IGCSE Foundation Maths Scheme of Work Years 10 and 11

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Years 10–11 · Grades 9–10 · Forms 4–5 · IGCSE Foundation · Edexcel International GCSE 4MA1 · Two-year route

This free IGCSE Foundation maths scheme of work is a complete two-year curriculum plan for students sitting the Edexcel International GCSE Mathematics A (4MA1) Foundation tier. It covers all 31 topics on the 4MA1 Foundation syllabus across six half-terms per year, sequenced for the January or June examination series, with a direct link to teaching resources for every topic.

It is used by Heads of Mathematics and classroom teachers in British and international curriculum schools worldwide. Whether your school calls these year groups Year 10 and Year 11, Grade 9 and Grade 10, or Form 4 and Form 5, the two-year route below is the same: secure the number, fractions, algebra and shape foundations in the first year, then build graphs, trigonometry, sets, similarity and simultaneous equations in the second, with a mock window and past-paper phase before the final papers.

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IGCSE Foundation scheme at a glance

Read across a row to compare the same half-term across Years 10 and 11, or read down a column for the teaching sequence in that year. Each topic links to its dedicated teaching page and is tagged with its main curriculum strand. Year 10 and Year 11 correspond to Grade 9 and Grade 10 in most international systems, and to Form 4 and Form 5 in Malaysia, Kenya, Hong Kong and much of the Caribbean.

The sequence above is written for a June entry. Schools entering candidates in the January series should bring the mock window forward to Year 11 Autumn 1 and sit the papers at the end of that half-term. See adapting the scheme to your school year for southern hemisphere, semester-based and three-year routes.

Edexcel IGCSE 4MA1 Foundation exam structure

The Edexcel International GCSE in Mathematics A (4MA1) Foundation tier is assessed by two written papers. There is no coursework and no non-calculator paper. Both papers are equally weighted and both allow a calculator.

Because grades 6 to 9 are not available at Foundation tier, entry decisions matter. Students who are secure on grade 5 content by the end of Year 10 should be considered for the IGCSE Higher scheme of work, which is sequenced in parallel to make late tier movement straightforward.

Full IGCSE Foundation maths topic list by strand

These are all 31 topics covered by this scheme of work, grouped by the five 4MA1 subject content strands rather than by teaching order. Use this view to check coverage against your own syllabus audit or departmental tracker.

Who is this scheme for?

The 2-Year IGCSE Foundation scheme of work is built for British and international curriculum schools delivering the Edexcel International GCSE Mathematics A (4MA1) Foundation tier in Years 10 and 11. It is in use across international schools in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and the Americas, as well as independent UK schools and centres preparing IGCSE candidates outside the standard 9–1 GCSE pathway.

• Heads of Mathematics in international schools writing a 2-year IGCSE MTP and wanting one consistent backbone every Foundation teacher can follow.
• Classroom teachers of Years 10 and 11 Foundation IGCSE classes who want ready-made lessons, worksheets and worked solutions for every topic.
• Teachers new to the IGCSE specification moving from UK 9–1 GCSE, Cambridge IGCSE or a national curriculum and needing to see what changes.
• Independent UK schools and tutoring centres offering IGCSE rather than the 9–1 GCSE specification.
• Early career and trainee teachers looking for clear sequences, modelled examples and worked solutions for the IGCSE specification.
• Tutors and home educators preparing students for IGCSE Foundation and wanting a structured route they can follow week by week.

What’s included

A complete medium-term plan for two years of IGCSE Foundation mathematics (Years 10 and 11), aligned to the Edexcel International GCSE 4MA1 specification:

• Year-by-year, term-by-term sequence across Years 10 and 11 (6 half-terms × 2 years).
• Foundation tier focus, covering every topic on the 4MA1 Foundation specification including Venn diagrams and set notation, simultaneous linear and quadratic equations, transformation geometry and IGCSE-specific algebra strands.
• Strand-balanced coverage across Number, Algebra, Geometry, Statistics and Ratio & Proportion.
• Direct links to every topic page, with teaching overview, prerequisites, key concepts and common misconceptions.
• Member access to the full interactive lesson, printable worksheet, retrieval practice and worked solutions for every topic.
• A built-in mock window and past-paper phase in Year 11, positioned for either the January or the June series.

How to use this scheme

Each year is divided into six half-terms (Autumn 1 through Summer 2) with topics in the order shown. Plan roughly 6 to 9 lessons per topic, which is about 2 to 3 weeks on a four-lesson week and closer to 2 weeks where mathematics has five or six periods. High-leverage topics such as fractions, percentages, algebraic manipulation, trigonometry and Pythagoras justify the upper end. Reorder, combine or extend topics to match your classes. The scheme is a backbone, not a straitjacket.

Embed retrieval practice at the start of every lesson and short cumulative reviews between topics. The sequence deliberately revisits core ideas such as percentages, fractions, geometry and ratio across both years so students meet familiar ideas in new exam contexts before the final papers. Pair the topic pages with Mr Mathematics retrieval starter tasks for daily recall.

Adapting the scheme to your school year

The half-terms are labelled with the UK convention, but the sequence itself is calendar-neutral. It is the teaching order that matters, not the month a term happens to start.

• Southern hemisphere schools running a January to December year should read Autumn 1 as Term 1.1 and work straight through. The only adjustment is the position of the mock window, which should sit roughly four months before your entry series.
• Two-semester schools can map each semester onto three consecutive half-terms. The natural break points are after Autumn 2 in Year 10 and after the mock window in Year 11.
• Schools entering candidates in the January series should compress Year 11: move the mock window to Autumn 1 and use the time after the papers for early transition work into A-Level, IB or a post-16 pathway.
• Three-year IGCSE routes, common where students begin at Grade 8 or Form 3, should spread Year 10 across two years and keep Year 11 intact. The two-year KS3 scheme is the usual precursor.
• Year group naming. Year 10 and Year 11 correspond to Grade 9 and Grade 10 in most international systems, and to Form 4 and Form 5 in Malaysia, Kenya, Hong Kong and much of the Caribbean.

Curriculum rationale

The route is designed so Year 10 secures number, fractions, basic algebra and geometry, introduces statistical measures and standard form, and builds early competence in trigonometry and Pythagoras. Year 11 deepens algebraic manipulation, sets, similarity and 3D shapes, with the examinations following targeted Spring revision.

• Year 10 secures core number, fractions, basic algebra, properties of shape, statistical measures, ratio and proportion, percentages, sequences and probability.
• Year 11 builds graphs, trigonometry and Pythagoras, standard form, simultaneous equations, 3D shapes, Venn diagrams, inequalities, similarity and transformation geometry ready for the IGCSE examination series.

Students who require greater stretch should follow the IGCSE Higher scheme of work. UK centres following the 9–1 GCSE specification should instead use the GCSE Foundation scheme of work.

Related schemes of work

Frequently asked questions

Still deciding? Compare the IGCSE Higher scheme of work for students working towards grades 4 to 9, or see what Mr Mathematics membership includes for every topic on this page.