Online GCSE Tutoring in Enfield Town
One-to-one lessons for Year 10, Year 11 and resit students, £30 per lesson
Online GCSE tutoring in Enfield Town across every subject we teach. Most students in EN2 take Combined Science, and a surprising number of families first see how it is graded on results day, when a two-number grade like 6-5 appears and nobody is quite sure what it means. It is worth understanding much earlier.
The way Combined Science is graded changes how revision should be planned. A strong strand cannot rescue a weak one in the way people expect, because everything feeds one total.
The first session is free and it is a real lesson, usually spent on whichever of the three sciences is pulling the total down.
What Enfield Town parents ask
- What a double grade like 6-5 means.
- Whether Combined counts as two GCSEs.
- Whether Combined limits science A-levels.
- Why good biology did not lift the grade.
- Which strand to revise first.
How does the double grade work?
One overall result, converted to one of seventeen double grades, which then counts as two GCSEs.
Combined Science is a double award. Students sit papers covering biology, chemistry and physics, and all of the marks are added together into a single total. That total is then placed on a 17-point scale running from 9-9 at the top, through 9-8, 8-8, 8-7 and so on, down to 1-1.
The government’s published grading scale for Combined Science sets out every combination. A grade like 6-5 is simply the step between 6-6 and 5-5. It is worth two GCSEs, one at 6 and one at 5.
What a double grade does not mean is that one digit belongs to one science. There is no "biology number" and "physics number". A student with a 6-5 was not stronger in one subject; their overall total landed between two double grades.
The subject content behind it, including the three strands and the practical requirements, is set out in the GCSE combined science publication.
Part of the scale
| Double grade | Counts as |
|---|---|
| 7-7 | Two GCSEs at 7 |
| 7-6 | One at 7, one at 6 |
| 6-6 | Two GCSEs at 6 |
| 5-4 | One at 5, one at 4 |
| 4-4 | Two GCSEs at 4 |
| 4-3 | One at 4, one at 3 |
Seventeen steps in total, from 9-9 to 1-1.
Why does the weakest science matter so much?
Because every mark in every strand goes into the same pot, so a gap anywhere lowers the whole grade.
Students naturally revise the science they enjoy. A student who likes biology spends more time on biology, gets better at it, and is then puzzled when the grade barely moves. The marks they gained were real, but the marks they lost in physics were just as real and came out of the same total.
The more useful approach is the opposite of the instinctive one. Find the strand where marks are being lost most cheaply, which is usually the least-liked one, and work there first. Moving a weak strand from poor to adequate often adds more marks than moving a strong strand from good to very good.
Physics calculations are the commonest weak spot, partly because they combine rearranging equations with units and significant figures. Chemistry quantities come a close second. Both are very teachable one to one.
Whether a student is better suited to Combined or Triple in the first place is covered on our Teddington page.
Where Combined marks leak
- Physics calculations and rearranging equations.
- Chemistry quantities and moles.
- Six-mark extended answers in any strand.
- Required practical questions.
- Units and significant figures.
Does Combined Science limit what comes next?
Much less than parents fear, provided the grade is strong enough and the specific course accepts it.
A common worry is that Combined Science closes the door to science A-levels. For most sixth forms it does not. Many accept Combined Science for biology, chemistry or physics A-level, typically asking for a double grade such as 6-6 or 7-7 instead of a named grade in the separate science.
The requirements are set by each provider and each course, so the only reliable answer comes from the actual entry criteria. Some highly selective sixth forms prefer Triple for some courses. Many do not.
The practical point is that a strong Combined grade is worth more than a weak Triple grade. A student who would be stretched thin across three separate sciences may be better served by a well-secured Combined result.
Sixth form applications are covered in more depth on our Kingston upon Thames page.
Before assuming a door is closed
Pick the actual course
Named sixth form, named A-level.
Read its science requirement
Combined grades are often listed.
Compare with current grades
Mocks or predictions.
Aim for the double grade it names
Usually 6-6 or above.
Which GCSE subjects can your child get help with?
Each subject below, and the three sciences with three specialists.
Combined Science
All three strands, with the weakest one first. See GCSE Science tutoring.
Biology, Chemistry and Physics
For Triple students, each taught separately. See GCSE Science tutoring.
Maths
Which underpins every physics calculation. See GCSE Maths tutoring.
English Language and Literature
Both GCSEs, with the school’s set texts. See GCSE English tutoring.
Computer Science
Programming and the written papers. See GCSE Computer Science tutoring.
Business Studies
Case studies and evaluation marks. See GCSE Business Studies tutoring.
Can Combined Science be resat?
Yes, in the summer series only, and whether it is worth doing depends entirely on what comes next.
Science is not offered in November, so a resit means waiting for the following summer. Unlike maths and English, there is no general requirement to keep studying it after 16, so a science resit is a choice made for a specific course or career.
Maths and English are different. Where a student in Enfield Town leaves school below grade 4 in either, the 16 to 19 maths and English condition of funding, updated in July 2026, requires the subject to be continued, with grade 3 leading to a GCSE and grade 2 or below allowing Functional Skills level 2.
For a student who needs a 4-4 for a particular course, the weakest-strand approach on this page is the most efficient resit plan available.
Resit essentials
- Science: summer series only.
- No general requirement to continue science.
- Maths and English Language: November or summer.
- The centre controls the entry.
See GCSE resit tutoring and the exam dates page.
How does an online lesson run?
A video call, a shared whiteboard, and practical methods drawn out step by step.
Send marks by strand if the school shares them
Or just the overall grade.
Free one-to-one session
A real lesson, no card details taken.
Identify the strand losing most marks
Usually quickly.
Work there first
Then rebalance.
Reviewed at six weeks
Against marked questions.
The full process is on how it works. Enfield publishes a school term dates calendar for its community schools, and advises checking with academies and voluntary aided schools, whose dates can differ.
What does a GCSE tutor in Enfield Town cost?
One to one at £30, whether science is one grade or two.
A student taking Combined Science can move between strands from lesson to lesson without changing what they pay.
Check how many minutes a quoted lesson runs before setting prices side by side. Our guide to GCSE tutoring costs covers the market.
What £30 covers
- A full one-to-one lesson with a science specialist.
- Work weighted towards the weakest strand.
- Calculation and practical question practice.
- Planning against the school’s exam board.
- A tutor change if the match is wrong.
Tell us which science is the problem
If you are not sure, the mock papers usually show it. We reply during the day.
- Year group, and Combined or Triple.
- The most recent science grade.
- Which strand feels weakest.
- Any A-level plans that depend on science.
- Days and times that work at home.
Prefer to talk it through? WhatsApp us, or use the contact page.
Send an enquiry
Frequently asked questions
How is Combined Science graded?
On a 17-point double scale from 9-9 down to 1-1. The two digits are awarded together from a single overall result, so a student receives, for example, a 5-4 rather than two separate grades earned in two separate exams.
Does Combined Science count as two GCSEs?
Yes. It is a double award and appears as two GCSEs on the certificate, which is why the grade has two numbers.
What does a 5-4 mean?
It means the overall result fell between the double grades 5-5 and 4-4. It counts as one GCSE at grade 5 and one at grade 4. It does not mean a student was stronger in one science than another.
Is Combined Science worse than Triple for A-levels?
Not necessarily. Many sixth forms accept Combined Science for science A-levels, often asking for a 6-6 or similar. Requirements vary, so check the specific course rather than assuming Triple is required.
Can a student be stronger in biology but still get a low grade?
Yes, because all the papers feed one combined total. Strong biology can be pulled down by weak physics, which is why a student’s weakest strand deserves more attention than it usually gets.
Which GCSE subjects do you cover?
Combined Science, Biology, Chemistry and Physics, plus Maths, both English GCSEs, Computer Science and Business Studies, with humanities depending on cover.
What does it cost?
£30 a lesson, one to one, for Combined or Triple alike.
Do you have a tuition centre in Enfield Town?
No. There is no Enfield centre; lessons are online from a Feltham-registered company.
Book a free GCSE session for your child in Enfield Town
One free one-to-one session, no card details and no obligation. Bring the last science mock, and the tutor will show you which strand is costing the double grade.