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 for a no-obligation chat about how we can help with studies if you live in the Manchester, Stockport, Wilmslow, Macclefield, Cheshire areas.

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

But what about if you’re in the same situation a year earlier – you’ve just completed Year 12 and your AS results are not as expected or not quite as good as you’d like? Of course, your situation isn’t quite as critical as those not getting the A2 grades needed, because you don’t have to deal with the potential upheaval of a missed University place. Also, if you’ve only underperformed in an AS that you’re not planning to take through to A2 (and which, therefore, won’t be the basis of a university application) you don’t have too much to worry about.

However, you could still have some problems that you need to deal with, especially if you’re planning to go to university.

First, a generally poor performance at AS level can be a sign that you’ve picked courses that don’t really suit you. If you think that’s the case, you could be better off in the long run starting again with new AS level courses in different subjects. Your school or college will be able to offer advice on this: it’ll take another year, but you’ll be a more mature and experienced student and should stand a greater chance of success.

If you decide to go forward with the grades you’ve got, you won’t be able to retake any of the modules you’ve messed up until after you’ve put in your UCAS application. Universities vary in how much notice they take of AS level results – many admissions tutors are aware that students often go through a process of rapid intellectual and emotional maturity during Year 13, and are inclined to give more weight to predicted grades than to AS results.

All the same, a set of disappointing results can cause application problems. They can also knock your confidence and the confidence that your teachers have in you – which could be a problem when it comes to securing good predicted grades.

So what’s the best course of action to take?

• If possible, talk to your teachers about how and where things went wrong. They may recommend trying the appeals process. At any rate, it’s important to show them that you recognise you have underperformed and you want to take action to improve.
• When the new term starts, really make sure you hit the ground running. As well as lots of work, you’re going to be thinking about university applications. Your school or college will give you advice on how to present yourself in the best light on your application – and it’s all the more important that you listen carefully and give the application process your best shot if you’re going into it with lower AS grades than you’d wish.
• With disappointing AS level grades, a good UCAS Personal Statement could be more important than ever. Remember that if you get stuck writing your Statement, 121 Home Tutors can help.

If you’d like to talk  about A level results, AS results and AS grades try the Exam Results Helpline on 0808 100 8000. Alternatively, if you think you might need a little extra help with your AS or A2 level studies in general, 121 Home Tutors has a wide selection of tutors experienced in coaching A Level students at both AS and A2. So if you live in the Manchester, Stockport, Macclesfield, Wilmslow & Cheshire areas then  get in touch with us today for a no obligation chat about how our tutors can help boost your A Level chances!

If you’ve just finished Y12 and your AS grades were a bit ropey, you’re not under quite the same pressure as those who have been unlucky at A2 – but you still potentially have issues to deal with because you’ll be going into the university application process without the best possible grades.

But never fear – there are things you can do to rescue what might look like a dire situation! In this post we’re going to look at the most pressing problem of all – underperformance at A2. In a special post on Thursday, we’ll offer some advice for AS students.

A- level (A2) grades not as hoped
A level results are due out. If you’ve missed your A level grades for your first choice university, it can seem like the end of the world. Rather than mope around, here’s the course of action you need to take:

1. Don’t panic! You’ve nothing to lose from being level-headed, and potentially lots to gain.
2. Your first port of call should be a relevant person school or college – probably your Head of Sixth Form or your personal tutor. You’ll be on their priority list, and this is where relationships are going to matter: good schools and colleges will fight tooth and nail to secure places for ‘good citizens’ who are known to be friendly, committed and talented, but who have missed out by just a few marks. You’ll still get help if you’ve been a slacker or a source of trouble, but your school will find it harder to unreservedly recommend you to sceptical admissions tutors.
3. So, even if you’ve missed your A level grades, there’s a chance that you – with the assistance of your school or college – will be able to talk your way on to your chosen course. This is much harder than it used to be, but it does still happen.
4. If you miss both your first choice and your insurance offer, and still really want to go to university then you need to enter the university clearing system. Again, your school or college will advise you here – or there’s a useful article in The Guardian. Many students get good places through university clearing, and end up in universities that they love. But think carefully: are you so desperate to get a university place that you’re happy to head off without even visiting in advance or researching how useful the course is? Studying for a degree can be an expensive business and did you know there are other options available? Check out our post on options available to A level students - gap years, going abroad to university, doing a part-time degree or even not going to university!
5. Think seriously about retaking and going for entry next year. You can have another go in January at the modules you messed up, and hopefully the shock of failure this time will have focussed your mind! If you only missed your grades by a few marks you could also consider going through the appeals process. If you decide to retake, you’ll have to go through UCAS again, but it should at least be a bit more familiar this time.

If you do go down the resit route, it’s a good idea to spend some time reflecting on why you didn’t do as well as you’d hoped. Did you work hard enough, spending a decent amount of time preparing for each important topic within each subject? Was there a particular skill or area of knowledge where you really fell short?

You might feel that it’s time to seriously consider getting some extra help. If you would like to talk to someone try the Exam Results Helpline on 0808 100 8000. Also, 121 Home Tutors has a team of first class A level tutors and A2 tutors and can offer help in any major subject if you live in Manchester, Stockport or Macclesfield, Wilmslow, Cheshire areas. Contact us today for a no-obligation discussion!

The short answer is yes – we can almost always help. However, we do come across a few common questions:

Should I hire a subject tutor, or a specialist dyslexia tutor?
At 121 we specialise in tutors for English, Maths, Science and many other subjects, offering help to students at Primary through to A-level and beyond. In our experience, dyslexic students with difficulties in particular subject areas do very well with standard subject tutors.

If your child has substantial problems with dyslexia, the chances are that he or she already gets additional help in school. An external dyslexia tutor may not be able to add much to that, and probably won’t be able to give the subject-specific guidance that older children, in particular, need.

Will my dyslexic child struggle with a tutor?
Most children with dyslexia can work with a tutor just as effectively as other children. Nearly all of our tutors have experience of dealing with dyslexic students in classroom situations. In fact, students with problems like dyslexia may derive particular benefit from working with a tutor, as it allows topic areas to be covered in a way that suits the individual student’s learning style.

It is worth remembering that “dyslexia” is something of a catch-all term that is used to describe a relatively wide range of specific problems, all broadly associated with processing written information, and which may have an impact on your child’s reading or writing abilities, or both. It is not a question of intelligence – in fact, some children with dyslexia-type problems are very bright indeed. Very many children have some of the difficulties associated with dyslexia, and most have mild or relatively mild problems that can be overcome with help and effort.

Very severe dyslexia requires in-depth specialist attention. However, the majority of students with dyslexia-type problems can benefit from tuition in much the same way as other students.

What does the tutor need to know?
Before starting tuition, it would be useful to know a little about the specific problems your child has experienced in the past, especially with reference to the subject being tutored. This might include problems with the spelling of particular scientific terms or difficulty making sense of long Maths problems. Usually, however, your child will be best placed to explain to his or her tutor the nature of the difficulties faced, and the steps that have been taken in school to address them.

I think my child might be dyslexic – can you help?
If you think your child might have a problem with reading comprehension or fluency – which, very broadly, are the most common difficulties that the general term “dyslexia” is used to describe – it is important that you talk to his or her school in the first instance so that a proper assessment can be carried out. If your child is well into secondary school, it is likely that any severe problems would have been spotted before now, and that he or she has evolved coping strategies to deal with minor difficulties. However, if in doubt, it’s always best to raise your concerns with your child’s teachers in the first instance.

Will my child get extra time in exams?
If you child has a dyslexia-type problem or other learning disability, there’s a very good chance he or she will get extra time in examinations – it is worth checking with your child’s teacher and/or examination officer that the exam boards have been made informed. Some children with specific learning difficulties are also allowed to type answers on a laptop or have an amenuenis (someone to write the answers for them).

For most children with dyslexia, extra time can make a substantial difference. In our experience, many don’t even use the extra time – just knowing that it’s available helps them stop worrying that their dyslexia is going to have an adverse effect on their results.

However, extra time and other concessions are only available to students whose dyslexia has been formally identified – another reason why, if you’re in doubt, you should talk to your child’s teachers.

My child has a different condition – can s/he still work with a tutor?
Special educational needs aren’t limited to dyslexia. In our experience, children with other learning difficulties – such as behaviours on the autistic spectrum, or hyperactivity and attention disorders – can also do well with one-to-one tuition. Many such children actually thrive with an individual tutor in a way that they find difficult in a classroom situation.

Of course, everyone’s circumstances are different. If you’re thinking about taking on a tutor to work with your child, but you’re not sure where to start or what exactly is needed, feel free to get in touch for a no-obligation chat. 121 Home Tutors can help with students with independent and grammar school entrance tests, GCSEs, A Levels and more and we have qualified private tutors in Manchester, Stockport, Wilmslow & Cheshire areas.

But what about the primary age group? If anything, the problem of forgetting knowledge and skills is even greater for kids in Years 1 to 6. They are less mature – six weeks’ holiday is practically a lifetime when you’re eight – and, unless they are soon to take entrance tests (discussed in our last post), they don’t have major targets to aim for in the way that GCSE and A-Level students do.

So what can you do to keep him or her sharp and productive over the school holiday without pushing too hard? Here are some tips:

• If you’ve read this blog before, you’ll know that we’re great believers in the importance of keeping up with reading. Having a book on the go throughout the summer maintains and improves comprehension skills, as well as firing the imagination and developing general knowledge. And let’s face it – if your child gets into reading it’s a great way of keeping him or her occupied during the long summer days!
• Puzzles and games are great for developing maths and reasoning skills. Even something as old-fashioned as Monopoly will help keep your child sharp, and if you’re going on holiday books of puzzles are a great way to while away long car journeys. Try to steer your child towards more challenging puzzles and games. Older children, in particular, will do better with puzzles like Sudoko, maths problems and verbal reasoning than with simple word searches and ‘spot the difference’. If you don’t have many good educational games at home, check out the Science Museum’s online store or the brilliant collection of educational toys and games at Brightminds.co.uk
• On the subject of museums, why not plan a few visits? Many run great events for kids over the school summer holidays; if you’re heading to London the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum are surprisingly kid-friendly and a paradise for the curious. Further north, Eureka in West Yorkshire is specifically designed to get kids into science.
• Even if you’re not planning a family visit, all three of those museums have great online areas. Eureka, for example, has a selection of free kids’ games. The NHM has a full Kids’ Area, containing live camera feeds of ants’ nests and more. The Science Museum’s Online Stuff includes a section of games that are great for older kids. In particular, if you have a child in the 10-12 age group, the Museum’s Thingdom online game, which teaches kids about genes and evolution, is brilliant. Overall, the Museum’s collection of free educational games for kids is one of the best available anywhere – you can find the full listing here.
• There are other great websites that can help maintain your child’s skills. Sites like The KidsKnowIt network and Learninggamesforkids.com offer an array of resources and free online learning games that can help your child stay sharp and occupied – while having fun! Some sites are a bit American in style, but once you work out that the year numbering in the US K-12 system is pretty much the same as in the British Y1-13 system, it’s easy to find material suitable for your kids. They might also like the BBC’s DynaMo and Digger and the Gang pages – the latter is divided up into activies by age range.
• Is your child showing the beginnings of talent for practical and technical subjects? You might think about getting hold of some Meccano or LEGO for them (if they don’t already have it). Meccano products are available in four age ranges (2+, 5+, 7+ and 8+), offering great opportunities for kids to explore their practical skills and develop their reasoning ability – find out more on the Meccano website. LEGO also offers some great stuff: if you have very bright children in the 10+ age range who are showing a real flair for technical subjects, you could nurture their talents with some of the amazing products in the LEGO MindStorms series. If your kids are are slightly younger (or you want to spend slightly less!) then many of the products in LEGO’s TECHNIC range are also ideal.
• How about hiring a tutor for some summer tuition? Nothing beats personal help, and here at 121 Home Tutors we do quite a bit of work helping younger children in the Greater Manchester, Stockport and Macclesfield,  Wilmslow, Cheshire areas. We can offer fun, one-to-one, tailored summer tuition to meet your child’s needs and ensure that he or she doesn’t fall behind over the long summer break from school.

If you’d like to talk about any aspect of what we do, or discuss summer tuition options for your primary age children, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us!

Unlike at school/college where poor end of year results translate to unfavourable reports, at University, failure to make the required standard means failing the year. Students must pass the year to graduate to the next.  Failing a year can have a devastating effect on students and can knock their confidence and/or  cause panic/stress or it can be a necessary wake up call if not enough study was done first time round! However, failing a year is not usually as final as it sounds and most courses offer opportunities to re-sit failed modules / courses.  Re-sits are usually in August or September. Course tutors and other University staff are there to help students – but again students must take responsibility for themselves and ask for help and for students that have a re-sit exam this summer we have a few tips…

• First, don’t panic – panicking doesn’t lead to constructive study.   
• Be honest about the problem – why did you fail the original exam/module? Was it lack of understanding, lack of knowledge and/or not enough commitment to study? Was it a personal/medical problem?
  • Lack of understanding: course tutors are often more than happy to explain things – we’d advise asking a course tutor, or maybe a postgraduate student, if they are willing to help and if you can book an appointment with them. It is best to book an appointment as, contrary to popular belief, academics are very busy and have plenty work to do outside of formal teaching time!
  • Lack of knowledge: if this was because not enough time was spent studying, take this as a useful wake up call! Timetable in more study time and get more organised! Again, if organising your time is a problem there are University support staff available – student counseling services, student unions and careers offices may be sources of help on this.
  • A personal/medical problem: don’t worry you are not alone. Many students find it difficult to cope with university life and study and for numerous reasons. Hopefully you have already discussed this with University staff and have been given some dispensation and/or a plan to move forward but if not, again Student Counseling services, Student Unions, Careers Service can point you in the direction as can course tutors. Get help
• Get organised and get down to work! One of the transferable skills acquired at Uni is being organised, self motivated and able to work independently. If you need help with revision you may find our posts on revision tips and making the most of study leave helpful; though the posts address GCSE and A level students, the tips are applicable to students of all ages.
• Ask for help if you need it and it’s advisable to be upfront with friends and family who will no doubt provide much needed support.

As a parent, there are several ways you can help:

• Understand that your ‘child’ is a young adult learning to juggle life, work, play and study and this is not easy.
• Remember your young adult ‘child’ is no longer bound by school rules and there are no teachers to report back on their progress so make them feel comfortable and encourage them to be upfront about their studies – many students will not want to admit they can’t cope. If they are struggling try to probe why and see if/how you can help.
• Be supportive – even if you think they should be working harder or doing things differently!
• Consider hiring a tutor.   

If you live in the Greater Manchester or East Cheshire area and you’d like to find out more about how tutoring can help with degree re-sit exams, dissertations and theses – 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 the student’s needs.

To take our own region as an example of how Eleven Plus (11+) / entrance exam timings tend to work, Altrincham Grammar School for Girls and Altrincham Grammar School for Boys usually kick-off a test season that continues through to mid October/November. At 121 Home Tutors we have many students that enrol for last minute, summer holiday tuition and ‘cramming’. We advise that those planning to sit the early September/October entrance exams (for example the Trafford Grammar schools tests) work to a regular timetable of study. Even half an hour per day can make a crucial difference.

Young minds can very easily forget things they have learned, and with a summer holiday that varies from five to ten weeks, keeping numeracy, literacy and reasoning skills fine-tuned is essential. Competition for the state grammar schools in the Trafford area is very intense, especially in the current economic climate. Pass marks over 80% have become the norm.

So what can you and your child expect of ‘your’ entrance tests, and what can you do to prepare? Well, if your son or daughter is gearing up to sit an Eleven Plus (11+) or similar entrance exam, you have probably already found out from your prospective school or schools roughly what the contents of the test will be. Local entrance tests always have Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-verbal Reasoning components, and some also add an English component:

• Maths –This is usually based on core skills learned during KS2 but at the demanding end of the spectrum. Children should be aiming towards a level 5 standard.
• Verbal reasoning – typically, these are logic problems, involving both number and word type puzzles. A rapid ability to ‘frame’ the problem (i.e., understand and conceptualise it) is very important. For children not in Trafford primary schools verbal (and no-verbal) reasoning will be new to them as its not likely to be covered in school.
• Non-verbal reasoning – logic problems based on shapes, sequences or patterns. They often take the form of ‘odd one out’ or ‘what comes next’ questions.
• English – Some schools use comprehension-type tests, others test fluency and accuracy of writing by requiring candidates to write a short essay or story. Spelling, vocabulary and punctuation, use of language and handwriting are some key skills the schools are looking for.

Preparatory work with your child
As a parent, it is possible to help your child prepare for each type of test. In our experience, getting your kids to do some preparation in the holidays doesn’t need to be that difficult – especially because if they are planning to sit the tests they are probably the bright, engaged types who will enjoy a mental challenge. Bright kids especially enjoy verbal reasoning tests. The Bond assessment papers are an excellent resource and offer good short tests – we usually advise aiming to cover a paper a day in each of the required topics.

What else can you do to prepare? There are various bits and pieces of useful advice – the school you are applying for might even give you a few pointers. Here are some broad ideas to start you off:

• Vocabulary can make a big difference. This isn’t just a question of succeeding in English tests; good wordpower will help your child make sense of verbal reasoning questions quickly, ensuring an accurate understanding of the problem and saving valuable time in the test. Encourage reading over the summer, along with use of the dictionary to find out unfamiliar words.
• Even if there isn’t a specific English test, spelling and punctuation matter. If your child is a borderline case, the school may look at the quality of his or her writing in written answers to verbal reasoning questions. Look at your child’s previous work, make lists of ‘problem’ words and encourage him or her to learn them. Revise punctuation, especially apostrophes to indicate possession and plurality.
• Strong (and accurate!) mental arithmetic skills are important. Again, quick, reliable arithmetic can make all the difference in reasoning tests.
• Past and sample papers are often available – we’ve already mentioned Bond products. Get hold of as many different ones as you can and work on them over the summer. Don’t pressurise your child too hard (you don’t want to teach them to hate logic tests…) but it can be a good idea to get your child to sit down and work through a paper a day, or at least a few a week. They generally take 45-50 minutes each. Closer to the test it is a good idea to practice doing past/sample papers to time to get your child used to the time constraints.
• Going on holiday? As well as past papers and your child’s choice of reading, pack some books of puzzles, word games and logic problems. There are loads available in the shops, suitable for all ages. Even simple crosswords and Sudokos can make a big difference and help your child develop fast, accurate logical thinking skills.

If you’re in the Greater Manchester or Cheshire area and you’d like some extra help, get in touch with 121 Home Tutors. Our tutors are very experienced at supporting children in the run up to the Eleven Plus (11+) and entrance tests, and will help you give your child the best possible help and support at this stressful and exciting time!

You might also be in interested in this post from last year on the 11+ test.

In English lessons this term 8ENGJH have worked on punctuation skills and the interpretation of excerpts from Romeo and Juliet. A series of challenging learning objectives was set for a combination of written and oral assessment within the KS3 learning framework for English.

Jimmy has demonstrated a good understanding of the topics covered, achieving Level 3 in each of the three Attainment Targets. He is generally on task, and, while he could contribute more in class plenary sessions, his attitude has generally been positive and appropriate.

If you have kids in school, you’ve probably noticed that many teachers’ reports are lifeless, opaque, and often don’t actually tell you anything useful.

Behaviour isn’t ‘good’ or ‘bad’ – it’s ‘appropriate’ or ‘inappropriate’. Kids don’t learn stuff – they meet Attainment Targets. Teenage boys aren’t lazy – they are ‘regularly off-task’.

Modern teachers are very, very careful about what they write in reports. In fact, they are encouraged to use an obscure, jargon-laden style that uses a lot of words without saying too much. To make things worse, wordprocessing applications and tight deadlines encourage the use of cutting and pasting – to the point where many teachers just have three basic reports (good, bad and average) and tweak them slightly to suit each student. Probably half a dozen of Jimmy’s classmates received a report identical to his.

From your point of view as parent, this sort of report is either of limited use (it doesn’t tell you much) or actively dangerous (it disguises a real problem). But what can you do about it? In this post we’re going to look at how most schools’ report writing systems have got into this state, and how, as a parent, you can find out how your child is really progressing.

How has this happened?
The modern decline in the art of meaningful report writing is, paradoxically, the result of the increase in parent and pupil power. Thirty years ago, when teachers were authority figures who were unlikely to have their professional judgment questioned by parents (and likely to escape any sort of penalty if it was), they could more or less say what they liked. Of course, in many ways the ‘good old days’ were actually quite bad old days, but teachers could at least speak their minds.

Today, they work in an environment where kids know their rights and parents know them even better. Many parents are inclined to blame schools and teachers for their kids’ failings, and happy to complain about, sue or generally cause trouble for teachers if they don’t deliver the results they want.

Teachers know this, schools know it, teacher trainers know it and the Government knows it. Over the past decade or teachers have been under pressure to make reports less direct and meaningful, lest they be used as evidence in meetings, hearings or court cases. This doesn’t just happen at the level of the pupil: you only have to try reading an Ofsted school report to notice that the infection of back-covering blandness has spread higher than the staffroom.

But this isn’t the only problem. Teachers are more loaded with admin that at any point in the past, and have little time to make a good job of writing reports. As a result, many write ‘cut and paste’ reports, and are even encouraged to do so by senior managers. Like the example above, these typically consist of a paragraph outlining the work covered during the term, followed by a generic paragraph about the student’s behaviour and achievement. They tend not to tell you much.

What can you do about it?
Read your child’s reports but – unless they are from a very traditional independent school – take them with a grain of salt. If it is obvious all is well and your child is happy and on course, you probably don’t need to find out more. But if you’re worried that something is amiss, you have a number of options. Here are some tips:

• However you approach your kids’ teachers, be friendly and supportive. You’re much more likely to get the information you want if you stress to teachers that you’re not out to have a go at them. You should be aware that teachers meet many parents who automatically blame them for every problem. Prove you’re not one of those and you’ll get much straighter opinions.
• In general you’re more likely to get straight talk from old stagers in their forties and fifties than from younger staff.
• Parents’ evenings are slightly more useful than reports, because you can ask direct questions. Teachers will still be on their guard, but most genuinely want your kids to do well and will try to be straightforward within the boundaries of what they feel they can say. If a teacher hedges, evades or seems to be using very diplomatic language, dig deeper. Often, a pupil’s problems in a subject are more than simply his fault or the teacher’s fault – they are a mixture of the two, and the teacher may be aware of that, so tread carefully.
• You might think that phonecalls are a better, less formal way of chatting to your kids’ teachers, but you wouldn’t necessarily be right. Nearly all schools insist that teachers write a reasonably detailed record of each parental phone conversation and store it centrally. As such, teachers will still be on their guard over the phone, as well as annoyed that they are going to have to waste ten minutes writing a report on what’s been said. That shouldn’t stop you calling if you feel it’s important, but teachers really dislike ‘phone pests’.
• Ask for a meeting. If you have a serious problem, this can be an option – but often, like phonecalls and parents’ evenings, meetings generate more heat than light. If teachers feel a meeting is going to be hostile, they can ask their line managers to come in and help them. Again, everything has to be recorded and written up – taking up more teacher time that could be spent doing useful work with your kids.
• Collar them. Teachers really, really hate this, but it can work – especially if you’re known as a reasonable, friendly parent (if you’re not reasonable and friendly the whole staffroom will know within 24 hours and your chances of finding out anything from anyone will be much reduced). Pull them aside at the end of the school day or at a school event and have the briefest of chats. If it looks serious, the teacher will probably request a call or meeting (see above), but you might learn something useful on the spot. Never ask teachers to talk about your child if you run into them in Tesco or the pub – say hello and be friendly by all means, but start talking shop and your photo will be on the staffroom dartboard for weeks.

121 Home Tutors is a Manchester-based tutoring agency, covering most major subjects and all ages from primary to GCSE, A-Level and beyond. If you’d like to hire a tutor for your child, or you’d just like some advice on teaching in general, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

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.

Whether you’re visiting a foreign country on holiday or you’d just like a new challenge, learning a language can be a very rewarding experience. Below is an overview of the most popular options:

• French is still the most popular modern language for Brits, probably because most of us acquired at least a smattering of it at school. As languages go, it is relatively easy, with quite a small vocabulary and a fairly regular grammar. The big challenge is mastering the accent and the pronunciation of words – for some reason, native English speakers find both difficult. One of the secrets of success is to physically move your mouth more than you do when you’re speaking English.
• German is a bit trickier than French, because the grammar is more strict and the word order is often very different from what we’re used to in English. That said, modern German is similar to English in many ways (both are “Germanic” languages), and most English-speakers find German pronunciation relatively easy.
• Spanish and Italian, like French, are Romance languages – basically, modern versions of Latin. The two are quite similar to each other, and are sometimes mutually intelligible if spoken slowly. Most people find them easier to learn than French, with Spanish probably the easiest European language if you want to develop conversational ability quickly. One word of warning: the Italians seem to have a real problem understanding foreigners who try to speak their language – it really pays to work on the accent! If you’re seeking to learn for business or employment reasons, Spanish can be a surprisingly good choice – along with English, Mandarin and Arabic it’s one of the world’s most widespread languages, used by half a billion native speakers globally.
• Russian – now we’re getting more adventurous! Russian is a Slavic language, and very different from Romance (French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian) and Germanic (English, German, Dutch) tongues. It has a complex grammar and a different alphabet from western European languages (Cyrillic rather than Roman). On the upside, it is very similar to other Slavic languages, so if you get on well with Russian you’ll find Roman-alphabet eastern European languages (e.g., Polish) pretty straightforward. Russian is also a good language to learn if you’re interested in beefing up your CV – many UK businesses work with Russia, and there is a shortage of speakers over here.
• If you want a real challenge, Mandarin Chinese could be an interesting option – though don’t expect to grasp it right away! Mandarin is the most important Chinese dialect. It is written using a pictogram system that is completely unlike western alphabets, though when you’re learning you can use a system that converts Chinese sounds into western characters. Another interesting feature of Mandarin is the way tone is so important – a word’s meaning can change completely depending on how you say it. Again, Mandarin will look very impressive on your CV!
• Welsh is a fun option if you want something a little closer to home, if you are making a move to Wales, or you holiday there regularly. The extent to which Welsh is spoken and used often surprises English visitors. This is especially true in North Wales, where there are plenty of people for whom English is very much a second language. The pronunciation is nowhere near as difficult as you might think, and it’s actually quite a straightforward language to learn. However, it’s worth knowing that Welsh dialects are quite different from one another: although it’s possible to learn a single, formal language (”International Welsh” is the tongue-in-cheek expression), you need to be aware of the differences between North Walian and South Walian versions of the language.
• If you have an academic streak, it’s worth looking at Latin. You won’t get much chance to speak it (unless you go on holiday to the Vatican…), but learning to read Latin offers huge benefits. For a start, it opens up all of Latin literature – 2000 years’ worth of some of the greatest histories, biographies and poetry ever written. In more practical terms, learning Latin is the single best way of learning about language; it’ll help with learning French, Italian and Spanish (which are really just modern dialects of Latin), and if you have a good grasp of Latin, you’ll rarely write an ungrammatical English sentence. Moreover, it’s a ruthlessly logical language that teaches you to think in a clear, structured way. If you have an ambitious and intelligent child, a bit of Latin can make a big difference to his or her prospects – the subject is shamefully neglected in state schools, but recognised by universities, and even by many employers, as the mark of an academic high-flyer.

If live in the Manchester area and you want some help developing language skills, get in touch with 121 Home Tutors today. We can offer personal tuition in a range of languages, and we’ll be more than happy to help you out. ]]> http://www.121hometutors.co.uk/2010/06/learning-a-language-over-the-summer/feed/ 0