Open in a web browser here.
Cambridge OCR
Maths newsletter

Hello Colleague

Did you have a good half-term? We hope you had a great rest and that all’s well back in your classroom. 😊

For those of you with students sitting November 2025 GCSE (9-1) Maths assessments:

  • students will get a formulae sheet in their exams. These are available from Teach Cambridge and our website, and are the same as those issued in the summer 2025 exams.
  • the exam timetable is available from our key dates and timetables webpage.

We’ll be in London on Tuesday, 18 November for the PiXL Maths Conference. If you’re there too, head over to our stand in the exhibition area; we’ll be glad to talk all about maths qualifications, resources and support. We’ll have plenty on the stand too for you to take away, so we look forward to seeing you there.

As ever, if you ever have any queries or if we can give you any further support, please let us know. Our role is to support you as you deliver our qualifications.

Neil, Amy, Steven, Ruth and Caroline - your Maths Subject Advisors 

maths@ocr.org.uk
@OCR_Maths
01223 553998
OCR-Newsletter-Box-shaddow
Examine with us
Students in an exam

We have vacancies for a range of different maths examining roles. Visit our Assess Cambridge recruitment website and search for ‘Mathematics’ to view all the roles.

 

If you’d like to mark question papers in summer 2026, there are examiner roles for:

  • GCSE (9-1) Maths
  • AS and A Levels Maths A
  • Maths B (MEI)
  • Further Maths A
  • Further Maths B (MEI).

Marking typically takes 2-3 weeks, within  May to July. Full training will be provided and it’s an excellent opportunity to work within the exam system, as well as develop your own understanding of a qualification and how it is assessed.

If you’d like to get involved in the writing and creation of question papers, we’ve also currently got a vacancy for a test constructor for A Level Maths B (MEI) H640/03 ‘Pure mathematics and comprehension’ (closing date Sun 9 Nov) and an author for AS and A Level Further Maths A Y533/Y543 ‘Mechanics’ (closing date Sun 9 Nov).

View vacancies
New GCSE (9-1) Maths alternative papers

We’ve just published a brand-new set of GCSE (9-1) Maths alternative papers. This set is based on the summer 2025 papers. You can use them for additional exam preparation with students, or use them alongside the original question papers in order to monitor progress.

Download them now from Teach Cambridge (you’ll find them in the ‘Assessment’ section). Mark schemes for them are also available.
Teacher pointing at a laptop

Teach Cambridge
Updated GCSE (9-1) Maths analysis grids
Teachers talking

We’ve been publishing GCSE (9-1) Maths analysis grids for many years now, which enable you to get detailed diagnostics when you use our question papers with your students.

Recently we’ve gone back and updated some of the older grids, adding in the latest features that we introduced in more recent grids.

Available now from Teach Cambridge are newly updated grids for the summer 2018 past papers, the summer 2019 past papers, practice papers (set 1), practice papers (set 2) and practice papers (set 3).

These updated grids now include automatic formatting to highlight how students performed in individual questions, the option to print off pdf reports for both individual students or for all students together and more.

Teach Cambridge
Professional development 2025/26

Our 2025/26 professional development courses are available to browse. Head over to our maths professional development webpage for more information and to book your place now.

The courses below are coming up in the next few weeks.
Teachers talking
  • Wednesday 12 November – Starting to Teach A Level Maths A
  • Friday 14 November – Starting to Teach Core Maths A & B
  • Wednesday 19 November – Starting to Teach Level 3 FSMQ: Additional Maths
  • Thursday 20 November – Exploring the Exam: A Level Maths B (MEI)
  • Wednesday 26 November – GCSE (9-1) Maths Higher tier Summer 2025 exam review
  • Tuesday 2 December – GCSE (9-1) Maths Ask The Subject Advisor Q&A
  • Monday 8 December – GCSE (9-1) Maths Foundation tier Summer 2025 exam review

We also now have several on-demand professional development courses available.

Materials from past courses are also available to you to download from Teach Cambridge. Select your qualification, then in the menu go to ‘Training’, then ‘Past training events’.

Explore professional development
Upcoming maths Teacher Networks
Teachers talking

We still have more Teacher Networks to come this term. All are completely free to attend and set up to bring maths teachers together, so we can share relevant updates, answer your questions, discuss best practice collectively and more.

Book your place now for any of the below.
  • Wednesday 5 November– GCSE (9-1) Maths (face to face at Oulton Academy in Yorkshire) – We’ll review student performance trends over time, to help you consider how to focus your teaching over the year ahead.
  • Thursday 6 November – A Level Maths (online) – We’ll look ahead to mocks in this network, to help you plan for formative assessments.
  • Wednesday 3 December – A Level Further Maths (online) – We’ll focus on the optional Pure strands of our qualifications (Additional Pure / Extra Pure) and compare the Groups content in these, including an exploration of typical questions and strategies/resources for them.
  • Tuesday 9 December – Level 3 FSMQ: Additional Maths (online) – We’ll review student performance trends over time, as well as looking at accessibility and misconceptions.

Whether you’re already teaching a qualification or just interested in learning more, you’re very welcome to attend. We look forward to seeing you there.

If you’d be interested in running a future face-to-face network at your school or college, please let us know.

Teacher Networks
New A Level Maths blog

Students can often struggle with algebra when beginning A Level Maths. To help support them and you, Steven has just published ‘Strengthening algebra to kick start term 1’. In it, he considers some past exam questions and shares ideas for helping students develop confidence with the content.

View our full range of maths blogs online.

Maths blogs
Teacher and students in lesson

This email was sent to you by Cambridge OCR because you consented to us online or at one of our events, or with one of our carefully selected partners to receive Cambridge OCR email communications.

If you no longer wish to receive Cambridge OCR Updates from us and would like to remove your details from our list please unsubscribe from all future emails or alternatively you can update your email preferences here. 

Cambridge OCR is a Company Limited by Guarantee and an exempt charity. Registered in England, company number: 03484466. Registered office: The Triangle Building Shaftesbury Road Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB2 8EA United Kingdom