What should your child be studying during Covid-19 School Closures?

Have the Covid-19 school closures left you uncertain about what students should be focusing on in their home learning? In this article, I’m going to give a run-down of the things that students can most usefully be doing with their time to make sure they achieve their academic potential, whether that’s being judged by exams […]

How to revise when you’re anxious about something

Sometimes life throws stressful situations at you, even when you’re already working towards your exams. Whether your anxiety has gone through the roof because of a global pandemic, or something that’s going on in your personal life, this article has important advice about how to revise when you’re anxious about something over and above your […]

Coronavirus and your GCSEs and A Levels

The Coronavirus outbreak in the UK is getting more serious by the day. At the same time, anxieties are growing about how measures put in place to slow the spread of the virus might impact the exams your son or daughter has been working towards for months on end. This blog post is designed to […]

Ten years to terrible teen mental health: what’s changed in education, society and teen life

Ten years ago this week I left the classroom for the last time to go on maternity leave. A lot has changed in the educational landscape, and the life of teens, in those ten years. As I’m a big advocate of looking back, reflecting and seeing what we can learn from experience I thought it […]

10 Ways to Put the Sparkle Back into Your Studies

If you’re feeling a bit bored and jaded by your studies there are lots of different ways that you can put the spark back into them so that you approach them with energy, inspiration and enthusiasm. Keep reading for my ten ideas that are sure to put the sparkle back into your studies. 10 Ways […]

Tutor vs academic coach: which does your child need?

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If you want to help your child reach their academic potential you might be wondering which support is better for them: tutor vs academic coach? Everyone knows what a private tutor is. And for many parents, a tutor is the go-to option when things aren’t going as they should at school. But, is a tutor […]

What is an academic coach?

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Do you know what an academic coach is and how one could help your child? With 25% of GCSE students using private tutors, the way that an academic coach can help with GCSE and A-Level studies is over-looked by many (most people who like my Facebook page hadn’t heard of academic coaches until they came […]

A step change in mental health – and achievement

Can your child improve their mental health at the same time as improving their grades? Yes! Today, I’m going to share two stories of student members of The Extraordinaries Club who have done just this. Improved mental health and going up two grades First, I’m going to tell you about a year 11 student. When […]

Blasé to brilliant: Nichola and her son’s year 11 story 

Is it possible to go from grades like 2s and 3s in year 10 mocks to passing all your GCSEs and getting into your chosen sixth form? Yes it is! In this post, I’m going to share with you Nichola’s story of how she and The Extraordinaries Club helped her son to succeed in his […]

CASE STUDY: How one mum stopped nagging (and her son got fantastic GCSE results)

How do you make sure an “Able but idle” year 11 gets fantastic GCSE results, without you nagging them all year? That’s what Sarah was wondering when she signed up for The Exam Success Formula, my signature study skills course which is now housed inside The Extraordinaries Club. She described her son, who was a […]