Chapter 01 · Where it starts
What one-to-one tuition from age seven looks like
A child who has stopped putting a hand up in class usually has one gap, not twenty. This is how one-to-one tuition for ages 7 to 18 finds that gap, an hour at a time, online or at home.
Open the syllabusStart with course one. No prior knowledge needed.
Contents
- Number confidence at key stage 26 lessonsNumber confidence at key stage 2
- Reading and writing at key stage 36 lessonsReading and writing at key stage 3
- Science: working scientifically6 lessonsScience: working scientifically
- 11+ entrance preparation6 lessons11+ entrance preparation
- GCSE exam technique6 lessonsGCSE exam technique
- A-level exam preparation6 lessonsA-level exam preparation
Syllabus
Six courses, in the order we teach them
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Course 01
Number confidence at key stage 2
Place value, times tables and the word problems that hide behind them. Six lessons that rebuild the arithmetic a pupil needs before secondary school starts.
KS26 weeks6 lessons
Open course -
Course 02
Reading and writing at key stage 3
Paragraph writing, inference and the step from primary reading to subject textbooks. Six lessons for a pupil who can read but loses marks explaining what they read.
KS38 weeks6 lessons
Open course -
Course 03
Science: working scientifically
Variables, fair tests and the graphs examiners look for. Six lessons for a pupil who knows the facts but drops marks on method and explanation.
KS36 weeks6 lessons
Open course -
Course 04
11+ entrance preparation
Verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and the timing that decides a paper. Six lessons that prepare a Year 5 pupil for the shape of an entrance test.
11+10 weeks6 lessons
Open course -
Course 05
GCSE exam technique
Mark schemes, command words and the gap between knowing a topic and scoring on it. Six lessons for Year 10 and 11 pupils in maths, English and science.
GCSE8 weeks6 lessons
Open course -
Course 06
A-level exam preparation
Longer answers, synoptic questions and study habits that hold across two years. Six lessons for Year 12 and 13 pupils working towards final papers.
A-level10 weeks6 lessons
Open course
Glossary
Words you will hear at parents' evening
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Assessment
noun/uh-SESS-muhnt/
Any check of what a pupil can do, from a short quiz in class to a full exam paper. It can be formal or informal.
See also:baseline, formative feedback
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Baseline
noun/BAYS-line/
An early check of what a pupil can already do, taken before teaching begins. It gives the tutor something to measure later work against.
See also:assessment, progress report
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Command word
noun
The verb at the start of an exam question, such as describe, explain or evaluate. It tells the pupil what kind of answer earns marks.
See also:mark scheme, mock exam
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DBS check
noun/dee-bee-ESS chek/
A criminal record check run in the UK before someone can work with children. An enhanced check is the standard for tutors who visit a home.
See also:safeguarding
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Exam board
noun
The organisation that writes and marks the papers for a qualification such as a GCSE or an A-level. Different boards set slightly different papers.
See also:mark scheme, mock exam
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Formative feedback
noun/FOR-muh-tiv FEED-bak/
Comments given during the work rather than at the end, so a pupil can change what they are doing. It usually points at the next step.
See also:assessment, progress report
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Key stage
noun
A block of school years in England and Wales, from key stage 1 at age five up to key stage 5 in the sixth form. Each block ends with its own checks or exams.
See also:assessment, progress report
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Mark scheme
noun
The document examiners use to award marks for each question. It shows where credit is given, including for method as well as the final answer.
See also:command word, mock exam
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Mock exam
noun/mok ig-ZAM/
A full practice paper sat under exam conditions, usually at school. It shows how a pupil copes with timing as well as with content.
See also:mark scheme, assessment
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Phonics
noun/FON-iks/
The method of teaching reading by linking letters and groups of letters to the sounds they make. It is the main approach used in early primary reading.
See also:key stage
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Progress report
noun
A written summary of what a pupil has covered, what has improved and what comes next. Parents usually receive one at the end of a block of lessons.
See also:formative feedback, baseline
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Retrieval practice
noun/ri-TREE-vuhl PRAK-tis/
Recalling something from memory instead of rereading it. The effort of remembering is what strengthens the memory.
See also:spacing, working memory
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Safeguarding
noun/SAFE-gar-ding/
The steps a school or a tutor takes to keep children safe, including checks on staff and clear rules about contact. Records are kept of every visit to a home.
See also:DBS check
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Scaffolding
noun/SKAF-uhl-ding/
Temporary support a tutor gives while a pupil learns a new step, then removes as the pupil takes it on alone. It is meant to disappear.
See also:working memory, formative feedback
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Spacing
noun/SPAY-sing/
Spreading practice of the same topic over days or weeks rather than doing it all at once. Recall is often weaker on the day and stronger later.
See also:retrieval practice
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Working memory
noun
The small amount of information a person can hold in mind while using it. Younger pupils often run out of room before the end of a question.
See also:scaffolding, retrieval practice
Explainers
Short reads on how children learn
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Fig.
Basics
What a tutor does in the first hour
The first lesson is mostly diagnosis, not teaching. Here is what a tutor is listening for while a pupil works through a few questions at the kitchen table.
6 min read
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Fig.
Practice
Why rereading notes feels like learning
Reading a page again feels smooth, and that smoothness is easy to mistake for knowledge. Recalling it cold is harder, and it works far better.
5 min read
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Fig.
Exams
Command words in GCSE papers, decoded
Explain, describe and evaluate ask for different things and carry different marks. A short guide to what sits in the mark scheme behind each one.
7 min read
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Fig.
Study habits
A revision timetable that survives real life
Most plans collapse in week two because they were built for an ideal week. Build one that keeps going when football training runs late and Tuesday disappears.
6 min read
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Fig.
Basics
How to read a school report properly
Teachers write reports in a careful code, and words like coasting usually mean something specific. Here is how to find the useful sentence in four pages of prose.
5 min read
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Fig.
Practice
Retrieval practice for a nine-year-old
A blank page is daunting at nine, so begin with a nudge rather than a test. Three ways to practise recall with a primary pupil without the tears.
5 min read
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Fig.
Exams
What 11+ examiners look for
The 11+ rewards speed and accuracy inside a short window, and blanks cost marks. What a marked practice paper really shows about a Year 5 pupil.
6 min read
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Fig.
Study habits
Helping with homework without taking over
A parent who explains too well can leave a pupil with no practice left to do. Where to step in, and the moment to step quietly back out again.
4 min read
Course outline
See the whole path before you book
We send the course outline, the lesson list and a sample progress report for parents.