New A-level Curriculum
Generation Z and environmental awareness
In my last blogpost titled “Should we give Gen Z some credit?” I explored some of the many areas of life in which the so-called Generation Z are much more aware than, perhaps, we older people were when we were teenagers. Here, I am going to pick one of the five or so areas that…
Read MorePost-Sixteen qualifications – A-level subjects and courses option after GCSE
The GCSE exam results are released today, with fewer top grades of 7, 8 and 9 (A and A*) being awarded in comparison to last year, but higher than in 2019. Although A-level grades are the main determining criterion for admission into the top universities, GCSEs still matter and there are two reasons for this.…
Read MoreA-level Exam Results – accepting university offers
A-level Exam Results – some truths as you decide on university For the first time in three years, A-level exam results that are based on proper exams are released this week. As we do every year, we will see images of jubilant young people with glee on their faces, and their rather proud parents so…
Read MorePleasurable summer activity – Not All Readers are High Achievers But All High Achievers are Readers
A pleasurable summer activity – “Not All Readers are High Achievers, But All High Achievers are Readers” The idea of me reading some fiction story about witchcraft and some silly magic was just not something I could possibly have contemplated. That was until one of my sixteen-year-old students spoke about her fascination with the Harry…
Read MoreJobs by teenagers over the summer and beyond – paid job or volunteering
Jobs by teenagers over the summer and beyond – paid job or volunteering After my son’s GCSE exams a few weeks ago, he asked me how to compose a CV as he is looking for job so that he can earn some money during the summer weeks. I was actually a little surprised that he…
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 MoreGCSE-&-A-level-examinations-summer- 2022–update
For the third year running the pandemic casts a shadow on traditional GCSE and A-level summer exams. The examinations were cancelled in both 2020 and 2021 and replaced with teacher assessment. The government’s position remains that those examinations will go ahead, albeit with minor adjustments to account for loss of learning time due to the…
Read MoreContinued 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…
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