Bridging KS3 to KS4 Maths

Recovery guidance

Revise KS3 Mathematics Study Guide & GCSE Maths Purposeful Practice
Foundation
This booklet suggests how these resources can be used to support students about to begin
their GCSE study who have seen disruption to their KS3 learning and missed out on some of
the groundwork and key understanding needed to meet their potential at GCSE.

Targeted academic support

There are a wide range of evidence-based strategies schools can implement to support
recovery for students, and help bridge gaps in learning. These could include:

• Diagnostics to help target interventions and focus on a small number of learning goals
• One-to-one and small group interventions linked to in-class teaching and the curriculum
to provide tailored support in a structured setting
• Homework and homework clubs to help students progress towards mastery of key
learning objectives and to develop effective learning habits
This booklet is intended to help teachers and teaching assistants deliver structured
interventions and provide targeted academic support to help students transition from KS3
to KS4 Maths and, ultimately, be better prepared for assessments. They are designed to be
used in a mediated setting or independently. This adaptable, flexible resource can support
learning and recovery for all Foundation GCSE Maths students to help them reach their
potential despite lost learning.

An overview of the resources covered in this booklet Pages 2–3

Support for delivering interventions using Purposeful Practice and Page 4

Study Guides

Curriculum content: Purposeful Practice → Study Guide Pages 5–7

Support, progression and further resources Page 8

Bridging KS3 to KS4 Maths Recovery Guide Page 1 © Pearson Education 2022
 Revise Key Stage 3 Mathematics: Study Guide
The study guide focuses on Key Stage 3 level material only and is
designed to help students at the end of Key Stage 3 to:

• Target key skills, with a one-topic-per-page format

• Track their progress with at-a-glance checkboxes
• Check their understanding with worked examples
• Develop their technique with practice questions and full
answers
• Progress towards the GCSE (9‒1) Maths Foundation course with
problem-solving practice
Each topic page uses consistent features, so you and your students know what to expect.

Golden rules to encourage

students to get into good
Explanations to supplement study habits and remember
teacher guidance and lessons mathematical rules

Multiple worked examples to

show processes and methods
for a range of cases

Problem-solving question
Additional hints and
bringing in key topic skills
descriptions to support each
stage of the worked examples

Now try this exam-style

question to check
understanding and
progress to the next topic
or more challenge.

Bridging KS3 to KS4 Maths Recovery Guide Page 2 © Pearson Education 2022
Purposeful Practice Book: Foundation
This book covers the full Edexcel GCSE Maths Foundation curriculum, with a focus on
building understanding of key concepts and developing mathematical confidence. There are
hundreds of practice questions, including minimal variation, problem-solving, reasoning,
exam practice and reflection.
The topics are split into short double-page spreads that follow the same format, so students
know what to expect.
Key points at the beginning of
each section remind students
what they need to know.

There are 2–3 Purposeful practice exercises per section. Each Purposeful practice exercise
helps develop understanding in one of three ways:

• Carefully crafted questions that are

minimally varied throughout an
exercise
• A mixture of minimally varied
questions with small-stepped
questions that get incrementally
harder
• Questions where the skills required
become incrementally harder
Each short Purposeful practice exercise is followed by a thought-provoking Reflect and
reason question. These questions help students to become aware of their own thinking and
encourages them to notice the structure and relationships within their mathematical work.
Problem-solving practice at the end of
each section allows students to apply the
skills they have learnt in different
contexts. The steps aren’t always
obvious, and students may need to apply
different strategies.
For students with low confidence, you
might suggest they work on only the first
two problem-solving questions.
The sections end with an Exam practice
question. These are based on real exam
papers, so you may decide to wait until
students have progressed further with their GCSE course before they attempt these.

Bridging KS3 to KS4 Maths Recovery Guide Page 3 © Pearson Education 2022
Resources to support structured intervention
One-to-one and small group structured interventions are very effective ways of improving
student outcomes. They can be mediated by teachers, teaching assistants or other adults,
and provide students with targeted support to reinforce in-class teaching and recover lost
learning.
Intervention sessions should typically be brief (20–30 minutes) and regular (3–5 times a
week), and delivered over a set period of time, up to 10 weeks.
Below are two approaches for using these resources in this way.
Suggested approach A: (Re)introduce with Study Guides, reinforce with Purposeful
Practice
Allow two to four sessions per topic.
Students may have already met most of the topics from the Study Guides, but with varying
degrees of stability of understanding. The descriptions, worked examples and sample
questions make these Study Guides an ideal resource to remind students of concepts they
might have met during their disrupted KS3 years. In sessions 1 to 2, use 2 to 4 pages of the
study guide that are relevant to the topic. Reinforce these concepts in the next session with
Purposeful Practice. If appropriate, spend the following session working on problem-solving.
Example
Session 1 Session 2 Session 3 Session 4
Study Guide Study Guide Purposeful Practice Purposeful Practice

Multiplication Division of whole 1.1 Calculations 1.1 Calculations

Understanding numbers Purposeful practice Problem-solving
powers of 10 Priority of operations

Suggested approach B: Develop understanding with Purposeful Practice, reinforce at

home with Study Guides
Allow two sessions per topic.
Students may have been taught methods and concepts many times already. These
intervention sessions can be used to develop their understanding of these concepts with the
Purposeful Practice books. Study Guides can be used as homework to reinforce key concepts
using the ‘Now try this’ questions.
Example
Session 1 Session 2 Homework
Purposeful Practice Purposeful Practice Study Guide

2.1 Algebraic expressions 2.1 Algebraic expressions Collecting like terms

Purposeful practice Problem-solving Writing expressions

Bridging KS3 to KS4 Maths Recovery Guide Page 4 © Pearson Education 2022
 Curriculum content
The table below maps the Purposeful Practice book content to each section of the KS3 Study
Guide to help ensure students are best prepared to begin their GCSE course, despite lost
learning.
Note that some areas do not appear at KS3 and so are shaded grey here. Your students may
still be able to access this content, depending on their prior experience. There is guidance
on the final page of this booklet for progressing to the Higher tier.

Purposeful Practice Study Guide

1 Number Number 3 Graphs, tables and Statistics
1.1 Calculations Decimals charts
3.1 Frequency tables Averages and range
Addition
Averages from tables
Subtraction
3.2 Two-way tables
Understanding powers of 10
3.3 Representing data Analysing data
Multiplication
3.4 Time series
Division of whole numbers
3.5 Stem and leaf Stem and leaf diagrams
Negative numbers
diagrams
Priority of operations 3.6 Pie charts Pie charts
Calculator buttons Writing a report
1.2 Decimal numbers Division with decimals 3.7 Scatter graphs Scatter graphs
1.3 Place value Whole numbers 3.8 Line of best fit Scatter graphs
Rounding 4 Fractions and Number
1.4 Factors and Factors, multiples and primes percentages
multiples HCF and LCM 4.1 Working with Changing fractions
1.5 Squares, cubes Squares, cubes and roots fractions Add and subtract fractions
and roots 4.2 Operations with Fraction basics
1.6 Index notation More powers fractions
Standard form 4.3 Multiplying Multiply and divide fractions
fractions
1.7 Prime factors Prime factors
4.4 Dividing fractions Multiply and divide fractions
2 Algebra Algebra
4.5 Fractions and Fractions, division, decimals
2.1 Algebraic Collecting like terms decimals
expressions Writing expressions 4.6 Fractions and Equivalence
percentages
2.2 Simplifying Simplifying expressions
4.7 Calculating Percentages
expressions Indices percentages 1
2.3 Substitution Substitution 4.8 Calculating Number problem-solving
2.4 Formulae Formulae percentages 2 Percentage change
Writing formulae
2.5 Expanding Expanding brackets
brackets
2.6 Factorising Factorising
2.7 Using expressions Expression, equation, identify or
and formulae formula?
Speed, distance, time

Bridging KS3 to KS4 Maths Recovery Guide Page 5 © Pearson Education 2022
 9.1 Coordinates Coordinates and midpoints
Purposeful Practice Study Guide 9.2 Linear graphs Straight-line graphs
5 Equations, Algebra 9.3 Gradient Gradient
inequalities and 9.4 y = mx + c y = mx + c
sequences
9.5 Real-life graphs Real-life graphs
5.1 Solving equations Writing equations
1 9.6 Distance-time
Solving simple equations
graphs
5.2 Solving equations Solving harder equations 9.7 More real-life
2 graphs
5.3 Solving equations Solving harder equations 10 Transformations Shape
with brackets
10.1 Translation Translation
5.4 Introducing Inequalities 10.2 Reflection Reflection
inequalities
5.5 More inequalities 10.3 Rotation Rotation

5.6 Using formulae Formulae 10.4 Enlargement Enlargement

5.7 Generating Linear sequences 10.5 Describing Enlargement

sequences enlargements
5.8 Using the nth term The nth term 10.6 Combining
of a sequence transformations

6 Angles Geometry & measures 11 Ratio and Ratio & proportion

proportion
6.1 Properties of Measuring and drawing angles 11.1 Writing ratios Ratios
shapes Angles in polygons 11.2 Using ratios 1 Ratios
6.2 Angles in parallel Angles 1 11.3 Ratios and Metric measures
lines Angles 2 measures Time
6.3 Angles in triangles Angles 2 11.4 Using ratios 2
6.4 Exterior and Angles in polygons 11.5 Comparing using
interior angles ratios
6.5 More exterior and 11.6 Using proportion Proportion
interior angles 11.7 Proportion and Direct proportion
graphs
6.6 Geometrical
problems 11.8 Proportion Proportion problem-solving
problems Inverse proportion
7 Averages and range Statistics
7.1 Mean and range Averages and range 12 Right-angled Geometry & measures
triangles
7.2 Mode, median and Averages from tables
range 12.1 Pythagoras' Pythagoras' theorem
theorem 1
7.3 Types of average Averages from tables
12.2–12.7
7.4 Estimating the Averages from tables Trigonometry
mean 13 Probability Probability
7.5 Sampling Analysing data
13.1 Calculating Probability
8 Perimeter, area and Geometry and measures probability
volume 1 13.2 Two events Outcomes
8.1 Rectangles, Area of rectangles and triangles 13.3 Experimental Experimental probability
parallelograms and probability
Area of parallelograms and
triangles 13.4 Venn diagrams Probability diagrams
trapeziums
8.2 Trapezia and Area of parallelograms and 13.5 Tree diagrams Probability tree diagrams
changing units trapeziums 13.6 More tree Mutually exclusive and independent
8.3 Area of compound Compound shapes diagrams events
shapes
8.4 Surface area of 3D
solids
8.5 Volume of prisms Volume
8.6 More volume and
surface area
9 Graphs Algebra

Bridging KS3 to KS4 Maths Recovery Guide Page 6 © Pearson Education 2022
 17 Perimeter, area Geometry & measures
and volume 2
Purposeful Practice Study Guide 17.1 Circumference of Circumference
a circle 1
15 Constructions, loci Geometry & measures 17.2 Circumference of
and bearings a circle 2

15.1 3D solids 3D shapes 17.3 Area of a circle Area of circles

15.2 Plans and Plans and elevations 17.4 Semicircles and Circles problem-solving
elevations sectors
15.3 Accurate Measuring and drawing angles 17.5 Composite 2D Shape problem-solving
drawings 1 shapes and cylinders
Drawing triangles
15.4 Scale drawings Maps and scales 17.6 Pyramids and
and maps cones
15.5 Accurate 17.7 Spheres and
drawings 2 composite solids
15.6 Constructions Constructing perpendicular lines
18 Fractions, indices
and standard form
15.7 Loci and regions
19 Congruence, Shape
15.8 Bearings similarity and vectors
16 Quadratic Algebra
19.1 Similarity and Congruent and similar shapes
equations and graphs
enlargement
16.1 Expanding double Expanding double brackets 19.2 More similarity
brackets
19.3 Using similarity
16.2 Plotting Plotting quadratic graphs
19.5 Congruence 2
quadratic graphs
16.2–16.5 Quadratic 19.6 Vectors 1
equations and graphs 19.7 Vectors 2
20 More algebra

The tables above show the approximately 100 sections of the Purposeful Practice book. It is
not expected that students will cover the full course as part of their small group intervention
work.
Choose approximately 40 sections (or 5 chapters) that students need the most support with.
To help with this decision, KS3-GCSE baseline assessments are available here. Alternatively,
you may choose to discuss with each student the topics they feel least confident in, or you
may already know specific topics they have missed.
The recommended approach for intervention is little and often. One approach is 4 half-hour
sessions each week, over 10 weeks.
If time allows, it is a good idea to start with the number sections, regardless of their pre-
assessment. A students’ number sense and fluency are key to confidence in other areas of
mathematics. A fresh look at the multiplicative rules for number will help them notice
similarities when working with algebra, for example.
More Edexcel schemes of work, including 2 year, 3 year and 5 year routes are available at:
www.pearsonschoolsandfecolleges.co.uk/secondary/subjects/mathematics-
secondary/pearson-edexcel-gcse-9-1-mathematics#structure.
For more information on recovery catch-up visit: pearsonschools.co.uk/recovery.

Bridging KS3 to KS4 Maths Recovery Guide Page 7 © Pearson Education 2022
Addressing barriers to learning
The EEF guidance on School Improvement planning outlines these non-academic barriers to
learning, some of which have been exacerbated due to disrupted schooling:
- Adapting to curriculum discontinuity
- Familiarising with formal school systems, expectations and routines
- Developing healthy peer networks
(https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/support-for-schools/school-improvement-
planning/3-wider-strategies)
Allocating staff from within the school to support the small group intervention work allows
there to be consistency between the students’ regular maths lessons and their intervention
sessions, meaning the two complement each other. Once the topics have been chosen, it is
a good idea for the session teacher to check when students will meet these in lessons with
the students’ maths teacher.
There are benefits to both one-to-one tuition and small group work. The former allows the
teacher to give bespoke support to each student, whilst the latter allows the formation of
peer-to-peer relationships, and peer learning, both of which can boost confidence and
progress.

Progressing to Higher tier

“We know that disadvantaged pupils’ learning has been most heavily impacted as a result of
the pandemic. Our own estimates suggest that the attainment gap will widen significantly,
likely reversing the past decade’s progress.”
Prof. Becky Francis, Chief Executive of the Education Endowment Foundation
The attainment gap exists across all ages and grade ranges, and the disruption to students’
learning over the past few years might result in students working at Foundation level
despite previously being on a trajectory towards Higher tier. This change could be due to
gaps in knowledge of content and processes, lack of confidence, previous mis-placement in
attainment groups and non-academic barriers to learning, such as a change in circumstances
at home.
The small group intervention sessions are a good opportunity to formatively assess students
for the most appropriate tier. Students who are consistently and successfully completing the
problem-solving sections of the Purposeful Practice books might be ready to progress to
working at Higher tier.
Remember that you do not need to decide the tier for each student until February for exam
sittings the following June.

Bridging KS3 to KS4 Maths Recovery Guide Page 8 © Pearson Education 2022