How Much Maths Should My Child Be Doing Over the Summer Holidays?

Every year around this time, parents ask me the same question:

“What should my child be doing over the summer holidays so they don’t fall behind in maths?”

The answer? Something. But there's no need for a full-on bootcamp.

The students who come back sharpest in September don’t do hours of past papers every day; they do a little bit — consistently. They keep the engine running, and that makes all the difference.

Something is better than nothing, but you don't need to dedicate the whole summer to it.

The Summer Slide Is Real

We all know summer is a well-earned break. (For students and teachers. For parents… slightly less so.)

But here’s the problem: learning doesn’t pause — it recedes.

Research shows that students lose between 1 and 2.6 months of maths learning over the summer if they don’t keep practising.

This is called the “summer slide”, and it hits maths especially hard.

Why? Because maths is more of a “use it or lose it” subject. Humanities subjects like English often carry on passively — books, signs, screens. But maths? That vanishes unless you engage with it on purpose.

So students come back in September facing a double challenge:

• Re-learning last year’s content

• While learning new material at the same time

  
  

That’s a rough start. And I’ve seen it first-hand both as a qualified teacher in schools and as a tutor: students who did something over summer arrive more confident, calmer, and ready.

The students who didn’t? They can spend half the term catching up, and can affect their confidence, especially as there is so much to packed into the curriculum that its hard to take a breath and re-learn topics.

5 Practical Ways to Keep Maths Momentum

The good news is, this doesn’t require a full-blown revision timetable. Here’s what I recommend — and what I do with my own students:

1. Little and Often

Think 10–20 minutes, twice a week. Sites like Corbett Maths 5-a-day offer short, structured practice — no prep required, just steady exposure to real GCSE-style questions.

The trick? Make it light-touch. A habit, not a chore. One that means you won't have to have constant arguments with your children about sitting down to study for hours on end.

2. Focus on Problem Areas

Summer is the perfect time to fill gaps. Algebra still a mess? Struggled with fractions? Now’s the time to revisit gently, without the pressure of upcoming mocks or report grades.

Encourage them to choose their topics — ownership helps.

3. Use Retrieval Practice

Instead of reading notes, try recalling topics from earlier in the year.

Example: “Can you still do those percentage change questions we did in October?” This is called retrieval practice, and it’s one of the most powerful revision strategies backed by cognitive science. I studied it in depth during my Master’s in Mathematics Education — and I use it where I can with the students I teach.

4. Apply Maths to Real Life

Look for maths hiding in plain sight:

• Scale a recipe

• Estimate journey times

• Work out discounts while shopping

This builds fluency and shows them why maths matters — not just how it works. It’s also great for confidence (especially when you point out, “Hey, you just did some maths!”).

5. Join a Weekly Tuition Session

This is the quiet game-changer.

A regular maths session over summer (even just once a week) builds structure, confidence, and keeps the momentum going — especially for students heading into Years 10 and 11. It’s not about “cramming.” It’s about staying in the rhythm.And that rhythm can carry them into September a step ahead, not two steps behind.

Want Some Help With That?

I continue to run small-group online maths tuition throughout July and August — for students in Years 7 to 13 who are also preparing for their GCSEs and A-Levels as well as those who want to keep growing.

Here’s what I offer:

• 🧑🏽‍🏫 Lessons taught by a qualified teacher (former Assistant Director of Maths at a grammar school + A-Level lecturer)

• 💬 Personalised plans tailored to your child’s needs

• 💻 Online and convenient — attend from anywhere

• 👥 Small groups = plenty of attention, without the pressure of 1:1

• 💷 90-minute sessions at an affordable rate.

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Whether your child wants to plug gaps, build confidence, or keep skills fresh — a summer plan can make a real difference.

📩 Message me if you’d like to ask a question or grab a space. There’s no pressure. Just a chance to help your child start strong.

Let’s help them walk into September confident, calm, and ready — not playing catch-up.

Kiran Arora

GCSE & A-Level Maths Tutor and Qualified Teacher, Slough-based, online small groups