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When I was growing up, one of the phrases that my teachers used and that I have also heard from my own parents is “paddle your own canoe” It’s up to you fellow. In two months’ time – at the end of August – newspapers and television pictures will be full of jubilating teenagers – who will be celebrating after having achieved high examination results. I must say that apart from the overt obsession that we as a society have […]

Getting to know more of London – or Berkshire In my late teenage to early adulthood years, one of the things I used to do was to take the bus and walk instead of taking the tube. I lived in North London at the time and I had a student-type job on Oxford Street. At that time, Bus 73 used to go all the way to Hammersmith, via Oxford Street. I used to leave home very early and take the […]

After a sense of relief following all the summer examinations, the next key issue on the mind of parents of teenagers is about what the children will do over the summer break. The fact that there are so many possible activities to choose from does not necessarily make it easy to decide – in fact, it makes it a little more difficult. The long list of choices is one thing but there are other considerations such as interest, logistics, practicality […]

In most families with teenagers who are at key points of their education and who are taking vital examinations the summer, the focus since the start of the year has been on examination preparation and related matters. Now that the exams are coming to an end, I’m sure your sons and daughters can’t wait to just ‘chill-out’ a bit, as they say. As for us parents, it’s only a matter of time before we start to think beyond the end of […]

I was speaking with a few young people who are in Y11 and also in the sixth form this Saturday and it was good to see that they are still very optimistic and confident. I’m also pleased to see that these young people are not resting on their laurels as they continue to be as determined as ever in doing well in the remainder of the summer examinations. They are all very keen to seek every little bit of assistance […]

The last two blogs explore the thinking process behind examination preparation. Below are some practical suggestions for preparing for examinations. Be clear about the grade you to need obtain in each of your subjects Have a plan in place to prepare for your examinations. This may be some sort of study plan that includes when to study which subject Concentre – focus on your set goals and avoid distractions Be careful with technology. Computers and the Internet are very useful […]

In my last article, I highlighted desire and decision, concentration and, asking questions, believing, doing something and having courage as a salient part of the thought process young people need to begin with before getting stuck into the day-to-day activities involved in preparation for the exams. Although, we as parents cannot actually do it for them we can be the catalyst that stands in the background, doing our best to support and help guide and support the young person. Occasionally […]

  For many families this time of the year is associated with all sorts of emotions as young people prepare for the all-important summer exams. The truth of the matter is that sometimes the parent is more anxious than the child who will be sitting the exam. Most young people themselves are aware of the importance of examinations and the potential impact it can have on their prospects for the future. However, different children respond to the challenge in different […]

In my last article I started to examine the charge being made by those who are opposed to the new grading system for GCSE, in terms of its potential impact and perceived value. In this concluding part of that article, I look at the definition of the word ‘elite’ and ask if we will end up with a top grade that is considerable higher than grade 9. Before we start attacking elitism, we ought to examine the meaning of the […]