These are my values. Are they the same as yours?

I have a set of guiding values, principles and beliefs that guide the way that I parent my own children as well as how I work with students and their families to help them to achieve their full potential. Today, I want to share these values with you. And, I’d love to know if you […]

A message for students about joining The Extraordinaries Club

So, your mum or dad wants you to sign-up to The Extraordinaries Club. Your instant reaction is “Nooooo! Don’t make me do yet another thing to do with school!” You’re feeling overwhelmed, over-stretched and stressed. School keeps on piling on homework, there might be coursework to do, and they keep telling you that you really should […]

[62] Why revision is like music practice or sports training

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One thing I hear repeatedly from students is that the revision techniques they have tried ‘don’t work’. When I dig a bit deeper, they’ll say something like, “I made a couple of flashcards but they didn’t help.” I then ask, “How many times did you look at them?” And they’ll say, “Oh, a couple of […]

How to get the most out of your mocks

If you or your child has mock exams coming up you’re probably wondering, to some extent, ‘What’s the point?’ In this post I’m going to share with you how you can get the most out of your mocks so that they become an important part of your preparation for the ‘real-thing’ next summer.     […]

What to do when your child won’t listen to your advice

A subject that comes up often from parents, is that of what to do when your child just isn’t listening to your advice on their studies. It can be so frustrating as a parent to see your child making mistakes you know they could have avoided, if only they’d have listened to your advice.   […]

The trouble with Year 10 boys

Do you have a year 10 boy? Or, a boy just starting year 11? If so, you may well be familiar with the sense of stress and panic that many parents feel after year 10 exam results come out. Let’s talk about why these disappointing results are so common, and what you can do to […]

Out of touch with education? Here’s what you need to know…

As a parent, do you feel as though you’re out of touch with education? Perhaps you’re an older parent and you feel you don’t know the modern education system your child is going through right now? It’s something I’ve heard from parents again and again over the last four years, and that it can make them […]

How to stop nagging your child about homework and revision

Many of the parents I work with, particularly those in The Extraordinaries Club, tell me that they’re worried that they are nagging their children too much when it comes to homework and revision. They don’t like nagging, and worry that it will end up damaging their relationship with their child. Do you nag? Why do […]

How to persuade your parents to join The Extraordinaries Club

Maybe you’ve been following my blogs for a while and you’re signed up to my email newsletter. Maybe you hang around my Facebook page or Twitter account hungrily clicking on my tweets to get more inspiration and how-to advice to move you forwards with your exams. And, maybe you’ve been checking out the information page for my membership for […]

How to overcome disagreements with your other half about your child’s studying

I’ve noticed recently that some discussions between parents have centred around what to do when you and your partner disagree on aspects of your children’s studies. It’s hard enough getting teens to stay on task at times, so when parents disagree on things like how much studying their child should be doing, or how they should […]