Expert GCSE & IGCSE Chemistry Tutor

Build a Rock-Solid Foundation and Face Your Exams with Confidence

Achieve an average 2-grade improvement and secure the top grades needed for your A-Level choices.

Is GCSE Chemistry Causing Stress and Self-Doubt?

The pressure of GCSE Science can be immense, and it’s common to see a child’s confidence drop after a disappointing mock result, despite their hard work. This is often a direct response to the unique challenges of the curriculum itself, rather than a reflection their effort:

  • The sheer volume of syllabus content that leaves even the most capable students feeling overwhelmed and burnt out.

  • The sudden introduction of difficult 6-mark questions, harder mole calculations, and abstract organic chemistry.

  • The emotional toll of exam-related anxiety, which can affect their confidence, wellbeing, and motivation to learn.

  • The worry that low grades will prevent them from taking their chosen A-Levels, potentially closing doors prestigious universities and competitive careers.

From Overwhelmed to Outstanding: A Clear Path to GCSE Success

Choosing the right support for your child is a crucial investment in their future. My approach is built on creating deep, genuine understanding, moving beyond simple memorization to build lasting knowledge and the skills to apply it under pressure.

Our work is structured around a clear, confidence-boosting methodology:

1. Plan: Master the Syllabus

We begin with a diagnostic audit to identify specific weaknesses. From there, we create a structured, manageable plan to tackle the massive GCSE chemistry syllabus, ensuring a solid foundation is built topic by topic, leaving no gaps.

2. Do: Build Problem-Solving Skills

This phase focuses on active learning. We work through challenging problems together, mastering the difficult topics from organic and physical chemistry and building the crucial mathematical skills needed for mole calculations.

3. Review: Turn Feedback into Confidence

Through regular review of marked work, we turn “poor mock results” into valuable learning opportunities. Students learn to analyse their mistakes, understand the marking criteria, and see tangible proof of their improvement, which is a powerful antidote to exam anxiety.

4. Master: Achieve Top Grades

Mastery at GCSE means developing the skills to handle unpredictable question styles and manage time effectively in the exam. The goal is to equip students with the technique and knowledge to secure the top grades (A/8/9) needed for competitive A-Level courses.

Building Future-Proof Study Habits with AI

At the GCSE level, learning how to learn is as important as the content itself.

I introduce students to modern AI tools in a structured way, teaching them to build foundational skills for effective, independent revision. In this way, I don’t just help them excel in their GCSEs, I also help them to develop a future-proof skill set that will give them a significant advantage as they step up to A-Levels.

Success Stories from GCSE Parents & Students

“He has a unique ability to distil complicated concepts into memorable and understandable messages…”

“Finding a local tutor who truly understands the nuances of the CAIE IGCSE curriculum in Kuwait was a challenge, but discovering Dr Carl was a turning point for my son, H****. Chemistry had become a source of frustration for him, especially the calculations. Dr Carl’s teaching style is incredibly clear and engaging; he has a unique ability to distil complicated concepts into memorable and understandable messages. The online format was seamless and just as effective as in-person tutoring. H****’s confidence and interest in the subject were completely revitalised. He went from being a borderline B/C student to achieving a brilliant A*, which we are all thrilled about. A truly five-star service.”

Dr Noura A., parent of IGCSE Chemistry student, CAIE (Summer 2025)

“I was so happy on results day when I saw I’d come out with a 9!…”

“Hi Carl, thank you so much for all your help with my Chemistry GCSE.

I was struggling with quantitative chemistry, especially titration calculations, and worried about hitting the top grades. Your lessons were incredibly helpful; you explained everything so clearly and the practice questions made a real difference to my confidence.

I was so happy on results day when I saw I’d come out with a 9! I genuinely couldn’t have done it without your support.

Thank you again for everything.”

Chloe M., GCSE Chemistry student, Edexcel (Summer 2025)

“…this is a great outcome for her and enables her to pursue her A level choices at a great sixth form college…”

“Hi Carl

I hope you are well. I wanted to let you know that E***** got her IGCSE grade B in Chemistry (77th percentile). Having started the year on an F/G and right to end still had a teacher predicted grade of C, this is a great outcome for her and enables her to pursue her A level choices at a great sixth form college, part of a grammar school where her older brother did his GCSEs.

She has worked hard, but this is in no small part down to you, not just for the technical input, but for the confidence and self-belief you have instilled in her over this last year. A**** and I wanted to thank you again for all you have done. We deeply appreciate your work.”

David F., parent of IGCSE Chemistry student, CAIE.

Your Partner in GCSE Success

A clear plan and modern tools need an expert guide to make them effective. Navigating the pressures of GCSEs requires more than just knowing the syllabus; it demands an insider’s understanding of the system itself.

As a qualified teacher and examiner, I demystify the unpredictable questions and complex mark schemes that cause so much stress for students. My background as a PhD chemist ensures we can break down the most abstract topics with clarity, making the mountain of content feel manageable. What truly sets my approach apart, however, is my experience as the founder and CEO of an R&D company. I don’t just teach the curriculum; I show students how it connects to the exciting university courses and careers they aspire to, turning anxiety about the future into genuine motivation.

My role is to provide the support and perspective that schools often can’t, ensuring your child has every advantage.

  • GCSE Examiner & Specialist: My experience marking for major exam boards provides a unique insight into the mind of the marker and the specific techniques needed to maximise every point.
  • Deep Subject Expertise: A PhD chemist and published author who can make complex topics simple and accessible.
  • Inspiring Real-World Context: Former CEO of a chemistry R&D company with global clients like Pfizer and GSK.
  • Decades of Experience: A qualified teacher with over 14,000 hours of one-to-one tuition delivered.

My goal is to replace exam anxiety with genuine confidence, securing the grades needed for A-Level while building a solid foundation for a lifetime of success in science.

Professional headshot of Dr Carl Thirsk, an expert A-Level, IB, and GCSE chemistry tutor.

Organic chemistry PhD

Qualified Teacher

Experienced Examiner

Former R&D CEO

Your GCSE Chemistry Questions Answered

This is a very common story, and I know it can be a real worry for parents.

The jump to GCSE/IGCSE Chemistry is a big one. The ideas get more abstract, the amount to learn suddenly expands, and it’s often the first time students have to tackle complex problems – such as 6-markers and multi-step calculations.

My process always starts by figuring out exactly where the gaps in their understanding are. Once we know that, we build a clear plan to fix those core ideas. Only when that foundation is secure do we start applying the knowledge to exam-style questions, which is how we turn that confusion into clarity and confidence.

Mole calculations are one of the most common hurdles in GCSE Chemistry. The difficulty usually isn’t the maths itself; it’s the challenge of translating a word problem into a logical sequence of steps. This is a core scientific skill that many students find tricky at first.

I teach a clear method to master these problems.

First, we start with the fundamentals. It’s vital to build a rock-solid understanding of what a ‘mole’ actually is before doing any calculations. Once that foundation is secure, we use extensive practice with exam-style questions. The goal is to repeat the process until it becomes second nature, turning a point of weakness into a real strength.

It’s entirely possible to achieve top grades in A-Level Chemistry having taken Combined Science. The A-Level course is designed to build upon the knowledge from the GCSE curriculum, and schools will support students coming from this route. In fact, some of my best students that have gone on to study veterinary medicine and chemistry at top universities took the Combined Science route.

Triple Science (also known as Separate Sciences) provides far more depth and covers more topics in greater detail. This creates a much smoother transition to A-Level study. For any student who is passionate about Chemistry or is strongly considering a future in a related STEM subject, taking Triple Science is a distinct advantage and the path I would generally recommend.

It’s understandable to be worried when you find out your child has been moved to the Foundation Tier. Schools generally make this call to give a student the best shot at getting a strong pass, which would be a grade 4 or 5, since the tier covers grades 1 to 5.

The main thing to know is that the highest grade they can get is a 5. And while that’s a solid pass, most sixth forms do look for a grade 6 or 7 for a subject like A-Level Chemistry.

When I work with students in this spot, my goal is to build their confidence and really master the topics to secure that top grade 5. It’s also important to have a conversation with their school to ask what they would need to see for your child to be moved back to the Higher Tier.

Sorry for the cliché, but effective revision is definitely a case of “work smarter, not harder”.

The most common pitfall is passive revision, where students just re-read their notes. It feels productive, but it’s a really inefficient way to retain the huge amount of information on the GCSE syllabus.

The secret is something called “active recall,” which is just a way of saying you should be constantly testing yourself on what you know.

My own approach, which I’ve fine-tuned over thousands of hours of tuition, uses a ‘Plan, Do, Review, Master’ system. We create a structured plan and then focus on working through past paper questions. My experience as a GCSE examiner is a big help here; I can teach your child how to figure out what a question is really asking and how to structure their answer to tick the boxes on the mark scheme, helping them get every possible point.

Anxiety around the “required practicals” is very common. It’s important to understand that these are primarily assessed in the final written exams. The questions are not just about what you did in the lab, but why you did it. They test a student’s understanding of experimental methods, their ability to analyse data, and their awareness of potential sources of error.

While I cannot conduct labs, my tuition places a strong emphasis on these skills. We work through a wide range of practical-based exam questions to ensure students are confident in tackling any experimental scenario the exam throws at them.

Choosing a tutor is a big decision, and it goes beyond just finding someone with strong subject knowledge. I’d suggest looking for a qualified professional who has a structured way of teaching. It’s also a huge plus if they have direct experience with your child’s specific exam board.

A great tutor should be able to figure out the real reasons a student is finding things difficult and then create a plan specifically for them.

More than anything, I always recommend setting up a short introductory call first. It’s the best way to get a feel for their personality and teaching style to make sure they’re a good fit for your child before you make any commitment.

I know a disappointing mock result can feel demoralising for a student. But it’s so important to frame it as a helpful tool, not as a failure.

The mock has actually done us a big favour by showing us exactly where the weak spots are. The most effective thing to do next is to perform a kind of “post-mortem” on the paper, looking at every single mark that was lost. We can then categorise the reason. Was it a gap in knowledge on a specific topic? A simple misunderstanding of what the question was asking? Or maybe a problem with applying a mathematical skill?

Once we have this information, we can create a very focused and efficient revision plan. It means we can concentrate only on the areas that are going to make the biggest difference to their final grade.

Yes, it’s true that many students find GCSE Chemistry to be a big step up from the science they’ve done before.

The main hurdles are usually the new, more abstract concepts that you can’t easily picture, a much larger amount of information to learn, and a new need to apply knowledge to solve problems, especially using maths.

While it is a demanding subject, it’s very manageable with a consistent, structured approach. By building understanding one topic at a time and constantly practising how to use that knowledge, students can turn a subject they struggle with into one where they really shine.

Of course, it’s always disappointing when your child doesn’t get the grade they need. But a resit is a very common path, especially if a specific grade is required for their A-Level choices, like needing a 7 to take Chemistry.

The key to a successful resit is making sure the strategy is different this time around. Just re-reading the same notes and hoping for a better outcome isn’t going to work. The first step should always be to take a detailed look at their previous exam performance to pinpoint the exact reasons they fell short.

From there, we can put together a smart, targeted revision plan that focuses only on turning those specific weaknesses into strengths.

Ready to Build a Foundation for Success?

The first step is a no-obligation consultation to discuss your child’s specific needs and goals. Let’s build a plan to secure their best possible grade.