Author Archives: Chris Walsh

1. Top 5 Tips for Prepping Your Next Tuition Session 

   26 July 2024 1:01 pm Leave a Comment

   Private tutoring is a different beast altogether from whole class teaching, but one thing is exactly the same: if you want your student(s) to get the most out of a tuition lesson, you need to prepare and plan the session.

   And, as Benjamin Franklin once said, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!”

   Here are our top 5 tips for prepping for your next session…

   Plan What You Want to Do

   Of course, there’s no need to produce a formal lesson plan, but you still need to be clear in your mind what you intend to during the session.

   This planning needs to be fluid and certainly not set in stone. Sometimes you will find that the student wants to spend time on something that might have come up in a lesson at school during the previous week.

   And just like in a classroom, the ability to be able to think on your feet and adapt a lesson plan as you go along is really important.

   But – all things considered – planning beforehand is still the secret to a successful lesson.

   Check Your Resources

   You have no safety net in terms of your resources if you are private tutoring in a student’s home.

   There will be no running off to the photocopier, or into your colleague’s classroom next door if you have forgotten something you need for the lesson.

   Therefore, it’s important that you check everything in advance. Make sure you’ve got all the resources you need and that you can easily access them before the lesson.

   It’s always worth having a back-up plan too – a Plan B. This gives you the option to change your approach during the lesson, should you want or need to.

   Objectives and Outcomes

   Again, there’s no need to write lesson objectives and lesson outcomes – or share these with the student you are tutoring. In most schools, this has become an expectation and an accepted part of a lesson.

   But one-to-one tutoring is different and should be different. If a tutoring session essentially just mimics a normal school lesson then what’s the point?

   It would just be giving the student more of the same: more of what obviously wasn’t working for the student in the first place. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be there.

   That said, any tutoring session still needs to have an objective and an aim to it. The outcome, of course, is how you can see that your aims have been met by the student.

   Extension and Extra Activities

   It’s always worth having some extra activities and extension tasks up your sleeve for a tutoring session.

   The nature of one-to-one tutoring means that you only have one person dictating the pace of a lesson. This a great thing, of course. It means that if a student is struggling with something, you can really take your time with them to ensure that they do ‘get it’.

   On the other hand, with only one student to focus on, there are occasions where you can fly through material – a lot quicker than you could ever do with a whole class.

   And, finally – there will always be times when whatever you have planned simply isn’t working. There could be a variety of reasons for this.

   You can’t really legislate for this. Sometimes, it just happens.

   So, it’s useful to have something else that you can move onto seamlessly, if it does.

   Personalise

   Last but not least, prepping for a tutoring session should always involve you asking yourself how you can personalise the learning for your student.

   What are their learning styles?  What type of activities do they respond to the best?

   It’s the thread that runs through all of the above.

   Follow the above tips and your next tutoring session should be a breeze!

2. The School Prom…Why is it important?

   23 July 2024 4:46 pm Leave a Comment

   The School Prom…

   It’s become synonymous with the end of school life for millions of students up and down the country. It’s a BIG thing for many… THE event and night of the year. So much so, that it’s become almost a rite of passage for teenagers.

   But, actually, the school prom is a relatively recent phenomenon in this country.

   Before the turn of the Millennium, school proms were fairly rare events in the UK. Some schools held them, but they were few and far between. If a trend was forming, it was certainly in its infancy.

   And they certainly weren’t the massive thing that they are today. They certainly weren’t a tradition.

   These days they are as much as part of a teenager’s school days as uniforms, school dinners and assemblies.

   Where Does the School Prom Come From?

   Well, for the answer, we need to look across the Atlantic to the good old US of A.

   As with many aspects of our popular culture, the influence comes from America. As the saying goes: If America sneezes, the rest of the world catches a cold!

   Blame Hollywood and countless TV shows – especially rites of passage/teenage dramas.

   The school prom is almost an ever-present in the storylines of the latter. And with the school prom being so embedded into American life, it’s no surprise that it’s been covered so much in films and TV since the 1950s.

   Strangely perhaps, one of the fundamental aspects of the school prom US-style – the question of who will be your date for the night – hasn’t caught on so much this side of the pond.

   But pretty much everything else has been copied from the American prom traditions and incorporated in

   The prom dress for the girls, the suit for the boys, the glitzy and glamorous entrance by limousine, sports car, or even helicopter.

   Yes, the school prom just seems to get bigger and bolder and more expensive as the years go by.

   Is it a Good or a Bad Thing?

   Well, as with anything, there are two sides of the coin here.

   The financial aspect of the whole thing is certainly problematic. Especially with the cost of living crisis and the statistics that show millions of UK children living in poverty.

   It puts pressure on parents, school prom can be expensive. However, we are seeing a rise in money saving prom schemes.

   There’s an argument that the school prom is just another example of how those growing up in lower socio-economic areas and with less affluent parents are disadvantaged.

   But on the flipside, young people deserve a big night out. They deserve a chance to let their hair down, and a reward for all their hard work for their GCSE and A level exams.

   And, like it or not, there’s no getting away from the fact that Prom Night has become the calendar event of Year 11 or 13 for many, many teenagers.

   Just as GCSE’s are important, there can be denying how important the school prom is to teenagers or how much they look forward to it.

   Everybody deserves to celebrate the end of their school days in style, surely?

3. Setting Up a Tutoring Business in 2024 – Step 3: Your Name

   25 June 2024 7:53 pm Leave a Comment

   It’s All In The Name.

   Every company has a name. Some are well thought out. Others are plain rubbish. Some answer the question “What do they sell?” in a word. Others leave you guessing what the link between product and name is (I’m looking at you Apple!).

   By now, you’ve probably already read Steps 1 & 2 in this series of blogs. If not, it’s worth starting at the beginning here – seems like a sensible place to start, right? Assuming you’re all caught up on our previous two steps, let’s get stuck in to the next.

   Figuring out what the hell you’re going to name your tutoring business!

   Check That You’re Original

   You might think that it’s easy coming up with a name for your business – but often, you’d be wrong. And there’s plenty of reasons why. Let’s address the main struggle for naming a business straight away – not being the first to come up with it! But how do you know if somebody has already beaten you to that God-sent name that has just popped into your head? Easy! Check out this page on the Companies House website. It’s essentially a free to use database of all registered companies. You can simply type in your preferred Company name and – with any luck – nothing will come up!

   There’s a good chance you’ve just tried this feature straight away and, like most people, are left frustrated that some lucky so and so out there has already taken it! Don’t fear. You see, your name can still be the same as theirs – well, sort of. There is the slight ‘loop-hole’ of being able to register a trading name, as well as your official ‘registered’ name. It means that your customers can know your business by one name (trading), but your “official” name (at least as far as the government is concerned) can be used in small print only and so isn’t really used, or even widely known, by your customers. If you want a bit more information on this, check out this useful blog post from GoSolo.

   Don’t Be Too Clever

   It’s easier said than done – especially when you want to be regarded as an all-knowledgeable academic service – but try not to be so clever with your name that you come across sounding more like a type of medication than a provider of education!

   Sometimes simplicity is key. It allows your potential clients to easily identify what your services, and sometimes even values, are in one or two words. Take our name – TutorRight. I’m sure there are a thousand more creative names out there, but it does something really well… it tells you what we do and what we’re about: We tutor, and we do it right! I take zero credit for the name, as it was my wife who actually cooked it up, citing RightMove as a point of inspiration (we do both spend an ungodly amount of time on their app searching for the lottery home of our dreams!).

   Avoid Cheese

   Forget the fact that I’m one of only a handful of humans deemed “crazy” for not liking cheese (it’s true) – when you’re deciding what to call your business, you obviously don’t want to make it sound lame and cheesy, to the point that kids and parents alike roll their eyes when it’s said out-loud.

   That means avoiding OTT claims within your name, such as “Best Tutors Ever Ltd” and copycatting more prominent names, to create “Tutor Hut” (the cheese theme is strong, right?).

   It’s a personal dislike, but including slang can, in most cases, belittle what you want your tutoring company to represent – solid academia. So, in other words, “Getta-Grade Inc” should definitely “do one”.

   Being playful with your name can work, but of course, there is a fine line. You don’t want to be caught on the wrong side of being humorous and being silly. There’s also the chance that, just like me, you’re told by every person who knows you that you’re just not funny to begin with… which hurts. But then, it might be true… And if it is, being the dad joke of the business name world isn’t a prize you really want to get up on stage to accept.

   Your Name

   It goes without saying, but a lot of people will often flirt with the idea of naming their company after themselves. I mean, why not? Sure, it’s a little egotistical, but it’s your business!

   Well, here’s a couple of things to consider if you do decide to go down that route:

   • Not all surnames were created equal. That’s right – and you know it. Take my last name; “Walsh” is a fairly non-descript, middle-of-the-road kind of name. It wouldn’t particularly stand out to potential customers, but it wouldn’t draw ridicule. But what if your last name is “Smellies” or “Nutters” (yep – both real surnames)?
   • What if you wish to sell your company further down the line? If I’d have named my business “Chris Education” not only would I have sounded like a B-movie character who is quickly killed off, but it would have been tricky for Sarah or Phil to wrap their heads around offering to buy the company off me later down the line.

   Whatever you decide to go for, just remember, your name can be changed further down the line. But – it’s not always a straightforward process.

   An extra point of consideration would be to check that the URL isn’t already taken. This is an easy check by using sites such as GoDaddy and typing in the name that you’re considering.

4. Setting Up a Tutoring Business in 2024 – Step 2: Your Niche

   12 June 2024 2:29 pm Leave a Comment

   So, you’ve weighed up the pros & cons of setting up a tutoring business and you’re now all in. You’ve established your ‘why?’ and feel confident that you’re in it for reasons that will hopefully lead to a fulfilling (and potentially lucrative) career!

   Well, that’s all well and good. But now comes the tough part. Now you have to actually do some of the groundwork to put your plans in to action. And it’s not exactly the most glamorous of steps. You see, one of the most common misconceptions that budding entrepreneurs make is that they assume that a skill or service they value highly is one that the rest of the local population will also be delighted to utilise. And sadly, that just ain’t the case!

   Research, Research, Research!

   So, how do you know if you even have a prospective clientele base to work with in your area? This is easy… if you take a stab in the dark and guess. But, that doesn’t sound like a good plan does it? Taken too far in the other direction, and it can become quite a quagmire of statistical studies, time spent researching local consumer behaviours and everyone’s favourite – canvassing your friends, family and every poor sucker that stumbles absent-mindedly past you, clipboard and questionnaire conveniently at the ready.

   My suggestion – forget both approaches and follow the advice outlined below.

   Is There A Demand?

   This is an obvious, and elementary, question to pose. But if your plan is to set up a tutoring business for face to face tuition in your local area. The first thing you want to consider is whether that is feasible

   Let’s say you live in a small village, where the local school holds a grand total of thirteen students. The chances are that relying solely on the income generated by your tutoring business from private face to face tuition is perhaps a little ‘unrealistic’.

   If this sounds scarily like where you currently live then don’t worry. You don’t have to frantically list your property on RightMove, pack your cases and to head to the city!

   A larger local population is certainly an advantage, but even that doesn’t guarantee they are the right demographic for your services. In areas that would be considered financially deprived, it probably doesn’t matter if there ten or a ten thousand students. Their money is going to be spent elsewhere on things that are probably more pressing to the quality and comfort of the collective household’s situation.

   Understanding this is really, really important.

   So how can you determine whether you’re currently in an area that wants a new tuition business, or one that would simply carry on living their lives happily ignoring any offers you thrust in their face? Well, a quick solution is literally a click away – my friends, let me introduce you to… Google.

   Okay, so chances are you have almost definitely heard of this nifty search engine. But let’s consider it as a tutor service database. And the best part? You can search for agencies, directories and even one-man bands in or around your exact target area!

   When researching whether there was a need for a ‘TutorRight’- style tutoring business in Warrington originally, I simply searched “Tuition Companies in Warrington”, “Tutoring Business in Warrington” and “Tutors Near Me”. Sure enough, before my very eyes, Google told me that there were several (loads, actually…) in or around Warrington town.

   Now, what does this mean? Well, I deduced that it was unlikely ten completely random individuals all took an uneducated punt at approximately the same time and were all currently at the same point in their journeys. And wouldn’t you know it? After looking at a few of their websites, I found that they were all at different stages of their journeys.

   Now, sarcasm apart – what does this really mean? Some had been established for twenty-plus years, whilst others were only in their second year of trading. And both categories led me to the conclusion that, if there wasn’t a need, then why would there be competition in the first place?

   Sometimes a bright idea that comes to you whilst peeling potatoes or taking a shower seems to solve everyone’s problems…

   Until you investigate it as a business idea and soon realise there is a good reason why nobody has bothered to bring it to reality – it either makes zero financial sense, or somebody has done it before, and they crashed and burned.

   Having established tutoring companies already in the community gave me a strong indication that there was a need for the service. Having fairly new companies still operating past their first year gave me a comforting indication that it wasn’t too late.

   They had started a company in the same sector, despite their established competitors, and they had enough business to get them through that first financial year. Which, as we’re led to believe by the statistics surrounding businesses in their infancy, is no mean feat.

   Now like I said, there are plenty of technical, advanced – even expensive – ways of determining the need for tuition in your locality, but the Google hack is certainly worth exploring!

   How Do I Compete?

   Congratulations! You’ve discovered that there is competition in your area! Wait? What? Surely that’s a bad thing? Well, as discussed above, it doesn’t have to be viewed that way. The real issue now is how to complete with those competitors.

   Did you find that your competition focused predominantly on secondary school exam prep, such as for GCSEs? If so, as a primary school trained professional, you might have the perfect skillset to offer a similar service but for a slightly younger target market. It could even be that you and your competitor put your heads together and refer parents to one another if there are services that you don’t offer, but the other does.

   Maybe you discovered that there was so much attention related to Maths & English tuition, that as a qualified Science teacher, you can offer a subject that seems to be in short supply. Again, starting with a particular subject can differentiate you. This in turn can help single you out as the authority in your field. After all, only you specialise in that subject.

   But what if there are already primary, secondary, subject-specific focused tuition companies already available to students in your area? How can you stand out when there are already varied options vying for the local parent’s approval?

   This is where marketing, brand and company culture come in. And for me, these are the “fun” aspects to work on in your business. All of this happens a bit further down the line. After all – we don’t even have a name yet!

   To look at the task of naming your future empire, look no further. Make sure you check out Setting Up a Tutoring Business in 2024 – Step 3: Your name

5. Setting Up a Tutoring Business in 2024 – Step 1: The Why?

   4 June 2024 7:51 pm Leave a Comment

   So, You’re Considering Setting Up a Tutoring Business?

   With plenty of head-scratching questions filling your head, potential knots in your stomach and friends, family, and colleagues questioning your sanity…

   It makes complete sense to do some research!

   But where do you begin? You’re probably eager to see how to price up your services and bag your first paying tutee. However, it’s important to take a sensible approach and reflect on one simple question:

   Why are you looking to set up a tutoring business?

   The “Why” To Setting Up Your Own Tutoring Business

   If you’re reading this article, there’s a good chance you are considering opting for a different career path to the one that you’re currently on. Whether that is leaving the teaching profession, entering the education sector for the first time, or simply wanting to gather inspiration for setting up a small business to call your own, the chances are your current job isn’t quite fulfilling your needs.

   So, why consider setting up a tutoring business? That’s really what you, and only you, need to answer. Nobody else will know exactly how your current circumstances are influencing your feelings and decisions.

   Helping To Answer Your Why

   Let’s have a look at some of the common reasons to enter the tuition game and hopefully provide you with more answers than questions!

   We each have our own perspective on life. On how we should manage our work-life balance and how we would ideally like to spend our valuable time.

   If you’re looking to start a tutoring business to have more free time, then you’re in for a shock! Of course, it all depends on your current workload, what your expectations are going into this process and how big (or small) you want your potential empire to be.

   Like any other start-up, a serious amount of time and effort needs to go into the early stages. Especially to get things off the ground initially. Plus, learning things that may be completely alien to you – such as business taxes and registering a company – takes time. Gov.uk is a great place to start. However, if you’re already familiar with that sort of jargon (or do friends’ tax returns as a hobby) then you can discount some of this time. However – if you have never run a tutoring business before, you’ll still need to dedicate a period of time to better understanding the profession. You will want to consider it’s need in your local area, the size of the opportunity in your location (unless you’re considering online tuition, which somewhat negates this) and the business model you intend to follow.

   “I want to be my own boss!” – a great idea in practice, but have you considered the implications involved with being the boss? Whether you plan on being a solopreneur or scale up to a full-blown operation consisting of hundreds of employees, the major decisions, headaches, and angst will rest on your shoulders. It’s not all doom and gloom of course. Ultimately, you’re in charge (to as much of an extent as is possible) of your professional fate. You get to decide who to hire and fire. You get to decide what the company culture will grow in to. And you get to pick the subjects and services that are offered to your students.

   Are you perhaps looking to move away from the ironically playground-esque staffroom politics within your current teaching role? It’s certainly a good enough reason to leave, but is it the reason for setting up a tutoring business? If you want to avoid the drama, but remain in education, would supply work offer a better solution?

   Found Your Answer?

   Hopefully by reading till this point, you have made some progress with reflecting on your why. Don’t be too stressed if you feel no further to discovering your why – there is no right or wrong answer. Besides, it doesn’t need to be a defined mission statement with which to base your entire business plans around.

   Make sure that, when you have identified your ‘why?’, it is strong enough to make the plunge worthwhile. There is nothing worse than dipping your toes in, failing, and then berating yourself for your business’ shortcomings.

6. Remembrance Day: Why do we teach about it?

   8 November 2023 2:50 pm Leave a Comment

   Why is Remembrance Day still taught in schools? What value does it hold with our young people? If you are looking for an answer to the question of why Remembrance Day is still so important in schools, you really need to look no further than the Royal British Legion’s website:

   “Remembrance honours those who serve to defend our democratic freedoms and way of life.”

   You couldn’t ask for a clearer explanation of what remembrance is all about – or for a better reason for its continued importance.

   Having said that, it’s still worth drilling down a little bit on the topic to consider its importance and its intentions.

   Again, the Royal British Legion really say it all on their website, explaining that:

   “Remembrance does not glorify war and its symbol, the red poppy, is a sign of both Remembrance and hope for a peaceful future.”

   The Poppy And Remembrance Day

   It’s worth pointing out that there is no right or wrong way of showing remembrance. The poppy was never meant to be compulsory. Sure, wearing one will always be greatly appreciated by those it is intended to support. But if people feel compelled or forced to wear one it devalues what it is meant to stand for: remembering those who fought for freedom – the freedom of choice and free speech.

   Remembrance is intended to unite people of all faiths and cultures. This is another reason why it is so important that schools continue to mark the day.

   It was originally intended as a way to remember the sacrifice and service of the Armed Forces in the UK and across the Commonwealth, but it also serves as a timely reminder of the horrors of all wars. That’s a message that cannot be stressed enough in schools.

   The Royal British Legion are clear in their message. We should also look to remember all the innocent civilians who have lost their lives in conflict.

   It’s never about taking sides. It’s about highlighting that, ultimately, there are no winners in war.

   Of course, the wearing of the poppy and Remembrance Sunday has evolved over the years. Originally introduced as a way to remember those who lost their lives in World War One, its scope has grown as the years go by.

   Honouring Service

   Each year, the Royal British Legion announces a particular focus. For 2023, it is remembering and honouring ‘Service’.

   We are reminded this year that for those who serve usually do so at a cost. It isn’t just the cost of lives but also the physical or emotional trauma, and upheaval and separation from families and loved ones.

   Anniversaries are always remembered. In 2023, it is the 70^th anniversary of the end of the Korean War; 60 years since the last serviceman was demobbed from National Service, and the 75^th anniversary of the arrival in the UK of settlers from the Caribbean on the Empire Windrush. It is important to recognise the part they played in rebuilding Britain post-World War Two.

   Tradition And Recent Events

   The traditions of Remembrance: the wearing of the poppy; the two minutes’ silence; and the playing of ‘The Last Post’ remain largely the same after all these years. However, in recent years, several events have been introduced to make Remembrance more interactive for schools.

   A great example of this is the Remembrance Live Assembly. This live streamed experience takes place this year on Friday 10 November. It brings together art, poetry and music in an interactive event aimed at students in Years 5-8.

7. How To Write Horror

   13 October 2023 2:35 pm Leave a Comment

   ‘Tis the season to be jolly!  No, hang on… we’ve gone too early there…

   Before we get to the season of goodwill and put the tinsel up again – and we won’t have to wait long; as I write this, there are only 73 days before Christmas… Eeek! 😳 – Yes, as I was saying, before we get to all that, ‘tis the season to be scary and go all out on the ghostly ghouls for Halloween!

   So, what better time to look at how to write horror effectively?

   After all, a good horror story is the stuff of nightmares. In fact, it’s the place where our nightmares come alive: the place where our darkest and deepest fears are faced head-on.

   Horror stories are not the faint-hearted but for many of us they hold an irresistible appeal. So…

   What makes a great horror story?

   Essentially, a horror story is a narrative that triggers either of two emotions: fear or shock.

   The horror genre comes in many styles and forms. From dark psychological horror that can really mess with your mind to the classic slasher serial killer rampage that has genuine shock value and makes us jump out of our skin.

   Regardless of the sub-genre, a horror story’s main purpose remains the same: to scare the living daylights out of you.

   So… let’s answer that burning question… “How to write horror?”

   Create a sense of fear in your reader

   Key to this is to be a master of the dark art of suspense. Don’t show your readers the monster/ghost/maniac axe-murdering psychopath serial killer straightaway. Instead, hint at its presence… focus on the anticipation; let your readers smell the fear – but hang fire on the full reveal.

   As iconic horror writer Stephen King once said, “Nothing is so frightening as what’s behind the closed door.”

   Add a plot twist

   When you’re reading a story, there’s nothing worse than thinking that you’ve got the whole thing figured out. But when you believe you know where a story is heading and then an unexpected curveball is thrown into the mix? Well then there’s nothing better…

   Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the plot twist.

   Unexpected twists keep the reader guessing and they can send them into a whole new level of terror and horror.

   Use cliff-hangers

   A cliff-hanger is the ultimate page-turner – and they are ideal for any horror story.

   Picture the scene: a character has spent the best part of the chapter running away from a monster. He thinks he’s escaped: the reader thinks he’s escaped and then…

   “As silence filled the room, he heard footsteps in the distance…”

   There you have it! – The protagonist and the reader are thrust back into the action and the horror.

   Try putting that book down!

   And finally… Show don’t tell

   Show don’t tell is a writing technique that works well with any genre and any type of descriptive writing. Basically, it means enabling the reader to experience details of a story through character’s emotions, feelings, and by describing sensory details of the scene, as opposed to simply describing events and saying what happens.

   It’s a winner in all settings – and a staple of the horror genre.

   Looking for more horrifying tips? Check out this article by Knights Of The Borrowed Dark author Dave Rudden, who breaks down his top 3 tips – he’s nailed exactly how to write horror in a captivating way that both draws in and terrifies readers in equal measure.

   Perhaps you’d like to discuss how an English tutor could help you learn how to write horror like a pro? If that’s the case, feel free to drop us a quick enquiry.

   Happy horror writing!

8. Get New-Term Ready! Tips for tutors for September

   13 September 2023 2:23 pm Leave a Comment

   Get New-Term Ready! Tips for tutors for September

   Whether you are a full-time tutor; tutoring part-time alongside other commitments; or an undergraduate who tutors as a ‘side hustle’, the start of the new academic year is the time to get yourself new-term ready.

   Here are our top tips for tutors to help you get ready for the tutoring year ahead…

   Get organised

   For any professionals working in the education sector, September has the same resonance that January holds for most other ‘normal’ people. For teachers and tutors, September is the best time to set yourself new year’s resolutions.

   Don’t worry, we’re not talking about the usual gym memberships or advocating Dry September or Veganember here – although, go for it if that’s your thing…

   No, we’re just highlighting the importance of getting yourself organised and set for the year ahead.

   September is the month when tutor referrals are at their busiest. It’s the time to fill your diary up! But make sure that you don’t take on too much. 

   Whatever your circumstances are, make sure that you only accept referrals that are right for you. In most cases, your teaching timetable will be the same until next May/June. It’s not like a timetable for a full-time teacher working in a school – which is pretty much imposed on you. 

   This is a genuine opportunity to create a work schedule that really suits your needs. Don’t waste it!

   Gen up on exam results and course changes 

   One of the benefits of not working in a school full-time is that you miss out on the annual avalanche of data, data, data that falls in September in most schools – the dreaded exams analysis.

   But while we can be thankful that we are swerving ‘Spreadsheet September’, tutors can do well to keep abreast of what the exam boards are saying. The Report on the Exam – written by Chief Examiners of every subject – gives insightful information on how students fared on the summer exams, and often gives helpful tips and advice for teachers to use.

   Professional development for tutors tends to be lacking. In fact, it tends to be DIY – but it is always helpful. An educational professional should never stop learning. Keep up to date with current pedagogy and thinking and use it to make yourself a better and more effective tutor.

   Don’t forget the reason you are doing this!

   Sometimes tutors can feel a bit sluggish in September. After all, it’s always hard to get back into the swing of things after a few weeks off.

   But don’t forget the reason you are here – to help young people achieve their true potential. Teachers can sometimes get bogged down by mandatory frameworks, incessant data collections, rules and policies, and the ever-present threat of OFSTED.

   As a tutor, you cunningly miss out on the ‘bad stuff’ but still get the privilege of helping students get to where they want to be.

   You are free to exercise your professional judgement on a daily basis, and really make a difference.

   Make the most of it – and most of all… enjoy every moment!

9. The School Day: Could we do it differently?

   23 August 2023 1:40 pm Leave a Comment

   The School Day: Could we do it differently? Conversations continue about whether the long summer break should continue. In fact, we covered this question in a recent blog.

   But it’s not the only big question about education. Take the school day, for example…

   For as long as most of us can remember, the school day in the UK has run – roughly – from 9.00am-3.00pm (give or take the odd 15 mins or so).

   The big question is simply: Why?

   It’s just the way it’s always been done…

   Like many things in education, you could argue the things we do in schools in the UK are done for no other reason than that’s just the way they’ve always be done.

   As we’ve mentioned before in our blogs, in many ways schools haven’t really changed that much in decades.

   The school experience that our kids are going through now isn’t that much different from the one we had – and the one our parents went through before us.

   Holidays, uniform, forms, assemblies, subjects, exams – none of these have changed that much at all.

   And neither has the school day.

   The school day is getting longer

   Having said that, the school day has got longer. Breakfast clubs and after-school sessions are now a part of the typical day in most schools – although the traditional after-school clubs have been overtaken by catch-up sessions and interventions.

   New government plans mean that, from September 2023, all schools in England will have to be open for a minimum of 32.5 hours a week. A 32.5-hour week equates to Monday to Friday between 8.45am to 3.15pm.

   But the change is hardly revolutionary. It won’t make a great difference to most schools. 

   Indeed, it’s thought that the new rule will only affect around 14% of schools which are currently open for less than 32 hours a week.

   Does a longer school day improve results?

   Well, the jury’s still out on this one – but the government’s move to increase the length of the school is indicative of something that many within education see as counter-productive – the notion that more is better. 

   Catch-up sessions now feel like a permanent fixture of the school calendar. What’s more, even half-term and Easter holidays are often given over to various ‘Revision Days’. Summer schools of one form or another are extremely common as well.

   In this country, our young people spend more time in school than most countries around the world. They are tested and assessed far more too.

   But does this all lead to better results?

   Well, sadly, the simple answer is… No, it doesn’t.

   How does the UK’s education system rank?

   There are many measures used to compare the quality of school systems across the world. 

   The one lauded the most by the government is the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). This has a relatively narrow focus on reading literacy, mathematics, and science – which may explain the relentless focus we have on core subjects in this country.

   The US and UK tend to score highly on overall global education comparisons due to the excellent reputation their university systems have. However, when the focus is just on schools, they fare far less well. The UK currently sits just 11^th on the PISA tables – and the US is even further down in 22^nd.

   How do the most successful countries do things?

   Finland is often held up as a beacon for others to follow and it’s not hard to see why.

   Students in Finland do the least number of school hours per week across the developed world – and they get the best results. The Finnish school day starts between 8.00-9.00am and is over by 2.00pm.

   Not only do they have a shorter school day, kids in Finland also have the least homework.

   It makes you think, doesn’t it?  Maybe less is more, after all? Does this show that quality is more important than quantity when it comes to education?

10. How to get ready for the new school year

    11 August 2023 11:33 am Leave a Comment

    The summer holidays are long – and for parents they can sometimes feel like a lifetime. However – for teachers and students alike – the start of the new school year can really feel like it rushes up on you far too quickly.

    If you’re not careful, it can catch you unawares. So, we’ve put together some tips to help you make sure that you are ready for new school year.

    Don’t panic: Relax

    Even if the summer holidays end in a last-minute rush get to things done, it’s important to try to stay relaxed. The last thing you want to do is to panic. Even if you’ve left yourself with no time to do all the things you should have done over the break, try to keep some perspective.

    What’s done is done, so there really is no point in stressing over it.  Worrying about things is never helpful. You just need to try to get yourself in the best head space you can from that moment on.

    Hopefully though, you’ll be reading this blog way before the start of term, and it’ll give you a bit of a kick-start…

    Try to keep your brain in gear during the summer holidays

    Every young person deserves to (and really should) switch off and unwind during the summer holidays. You need to recharge the old batteries, after all.

    However, the problem with switching off completely or for too long is that it becomes very hard to switch back on! The first couple of weeks in September are bound to be a shock to the system. That’s only natural and to be expected. Teachers feel this as much as students. 

    You will feel shattered but if you’ve tried to keep your brain in gear and at least partially active during the break, you will find the transition back to term time much easier to deal with.

    Have a quick recap and read through of what you did last year

    Nobody is advocating working solidly throughout the summer, but it does make sense to spend a bit of time recapping what you did last year – especially if you are in-between Year 10 and 11 or Year 12 and 13. 

    You’ll be surprised how reassuring it can be and how it puts you in the right frame of mind. It will also make you feel more confident about the year ahead.

    It’s just about refreshing your memory. This is never a bad thing. Similarly, it’s worth spending a some time revising what you did last year. Remember, revision should never just be left to when you have exams coming up. Revise a little, a lot – and as you go through topics, not just for tests.

    Get yourself prepared

    From making sure your uniform still fits to getting hold of any books you need, getting prepared for new term can take many forms. Get your school bag ready and buy all the stationery and equipment you need in good time.

    Getting back into the routine of term time is one of the most difficult things about the start of a new school year, but if you leave it to the day you start back… ‘difficult’ becomes ‘virtually impossible.’

    Try going to bed at a sensible time at least a few days before the new term and get back into the habit of getting up early(ish) too. 

    Tidy your room so it can be an effective working space from Day One.

    As we said earlier, the new term will be a shock to the system.

    The trick is to make sure it’s not too much of a shock!