Keystone Tutors Blog
Sign up to our newsletter to be kept up to date about our latest news and offerings.
What to look for when choosing a school if your child has SEN
What does the term SEND mean? The term "special educational needs and disabilities" constitutes a legal classification that encompasses children who encounter learning difficulties or disabilities that pose greater obstacles to their learning compared to the majority of children their age.
Non Selective Independent Schools in London
What are non-selective independent schools?At the heart of the idea of non-selective schooling is an understanding that children develop in different stages and learn in a wide range of different ways. Many schools ‘select’ a student at least partly on the basis of their performance in an entrance exam, and not all students – for a host of different reasons – will be ready or willing to perform on a given date.
The Harrow Test
Harrow School was founded during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, and has a global reputation as an outstanding school. Distinguished writers, politicians from around the world, and Nobel laureates have all studied at Harrow.Securing a place at this highly selective school is a tough challenge, and you will find a number of key topics to do with the admissions process covered below. Keystone’s Founder and Director, Old Harrovian Will Orr-Ewing, also provides his insights into the process.
How to Choose a British Independent School for Your Child
Over the years Keystone has successfully helped many families in their search for suitable independent schools for their children through our Schools Advisory Service. We have outlined the key points that you should consider when looking for a school for your child and where to find the information in this article.
English Super Curricular Activities
In a world full of distractions, there are few more satisfying ways to spend your time than immersed in a good book. But studying literature at university is about more than wiling away your days in the company of great authors; it’s a rigorous and exacting discipline that will stretch the way you think about language and about art.
How to approach Shakespeare passages at GCSE
Shakespeare’s influence is everywhere. In fact, it’s so embedded in the English speaking world that it’s hard to see where it begins or ends. Firstly, there are the words, all 1,700 of them. And not just words like ‘congreeted’ and ‘coppernose’. Some of the most common words in English were first used by Shakespeare: ‘bedroom’, for instance, and ‘eyeball’. Then there are the phrases.
How to Write a Good GCSE & IGCSE Essay
Non-fiction essay writing is a skill that can sometimes evoke powerful feelings dread in students. This article hopes to provide all students with a solid base of essay writing knowledge to help improve student confidence and skills.The advice in this article has been written to be as applicable to as many subjects as possible. When using this article, be sure to check your Exam Board’s specification for each subject.
What Are the ISEB Common Pre-Tests and How Can You Prepare?
The ISEB Common Pre-Tests are very commonly used by senior independent schools as a part of their admissions process.
Guide to the CAT4 Test
What is the CAT4 test?Made by GL Assessment, it is one of the world’s most widely use cognitive ability tests. CAT stands for Cognitive Ability Test and it is used in schools to understand developed ability (i.e. where a child is now) and likely academic potential (i.e. where a child could be).The CAT4 is used by some independent schools as a part of their admissions process, assessing a candidate’s verbal, non-verbal, mathematical, and spatial reasoning ability and academic potential.
How to Get a 9 in GCSE Chemistry
How hard is it to get a 9 in GCSE Chemistry? GCSE Chemistry can be a nerve-wracking subject as it not only involves learning the content, but being able to apply it to experiments and the use of equations. But, getting a 9 is definitely not impossible! Around 15% of students get awarded a 9 at GCSE, with grade boundaries varying each year, fluctuating between requiring around 70-80%. In papers you should be aiming for at least 80%.
10 Common Questions on Homeschooling
Homeschooling has gained immense popularity in recent years, offering families an alternative approach to education that caters to their unique needs and aspirations. This rise has come as a result of many factors, one of which is of course the pandemic, as shown in this 2022 article by the BBC. In an article published in May 2023, The Guardian cited this rise and commented on the risk of those missing out on education through a lack of homeschooling structure.
Difficulties Schools Face in Staffing Languages Teaching at A Level in the UK
The teaching of languages at A Level is facing a number of challenges in the UK.
11+/13+ Admissions Requirements for UK Boarding Schools
UK boarding schools boast a long tradition of excellence in education. There are a number of options for boarding including:Weekly boarding: Students will live at school Monday to Friday and spend weekends with their parents.Flexi boarding: Parents can choose how many nights a student spends at school or at home.Full boarding: Students live at school all the time apart from exeat weekends (designated weekends each term where students can leave) and school holidays.
Psychology Super Curricular Activities
What are super curricular activities? Every student that applies to university will know something about psychology. They may have seen a true crime documentary about a serial killer, read an article about attachment styles, or even studied the subject at GCSE or A-level. But in order to convince universities to give you an offer for undergraduate study, you will need to go above and beyond this level, exploring the subject to a greater extent.
Webinar: Assessing and Supporting Children
Keystone's Head of Elective & Homeschooling, Poppy Dundas, was joined by Sarah Warley, Founder at The Key Clinic. Together they discussed the work that Sarah and her team do at The Key Clinic, getting to the root cause of a child's difficulties in order to unlock their full potential. They discussed this in relation to homeschooling and tutoring, and the common issues seen within children.To find out more about how Keystone can support with homeschooling, do follow this link.
The Importance of University League Tables
How important are University League Tables? University League Tables are not nearly as important as they are often believed to be. While it may be true that there are employability advantages if you attend Oxford, Cambridge, or another top institution (e.g. from the Russell Group), the biggest advantage you can give yourself is to study the right course for you at the institution that suits you best.
A Guide to the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT)
The University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) is a medical and dental course admissions test used and created by multiple universities across the UK, Australia and New Zealand. It is used to assess candidates in conjunction with your UCAS application and is an important part of your application. Make sure to check the entry criteria for your desired course to see if the test is a requirement. The importance of your UCAT score varies across universities.
Children's Extra Curricular Clubs and Activities
Extra curricular activities are a great way to enrich the curriculm, and there are a range of activities that can complement an existing hobby or introduce your child to a new interest. Here is a list of recommendations of places we would suggest looking into in addition to your child’s academic lessons to enrich their learning. Please note these are not tried and tested by Keystone Tutors.
A Guide to Postgraduate Options
Postgraduate or graduate education refers to the courses and qualifications beyond undergraduate level. This can include further degrees, certificates, diplomas or professional qualifications. Postgraduate study doesn’t need to be directly connected to the course you graduated in at undergraduate level, though it is often the case, and a strong performance in your undergraduate degree can certainly help strengthen your application.
How to Get a 9 in GCSE Geography
How hard is it to get a 9 in GCSE Geography? Geography is often misperceived as an “easier”, less academic subject. I think one of the main reasons for this is that it is an interdisciplinary subject. Geography touches on lots of different subject areas (science, economics, politics, sociology etc.) so the depth on knowledge required in each aspect is not to the same level as if you were studying each component subject individually. However, beware of complacency.
Law Super Curricular Activities
What are ‘Super curriculars’? Super curricular activities are essentially extracurricular learning activities that are specifically related to your chosen course of study at university. They can include many different things, including experiences and academic research. Incorporating these in your personal statement, and using these experiences in your interviews, can really help improve your chances of being accepted onto your chosen law course.
History Super Curricular Activities
How do Super-curricular Activities help applicants to top Universities? Anybody can say that they have a passion for history and many people do. Most of us are interested in some aspect of the past, whether we are keen students of local history or the traditions associated with our favourite sport, or fascinated by a particular figure whom we have encountered in a book or historical drama on TV.
Top 5 Reasons to Choose Day School Over Boarding School
One of the key considerations when choosing a school for your child is between day school and boarding school. Would you like your child to be a day student, a full boarder or a weekly-boarder? To attend a day school, you would need to live nearby whereas boarding widens the geographical area for you to choose from.
Gap Year Advice
What is a gap year? A gap year, sometimes known as a ‘year out’ is typically a year long break taken between completion of Year 13 (Upper Sixth) at school and the start of college/university. In the United Kingdom the practice of taking a gap year became popular in the 1970s. The year out was seen as an opportunity to gain life experience through travel and volunteering.
Guide to the London 11 Plus Consortium Entrance Exam
Parents who are interested in the top independent schools for girls that are part of the London 11 Plus Consortium need to ensure that their child is well prepared for the entrance exam the Consortium uses.In the article below, Keystone’s expert tutors have compiled a list of extensive answers to the key questions most parents ask about the Consortium and the exam itself, as well as their top tips for preparing effectively and achieving the best possible results.
Guide to A Level Economics
Choosing your A levels can be a challenging time. In the UK, we specialise at a relatively young age, meaning that choices you make at 16 will have a not-insignificant influence on your future employment prospects. But choosing your A levels shouldn’t be this daunting, so, in this article, I’ll cover some common questions many have surrounding A level Economics.
Tips for Dealing with Exam Season Anxiety
Keystone's Head of Elective and Homeschooling, Poppy Dundas, was joined by our guest expert Clare de Lotbiniere, a BACP Accredited Psychotherapist and Professional Tutors Jon Gale and Lara Isaac. Lara is also a trained nutritionist and together they discuss how best to get your child prepared for the upcoming exams, including dealing with exam anxiety and calming nerves, keeping motivation strong, the best foods to eat and general revision tips and tricks.
How to Get a 9 in GCSE Latin
Key findings from past examiners reports for GCSE Latin Examiners release reports talking about how well students got on in that year’s exams and highlighting common mistakes that were made. Given these examiners are the ones who make the exams, we should probably pay attention to what they have to say! We trawled through these examiners’ reports, as well as past exams, to put together a list of the top 5 areas that students often stumble on in GCSE Latin.
Webinar: How to Prepare Competitive Oxbridge Candidates
A webinar for school leaders.
Guide to IB Geography
Geography is, in its broadest sense, the study of the Earth. The study of the natural environment is referred to as physical geography, and humanity’s interactions with the environment are referred to as human geography. Overall, the study of geography helps us understand the world we live in and the different ways that people and places are connected.
