Case Study
From a D to a B in 5 months!: Helping a Year 13 Student Secure Her Russell Group University Place
Case Study
Alevel maths
10 Aug 2026
The challenge When this Year 13 student at Oundle boarding school came to me for help with A Level Maths, she was facing a significant challenge. She had achieved a D in her December mock examination, but needed a B in her A Level Maths to meet the requirements for the Russell Group university place she wanted. With the final examinations only five months away, there was very little time to turn the situation around.
The challenge
When this Year 13 student at Oundle boarding school came to me for help with A Level Maths, she was facing a significant challenge.
She had achieved a D in her December mock examination, but needed a B in her A Level Maths to meet the requirements for the Russell Group university place she wanted.
With the final examinations only five months away, there was very little time to turn the situation around.
An initial assessment revealed that the problem went beyond exam technique. Her Year 12 mathematical knowledge was quite sketchy, while she was simultaneously learning new Year 13 topics at school. She also had dyslexia, which meant that she needed an approach that was carefully structured around the way she learned.
Most importantly, she had lost confidence in her own ability. She told me that she felt "lost in maths" and had no idea how to proceed.
Creating a realistic plan
Rather than trying to work through the syllabus in a conventional linear fashion, we devised a strategy specifically around her circumstances. With only a few months available, we needed to revise Year 12 and Year 13 simultaneously.
This meant juggling three priorities:
** keeping up with the new topics being taught at school;
** identifying and repairing gaps in her Year 12 knowledge; and
** developing the exam skills and confidence needed to turn her knowledge into marks.
Each lesson therefore had a clear purpose. We worked on current school topics while systematically revisiting earlier material that she had not fully understood.
The aim was not simply to "cover the syllabus". It was to make sure that she understood the mathematics well enough to approach unfamiliar questions independently.
Building confidence alongside knowledge
For me, improving her confidence was just as important as improving her mathematical knowledge.
A student who believes they are "bad at maths" can easily become overwhelmed when faced with a difficult question. So we worked on breaking problems down into manageable steps and, gradually, helping her recognise that she did have the skills to solve them.
As her understanding improved, so did her confidence.
She became increasingly able to identify what a question was asking, decide how to approach it and work through the problem without immediately feeling lost.
The process was challenging. There was a great deal of ground to cover in a relatively short period, and progress required commitment and consistency from both of us.
The result
Six months after that initial D, she achieved the B in A Level Maths that she needed.
Even more importantly, she secured the university place she had been working towards.
What initially seemed like a very difficult target became achievable through a structured plan, consistent work, targeted revision and, crucially, rebuilding her belief in her own ability.
A parent’s perspective
Her mum summed up the experience beautifully:
"Asma is an excellent Maths tutor. Asma was a huge help in building my daughter’s confidence and knowledge prior to her maths A level. She brilliantly managed to make my daughter feel in charge of her learning whilst also directing her and challenging her with the harder parts of the course. Endlessly patient, calm, positive and professional, I highly recommend Asma to anyone looking for a Maths tutor."
