way of the their learning and they need help getting a minimum Level 4 (which they get, of course!). Some are doing okay but want a Level 7 instead of a Level 5, or want to be elevated from Foundation maths to Higher. Some are in appalling classes with hopeless teachers. A few are in private schools though the majority attend the various Woking area secondary schools; SJB, Woking High, Hoe Valley, and Winston, with a few attending Christ's College.
Tutoring mostly in Woking, I have taught as far afield as Bisley, Knaphill, Pirbright, Pyrford, Send, and West Clandon - anywhere within cycling distance!
Online lessons are also available anywhere.
availability
ACADEMIC YEAR 2022-23 FILLING FAST!
I can fit in students any time, but of course with school hours, most availability is limited to after 4pm. I only have a couple of slots left for new students.
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Please don't wait if you need help! These slots always go to recommendations after a few weeks and I have to turn students away.
I didn’t believe I could do maths until I started doing lessons with David. He really makes it fun.
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Sarah M.
(Level 6, Broadwater School, Godalming)
contact
31, Oakdene, Chobham, Surrey, GU24 8PS