How to Succeed in Maths.

Through our experience at Simplex Maths, we’ve seen very clearly how students actually succeed in mathematics. Progress isn’t about talent or speed; it’s about following a small number of essential steps, consistently, over time.

Within their maths education, students typically move through the following stages:

• LEARN

This is the foundation stage: learning a topic for the first time.

• RECALL

After some time has passed and the topic has begun to fade, students need to recall it in an unfamiliar context. This is where many students struggle, lose confidence, or develop a mental block around maths. In reality, this stage is completely normal and a critical part of learning. Everyone learns differently. While a small number of students may move through this stage quickly, most of us need to recall a topic several times before it starts to stick.

• REMEMBER

After further time has passed, recalling the topic again should feel easier — not easy, but easier. Students begin to recognise when and how to apply the correct process.

• MASTER

True mastery is reached when a student can reliably recall, remember, and execute the correct method at the right time.

This explains why many students are confident with methods that are taught repeatedly throughout KS3 and KS4 — such as expanding brackets, solving linear equations, drawing statistical graphs, or calculating percentages — but struggle with topics they may only encounter once or twice before revision.

At Simplex Maths, we’ve built our approach around this reality. That’s why we created our weekly worksheets. These are structured like homework, but deliberately mix topics rather than focusing on a single area. Students are required to decide for themselves which method to use, encouraging recall and deeper understanding.

This is very different from completing a set of ratio questions immediately after spending a week learning ratio in class. In that situation, students already know what the work is testing, so there is no need to recall why a particular method is being used. If a student can’t immediately recall the correct approach on our worksheets, that’s absolutely fine. That’s why we provide both fully worked solutions and video solutions, allowing explanations to match different learning styles.

We’re also seeing an increasing number of schools rely on computer-based homework platforms. While convenient, these often create significant anxiety for students at home. Many platforms don’t show full solutions or explain why an answer is correct, leading students to guess repeatedly until they get the right result. This doesn’t build understanding or confidence.

These systems are largely designed for teacher efficiency. Our worksheets are designed for student development. Even when a student copies a worked solution, they are still learning how to set up, structure, and present a mathematical solution correctly. Progress happens at the student’s own pace, guided by effort and persistence.

Currently, we offer subscription packages covering GCSE Level 4 through to Levels 7–9. We plan to release a Level 3 package in the next year so that students in Years 7–9 can also benefit. If you’re interested — as a parent or a school — please get in touch. School homework and cover-work packages are also planned for future release.