families
Top tips on how to help your child get through their GCSEs
We’re coming to that time of year again where children in Year 11 (and some in Year 10) are preparing to take their GCSE exams. As parents, we are often torn between wanting to see our children do well and achieve grades to the best of their ability, and fretting about this great burden we place on them to do well in a series of exams that can often seem like an endurance event in itself.
Parental support is incredibly important when determining a child’s academic success. In fact, it is several times more important than social class. Many parents panic at this thought, worried that they don’t know the subjects their child is being tested on but the good news is that you don’t need to be an expert in any of the subjects in order to make a valuable difference to your child’s results.
Parental support, encouragement and just showing an interest can all make a marked difference to a child’s levels of motivation and confidence when it comes to taking exams, as well as their ability to cope with the pressure and organisational demands of the exam period.
Here are a few top tips to help your child to get through their GCSEs.
General tips for supporting your child:
● Make an agreement with your child at the outset, as to the balance between working and socialising; don’t wait until they’ve been invited to a party or event before trying to discuss it. If you’ve already agreed that they need to do X amount of study, or can have X days/nights out during their study/exam period, any request to go to parties or on trips can be put against the initial agreement. Having said that, try to remain flexible. If your child is desperate to go to the party of the year then an outright refusal will not do you any favours! Work out a plan together to ensure their studies don’t suffer if they really want to go.
● Many children will find it hard to delay short-term fun in favour of achieving the long-term goal of passing their GCSE exams. While they should still be allowed to let off steam, it’s important that parents help their children to bear their long-term goals in mind.
● Avoid berating or threatening your child, even if you feel they’ve been slacking off or are not working hard enough. The pressures of exam season can show in many different ways and often when children feel overwhelmed and demotivated they down tools. Try to talk to them about what is bothering them, acknowledge how they feel and reassure them that they will always have your full support.
● Teenagers can often have an all or nothing attitude, where if they feel they’ve done badly on one essay or exam “I may as well just give up on everything now!” Try to help them to maintain a sensible perspective and avoid catastrophising.
● Expect your child to push their boundaries as exam stress increases – and avoid rising to the bait. You don’t need to let them get away with anything they like, but pick your battles carefully.
● Chat about the exams, how they will work, how long they will last and so on. Talk about what might be the main topics that come up and how they feel about them. Don’t push the conversation though; if your child has been revising all day they might not want to talk about exams at all.
● Be involved in the revision process – but also know when to take a step back. Your child will not appreciate feeling that you are looking over their shoulder all the time.
● Make sure other members of the household are aware that your child is studying for and taking exams, and that they understand they might be a little moody or difficult at times.
● If your child is anxious in an exam environment, look at simple relaxation techniques that could help to calm them down.
Practical help you can offer:
● Buy new stationery, revision cards and highlighters to help make the revision process more interesting and engaging
● Offer to ask questions or listen as they go through their notes
● Make sure your child has all the essential books and materials. It might be that there’s a revision guide or notes on a play or novel that will really help them.
● Time your child’s attempts at practice papers
● Make sure there are plenty of healthy, nutritious snacks in the kitchen for study breaks
What about bribes and treats?
Many parents are tempted to promise their child all sorts of treats and gifts if they achieve good grades but this is generally a bad idea. Bribery implies that getting a good grade on an exam is not reward enough, and also might give the impression that you don’t trust your child to work hard and do their best without the promise of reward. Negative messages like this can affect your child’s sense of self worth.
Instead, talk with your child about why it is important to do well in their GCSEs, and encourage them to be proud of their achievements. Make sure they know you are proud of the effort they are putting in, regardless of what their grades might be at the end of it.
These days our children take SATs from a young age, and many schools have annual exams every summer too. Still, GCSEs are the first time they will have such a pressure on them to get good grades so as to move on to the next stage of their academic career. As parents it is vitally important that we support our children as much as possible, to help them through what can be a very stressful time. Your support can help your child to revise well, to cope well and to perform well in exams. As well as this, knowing they have their parents’ support regardless of their grades can help a child to feel more grounded and confident in general and this in itself can work wonders in an exam environment. Never underestimate the positive effect your support can have on your child’s achievements.
Could you pass the 11-Plus?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationquestions/11420398/Could-you-pass-the-11-plus.html
In 1964 there were 1,298 state funded Grammar Schools with 25% of secondary school pupils attending them. Last year there were 163 grammar schools with only 5.1% of pupils. Has the 11-plus got harder? Have a go at this test and decide.
new comparison website for independent schools
With busy Mums and Dads in mind isbi schools have launched the first comparison website in the UK, exclusively for independent schools, where parents can search for schools using more than 30 different options to create and save a shortlist that exactly meets their child’s unique needs. They can also view their favourite schools side-by-side to directly compare the most important features. So whether they’re looking for a boys boarding school that offers Mandarin , shooting and rowing and experience of gifted children, or a co-educational special school, that caters for specific primary and secondary needs and offers ballet and horse-riding; parents will be able to find a list of schools that suits their child and compare them side-by-side. Whether searching for schools that offer scholarships and bursaries, finding schools that offer full, weekly or flexi-boarding, specific academic subjects and exam boards or viewing exam success rates, it’s easy to do and all in one place. Who has time to trawl through the internet viewing multiple school websites and remembering what each one offers?
Like all the best comparison websites, www.isbi.co.uk can be viewed on most handheld and portable devices so it’s not only easier to compare schools but it’s also accessible wherever busy parents happen to be. What’s more because isbi schools are parents themselves they’ve made it completely free for parents to use.
To tutor or not to tutor – that is the question
1 in 4 children who gain a place at schools with 11+ or common entrance exams have been tutored. This goes up to 1 in 2 children in London. Are you putting your child at a disadvantage by not getting them a tutor or should they be able to sit the exam and pass on their own merits, without a tutor, if they’re bright enough?
Here are some things to consider if you are asking yourself the question – to tutor or not to tutor:
- Verbal Reasoning – Part of the exam will be a verbal reasoning paper – children who have never seen these papers may find them unfamiliar and daunting. Most independent schools will prepare student s for entrance exams by practising these papers and some state schools will also run practice sessions for more able pupils. Tutors will be able to familiarise children with these and give them hints and tip for exam success – boosting confidence.
- Exam content – Some of the content of 11+ and Common Entrance Exams is not taught in State primary schools as part of the curriculum. A good tutor will have experience of past papers and the kind of questions that will come up, so should be able to bridge any gaps.
- Practice Papers – If you are reluctant to get a tutor you might like to consider buying practice papers from WH Smith or Amazon. These range from £6 to £8 per set and mirror the real tests so children will be able to identify their strengths and weaknesses and will feel more confident during exams having already completed similar papers.
- What is a good tutor? – If you do employ a tutor, finding one who has been recommended and has a proven track record at helping children pass the exams can be a shrewd choice. Although just because a tutor suits someone else’s child doesn’t mean they’ll suit yours. They will need to have a demeanour and teaching style that works for your individual child so having a trial session is always advisable.
- Cost – Tutors can be expensive, varying from around £20 to £50+ an hour, depending on where you live. If you have a weekly tutor for a year it’s quite a significant cost. Some tutors teach in groups, or pairs, which is cheaper but you’ll need to decide whether this style of teaching will suit your child. A
- Online Tutoring – This seems to be an increasingly popular choice as tutors are matched to pupils by ability, subject needs and even personality, they then provide specific tutorials online, usually with a great deal of flexibility. This can be a great idea to save time during evenings and weekends by avoiding travelling to a tutors house, or place of work.
- How much tutoring does my child need? – This will depend on each individual child, from a few sessions to familiarise them with the papers to weekly sessions over a longer period of time to gradually build knowledge and confidence. Take into account that a child who has been heavily tutored for a number of years just to pass the exam may not thrive once in the school without continued tutoring. Schools that admit children by entrance exams are likely to be high pressure academic environments. The more able your child is to pass the exam without intervention the easier they will find it to cope once they attend the school.
Why has Eton produced so many Prime Ministers?
David Cameron is the nineteenth British Prime Minister to come out of Eton, an impressive percentage of the UK’s seventy three Prime Ministers so far. With five of the current cabinet also being Eton old boys, what is it about this school in particular and independent schools in general that makes them producers of Britain’s leaders? Britain’s private schools consistently produce pupils who have the highest expectations of themselves and are extremely likely to get to the top of their chosen profession. Take a look at Wikipedia’s list of Old Etonians, born in the 20th century alone and you’ll find an impressive collection from George Orwell and Ian Fleming, to well-known sporting heroes and a wide range of crowned princes, kings and other Heads of State from around the world.
The UK is a world leader in educating the world’s leaders. One in ten countries has a Prime Minister or Head of State who has been educated at some stage in the UK, from Australian Prime-Minister Tony Abbott to the controversial Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the British Council has found that the UK is 10 times more likely to produce a world leader than the USA .
Feeling entitled to those high paid jobs and top positions in society seems to be instilled in private school pupils. It can’t be ignored that almost half the cabinet have been educated in an independent school. With specialist teachers, a wealth of extra-curricular activities, superior facilities and small class sizes offered by independent schools, pupils have a chance of being recognised for their talents and are encouraged and expected to develop their unique skills whatever they may be.
As well as more than half the cabinet, one third of Britain’s 2012 Olympic athletes, the majority of the UK’s top surgeons, academics, scientists and engineers, in addition to a disproportionate number of our highest achieving actors, musicians and sportspeople, are from the seven percent of the countries independently educated pupils.
There is perhaps something to be said for schools that do not have to strictly adhere to government imposed curriculums and tests. Independent schools are free to teach pupils how to think, rather than what to think; preparing them for life in the higher echelons of society.
Whatever the reason, more children from the UK’s independent schools will end up in a position of wealth, influence and power, so it is possible that paying for an independent education could well be a wise investment if you want to help your son or daughter reach the very top of which ever profession they choose – especially if they fancy having a go at running a country!
To find, shortlist and compare over 6000 independent schools go to www.isbi.co.uk
Twitter: @isbischools
Facebook: facebook.com/isbischool
Author: Denise Vincent, isbi schools, Tilshead, Salisbury
Better Support for Children with Special Educational Needs
The Legislation for special needs, introduced in September last year, means that families can now expect to get children’s educational support identified quicker. There should be higher expectations of what a child with SEN can achieve at school and parents can now demand better information regarding care and education of their children. It seems that families now have greater control and choice. Families can now have more say on whether their child attends a mainstream school with provision for their special educational needs, a mainstream school with a dedicated SEN unit or a special school, specializing in a particular educational need or several needs. This can involve a choice from a huge array of schools and can be really quite bewildering. For help and advice on choosing a school for a child with special educational needs and for a quick way to search and compare schools, by primary and secondary needs, throughout the UK, the website www.isbi.com can really help. You can choose from a huge range of criteria from location, facilities, subjects taught, teacher ratios and whatever criteria you want and need. Choosing a school can be tricky enough and this website really helps take away some of the stress.
Super-Mums pick the best schools
isbi schools is managed and run primarily by working Mums who know the pressures of balancing the trials and tribulations of children and a career.
Although a recent study from the University of Akron and Penn State University found that women who return to full time work reported greater mental and physical health, including more energy and less depression, there are also numerous studies denying that women can be “supermums” and have it all.
At isbi schools our flexible work ethos ensures that we don’t suffer the guilt that a lot of Mums experience when pursuing a career. As Mums working together we understand each others’ predicaments. A child off sick from school is never a drama and flexible hours and home working mean that child care is never compromised. That way we can commit wholeheartedly to a fast pace progressive business; without the concern that we are letting our children down.
We also appreciate that choosing a school for your child is one of the most important decisions you will make. How does a busy working Mum find time to browse through dozens of schools prospectus’s and carry out enough school visits to make an informed decision about their child’s education? At isbi schools we have designed a fantastic website to take the stress out of choosing a school for your child. Our website http://www.isbi.com offers FREE detailed comprehensive information on schools and allows you to use over 30 search options enabling you to identify appropriate schools and draw up a useful shortlist. We also offer useful advice and checklists for parents to use during the difficult process of selecting a school for your child.
We at isbi schools believe that every Mum can be a “supermum” given the right tools. When choosing a school use our tool http://www.isbi.com.
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