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Teaching school leavers and resit students: a tutor’s guide

Most resit students have heard “just try harder” for years. A fresh approach, aimed at the marks that matter and linked to what they want next, works better.

Written by the Brainhub Editorial Team Cites published research Updated 3 Nov 2026 7 min read

Key takeaways

1. Start here: six strategies for resit students

Resit students usually know more than their grade shows. These strategies help you find what they already know and turn it into marks.

1. It isn’t school

Say so. New tutor, new approach, clean slate. Many resit students are tired of hearing what they got wrong.

2. Diagnose fast

Use a past paper in the first lesson to find what they can already do and where the easiest marks are.

3. Target the marks

Focus on common topics and on questions they nearly get right. Small gains add up to a grade.

4. Test, don’t re-read

A short quiz at the start of every lesson, coming back to each topic after a gap.

5. Link it to their plans

An apprenticeship, a college course or a job: show how the grade gets them there.

6. Fit around their life

Many work or study part time. Agree a steady slot and short tasks they will actually do.

2. The rules, briefly

In England, students aged 16 to 18 on courses of 150 hours or more who don’t have a grade 4 in GCSE maths or English must keep studying the subject. Full-time students with a grade 3 must study towards the GCSE. Students with a grade 2 or below can work towards a Functional Skills level 2 pass or a GCSE grade 4 or above. The rule also covers students up to 25 with an EHC plan.[1]

Our guide to GCSE resits has the dates and how to enter, and post-16 options explains the main routes after GCSEs.

3. Why resits are hard

In summer 2026, 15.3% of students aged 17 and over who sat GCSE maths got a grade 4 or above, from 219,135 entries, down from 17.1% in 2025. In English, 19.8% of post-16 students got a grade 4 or above.[2]

Doing the same thing again rarely changes the result. Resit students often have gaps in the basics, low confidence and patchy exam technique. Your job is to find the few changes that move them over the line.

Change the approach, not just the effort.

4. What works in lessons

One-to-one tuition is one of the best-evidenced ways to raise attainment: the EEF estimates about five months’ extra progress on average, and it works best when it is clearly linked to what the student is studying in class.[3]

The study habits with the best evidence apply here too. Our free guides on testing yourself instead of re-reading and reading the mark scheme are written for students, so share them.

When
Focus
Week 1
Diagnostic paper; agree a target grade and a topic list
Weeks 2 to 6
Biggest gaps first, with a recap quiz every lesson
Weeks 7 to 10
Mixed, timed exam questions, marked together with the mark scheme
Final weeks
Full papers, timing and a calm exam-day routine

5. GCSE or Functional Skills?

Students with a grade 2 or below may be working towards Functional Skills rather than the GCSE. Functional Skills is more practical, with questions set in everyday situations. Ask the college which qualification and exam board the student is taking, and teach to that exam.

If the student has a particular apprenticeship, course or job in mind, check what it asks for, so the plan aims at the right qualification.

6. Treat them as young adults

Post-16 students respond to respect and responsibility. Ask what they want, agree the plan with them and let them set some of the targets. Many are juggling college, part-time work or caring at home, so short, realistic homework beats long tasks they won’t do.

Families still matter. The EEF’s guidance on working with parents suggests that, for older children, encouraging good routines and habits at home helps more than direct help with the work.[4]

For students aged 16 and 17, keep parents informed as usual. For students aged 18 or over, agree with the student what you will share, and with whom.

7. How Brainhub can help

Brainhub teaches GCSE maths and English one to one, online across the UK or in person at our London hubs, and works with schools through our partnerships team. Every student starts with a free 45-minute assessment.

Try it now

Test yourself on this page

Answer in your head first, then check.

  1. 1. Which full-time post-16 students must study towards the GCSE?

  2. 2. What share of students aged 17 and over got a grade 4 or above in GCSE maths in 2026?

  3. 3. For an 18-year-old student, what should you agree before sharing progress with parents?

Your next steps

  1. Set a diagnostic past paper in the first lesson.

  2. List the five topics worth the most marks for this student.

  3. Ask the student what the grade will let them do next, and write it on their plan.

Sources

  1. Department for Education. 2026 to 2027 academic year: 16 to 19 funding: maths and English condition of funding. gov.uk/government/publications/16-to-19-funding-maths-and-english-condition-of-funding/2026-to-2027-academic-year-16-to-19-funding-maths-and-english-condition-of-funding
  2. FE Week (August 2026). GCSE resits 2026: English and maths pass rates fall as entries surge. feweek.co.uk/gcse-resits-2026-english-and-maths-pass-rates-fall-as-entries-surge
  3. Education Endowment Foundation. Teaching and Learning Toolkit: One to one tuition. educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/teaching-learning-toolkit/one-to-one-tuition
  4. Education Endowment Foundation (2021). Working with Parents to Support Children’s Learning: guidance report. educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/guidance-reports/supporting-parents

This guide is general professional guidance for tutors. Every student is different. Always follow Brainhub’s safeguarding policy and use your own professional judgement.