At this webinar, in partnership with COBIS, Nicola Allen (Managing Director of Educake) and Tracey Baxter (Trust Science Lead, UK) shared insights from the 2025 IGCSE science results. They considered how the examiners’ report may reflect the strengths and challenges of students at British International Schools. Theydiscussed how to use ongoing assessment to check for understanding, plug gaps where necessary, and also how to plan to avoid gaps or misconceptions in future cohorts.
During the webinar, we talked about tackling command words and the challenge of applying maths skills in a scientific context. Here’s how Educake can help with both these topics.
Understanding command words
At Educake, we’re always looking for ways to support teachers in strengthening students confidence – especially in areas consistently highlighted as challenging. One of the biggest recurring themes for GCSE students? Command words.
The examiners’ reports frequently note that students lose marks not because they don’t know the content, but because they misunderstand what the question is asking them to do. Words like “describe,” “evaluate,” “compare,” and “justify” can completely change the expectations of an answer.
To help with this, we’ve created a printable command word poster designed to give students a clear, accessible reminder of what each command word means and how to respond effectively. It’s perfect for classroom walls, revision sessions, or even student books – and it’s free for you to download and share with your classes.
Maths for science skills
Building confident maths skills is essential for success in science, particularly in international curricula where calculation and data-handling expectations continue to grow.
In the 2025 Science IGCSE, most students performed well in maths-based questions, showing their workings clearly and demonstrating strong graph skills. However, examiners still noted persistent challenges especially with:
- Unit conversions
- Confusion around decimal places
- Incorrect rounding
To support schools with these key skills, Educake includes Maths for Science Study Guides, designed to strengthen the calculation fluency and reinforce correct scientific working.
You can explore all of these resources through a free trial or demo of Educake.
In October 2025, Educake hosted a webinar led by Karen Collins, Head of Curriculum for Science, Assessment, and Research at PiXL. Karen explored practical strategies for helping students build essential maths skills and apply them confidently in science assessments.
Educake for international schools
Educake is used by international schools, helping teachers deliver consistent, high-quality homework, revision, and assessment wherever they are in the world.
Educake offers comprehensive question banks aligned with UK curricula, making it easy for international departments to maintain a clear and structured approach to learning. Teachers benefit from:
- Thousands of auto-marked questions across core subjects
- Vocab-friendly quizzes ideal for students with EAL needs
- Personalised revision tools such as Revision Wizard
Educake also provides a wide range of A-Level biology, chemistry, and physics content. This includes higher-demand, exam-style questions that help students build confidence with extended responses and complex calculations.
Help students revise with targeted practice
Support every student with quizzes tailored to their needs.
