New A-level Curriculum
Continued Academic Progress for Teenagers irrespective of the Pandemic
Dear Caring Parent Re: Continued academic progress for teenagers irrespective of the pandemic I hope you and the family are well and keeping safe. Now that many schools have a mixture of in-person and online learning, I trust your child is managing the transition from the older norm to the new learning environment well. The purpose…
Read MoreSchool closure and lock down – Is enough being done to help Y11 prepare for A-level?
From what we’ve been hearing in the news, as far as secondary education is concerned, attention is on Y10 and the lower sixth (Y12) at present; which is understandable, as these two year-groups will be taking their GCSE and A-level exams, respectively, in less than 12 months’ time. Not much is said about Y11 students…
Read MoreMisconceptions about post-sixteen and sixth form A-level subject options
There are so many misconceptions about post-sixteen and sixth form study and before I discuss them briefly, I’d like to list some of those: If I study Media Studies at A-level, I have an excellent chance of getting the top job in the media – like being a top TV presenter or something. A-level in…
Read MoreShould your teenager challenge their A-level exam result?
Should your teenager challenge their A-level exam result? At one school – Guildford High – a quarter of students who challenged their A-level results ended up with a higher grade. Given what may be at stake if a teenager misses out on their A-level result, it is a little concerning that one in four of…
Read MoreFailure to plan for A-level or GCSE Exams is a plan to Fail
I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase several times that “Failure to plan is a plan to fail.” This very much applies to teenagers as many of them face what is, perhaps, the most important test in their lives to far – the summer examinations. Hard work is important and most young people are working hard…
Read MoreArt and Music versus STEM subjects, McJobs …
On the Radio 4 programme that I mentioned in the first part of this blog post article, some of the panellists, in my view, wrongly blamed the introduction of the EBacc as the reason why there is a decline in the number of young people who are taking Art and Music at GCSE; in fact,…
Read MoreIs A-level Maths worth its weight in gold?
This is the conclusion of a four-part blog post in which I discuss issues associated with the decline in the uptake of A-level Maths by young people. In this final part, I will be continuing my argument as to why young people should not give up on Maths too easily and that we must do…
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 MoreThe decoupling of AS from the full A-level means that it no longer counts towards A-level
In my last blog post, the first of a four-series discussion about the changes that are happening to both GCSE and A-level Maths, I explained the key changes to GCSE Maths and why young people and teachers are concerned. Today, I will first of all look at the changes that have been implemented in the…
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