We mostly follow the Pearson textbook for Edexcel for our maths A Level course. Rather than teaching the first chapter and a half, which many students hopefully won’t need, I have designed a baseline assessment and intervention booklet. The topics included are indices, surds, expanding and factorising, solving equations and inequalities, minimum points and functions.

The baseline assessment feeds into a question level analysis which informs students which sections of the intervention booklet they need to complete.

Lesson 1 - baseline assessment - 1 hour, 60 marks. Calculators may be used for some questions. The teacher marks them and makes notes on misconceptions to share with the group. Then fill in the question level analysis (sheet 1 of the spreadsheet). Individual QLAs will automatically populate - print the whole workbook so each student has their personal QLA for their folder.

Lesson 2 – The teacher should go through the baseline thoroughly. Students should make corrections and notes accordingly to support them with the intervention exercises.

Lessons 3 and 4 (possibly 5, and definitely homework!) - students should complete the corresponding AND SUBSEQUENT sections of each of the 12 topics in the intervention booklet. For example, if their QLA shows amber for simplifying indices, they would complete the amber AND green sections of that topic in the booklet. If they finish but need further practice, exercises in the textbook are at the bottom of each topic, and then they can complete the mixed exercise too.

This should make sure that no time is wasted and that students' individual gaps are filled.

I have included answers for both the baseline assessment and the intervention booklet. I hope you find these new resources useful!