Author: Richard Hornby

It’s really important to keep practicing the skills that you’ve learnt over the Christmas holidays. Maths is a subject where ongoing practice really does help and lead to improvement, so here are a few Christmas-themed Maths activities to enable you to practice your Maths while still having fun!Some A-level questions have been posted below, GCSE ones will follow!A level MathsCalculated ColouringEvery Christmas, Dr Tom Bennison produces a “calculated colouring” activity for A level Maths, which is suitable for everyone from Year 12 upwards. Simply solve the 40 problems to work out the colours to finish the picture! The problems can be found on his website at http://blog.ifem.co.uk/blog/2020/12/14/christmas-calculated-colouring-2020/.

If you enjoyed the Christmas 2020 colouring, and would like to do another, his Christmas 2019 colouring can be found here.A level Further MathsCalculated ColouringIn a similar offering to the one for Maths (above), Dr Tom Bennison has also produced a “calculated colouring” picture for A level Further Maths, again suitable for students in Year 12 and up. It can be found on his website at http://blog.ifem.co.uk/blog/2020/12/15/christmas-further-maths-calculated-colouring-2020/. Along with his 2019 design (here), that means Maths-and-Further-Maths students should have four designs available to calculate and colour!

Edited 16 October 2020, provisional schedule added.The government has announced changes to the exams in 2021. We will continue to work with our tutees to make sure that they are ready for their examination, whenever they take place, and in whatever form they end up being.In summary, the updates are as follows:The main exam series will start on 7 June 2021 and end on 2 July 2021.One maths and one English GCSE exam will take place before the May half-term.Some A and AS levels with typically very small numbers of students entering will also be scheduled in the days just before half term. Results days for AS/A levels and GCSEs will fall on Tuesday 24 August and Friday 27 August respectively.Some changes are made to specifications of certain subjectsSubject changesPlease find below details of the changes in the subjects which we tutor, and provisional dates of the examinations for 2021:GCSEA level

Entries for exams in Autumn 2020 have now closed. If you are considering entering these exams, our tutors Ruth (Biology and Chemistry) and Vicky (Physics and Maths) have a limited number of online slots available both individually and in small groups, so please get in touch and we can work out the best option for you.The examination timetable for Autumn 2020 has been published. The dates for our key subjects are below.For other subjects, visit the Pearson Edexcel, AQA or OCR web pages.‼️ It is very important to make sure that you continue to study so that you are ready to take these exams if needed ‼️If you need any help or support, please do get in touch, and we will put a personalised plan in place for you.If you are preparing for exams in 2021, it is likely that you will need to self-study some topics, as with two terms fewer at school, there will not be sufficient time to complete your course prior to your exams. Of course, I can cover these with you, but it is important to look at them now, rather than February next year when you’ve run out of time!If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch via email to your usual contact address.

Good luck to all of those getting results this week and next week. If you’re a current Mallard Days student, we know that you’ve worked hard for the last few years, and we hope that you’ve ended up with the results that you deserve.On the two Calculated Results Days, Richard will be available on Skype, Zoom or via email all day to provide advice or help you out (or indeed share in your celebrations!) – so please do get in touch via email (richard@mallard-days.com) should you want a chat.Please also remember that if you haven’t been given the grade you were hoping for, it’s very much not the end of the world – you have a large number of options open to you (including actually sitting this summer’s exams in around 3 months time), so try not to stress too much: whatever happens, Mallard Days will be here to help you.We do have a limited number of online slots available for preparation for the Autumn Series with both Richard and Vicky, both individually and in small groups, so please get in touch directly, and we can work out the best option for you.Frequently Asked Questions:➡️  If you are unhappy with a grade do you have to take all your exams in the autumn or can you just take exams in the subject you’re unhappy with?Students will not have to sit exams in all subjects in the autumn. They may take exams in as few subjects as they would like to. If a student wishes to take exams in a particular subject in the autumn, they will need to take all the exam papers in that subject.➡️  Will students choosing to take an exam this autumn still be able to go to university this year?Students may still choose to take an exam even where their university or college place has been confirmed. However, it will take time for the results of these exams to be issued, so they will need to discuss with their higher and further education institution whether to start their course as planned or to delay their entry.➡️  If students take an exam this autumn, which will stand – the exam or centre assessment grade?Students will be able to use the higher of three grades: autumn exam, calculated grade, or certified mock exam grade for future progression.