Keystone Tutors Blog
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A Complete Guide to Cambridge University Interviews
Interviewing for a Place to Study at Cambridge University Cambridge University, founded over 800 years ago, supposedly by scholars fleeing from irate townsfolk in Oxford, is one of the world's greatest universities and a historic seat of learning. Graced by the stunning architecture of its colleges, and filled with keen minds from around the world, Cambridge is an amazing place to study your chosen subject.
Webinar: Preparing for the 11+ & Computerised Pre-Tests
Keystone's Founder and Director, Will Orr-Ewing, are joined by our Director of Education, Ed Richardson, and Harriet Blomefield, Keystone’s Head of Consultancy to discuss the 11+.
Home-Schooling Pods
What is ‘Pod’ learning and why is it increasingly popular? The Corona Virus Pandemic has changed many people’s views on home-schooling and with the ever-changing advice on schools, it is a path that is of interest to many parents.
A Complete Guide to Oxford University Interviews
Interviews are often considered to be the most intimidating and mysterious elements of the Oxford admissions process. This guide is designed to demystify the Oxford interview process so that you can approach your interview as confidently as possible.
Webinar: 21st Century Schooling
Keystone's Founder and Director, Will Orr-Ewing, will be delving into new forms of schooling for the 21st Century. Will will be joined by guest speakers, Jonathan Noakes, who is Head of Teaching & Learning at Eton College and Sam Rogerson, Co-Founder and Head of Lexicon School.
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.
Webinar: The 7+ & 8+
Keystone's Director of Education, Ed Richardson, will be joined by Dee Francken, former Senior Teacher at the North London Collegiate School, and Steph Kitson-Smith, one of Keystone's most experienced tutors, to discuss the 7 and 8+.
Webinar: Top Tips for University Interviews
Harriet Blomefield, Keystone's Head of Consultancy, will be joined by Ed Richardson, our Director of Education and Jenny McGowan, our Director in Asia to discuss University Interviews. They will also provide some top tips to aid the process.
Keystone Tutors A Level Guide
Advanced Level qualifications, better known as A Levels, help students enter universities or colleges or careers related to the subjects they choose to study. Originally introduced in the UK in 1951, they are also offered in a range of Commonwealth countries, and are normally studied over the course of a 2 year period. Most students will study either 3 or 4 A Levels between the ages of 16 and 19.
History Admissions Assessment Cambridge - Updated 2020
And it had all seemed so simple. For the past several years, from 2016 to 2019, Cambridge had joined Oxford in setting all the candidates who applied to the university to read history, or joint honours degrees involving history, a written assessment that was taken at the same time as the Oxford HAT – about a month before the interview stage. This exam, known as the History Admissions Assessment (HAA), consisted of two one-hour papers.
GCSE Results Day 2020 - All you need to know (for now!)
GCSE Results Day 2020 is finally upon us! We thought it might be helpful to share some top tips to help you to navigate the day.
A Level results day – how to prepare and what to expect?
With A level Results day almost upon us, here is a helpful guide to ensure you are appropriately prepared. This is an exceptional year, what with the cancellation of examinations due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and it is therefore very important that students are aware of what options are available to them.
Overview of the UK Independent Education System
The UK education system can be confusing, especially for international families whose children are being educated elsewhere. This blog aims to give an overview of the system and to define the key terms you might see when conducting research. Before reading the rest of the blog do take a look at our Educational Roadmap linked here, which will allow you to determine which UK school year your child is in. The age cut-off date is September 1st in the UK – e.g.
Applying to Medical School: BMAT and UCAT explained
Places to study at medical schools in the UK are highly sought after, by both domestic and international students, and require a great degree of commitment from prospective applicants. Understanding just what medical school involves can really help you decide whether it’s right for you and, once you’re sure it is, give you the very best chance of securing a place at the school of your choice. You can also download our Applying to Medical school guide as a PDF.
Keystone Features in Business Insider Article
Keystone was featured in an article in Business Insider on the impact of Covid-19 on private tutoring. Read the full article here.
What is the UKiset test and how can you prepare?
The UK Independent Schools’ Entry Test (UKiset) is a computerised assessment designed for overseas students aged between 9 and 18 years old. Many UK independent schools require overseas students to take this test as part of their admissions process, as it serves as a pre-test to help schools identify the most suitable candidates.
Occasional Places (Senior Schools)
UK independent schools tend to have defined entry points and clear processes from registration to assessment and interview.
Keystone Insights: The Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA)
In this Keystone Insight, Harriet Blomefield is joined by Ed Richardson to discuss the TSA.
Sixth-form school entry and the 16+ exam
What is Sixth-Form entry? The key entry points for independent secondary schools are 11+ (Year 7), 13+ (Year 9) and 16+ (Year 12). Out of these, sixth form is arguably the most competitive entry point, particularly if your child is seeking to move into one of the top UK independent schools. However, an increasing number of children move schools at sixth form, these two years of school providing an often-vital bridge between school and university.
Prep School (Years 4 to 8) Reading Lists
Parents often ask us which books their children should be reading. In some respects, it’s the wrong question to ask – are there any books children shouldn't be reading? – but with children’s free-time seeming ever to shrink, there is certainly merit in searching out the best.
Webinar: How to use the summer holidays to prevent learning loss
Keystone's Director of Education, Ed Richardson, is joined by Olly Hopwood (teacher at Westminster School) and Jonny Timms (Deputy Head at Caldicott Prep School) to discuss strategies parents might employ to prevent learning loss over the summer holidays.
Webinar: Why Home-Schooling – a Webinar to Discuss the ins and outs of Home-Schooling
Keystone Director of Education, Ed Richardson and Client Manager, Poppy Dundas, are joined by Andy Thompson, Education Consultant and Director of Oxford Myrtle. Andy looks after a number of families who are home-schooling their children for a variety of reasons. The panel discuss home-schooling, drawing on their experience at Keystone and answering the common questions that arise.
Finding the Right Tutor for My Child
Finding the right tutor can be a real game changer for your child, it can help to overcome areas of concern, and to unlock their academic potential. Looking for the right one, though, can be a minefield, and a stressful one for both you and your child. Below we answer 10 commonly asked questions that should make the whole process much easier.
What is the difference between IGCSE and GCSE?
GCSE and IGCSE are certainly very similar. Both qualifications are at the same level: they are designed to test the completion of the UK National Curriculum's "Key Stage 4". They are usually sat at the end of UK Year 11, in the year a student becomes 16. They have no age restriction, though - and have been sat by many students younger and older. By most higher education institutions and employers, they are seen as equivalent qualifications.
Upcoming Webinars & Events
We are running a series of free online webinars throughout June. We're delighted to be joined by a range of leading guest experts for each webinar.
The post Covid-19 graduate employment landscape
For this event Keystone Founder and Director, Will Orr-Ewing is joined by Sophie Wade and James Darley to discuss how the employment world will look after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Keystone Featured in Forbes
Keystone was recently mentioned in Forbes in a piece covering the fall of international students applying to UK schools and universities. Keystone's head of consultancy in China, Felix Hamilton, contributed to the article. He observes, "I think there inevitably will be a short term drop in demand". You can read the full article here.
FAQs from International Families about the Re-Opening of British Boarding Schools
Through our recent discussions with families who live abroad and have children studying at British boarding schools, we have compiled a list of their FAQs: .
GAP years - how to plan a GAP year in a socially distanced world
Keystone Director of Education, Ed Richardson is joined by Andrew Mackenzie, Managing Director of Africa and Asia Venture – experts in GAP year travel for over 25 years and Dr Jonathan Burbidge, housemaster and teacher at St Edward's School. Here they will be discussing the possibilities of a gap year and how this might be different from the normal in the context of Coronavirus.
Keystone Founder Will Orr-Ewing was Interviewed in a recent Podcast with The Exam House
Keystone Founder and Director was interviewed by The Exam House about the future of school assessments and exams. Listen to what he has to say here.
How the fallout from Covid-19 will affect Higher Education in the US
For this event we are delighted to be joined by US university specialists, ESM Prep. Harriet discusses the potential impact of the Covid-19 crisis on higher education in the US as well as broader application strategy.
Oxbridge - Progressing Your Application in Lockdown
For this webinar Keystone Consultant Harriet Blomefield is joined by former Westminster School Head of Sixth Form, David Hargreaves and Keystone Director of Asia, Jenny McGowan. They share their insights on applying to Oxford and Cambridge.
Home-Schooling: How Keystone Tutors Can Help
Keystone has built its reputation on providing supplementary tutoring: filling in gaps in a child’s education. Using excellent tutors teaching one-on-one, we also provide home-schooling support effectively and efficiently, often teaching years of curriculum content in a few months. There was a time when most education was conducted in this manner.
Applying to Universities Outside the UK
In this webinar Keystone Education Consultant, Harriet Blomefield is joined by David Hawkins from The University Guys to discuss applying to universities outside the UK. They discuss a range of options including applying to universities across Europe, Asia and the US.
Upcoming Webinars - University Applications, Graduate Employment & GAP Years
We are running a series of free online webinars throughout May and June. Our focus is on university applications, both in the UK and overseas as well as related webinars on "The post Covid-19 graduate employment landscape" and "How to plan a GAP year in a socially distanced world". We're delighted to be joined by a range of leading guest experts for each webinar.
GCSE and A levels 2020
Ed Richardson, our Director of Education and Harriet Blomefield, our lead consultant answer key questions relating to this year's GCSEs and A Levels. The recording took place on 17th April and was correct at time of recording.
Online Learning - Ground Rules for Students
To assist teachers and students in making online lessons as productive as possible we have put together this infographic on the ground rules that students should follow for online learning.
Keystone’s public service offering during the Coronavirus
Like the rest of the country, we have been rocked by the unfolding crisis caused by COVID-19. We are especially aware of the disruption caused to families across the country by measures such as the closure of UK schools and limits placed on movement outside the home. Scaling up a comprehensive online offering is naturally a huge task for schools.
Online Tutoring FAQs
Online tutoring is becoming more and more popular with students of all ages. Five years ago, 18% of Keystone’s lessons were delivered online; now this is 60% and we expect it to increase further. Here we answer typical questions we are asked about the phenomenon.
Keystone Features in Daily Telegraph
Keystone Tutors was featured in today's Telegraph piece on private tutoring. The piece described Keystone's unique approach to employing tutors full time: "Exclusively employed by Keystone, this highly-trained posse of 33 (so far) do almost half of Keystone’s tutoring and are a far cry from other agencies, whose tutors are freelance, often working across multiple agencies." Read the full article in The Telegraph.
How to Set Up a Home School
In light of the Covid-19 school closures we thought it would be helpful to list some of our key recommendations when it comes to making home-schooling a success.
Our Top 10 Tips for Teaching Online
Our Director of Education, Ed Richardson shares his top 10 tips using the acrostic ONLINE TIPS.
Top Tips for Revision
Keystone's Director of Education, Ed Richardson, joins our lead consultant Harriet Blomefield to discuss their top tips for revising.
Revision Strategies For The Upcoming Exam Season
Revision can be daunting and establishing a starting point is often a challenge at this time of year. The following article aims to provide ideas about where to start and how to approach revision with suggestions that can be immediately put into practice and will hopefully ease any revision concerns during the exam season.
Hong Kong School Closures and the Coronavirus
This blog is based on information available at time of writing (27th February 2020). As the school closures in Hong Kong have been extended until April 20th it seemed a pertinent time to write with what we hope will be helpful information during this uncertain time.
