We asked the 121 Home Tutors team for some top revisions tips over the festive season.

1. Know what you are going back to. The biggest mistake some of our students make is that they have no idea what they are studying for after Christmas. Listen to what your teachers tell you and if you really aren’t sure what exams you are sitting (and therefore what you need to study) then go and ask someone.
2. Make a plan. Once you know which exams you are sitting then don’t go crazy and try and cram all your revision in at once (or ignore it!). Sit down and make a day-to-day plan of what you need to revise and in what order. Little and often works best with plenty of breaks to keep your mind and body fresh.
3. Don’t ignore your problems areas. The temptation can be to revise the easy stuff first and ignore the trickier parts but you should actually tackle the hard subjects and topics first, that way you have plenty of time to go into detail and revisit the areas where you struggle.
4. Read through our blogs for lots of top tips on revision and preparing for exams.
5. Develop revision techniques that work for you. There is no rule that says you have to work at a desk; maybe you’d be better recording notes and then listening to them while you run? Or maybe you’d work better verbally asking a friend questions (and being tested in return)?
6. Make time for fun – it’s important to keep revision going during the holidays (we know, no fun!) but keep some time aside to enjoy friends and family. You’ll return to study refreshed and relaxed.
7. Book in some extra time with your tutor. Most tutors can squeeze in an extra session in the run up to exams to discuss any problem areas and give your confidence a boost. 121 Home Tutors have private tutors across Manchester and Cheshire that can help you with your 11 plus, GCSE’s and A levels. Contact us today

In this blog post we’ll talk about how to tackle exam questions on the day:

• On the morning of the exam don’t try and revise. You need to focus on relaxing rather than stressing yourself out with last minute cramming.
• Set off for school/college in plenty of time and before you leave the house do a final check to ensure you have pens and any other equipment you might need (pencils, calculator etc).
• When you get to where your exam is then listen carefully to the instructions you receive. If you can, sit where you feel most comfortable with some natural light, if you think you might be distracted by outside noise then choose a chair in the middle of the room.
• Be still for just a few minutes, take some deep breaths and focus on the exam paper in front of you. Try not to panic and before you start writing sit and read through the exam paper – this can be one of the most important things you do in an exam. Once you’ve read the paper take a few minutes to plan (this is especially important if you have 2 or 3 essays to write, you can allocate time to each and this will ensure you stay on track). If you can, write some bullet points that will give you a structure to an answer and if you run out of time the exam marker has some indication of what you were thinking.
• If you can’t answer a question then calmly move onto the next one and come back to the unanswered questions at the end.
• Stay positive – if you are in the exam and writing then you are in a better position than if you didn’t turn up. You’ve worked hard all year and if you’ve revised then the information you need is in your head, give it a chance to come out.
• If you’ve really struggled with a question in the exam (or found it impossible to answer) then it’s a good idea to talk to your teacher about it. It may be that it was a particularly hard question or that your attempt was better than you thought.

Everyone at 121 Home Tutors wishes every student out there the best of luck with their exams. If you need help with exam revision and you live in Manchester or Cheshire (we cover from the Heatons to Hale and beyond) then call 121 Home Tutors today.

Maths is one of our most requested subjects for private tutoring in Manchester and South Manchester. We have private Maths tutors that start at primary level and go right up to AS, A2 and A Level but most of tutors work with secondary level students who are fast approaching their GCSEs .

So here are our private tutors’ top seven tips for GCSE Maths revision:

1.      Our number one top tip is to know exactly what you need to revise. Carefully check the syllabus and know the topics you need to revise. If you are unsure then ask your teacher. It’s also a good idea to ask your teacher if you need to learn any formulas or if they’ll be printed on the exam paper.

2.      Start with the basics first. Once you know what you need to revise then tackle the basic topics first. Maths builds on basics and as you move up in school you’ll find the basics you’ve learnt are integrated with each other and across topics.  Try breaking harder problems into smaller sections rather than trying to tackle the whole thing in one go. This means you’ll devote the most time to the trickiest parts and not get overwhelmed when you get close to the exam.

3.      Don’t be afraid to use revision guides and GCSE revision books (make sure you pick the right one for your syllabus). There’s also lots of great information on websites like BBC bitesize. Finally don’t forget your textbooks, teachers and if you have one, your private Maths tutor.

4.      Past papers. If you can get hold of them (ask your teacher) then these can really help focus your mind on the sort of questions you might have to tackle in an exam. As your revision moves on try completing a past paper in a set time frame to give you an idea of how you’ll cope on the actual day.

5.      If you struggle to sit down and stare at papers for hours then try a revision study group or try mental maths.

6.      Start early. Revision is really hard if you are rushing or stressed. Plan your revision out, including breaks.

7.      If you are struggling ask for help. If something just isn’t sticking during revision then ask a friend, parent or call in a private tutor. They can help you work through any barriers.

If you need a tutoring to help you with Maths or Maths revision in Manchester or South Manchester (we cover all areas including Altrincham and Hale) then call or email 121 Home Tutors today.

Basic numeracy underpins everything we do – from our weekly shop to paying bills but children often find it boring and switch off. Lots of parents approach us for private maths tuition when their child is in primary school. Quite often they’re already struggling with the basics; complain they find maths ‘boring’ or lack confidence.  If we can make maths fun with private tuition at this stage then most children find maths in the classroom more enjoyable.

One of the advantages of private tuition is that we aren’t constrained by the ‘rules’ of the classroom and we can devote one to one time to very specific areas of maths. That doesn’t mean it has to be boring, after all that wouldn’t be much fun for the student or private tutor!

So how can we ditch the dullness and make maths more fun? Here are three top techniques our private maths tutors recommend:

1.      Begin with fun. It can be really easy to forget that starting in the right way is often the key to engaging a child in learning. Maths starts with counting – so liven it up. Ask your child to count different types of houses or signs when you are in the car. At home count using unusual objects (food is always good).

2.      Make it real. Children are much more likely to be interested in something if they see how it relates to their life. Take them to the supermarket and look at prices, get them to help you count out money at the till.

3.      Games are good. There are loads of number and maths games that you can play with your child which will help them improve their maths – suduko is a great example (and there is even a family play version Kakuzu).

The great thing about working with 121 Home Tutors is that we offer specifically matched maths private tutors right on your doorstep across Manchester and Cheshire, so whether you live in Didsbury, Altrincham or Stockport we can find the right maths tutor to fit your needs. Just drop us a line for more details.

So if your child has never taken an exam how can you help them prepare?

• Get the balance right. You need to help your child revise the subjects enough that they do well in the exam without getting them so stressed about it that it affects their physical or emotional well being.

• Have a plan. Sit with your child and come up with a revision plan, it’s a good idea to figure out how they best learn. Your child’s teacher will have told them what they need to learn so it’s a matter of breaking it down into manageable chunks. Check with the school what exams you child will be taking and when.

• Take breaks. There is a point where we all switch off from learning or revision and our brain stops taking in information, learn to recognise when that is for your child and build in frequent breaks for food, drink or just relaxation.

• Flash cards. One idea that works for some children is to create notes or flash cards as they revise each chapter or topic, in this way they can easily see the main points and not get overloaded with information. This is also a good way to review the major topics as the exam gets nearer.

• Remember to stop. Don’t push your child to revise until minutes before the exam. It’s especially important the night before that they get a good night’s sleep and they can’t do this if their brain is in overdrive.  It’s worth keeping in mind that it’s not the end of the world if they don’t pass, there are always resits.

• Past papers. It will really help both you and your child if you can see what kind of questions have been asked in the past. Ask your child’s teacher if these are available.

• Don’t avoid the hard bits. If it looks like your child has a problem in a particular area then don’t avoid it. Maybe try a different technique such as drawing out the problem or talking it through. One way to tackle tricky areas is to have one on one tutoring, where they can focus on a particular area and gain confidence.

• Eat well. Children who eat a good breakfast perform better at school. During revision periods and on the day of the exam keep them going with a nutritious breakfast such as cereal and make sure they are getting all their essentials vitamins and minerals.

If you think your child needs some one to one help preparing for exams then we can help. If you’re based in the Manchester, Stockport, Wilmslow and Cheshire areas and would like to discuss exam tuition options, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at 121 Home Tutors.

Don’t panic!
Slightly disappointing results at GCSE aren’t the end of the world, especially if they are in subjects other than English, Maths or in the subjects not being taken to A Level. However, not doing as well as expected can be demoralising (especially if friends got straight A* grades!) and can be an indicator of an underlying problem that might cause greater difficulties at A Level.

As such, disappointments at GCSE and poor grades can be good indicators of problems that need fixing in the long term. Dropping a couple of grades in a subject that isn’t going to be continued at A Level is probably nothing much to worry about – unless that subject happens to be English or Maths.

Take action on Maths and English
The most immediate problems to face are if GCSE results in Maths or English (not English Literature) are poor. Colleges and Universities usually require at least ‘C’ in both subjects at GCSE for admission. Likewise, most employers want to see at least two Cs for anything except manual work. In practice, as a result of the grade inflation of the past few years, the cut off ‘respectable’ grade is a B – if a grade B  at GCSE in one of these subjects was narrowly missed you might seriously consider an appeal or a resit.

If either Maths or English have been ‘failed’ (strictly speaking, even an E or F is a ‘pass’ at GCSE, though nobody pretends that a grade below C is worth much, especially in English) they should be resat. School (and/or new sixth form college) will advise on this.

Check A Level eligibility
Dropping GCSE grades can have an effect on the subjects that can be taken to A Level (see here for tips on which A levels to choose). Many state schools and FE colleges ask for at least a C grade at GCSE in a particular subject before acceptance on to the A Level course (often higher for more traditional A Levels such as Maths and English). Grammar and independent schools will often require at least an A grade at GCSE before acceptance on to courses. However, it varies dramatically by school and by year.

If the grade has fallen below the notional standard for a particular subject but you/your child still wants to take it at A Level, the whole thing will have to be discussed with the relevant subject teachers. This might be easier if staying in the same school, as there will be existing relationships in place with staff who will know your personality and capabilities well – on the other hand, that could also work against you!

One way or another, an unexpected dip at GCSE indicates that not all is as it should be, and going into A Level you/your child could benefit from extra help. It could be that subject understanding wasn’t as it should be – or that the required effort and level of revision wasn’t put in but at 121 Home Tutors we have tutors that are used to working with A level students and with students who haven’t performed as well as they might – get in touch with us today (email or call 01625 531 360) for a no-obligation chat about how we can help with studies if you live in the Manchester, Stockport, Wilmslow, Macclesfield, Cheshire and surrounding areas.

*** Exam Results Helpline – 0808 100 8000 ***

That said, for students in this age group doing a bit of work and catching up over the summer holiday break isn’t just for those who have failed or underperformed in exams. It is also a great opportunity to get a head start and/or keep information fresher. The summer holiday break is quite long: six weeks or so for state schools, around eight weeks for many independent day schools and even more for many boarding schools. Even bright students often lose ground during this time, getting out of good habits, forgetting key information and neglecting skills that they had developed to a high level for the previous exam season.

Three subject areas most at risk from this ‘slippage’ are Maths, Science and modern languages. There are two reasons for this. First, they are among the most difficult subjects any student will be working on, especially at A-Level. Second, each one combines relatively difficult skills with a large amount of knowledge that needs to be learned.

Maths, Science and languages require the student both to develop skills (e.g., solving complex equations; designing, conducting and writing up experiments; forming grammatical sentences) and learn a great deal of information (formulae, physical laws, names of elements and compounds, long lists of vocabulary and tables of noun and verb forms).

It’s not necessary for students to spend their entire summer holiday revising all this stuff to stay on top of it – everyone needs a break, after all. The trick is to ensure that knowledge, skills and relevant thinking habits don’t just drop to the bottom of their minds for six, eight or ten weeks. As a parent, there are several ways you can help:

• Travel can make an enormous difference. If your child is learning French and German, consider a visit to one country or the other for a holiday or short break.
• Think about a visit to the Science Museum or the Natural History Museum in London. These aren’t just resources for younger kids – they contain a great deal of thought-provoking, inspirational material for older students, too.
• Encourage reading – something we’ve blogged about recently.
• More engaged students can be encouraged to actually pick up their school books during the holiday and have a quick refresher read. You could give them some sort of incentive to do this.
• Switch on the telly! Keep an eye on the TV listings for programmes relevant to particular areas of study, and encourage them to watch. There’s also tons of good stuff on YouTube, iTunes U and the web in general.
• Consider hiring a tutor, especially if your child underperformed in the end of year exams. Summer holiday tutoring doesn’t have to be intensive: a ‘slow burn’ approach to help students reinforce key ideas can work very well. It is a worthwhile summer holiday activity that keeps them occupied

If you live in the Greater Manchester or East Cheshire area and you’d like to find out more about how summer holiday tutoring can help your child – especially in tricky subjects like Maths, Science and modern languages – don’t hesitate to get in touch with 121 Home Tutors. We’ll be very happy to advise you, and, if you wish, put you in touch with tutors relevant to your child’s needs.

However, it’s not a good idea to let your studies ride completely over the summer. You’ll be getting around six weeks’ break (maybe more, if you’re at an independent school). That’s a pretty long time – easily long enough to get out of some of the good academic habits you’ve learned. So it’s a good idea to stay on top of your subjects if you can.

That’s not to say you should spend the entire break revising for the next round of exams! But what can you do to keep your brain in tip-top condition for the start of the next academic year.

Reading around your subjects is probably the single best thing you can do with your spare time. Venture off the curriculum and check out books, magazines and newspaper articles that cover the broad topic areas you’re studying. This is useful because it can help you see the ‘big picture’ of each subject. The detailed areas that you’re studying for your modules will be put in context and (hopefully) become much clearer.

Reading doesn’t have to be dull, and you don’t have to sit at your desk to do it – you can read in the bath, in the garden, in bed, or anywhere you can get comfortable.

• Preparing for AS or A2 Politics or Economics? Buy a couple of copies of The Economist (or check it out online).
• Scientists: Natalie Angier’s The Canon: The Beautiful Basics of Science is full of great background stuff, as is Bill Bryson’s A Short History of Nearly Everything.
• If you’re studying English Lit, the obvious place to start is with some classic literature. Have a go at one of the Shakespeare plays you haven’t studied so far (Hamlet, Anthony and Cleopatra, Othello, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, The Taming of The Shrew, The Merchant of Venice, Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest and Much Ado About Nothing are some of the easiest to get to grips with). If you’re feeling really brave, try John Milton’s Paradise Lost – the greatest poem in English, and a rip-roaring story if you can get your head around the difficult language.
• Historians, check out BBC History Magazine. If you’re studying British History, Simon Schama’s A History of Britain series of books is good, if a bit expensive (so why not get the TV version on DVD from Amazon? It’s only £15.)
• You’ll (probably) never think Maths is boring again if you read Simon Singh’s The Cracking Code Book – a version of his classic The Code Book specially formatted for the student and young adult market. If you like that, you’ll probably also enjoy Singh’s Fermat’s Last Theorem.

Of course, reading around your subjects – though a big help – isn’t all you can do to stay sharp or catch up in the holidays. Personal tuition can also make a big difference – get in touch with 121 to discuss how we can help!

Study leave presents a big opportunity, and a big risk. For many students, after the rigours of a critical academic year, going off on leave can feel like a holiday, especially if the first exam isn’t for two or three weeks. However, it’s all too easy to slip into the holiday mentality during study leave and fail to make the most of the time to guarantee the best possible results in the coming exams.

As a student, the secret of managing your study leave successfully is to plan the available time with care. In our last post, which dealt with managing exam stress, we discussed the importance of planning and scheduling as tools to build your confidence as you approached exams. Spending your study leave working flat out, putting in sixteen or eighteen hours until your body and brain are ready to collapse, is probably as damaging to your chances as underworking yourself. The most successful students develop a structured, productive routine during study leave, balancing the requirements of revision with the need to rest both body and mind.

On that basis, we’ve put together a suggested timetable for your days during study leave. This is meant for exam-free weekdays only – you shouldn’t abandon revision over weekends, but it might be a good idea to take things a bit easier then. On exam days, your timetable will be guided by the timing of each examination.

7.00am – 7.30am Get up, maybe take some early-morning exercise (even if it’s just a walk to the newsagent), shower and eat breakfast. This might seem really, really early in the morning, but your brain is going to be at its sharpest before lunch, so it’s a good idea to have a long morning. A bit of exercise first thing will wake you up (as will a shower), and a good breakfast is essential. A huge fry-up every day probably isn’t a good plan (you’ll go straight back to sleep…), but a large bowl of cereal, some toast, tea and juice will give your body and brain enough fuel for the morning’s work.

8.30am – 10.30am First revision session. It’s not a good idea to “blitz” this straight through. Instead, do fifty minutes work in every hour. Work for twenty-five minutes, have a five-minute break for a cup of tea and wander around, work for another twenty-five minutes and so on. After two hours it’ll be…

10.30am – 11.00am Time for a break. Don’t just flop around in the room where you’ve been studying – get out and do something. Tidy up, go for a quick walk, have a snack.

11.00am – 1.00pm Second revision session. Late morning, just before lunch, is one of the best times for doing really intense revision. Focus hard, and make plenty of notes.

1.00pm – 2pm Lunch. Again, give yourself a proper break. Have a decent lunch, but nothing too heavy that’s going to send you to sleep.

Afternoon/early evening In general, this is a good time to do less intense revision, such as reading around a subject. However, be careful about lying down on your bed or sofa to read a book – it’s very easy to fall asleep! Unless the pressure is really on, consider using the time to do other things. Get outside, go into town, go for a ride on your bike, have a walk or a run.

7.00pm – 10pm This is the second period in the day when your brain is probably at its most active. Make the most of this, and focus on the toughest bits of your revision.

10pm – 11pm Time to wind down. Watch TV, talk to friends, catch up with your email and Facebook. Better still, read a book.

11pm BED! It’s not a good idea to go out during weekdays on study leave, so get yourself to bed early. Even if you’re a night owl, your body and brain will benefit from a solid 8-9 hours sleep. And remember what your granny said – that hour before midnight is worth two after!

We’re not suggesting that you should stick to this as a rigid timetable. However, it’s a good indication of how you should be managing your days. You’ll notice that it doesn’t include hours and hours of work. We’ve factored in about seven to eight hours of revision per day, interspersed with good breaks and alternative activities. When you’re revising, it’s tempting to work like mad for the sake of it, and convince yourself that by working every spare hour of the day and night you somehow “deserve” to do well. In fact, it’s far better to do seven or eight hours of steady, good quality revision every day rather than flog yourself to half to death. Get plenty of exercise and rest, eat properly and sleep properly. Managing your study leave well isn’t just about hard work – it’s a question of balance.

If you want a bit of extra help during your study leave and you live in the Greater Manchester area, get in touch with 121 Home Tutors. We offer tuition in a range of subject areas, and might just be able to give you that bit of extra help that gets you the grades you need!

Things aren’t quite as pressured as they used to be, when A-level students would take nearly all the exams of their two-year courses in a four-week period. But it can still be tough going. We’ve put together some top tips for getting through a difficult time!

• Plan. When exams are bearing down on you, it can all seem a bit overwhelming. Make things easier by creating a clear plan that covers the whole exam period, including days for exams, revision and rest.
• Structure your time. Human beings like routine, and you’ll feel much more in control – and prepare for exams more effectively – if you do things according to a reasonably regular timetable. Get up and go to bed at roughly the same times every weekday, and have a set pattern of work for each day.
• Get enough sleep. This really is crucial – if you’re not adequately rested, you’ll feel more stressed out and you brain won’t work at its best. Get a good night’s sleep every night, ideally by going to bed in good time and getting up fairly early. At ages 16 to 18 you should still be aiming for eight or nine hours’ sleep. If you’ve planned properly, you shouldn’t have to “burn the midnight oil” to catch up on your revision.
• Eat and drink properly and get some exercise. Like sleeping properly, this is just part of feeling good. Your mental performance and stress levels are tied to how well you’ve been looking after yourself physically, so make sure you get plenty of exercise in the fresh air and you’re eating healthily. It’s crucial to make sure you’re drinking enough fluid – you won’t work effectively if you’re dehydrated.
• Remember to relax. You’ve got to work hard, but if you’re over-conscientious you might be your own worst enemy. Give your body and your brain a break by factoring in rest periods, especially at weekends. If you’re a social animal, don’t deprive yourself of a night out – but don’t hit the town so hard you take three days to recover. Save that until after exams are over!
• Don’t be in the dark. You’re most like to get stressed out about things you don’t know or you feel are beyond your control. If you’re not sure about any aspect of your exams, don’t suffer in silence: check with friends, or, better still, with your teachers. They want you to do well, and they won’t mind explaining anything you don’t understand.
• Focus. Concentrating on something is a great way to reduce stress, which is a good thing during exam time, because you’ve to plenty to concentrate on. Set aside good chunks of time for revision, get your head into your books and notes, and get on with it!

If you think that you (or your child) need any last minute help with tricky subject areas, don’t hesitate to get in touch with 121 Home Tutors. If you’re in the Manchester area we can easily find a tutor to help you out with a few booster sessions before and during the exam season. You might also like to check out our revision tips!