University
Optimism in the air in the new academic year; nature or nurture….
Many parents actually enjoy the relative peace and tranquillity now that the children are back at school, particularly when they are working at home. It’s not only those who work in a school or college who will understand what I mean by optimism in the air at the beginning of a new academic year, parents…
Read MoreShould teenagers follow their passion when choosing subjects or a degree course? Yes, but….
For me, yesterday was one of those days when events turned out differently than I had planned. I won’t say it is a wasted day necessarily, but I had to invest my time differently from the way I had anticipated, as I decided to go to a university open day with my seventeen-year old son.…
Read MoreIt’s all about university application at present – or is it?
We are at that time of the year when 18-year-olds are preoccupied with their application to university. They are busy getting their personal statement finished, hoping for a recommendation in support of their application from the head of sixth form or whichever teacher is going to write in support of their application to the university…
Read MoreMaking the best of the summer for teenagers – Cooking Skills …
Just like the teenagers, the parents are looking forward to this summer more than the previous ones, at least in the last couple or so years. This is particularly an eventful year, and the pandemic, this time around, is not at the top of the news agenda. There are so many other relatively major events…
Read MoreEducation Arms Race – the secret weapon
Just in case you think the title of this blogpost is rather dramatic, here is a headline from The Times website: “The education arms race is out of control”. Actually, The Times is not the only newspaper that uses the phrase “arms race”, so does The Guardian, The Economist, a report by UCL and many…
Read MoreAlmost 40% of degree courses are offered unconditionally – what a scandal
I could not believe my eyes when I read in yesterday’s Sunday Times that 40% of universities degree courses are offered unconditionally. This means students can come and study on that course regardless of the grade they obtain at A-level. It was also reported in that newspaper that the entry requirement for Medicine is now…
Read MoreA-level Maths – should I or should I not – will my figures add up?
In my last couple of blog posts, I looked at changes in the Maths curriculum and also highlighted the fact that there has been a significant fall in the number of students who are taking up A-level Maths. The reasons attributed to these are: the harder GCSE Maths, which has made more young people less…
Read MoreFewer young people taking A-level Maths – a tragedy or a blessing?
It was recently reported in the TES (Times Educational Supplements), among other media, that there has been a significant reduction in the number of young people taking A-level Maths. The TES report showed a table comparing the number of students applying to take A-level Maths in September 2016 to those who are applying to study…
Read MoreFocus on getting the grade best A-level grades you can
With places at the very top universities becoming more and more difficult to get, the pressure on young people to achieve high grades continues. At this critical stage of the exam preparation, it’s important for the young person to focus on what they need to do in order to secure as high a grade as…
Read MoreThree Key Components for Exam Success
Achieving highly academically isn’t necessarily about being super bright, as many wrongly assume. I’ve had the advantage of teaching Physics to many bright young people in grammar schools and independent schools over the last couple of decades and I’ve seen young people of average ability, or just above, achieving high examination grades. At the same…
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