Online GCSE Tutoring in Hornsey
One-to-one lessons for Year 10, Year 11 and resit students, £30 per lesson
Online GCSE tutoring in Hornsey across every subject we teach. Parents in N8 often hear two different numbers described as the pass mark, one from the school and one from the college, and reasonably wonder which is right. Both are. Grade 4 and grade 5 are both passes, and they matter for different reasons.
Knowing which one a particular student needs, in which subject, turns a vague aim to "do better" into a specific target with a specific number of marks attached.
The first session is free and it is a real lesson. Tell us where the student sits now and where they are trying to get to.
What Hornsey parents ask
- Whether a grade 4 counts as a pass.
- What a strong pass means.
- How the numbers compare to old letter grades.
- Which pass a sixth form will want.
- Whether a 4 to 5 push is worth it.
What are the standard pass and the strong pass?
Two labels attached to two grades, created when the 9 to 1 scale replaced letters, each tied to a different use.
Grade 4 is the standard pass. It was anchored to the bottom of the old grade C when the new scale was introduced, so a student achieving a 4 has reached the same standard that a C used to represent at its lower edge. Ofqual explains the anchoring in its guide to how GCSE grading works.
Grade 5 is the strong pass. It sits above the old C and below the old B, which means it has no neat letter equivalent at all. It exists largely because the Department for Education wanted a more demanding benchmark for school accountability.
Both are genuine passes. A certificate with a 4 in maths is a pass in maths, and anybody telling a student otherwise is confusing a pass with a target.
The grades against the old letters
| New grade | Label | Old letter |
|---|---|---|
| 9, 8, 7 | 7 aligned to bottom of A | A* and A |
| 6 | Around B | |
| 5 | Strong pass | Between C and B |
| 4 | Standard pass | Bottom of C |
| 3, 2, 1 | D to G |
What does each pass actually decide?
Grade 4 decides something about the student. Grade 5 mostly decides something about the school.
Grade 4 in maths and English is the line that follows a student into post-16 study. Below it, the subject continues alongside whatever else they do, because of a funding rule rather than a school preference. That makes a 4 in those two subjects the single most consequential grade on the certificate.
Grade 5 in English and maths is the headline measure schools are judged on. The Department for Education’s Key Stage 4 statistics report the proportion of pupils reaching grade 5 or above in both subjects, and it appears in every school’s published results. That is why schools talk about 5s even when a 4 would serve a particular student perfectly well.
For individual courses, the answer comes from the course. A-level maths commonly asks for a 6 or 7 in maths. Many sixth forms ask for five passes at 4 or above, sometimes 5 in named subjects. Vocational and technical courses frequently accept 4s. None of these is universal, which is why the entry requirements of the actual destination beat any rule of thumb.
Our Wood Green page compares the grades each post-16 route typically asks for.
Who uses which grade
- Grade 4 in maths and English: whether the subject continues after 16.
- Grade 5 in maths and English: the school’s headline measure.
- Grade 5 or 6 in a subject: common for that A-level.
- Grade 4 across five subjects: common for many sixth forms.
- The course’s own requirements: the final word.
How do you choose the right target?
Start from the destination and work backwards, subject by subject, rather than applying one number to everything.
A student heading for A-level biology needs a strong grade in science and probably a 5 or 6 in maths. A student heading for a plumbing apprenticeship needs a secure 4 in maths and English and has far less riding on the rest. The same Year 11 timetable serves both, but the priorities inside it should not be the same.
Then look at distance. A student sitting on a secure 4 who needs a 5 is often a handful of marks away, and that push is realistic and worth doing. A student at a 3 who needs a 5 has two grade boundaries to cross, and the honest plan secures the 4 first.
Finally, check where the risk is. A secure 5 in maths and a shaky 3 in English is not a student who needs more maths. It is a student whose English is the thing standing between them and the next step.
Where the marks between grades come from is explained on our Stanmore page, which covers grade boundaries.
Setting targets that work
Name the destination
Course, college, apprenticeship.
Find its entry grades
Subject by subject.
Compare with current grades
Mocks or teacher assessments.
Secure any 4 at risk first
Especially maths and English.
Then push where a 5 is close
Not everywhere at once.
Which GCSE subjects can your child get help with?
All of these, with English and maths first in line.
Maths
Securing the 4, then pushing towards 5 and beyond. See GCSE Maths tutoring.
English Language and Literature
Language carries the threshold; Literature is taught too. See GCSE English tutoring.
Combined and Triple Science
Often the subject that decides a science A-level. See GCSE Science 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.
Humanities
History, Geography and Religious Studies, when a specialist has room.
Which pass does a resit aim for?
Almost always the 4, because that is the grade that ends the requirement to keep studying the subject.
For a resit student the question is usually simpler. Reaching grade 4 in maths or English removes the obligation to keep studying it and opens most courses that were closed. A 5 is welcome, but it is rarely what the resit is for.
That obligation comes from the 16 to 19 maths and English condition of funding, updated in July 2026. A student leaving school with a 3 continues towards the GCSE; one with a 2 or below can take Functional Skills level 2 instead.
Keeping the target at a secure 4 also keeps the plan narrow, which suits the short run to a November entry.
Resit essentials
- Grade 4 ends the continuing requirement.
- November covers Maths and English Language.
- Around ten weeks after August results.
- The college controls the entry.
See GCSE resit tutoring and the exam dates page.
How does an online lesson run?
A video call and a shared whiteboard, with every answer marked against the scheme.
Tell us the destination
Even a rough one.
Free one-to-one session
A real lesson, no card details taken.
Set a grade target per subject
Four, five or higher, for a reason.
Lessons aimed at the marks that move it
Not general revision.
Reviewed at six weeks
Against marked work.
The full process is on how it works. Haringey lists holiday and term dates for community schools on its term dates page; academies near Hornsey may differ, so check before booking around a half term.
What does a GCSE tutor in Hornsey cost?
One to one at £30, the same whichever pass you are aiming for.
A secure grade 4 can sometimes be reached in a short run of lessons, and we will say so rather than booking a year.
Know the minutes behind a price before calling it cheaper. Our guide to GCSE tutoring costs covers the market.
What £30 covers
- A full one-to-one lesson with a subject specialist.
- A grade target set from the real destination.
- Work aimed at the marks between grades.
- Planning against your child’s exam board.
- A tutor change if the match is wrong.
Tell us where your child is heading
That decides whether the target is a 4 or a 5. We reply during the day.
- Year group and subject.
- The course or route being considered.
- Current grades in maths and English.
- Any entry requirements you already know.
- 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
Is a grade 4 a pass?
Yes. Grade 4 is described as a standard pass and grade 5 as a strong pass. Both are passes; the difference is in what each one is used for.
Why are there two kinds of pass?
Because they do different jobs. Grade 4 is the threshold that decides whether a student must keep studying maths or English after 16. Grade 5 is the level schools are measured on in performance tables.
How do the new grades compare to the old letters?
Grade 4 is aligned with the bottom of the old grade C, and grade 7 with the bottom of the old grade A. Grade 5 sits between the old C and B, so it has no exact letter equivalent.
Do sixth forms want a 4 or a 5?
It varies by course and by provider. Many A-level courses ask for grade 5 or 6 in related subjects, while many vocational routes accept grade 4. The course entry requirements are the only reliable answer.
Is it worth pushing from a 4 to a 5?
Often, if the student is close and the next step asks for a 5. If they are already secure at 4 and the destination accepts it, the time may be better spent on a subject where a grade is at risk.
Which GCSE subjects do you cover?
English and maths first, since those carry the pass thresholds, then science in either route, Computer Science, Business Studies and humanities where available.
What does it cost?
£30 a lesson, one to one, whether the aim is a 4 or a 5.
Do you have a tuition centre in Hornsey?
No centre. All lessons are online and the registered office is in Feltham.
Book a free GCSE session for your child in Hornsey
One free one-to-one session, no card details and no obligation. Leave with a grade target for each subject that matters, and a sense of how many marks sit between here and there.