What are SATs: SATs are the end of Key Stage assessments that children take in Year 2 and Year 6 in England. They are what are known as “high-stakes tests” because the children’s results are used to judge schools and individual teachers. And this judgement can be harsh and cruel – believe me – I’ve …
It’s nearly Christmas and so time for a fun blog post! Christmas toys – but with an educational slant. There are thousands of educational games and toys available, so I’m going to recommend just a small handful that I regularly suggest to parents. All these items are under £30 and many are under £15. I …
If you’re reading this, you probably understand the sheer, heart-wrenching worry that comes when your child is out of school—not for a holiday, but because life has thrown your family the biggest, scariest challenge. For us, that challenge has been our son’s cancer treatment and subsequent bone marrow transplant. For over a year, his immune …
I don’t know whether you’ve ever noticed, but there appears to be an unwritten hierarchy in the tuition industry, which places certain subjects and age groups as more “valuable”/ “important” than others. There’s something similar in the fine art world. Sculpture is at the pinnacle and is regarded by The Establishment as the highest form …
To mark International Women’s Day, this blog will focus on my beliefs around why we chronically undervalue ourselves in the tuition industry. Whatever gender you identify as, this is relevant to you. Feminism is about equality across genders. It is about highlighting and challenging patriarchal systems that hold most of us back, regardless of what …
If you look at your child’s maths homework or pop into their classroom, you may notice that the way maths is taught today looks nothing like it did when you were at school. This can be unsettling for many parents because they don’t understand the new methods and don’t feel confident helping their child. They …
When I decided to become a self-employed tutor as my full-time occupation, I started out doing what I’d always done when I did a bit of tuition “on the side” alongside employment – I charged for the hour I worked with the child, and based this on the going rate for my area. In 2020 …
Screen time is a big concern about children’s health and behaviour in the early 21st century. The pandemic has heightened worries that children spend too long using technology. It is a problem that can be traced back further than ipads and phones. When I was a kid, it was playing computer games on consoles was …
Parents’ evening! Does it make you feel nervous? Does it bring up old memories of your own school days? Are you worried about what the teacher may say or what you should ask? Fear not! I’ll fill you in on what you need to know to reduce the parents’ evening anxiety. Things to know about …
I’ve spent a large part of the summer watching large multi-event sporting events on TV. First, there was The World Athletics Championships, followed by The Commonwealth Games, and then hot on its heels, The European Championships. As well as enjoying the competition, I find the background stuff really fascinating. How the athletes have got to …
I wrote a guest blog for Lemon Tree Coaching and Development which you can read here.
Choosing which school to send your child to can be a bit of a minefield. Asking other parents is OK to a point, but, their opinion is biased by their own child’s experience of the school, and for every parent who dislikes a school, there will be another who loves it. Here, I’m going to …