Science tuition should start with the course you actually take: KS3 Science, GCSE Combined Science, separate GCSE sciences or a named A-Level subject. ESPD lists Biology, Chemistry and Physics support. Before enquiring, identify the board, exam year and the topic or skill causing difficulty. The checklist below helps you distinguish understanding a concept, using a calculation and interpreting practical evidence.
Identify the science qualification first
“GCSE Science” is not enough information to match a request precisely. AQA Combined Science: Trilogy 8464, for example, includes Biology, Chemistry and Physics content and practical assessment requirements. Separate science qualifications and other combined routes need their own specifications.
- Biology: Name the topic and whether the difficulty is explaining a process, interpreting data or using evidence.
- Chemistry: Identify the concept or calculation and include the point where your reasoning becomes unclear.
- Physics: State the situation, quantities and units, rather than only the formula you tried.
Topic depth varies between KS3, GCSE and A-Level. Confirm the precise course rather than applying an advanced topic list to every learner.
Choose a useful starting point
| Type of difficulty | Useful evidence for a discussion | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual explanation | Your own explanation of one process. | Which link in the explanation is missing or unclear? |
| Calculation | All steps, values and units. | Is the difficulty choosing the relationship, rearranging it or interpreting the result? |
| Practical reasoning | The question, diagram or data supplied. | Which variable, measurement or conclusion needs attention? |
Practical recommendation: Start with an existing school or practice task and its authorised marking guidance. Do not treat the decorative diagrams in this page’s illustration as scientific learning material.
Keep practical work within school requirements
Ask the school how practical activities and any assessed requirements must be completed. Online tutoring can be discussed as support for understanding a practical question; it should not be assumed to replace supervised laboratory work, required activities or assessment arrangements. This page is not a home experiment procedure.
For a calculation difficulty shared with Maths, identify the mathematical step as well as the science context. Keep one next action in your revision error log.
Enquire about the right specialist
Contact ESPD with the course, board, topic, preferred format and learning goal. Ask the team to confirm the relevant specialist and availability before arranging tuition. Use GCSE revision planning or A-Level study planning for your wider schedule.
Questions before enquiring
Should I write Combined Science or separate sciences?
Use the exact qualification name confirmed by your school, along with the board and tier where relevant. This avoids choosing practice intended for a different route.
Can an online lesson replace required practical work?
Do not assume this. Ask your school about the practical and assessment requirements for your qualification. An online discussion of an experiment is different from completing required laboratory work.
What should I describe if I struggle with calculations?
Name the science topic and the mathematical step that is unclear. Keep the quantities, units and your working so that a later discussion can identify where the difficulty begins.
Your next step
Match support to the correct science course, then identify one conceptual, mathematical or practical-reasoning difficulty. Confirm assessment arrangements with the school and tutor availability with ESPD.
Sources
Source check: 10 November 2026. Specifications can change; confirm the current requirements for your exam year. Planning examples on this page are editorial recommendations, not reported lesson outcomes.