Hi Reader If your teen has ever sat there, pen hovering over the page, trying to remember any quote that might vaguely fit... you're not alone. I see it all the time. The pressure to remember dozens of quotations (and use them well!) can be really overwhelming – especially when students don’t know where to start. Only this week, a couple of my year 11 students have acquired panicked expressions when I ask them to give me a quotation for an essay we're planning. One said 'I feel like quotation...
23 days ago • 1 min read
HiReader A parent of one of my students last year put it perfectly: This is something I see time and time again. The students who make the biggest progress aren’t just the ones who attend lessons—it’s those who take the time to consolidate what they’ve learned between sessions. Why Homework Matters Homework isn’t about adding pressure—it’s about building independence. It encourages students to revisit their notes, check their understanding, and ensure they have everything they need (including...
3 months ago • 2 min read
HiReader A parent of one of my students last year put it perfectly: This is something I see time and time again. The students who make the biggest progress aren’t just the ones who attend lessons—it’s those who take the time to consolidate what they’ve learned between sessions. Why Homework Matters Homework isn’t about adding pressure—it’s about building independence. It encourages students to revisit their notes, check their understanding, and ensure they have everything they need (including...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader As we draw ever closer to the GCSE and iGCSE English exams, the importance of exam technique grows. Sometimes it's not the lack of knowledge that prevents your teen from getting the highest grades, but just a lack of understanding of how best to satisfy assessment criteria. I've put together a list of 5 common pitfalls for your teen to avoid, so they can be sure that it isn't a poor exam technique that is letting them down. 1 Dropping simple marks The first questions on the language...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader If you're a parent of a Year 11 student, you'll no doubt be familiar with the well-worn revision excuse: 'I can't revise for English language'. 'Why is that?', you ask wearily. Because all of the texts are unseen, so your child doesn't know what to expect. Unlike literature, there are no burdensome quotations to learn either. The way English teaching is structured in school adds more grist to the mill of your teenager's argument. Literature is prioritised in terms of time allocated...
4 months ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader As a mum, as well as a tutor, I am only too well aware of the madness that is the run up to Christmas. We're shattered, the children are exhausted: it's been a very long term. Yet in the run up to the big day, we're expected to keep going at a pace rivalled only by our heart rate when standing in yet another interminable queue, waiting for a harried-looking Christmas elf to get his/her act together. Suffice to say, as parents, we need a break. Our children, particularly if they're...
4 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader It's Friyay(!) and I'm in a celebratory mood, and it's not just because it's the end of the week. This week, I've been reminded that the work I do, and the effort my tutees put into their English work, really does make a difference. On Thursday, a parent of one of my tutees (let's call him M) sent me this email: This is a phenomenal achievement given that M was really struggling to pass English when he started working with me a few months ago. His confidence and enthusiasm for...
5 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader As an English tutor and examiner, I keep a close eye on GCSE English examiner reports.🧐 They are a treasure trove of information on where students excelled, and where they struggled.💎💰 On 31st October, the AQA exam board released its examiner reports on the 2023 GCSE English exams. They're accessible to the general public: parents can access them, digest them and pass on any useful advice onto their children. But to save you the trouble, I've extracted the key takeaways on the AQA...
6 months ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader Confidence is a strange quality, isn't it? Paradoxically, I have found that many of my most able tutees are often the least confident. Like me, they tend to overthink things. Which leads to them spending too much time on tasks. Which leads to them running out of time, and therefore not performing to their full potential. That's why, I suspect 'I want my child to feel more confident' is one of the most frequently expressed wishes of parents I talk to. Instinctively, you know that...
6 months ago • 2 min read