Breakthrough Maths launches top-rated online GCSE tutoring
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TJ’s online school is helping students to ‘Breakthrough’ Maths – sign up for these FREE maths sessions and see the results for yourself.
Five years ago, TJ Hegarty was standing in a draughty community hall in Ireland, teaching eight students with just a whiteboard, folding tables and belief that Maths could be taught differently. He wasn’t setting out to build his own business.
“At the time, it was just about helping a few kids who were struggling. That was it. There was no brand, no team, no real plan,” Hegarty explains.
Though one student stood out — a teenager called Fionn who had been told that college wasn’t for him. His parents had explained he had autism and he had been written off academically – but TJ saw that differently.
We just made steady progress. Week after week. The belief followed and the results started to come. Fionn is now finishing his Engineering Masters in Cork, which is inspiring.
That one breakthrough — watching a student go from shutting down to showing up — laid the foundations for what would become Breakthrough Maths.
Today, the company now teaches more than 3,000 students every week across Ireland and the UK. One tutor, Harry, is based in Milton Keynes and is a Nottingham Trent University student with a knack for making tricky topics click. Harry leads online classes every week and helps GCSE students with all the questions they may have.
Harry is exactly the kind of tutor we look for,” Hegarty says. “He’s passionate about Maths, knows how to explain it clearly, and actually cares about the students. That’s the magic. That’s what makes online learning work.
Cold halls to calmer homes
Breakthrough Maths runs four live online classes every week for each of its groups. Each session is recorded so that students can re-watch it whenever they like, with no commuting, no stress and no parents having to wait in car parks.
“Parents tell us the relief of not doing the 7pm dash to a tutoring centre in the rain is worth it alone,” adds Hegarty.
Two topics are taught in a focused, structured way each week. That consistency keeps students on track — not just for their exam grades but also for their confidence too.
No more maths anxiety
For Hegarty, the real goal isn’t just better marks but about changing how students feel about maths.
“So many kids decide way too early that they’re ‘just not a maths person’. But usually, it’s because of one bad class, or they were too nervous to ask questions. We flip that.”
At Breakthrough Maths, students are encouraged to say: “I don’t get it!” The environment is low-pressure while remaining focused — and it works. In their latest survey, 96% of their final year students in Ireland said grades definitely improved after joining.
Bigger mission for a bigger team
What started with just one tutor has now grown into a full team of teachers, developers and support staff . . . but the mission hasn’t changed.
“Maths anxiety is real. But it’s fixable,” says Hegarty. “With the right support, structure and someone to explain things properly, we see students change completely — sometimes in just a few weeks.”
Free back-to-school course
Breakthrough Maths now works with students from all over the UK, and their next three-day ‘Back to School’ course is completely free — running on August 27th, 28th and 29th. It’s designed to help students reset for September, tackle maths anxiety, and start the year strong.
To sign up, visit breakthroughmaths.co.uk