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The Foundation Years: Why is Key Stage 3 Important?
Definition of KS3 Officially KS3 is supposed to be the first three years of secondary school – called Y7 to Y9 in all state schools and most independent schools. There used to be an exam in the core subjects of English, Maths and Science at the end of KS3 but that was abandoned in 2008 – leaving the GCSE, which is taken a couple of years after KS3 to be the first and only major examination that teenagers take. Since […]
The Gold Standard: Analyzing the Benefits of A-levels for University and Career
Benefits of A-levels for University and Career For young people who are taking A-level in the summer, the importance of the next four or so months cannot be overemphasised. The discipline and the focus that has to be assigned to cope with rigour and the academic demand of the A-level, though, is worth its weight in gold. It is common knowledge that not all universities are the same, as employers in particular and the wider society, value academic qualifications from […]
The “Mocks” Conversation: How to Help My Child with Mock Exams
A conversation with a caring parent – exam success is not everything in life but it’s important … We are now at that time of the year when the results of the mock exams have just been released for those students who are taking either GCSE or A-level exams in the summer. You may be right in thinking that this only applies to 15 to 18 year olds; however, in reality – even for younger children in secondary school, […]
The Master-User Protocol: How to Focus While Studying with Technology
How to Focus While Studying with Technology Whilst I embrace technology and appreciate its importance as a vital learning tool; I also think there are aspects of the traditional learning experience that is irreplaceable. One main one is day to day interaction with printed text – usually books, which I can touch, feel and smell. I’m one of those people who do not throw away books or resell them as I’ll rather keep books on the shelf than get rid […]
Tool or Trap? Analyzing the Impact of Technology on Student Learning
Impact of Technology on Student Learning Like any good thing in life, it is not usually the technology itself but how people choose to use it. I have about 5 smart phone and tablets – iPhones, iPad and Samsung for my personal use and I use about three to four of them every day. Does it mean that I spend a lot of time on my smart phone? Certainly not. The way I manage myself includes having a phone for […]
Balance and Focus: The Real Role of Technology in Teaching and Learning
Role of Technology in Teaching and Learning As far as schooling and education is concerned, both teachers and students abuse technology in all sorts of way. For too many teachers, there is over-dependence on technology and they cannot teach any lesson without using a computer or going onto the internet. Whenever there is no access to the computer or the internet they can’t teach, which is rather sad. When I was teaching in the classroom I found using a computer […]
The Evidence Base: Benefits of Small Group Tuition vs One-to-One
Benefits of Small Group Tuition in Britain, at least a quarter of young people have been provided some sort of extra tuition at some point in their education. This could be in the form of extra teaching support in school or from a private tutor. In London and the south east of England, where there is a little more aspiration for high achievement, the figure is almost double, as it is well over 40%, with much higher figures amongst more […]
The Tutoring Debate: Is One-to-One Tutoring Effective or Is There a Better Way?
Is one-to-one tutoring effective? One way of defining this rather widespread phenomenon is as a focused teaching session whereby a student is tutored by a teacher in the absence of other students. In the way it is performed in schools, particularly in the primary sector, the teaching can be by a teaching assistant and not a fully qualified teacher. For older pupils of secondary school age, who are studying for GCSE and A-level, it is usually performed by a qualified […]
The “Gromps” Advantage: Grammar vs Comprehensive School Performance Explained
A new word, ‘gromp’, has just been introduced into the school vocabulary. Gromp stands for ‘Grammar Comprehensive’ – meaning comprehensive schools with the ethos of grammar schools. It was reported in the TES – Times Educational Supplements on Sunday of 20th August that the New Schools Network had conducted a survey which reveals that pupils in schools that are run in a very traditional manner made significantly more progress than those schools with so-called progressive ethos. Features associated with those […]
Reset and Recharge: Bouncing Back from Bad AS Results with a Plan
If you have just received your AS level result, take stock and reflect on your achievements. Be aware of what lies ahead, as it is important for you to appreciate the importance of A-level. If you can help it, do your best to include the most useful A-level subjects in your choice of the subjects that you study for the full two years. Try and include at least two of the following in your choice of A-level: English Maths Further […]
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