Plenty of Dubai British schools enter maths as the UK's domestic GCSE rather than International GCSE, and the two are examined differently. ClassArc teaches GCSE maths one to one for Year 10 and Year 11 (Grade 9 and Grade 10) — Edexcel 1MA1, AQA 8300 or OCR J560, Foundation or Higher — in 55-minute classes with the same teacher every week, from AED 60 a class.
What is ClassArc?
ClassArc is live one-to-one online maths tutoring for school-age children. One teacher and one child, for 55 minutes. The same teacher every week. Classes run inside our own classroom software, not a video call: a shared worksheet you both write on, a shared whiteboard, and answers that sync live.
GCSE or IGCSE?
There is no Dubai-wide rule. A British school here can enter a child for domestic GCSE in maths and International GCSE in geography in the same summer, and the choice sits with each department. GEMS Jumeirah College, for example, publishes its maths entry as Pearson Edexcel 1MA1, the specification sat in England; other schools in Dubai and Abu Dhabi enter maths as International GCSE instead.
For a parent the practical consequence is simple. A student revising from International GCSE papers for a domestic GCSE exam is rehearsing the wrong structure, the wrong paper lengths and, above all, the wrong calculator rules.
So before the first lesson we ask for the specification code. If you do not have it yet, the four routes further down this page will find it within a day or two.
One child, one summer, two kinds of certificate. In Dubai that is normal, and maths can land on either side.
Why the code comes before the lesson planSide by side
The content overlaps heavily. The exams around it do not, and that changes how a student should practise.
| UK GCSE (1MA1, 8300, J560) | Edexcel International GCSE (4MA1) | Cambridge IGCSE (0580) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Papers | Three, 1 hour 30 minutes each | Two, 2 hours each | Two per tier |
| Without a calculator | One of the three papers | Neither paper | Paper 1 (Core) or Paper 2 (Extended) |
| Tiers | Foundation (grades 1–5) or Higher (4–9, with grade 3 allowed) | Foundation or Higher | Core or Extended |
| Grades reported as | Numbers, 9 to 1 | Numbers, 9 to 1 | Letters |
Board papers and formulae arrangements change between exam years, so we always work from the current specification and the paper your child will actually sit. If it turns out to be International GCSE, our IGCSE maths page covers Cambridge and Edexcel International in detail.
Finding out
Any one of these usually answers it. Send us what you find and we will read it with you.
1MA1, 8300 or J560 means the UK exam. 4MA1, 4MB1, 0580 or 0607 means an international one.
What to look for on the paperThe specification code is printed on the front of every paper. It is the quickest and most reliable answer.
Most Dubai British schools list the board and code for each subject in the Year 10 options guide or candidate handbook.
Before the summer series the exams office sends each candidate a list of entries, with codes and tiers.
The head of maths can answer in one line. Ask for the board, the code and the tier your child is currently entered for.
What the UK exam asks
Students who spent Years 7 to 9 on international-style courses sometimes meet these late. They are all teachable.
One paper in three has no calculator. Fraction arithmetic, surds, powers and estimating with rounded values have to be quick and reliable by hand.
A single GCSE question may run ratio into area and then into percentage change. Spotting the route through is a skill of its own, and it needs deliberate practice.
Edexcel, AQA and OCR phrase questions differently. We practise with your child's board, in the three-paper format, with the real timings.
Boards
All three UK boards use the same broad structure: three papers of 1 hour 30 minutes, one of them without a calculator. Their question styles and mark schemes differ, so we teach to the one on your child's entry.
How we help
The lesson follows your child's school, board and tier, not a separate course of our own.
Before each class the teacher checks where the school has reached, whether that is similar shapes in Year 10 or iterative methods in Year 11, and teaches alongside it.
A little Paper 1 practice most weeks, so written methods stay fluent instead of being rediscovered in the week before the mocks.
Teacher and student write on one shared worksheet at the same time. The long show-that questions get worked line by line, with attention on where the marks sit.
On Foundation, the topics that decide a grade 4 or 5. On Higher, the grade 7 to 9 material such as algebraic proof, functions, vectors and circle theorems.
Set to match the class, submitted inside ClassArc as a photo or typed answer, and reviewed before the next lesson, which opens by going through it.
The same person from the first class to the final paper. Two classes a week suits most GCSE students; three from the Year 11 mocks onward.
Prices in UAE dirhams. Every class is 55 minutes, one-to-one, with the same teacher. First class free, no card required.
Related pages
Pages for the other routes a Dubai student might be on.
Cambridge 0580 and Edexcel International 4MA1, for students whose mock paper shows an international code.
International routeUK A-Level, International A-Level units and Cambridge 9709 for Year 12 and Year 13.
Sixth formSchool weeks by emirate, the regional paper variants, and where to start by year group.
UAE overviewA 55-minute lesson in Dubai time with the teacher who would go on to teach your child.
Free classHow to tell which one your child is entered for.
ReadGCSE questions from Dubai
First class
55 minutes. The real classroom. No card. We confirm details on email and WhatsApp within a day.
Last updated · May 2026
When you book a demo or sign up for classes, we collect your name, your child's name, email, WhatsApp number, time zone, and the grade you're inquiring about. That's it. We don't ask for or store any payment details on this website. We don't use trackers, cookies for advertising, or third-party analytics that profile you.
Only to schedule and run your classes, send you class reminders, share homework and progress, and answer your questions. We'll reach out by email or WhatsApp, depending on what you tell us works better for you.
Your teacher, and the small team supporting them at ClassArc. We never sell, rent, or share your information with anyone outside ClassArc. We use Web3Forms to receive form submissions, and standard email and WhatsApp for messaging, nothing else.
We treat any information about your child with extra care. We only collect what we need to teach them well, such as their grade and what they're working on. We never use a child's photo, name, or work in any marketing without the parent's explicit written permission.
You can ask us to show you what we have on file, correct anything inaccurate, or delete your data entirely, at any time. Just email hello@theclassarc.com and we'll handle it within a few days.
Email hello@theclassarc.com. A real person will reply.
Last updated · May 2026
ClassArc is a one-on-one online tutoring service. We provide live, scheduled classes between a teacher and a student, along with homework, feedback, and study support.
Each class is 55 minutes. You can reschedule or cancel a class up to 5 minutes before it starts. If you miss a class without notice, we usually credit it back to your balance and reschedule based on what works for the teacher and student.
The first demo class is free, no card required. After that, plans are billed in advance for the number of classes you choose (8, 24, or ~48). We'll send you a payment link directly once you've picked a plan.
If you want to stop classes at any point, we refund whatever class balance is left on your plan. No questions asked, no friction. Refunds are processed within 7 business days.
We expect students and parents to treat teachers with respect, and teachers to do the same. We reserve the right to end the relationship if classes become unsafe, abusive, or disruptive, with a full refund of any unused balance.
If we update these terms, we'll email you before the changes take effect, so you have time to review them.
For anything, email hello@theclassarc.com.