Free Summer Maths — Pass Your GCSE

Why concept-grouping beats age-grouping

One ladder, climbed by everyone — whatever their board or year.

GCSE Maths follows a single set of national subject content set by the Department for Education, so all four English exam boards cover the same core topics. And that maths builds from the foundations up, which means where your child is on the ladder matters far more than their age.

A student just starting Year 10 and a Year 11 sitting on a grade 3 need the same thing: to secure the foundation core. Same content, different history — so they learn best together.
We place by readiness, not year. Your child joins the group that matches what they can do now, and moves up when they're ready.
Board-agnostic by design. The content and assessment objectives are common across boards; only the exam papers and mark schemes differ. We teach the concept, then the exam technique for it.
Live, taught by real teachers. Small online classes where your child is actually taught, works problems and asks questions — not a video to watch alone.

Same maths, whichever board

The programme works for every KS4 student, whatever their school entered them for:

AQAEdexcelOCRWJEC EduqasiGCSE

The shared difficulty ladder

Number

→

Proportion

→

Algebra

→

Higher

Every board assesses the same core content. We meet your child on the right rung.

The three groups · what's covered, week by week

Pick the group that matches where your child is now.

Each group runs a focused 6-week spiral through the maths that matters most for its target grade. Not sure which one? Use the quick placer below — and your child can always switch.

Securing the Basics

Now grade 1–3 → target 4

The highest-value foundation topics that unlock a pass — number, fractions and percentages, basic algebra and shape.

Wk 1Number sense — place value, four operations, negatives, rounding & estimation
Wk 2Fractions, decimals & % — converting, of amounts, increase/decrease
Wk 3Percentages & ratio in context — money, best buys, simple interest, sharing in a ratio
Wk 4Basic algebra & graphs — simplify, substitute, brackets, solving equations, plotting lines
Wk 5Shape, space & data — perimeter, area, angles; averages, charts, basic probability
Wk 6Bringing it together — consolidating the core skills into a solid, confident foundation

The Standard Pass

Now grade 3–4 → target 5

The "crossover" content that decides a 4 versus a 5 — proportion, graphs, geometry and data, with real problem-solving.

Wk 1Ratio & proportion — sharing, direct/inverse, recipes/scaling, best value
Wk 2Percentages mastery — reverse %, compound interest, % change, growth/decay
Wk 3Equations, inequalities & graphs — forming & solving; y = mx + c, gradient & intercept
Wk 4Geometry & measures — area & volume of prisms/cylinders, circles, surface area
Wk 5Pythagoras, trig & data — bearings; probability trees, scatter graphs & statistics
Wk 6Bringing it together — mixed practice across the crossover topics to secure the foundation

Higher Ground

Now grade 5+ → target 6–9

The Higher-tier content that lifts a solid pass into a top grade — quadratics, trigonometry, advanced algebra and proof.

Wk 1Algebra & quadratics — expanding, factorising, formula, completing the square; roots
Wk 2Simultaneous equations (linear & quadratic); rearranging formulae; iteration
Wk 3Trigonometry — SOHCAHTOA, sine & cosine rules, 3D, exact values
Wk 4Advanced graphs — quadratic/cubic/reciprocal, transformations, gradients & areas
Wk 5Geometry, proportion & surds — circle theorems, vectors, similarity; surds, indices, bounds
Wk 6Bringing it together — mixed higher-tier problem-solving to cement the foundation

How the summer runs

Two live lessons a week — at a time that suits you.

Every group has two live lessons each week. Pick a Monday & Wednesday group or a Tuesday & Thursday group, at 9am, 3pm or 5pm, so you can find the one pattern that fits your family. You book one time slot per family and keep it for the summer.

9:00 AM

Morning

A fresh, productive start before the day fills up.

3:00 PM

Afternoon

Keeps the school-day rhythm going through the holidays.

5:00 PM

Late afternoon

A later slot that suits working parents and slower risers.

Week	Group 1 · Securing the Basics	Group 2 · The Standard Pass	Group 3 · Higher Ground

Class days: Monday & Wednesday, or Tuesday & Thursday Times: 9:00 AM · 3:00 PM · 5:00 PM (pick one) Length: about 50 minutes a lesson

A place is a commitment. We keep groups small so every child gets attention, which means your child is holding a spot another student would value. We ask them to attend their weekly sessions; if they miss two in a row, we may offer the place to a student waiting for one. Every lesson is recorded, so a session is never truly missed. The programme runs for six weeks, from the week of 20 July to the week of 24 August, finishing before the new term.

What every child gets

Everything they need to walk in more confident.

👩‍🏫

Live, real teachers

Taught in real time by experienced teachers in small groups — never pre-recorded, never AI. Your child can ask questions and get unstuck on the spot.

🎯

Pitched at their level

Grouped by what they can do now, so lessons are never too fast or too slow. The fastest route from where they are to the grade they want.

🎓

Solid foundations

We focus on securing the core skills for each topic — the methods and understanding your child can build on across every exam board.

📱

Join from anywhere

All your child needs is a device and internet. Families from across the country learn together in the same live class.

💰

Free — our way of giving back

No fee, no card details, no upsell. This is how we give back to the school communities we support during term time — a genuine summer head-start for their KS4 students.

Inspected and assured

Free — and properly accountable.

Free doesn't mean unregulated. Purple Ruler is registered with the Department for Education and inspected by Ofsted, with a published report you can read in full.

Ofsted-registered · DfE-accredited

Purple Ruler meets all the standards for online education.

Inspected October 2025 across curriculum, teaching, welfare and safety, staff suitability and leadership. DfE URN 152279.

Read the report ↗

“Teachers' subject expertise and their effective use of assessment information ensure that each pupil receives carefully tailored, individualised teaching.”

Ofsted, 2025

“Teachers make effective use of technology to bring learning to life.”

Ofsted, 2025

Every lesson is taught by an enhanced-DBS teacher and recorded. There's a dedicated safeguarding@purpleruler.com and a “Report a Concern” route in every email we send you.

How we keep your child safe

Enrol in two minutes

Save your child's place this summer.

One short form, one place per family — no school paperwork, no payment. Your child gets their own student account and a joining link sent to the email you give, and you can choose to be copied in for oversight.

How enrolment works

1Pick the group using your child's recent maths grade (the placer above does this for you).
2Choose a time — 9am, 3pm or 5pm — that fits your family. One booking per family.
3Give your child's email. They get their own account and a joining link there — tick the box to have it sent to you too.
4Attend each week. Keep your weekly slot; miss two in a row and the place may pass to a waiting student. Every lesson is recorded.

✔ 100% free · one place per family · UK GDPR-compliant

Free Summer Maths · enrolment

Save your child's place

A short form, about two minutes. One place per family. Your child gets their own account and a joining link at the email you give, and you can be copied in for oversight.

Open the enrolment form →

Opens in a new tab · 100% free · UK GDPR-compliant

By enrolling you confirm you have read and agree to our Terms & Conditions.

Your questions, answered

Parents ask us…

Is it really free?

Yes — completely free. Real, live lessons taught by experienced teachers, with no fee, no card details and no upsell. It's a genuine summer head-start on GCSE Maths.

Why is it free, and who's it for?

This is our way of giving back to the school communities we support during term time. As one of the original providers on the government's National Tutoring Programme — set up to help pupils recover from Covid-related learning loss — we've always believed catch-up support should reach the students who need it. Free Summer Maths is reserved for KS4 students at the schools and authorities we work with, wherever they are in the country.

Which exam board is it for?

All of them. GCSE Maths follows a single set of national subject content, so AQA, Edexcel, OCR and WJEC Eduqas all cover the same core topics — and this programme works for iGCSE students too. We teach the concept and the exam technique that applies across boards, so it doesn't matter which one your child's school entered them for.

What year does my child need to be in?

Any KS4 learner — typically Year 10 or Year 11, and students who've just finished Year 9 and are moving up are welcome too. We deliberately don't group by age: we place your child by the maths they're ready for, so the lessons always land at the right level.

How do I know which group is right?

Use the quick placer near the top — pick your child's current grade, their last mock, or just ask them what they think. It shows the recommended group and carries it into the enrolment form. If you're not sure, choose “Not sure” and we'll help you place them, and we can move your child between groups at any time.

How much time is it, and does my child need to attend?

Two live lessons a week (Tuesday and Thursday), about 50 minutes each, at your chosen time. Because we keep groups small, we do ask your child to attend their weekly sessions — if they miss two in a row we may offer the place to a student waiting for one. Every lesson is recorded, so a missed session is never truly lost.

What do we need to take part?

Just a device (laptop, tablet or phone) and an internet connection, in a reasonably quiet space. Once you enrol, we email everything — the joining link, the weekly schedule and a reminder before each lesson.

Is Purple Ruler safe and regulated?

Yes. We're registered with the Department for Education (URN 152279) and inspected by Ofsted, who found we meet all the standards for online education. Every teacher holds an enhanced DBS check, lessons are recorded, and there's same-day safeguarding escalation.

Free Summer Maths — pass your GCSE.