As mentioned in our last blog post this year GCSE and A level students will be graded by teacher assessments. Following a govenrment consultation it has been decided that private candidates will be assessed in a similar way to other students. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since the start of the Covid pandemic an increasing number of families have taken their children out of school in favour of homeschooling meaning what was already a large number of homeschooled children in the UK is increasing even more. These children, along with other students who are not attending mainstream school for a variety of reasons such as bullying, exclusion and special educational needs, will therefore need to find an alternative setting in which to take their exams and gain their GCSE and A level qualifications. 

At Marvellous Minds Tuition we are passionate about developing our student's writing skills. That's why we cover Creative Writing as part of our in-house English curriculum and also run regular Creative Writing workshops with local schools and libraries. 

 

Recently our students have been busy using fun and imaginative ideas and literary devices to help add flair to their writing. We have listed some ideas below for writing tasks your child can enjoy getting stuck in to!  

 

 

As schools across the country are preparing to fully re-open again for the new academic year the government has announced an 8 million pound backed programme which will provide schools and colleges the resources needed to support their staff and students with the emotional impacts of Coronavirus. The programme will be led by trained mental health professionals and experts and made available from September. 

Summer is a great time for students to pick up and get lost in a fabulous book! 

 

Here we have listed some books that promise an exciting read for students around year 5 and year 6. These books will also help boost students' vocabulary! 

 

Happy reading! 

One reason many parents come to us for tuition is to help develop their child's writing skills. Writing forms a part of the English curriculum for all year groups and schools focus on grammar, creativity and different writing styles and techniques to help children build their skills in writing. 

 

Helping children enjoy and develop a flair for writing early on will lay the foundations for later years when they will be expected to use more sophisticated language and writing techniques and write longer pieces at school, such as essays. However, writing is by no means limited to the school environment, most people will need to use writing skills in their daily lives, whether that includes writing an email, a letter or a CV. 

For those students preparing for the 11 Plus in September the summer will be a crucial time to prepare for the entrance exams ahead. Most students who are entering year 6 in September and planning on sitting 11 Plus exams have not been attending school as usual since the end of March so will naturally be anxious about the upcoming tests and how to best prepare. But with preparation and the right approach to tackling the exam the 11 Plus process doesn't need to be a stressful experience. 

You may have seen on Facebook last week that we are running a competition with a prize of one week's free placement for one lucky winner at our summer club in our private tuition centre in the Arcade in Bedford. Our summer club is offered to students aged 5-16 and runs Mondays to Fridays throughout summer. The days consist of exceptional tuition in the core subjects, tailored to a student's individual needs as well as fun and educational activities such as drama, arts and crafts, creative writing, and science experiments. 

In classrooms it is often the case that students' poor behaviour is recognised and rewarded with instant attention. This can fuel said behaviour and even encourage it because students who display poor behaviour repeatedly are often met with lower expectations to do well from their teachers, a reputation for being 'naughty' and often also admired for this 'naughty' badge from peers. This can serve as a form of recognition for students who, for different reasons, are acting up in class. Those students who are working quietly and diligently are often overpowered by this type of behaviour and the great work these students do can go unnoticed.