What is a UCAS Personal Statement?
If you’re applying to university in the UK you may be wondering, “What is a UCAS personal statement?” and, “How important is a Personal Statement in the admissions process to a UK university?” In this blog post I’m going to: Explain what a UCAS personal statement is How it fits in with the other elements […]
Continue reading
What should you do in the summer holidays?
With the summer holidays fast approaching, parents have been asking me what their young people should be doing in the summer holidays. In this post I’ll be sharing the things students in years 7-13 should be doing in the summer holidays to give you some clarity and reassurance. What should you do in the summer […]
Continue reading
How to write a UCAS personal statement
If you’re applying to a UK university, one of the main concerns you’ll have is how to write a UCAS personal statement. In this blog post, I’m going to walk you through my tried-and-tested personal statement writing framework that has successfully helped people to get offers from universities as elite as Oxford and Cambridge, but […]
Continue reading
3 things to do (other than studying) to get better grades
Reaching your academic potential isn’t just about putting the hours in with your textbooks. Achievement in any sphere of life also requires downtime and time for reflection. In this post, I’m going to be talking about 3 things to do (other than studying) to get better grades. 1. Sleep well Sleep is fundamental to getting […]
Continue reading
How to prevent long-term damage to your child’s future because of extended school closures
On Sunday 7th June, The Sunday Times had a front-page story about how education, particularly for secondary students, would continue to be disrupted because of the Coronavirus pandemic. The key points made were: The summer exams in 2021 are likely to be disrupted. Two options being considered are postponing exams until July to give students […]
Continue reading
The Pomodoro Technique for GCSE and A Level Students: How to get more done, not get bored and save your energy when you’re studying
Do you ever feel overwhelmed by homework and revision but you’re bored, you’ve got no energy and your mind is scattered by all the distractions around you? The Pomodoro technique can help you. What is the Pomodoro Technique? The Pomodoro technique is a very simple productivity system. You basically set a timer for 25 minutes […]
Continue reading
Revision Guides: Why I don’t like them and what you should do instead
If you’ve asked me for recommendations about which revision guides to buy, you’ll probably have been surprised by my answer. You see, I don’t recommend revision guides for two reasons: It’s ten years since I was teaching in the classroom so any knowledge I would have based on actually use of revision guides is a […]
Continue reading
Independent Study Skills: Why GCSE and A Level students are so bad at them, and what to do about it
Independent study skills are vital if students are to reach their full academic potential in their GCSEs and A Levels. But, most students have really poor independent study skills. They don’t know how to manage their time or energy, what to do when they get bored, or how to revise effectively. This means that many […]
Continue reading
What are the options for ‘proper’ teaching during school closures?
With schools closed and the whole nation learning from home, some schools are able to provide a more interactive learning experience than others. For students and families where schools are only providing worksheets and relying on parents to do much of the teaching, you may be be craving some ‘proper’, expert teaching. In this blog […]
Continue reading
How to Study Independently at Home During the Corona Crisis
Over the last five years, I’ve taught thousands of students to study more effectively through my coaching, courses, club, blog and podcast. But now, during the Covid-19 pandemic, these skills are more crucial than ever. So, from tomorrow morning, I’m going to be teaching a course on How to Study Independently during the Corona Crisis […]
Continue reading