A- level maths help OCR or Edexcel which one to download

Hi i am about to start A-level so i decided to start downloading past papers for A level maths so should i download but i don't know which which year to download or if i should download OCR or Edexcel or both

Firstly, there's not a lot of point in downloading past papers before you've actually learned the content. Secondly, it depends on which board you're doing. If you're doing OCR, download the OCR papers - same for Edexcel. Your school will be able to tell you which one you're doing if they haven't already.

i just wanted to give myself a head start

But how would downloading past papers that you don't actually know how to do help? If you want to get a head start, get your hands on a textbook and start working through exercises.

thanks that makes sense but when do i need to start downloading past papers

Once you've learned and understood everything in the book :P

I emphatically do not agree. Look at past papers and do questions right from the start as soon as you are able to answer any for the topic you are doing.

That's not objectively a better way. I didn't touch a past paper before I finished the module and I did perfectly well. An alternative method maybe, but it's not superior.

Objectively it is a far superior method. Any kind of training in teaching (which I have had) would tell you that and demonstrate why. Your personal experience can not be extrapolated into a general case.

And why exactly is it a "far superior method"?

I emphatically do not agree. Look at past papers and do questions right from the start as soon as you are able to answer any for the topic you are doing.

so which years should i practise or how many years should i practise

Well first off - get those for the board you are doing. You can add other boards and Solomon later on. I would strongly advise not printing them as it mounts up. Now what you can do is as soon as you encounter any new topic start at least reading the past questions on that topic in lots of past papers.
Right away you get a feel for whatever it is you need to learn and strong motivation for doing so. You can do the first question probably within a few minutes. That gives you confidence. In the meantime do the exercises in the book as well. Conversely if an hour later you can not do any questions from past papers you need a new approach or a bit of help. Far better to find out as early as possible like on day 1. In summary I use past papers as a learning tool not a testing tool.

Don't demand explanations from me please. If you are interested in teaching, learning, methods of learning and proven techniques for improving the learning experience then Google is your friend.

All you've done so far is said that I'm wrong, that you're right and that I should automatically believe you because you say you've got teaching experience. I'm sorry, that's not really how it works. I am more than happy to be proven wrong and find out a proven more effective way of learning, but at the moment you've not given me a shred of evidence or reasoning as to why the method you're advocating is any better than mine. You're being really rather arrogant and rude.

Er no. You are off topic.

I'm not entirely sure why asking you to provide evidence for advice you're giving to someone asking for help is off-topic.

I want this argument to continue.

Er no. You are off topic.

I don't, it was an incredibly petty excuse of an argument.