Keystone Tutors Blog
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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.
Considering UK Universities from Abroad
‘What shall I do when I leave school?’ is just one of several important questions students make during their final three years at school. But it is one that they shouldn’t feel daunted by as this is an exciting time and, typically, the final step in their formal education. The most salient point to remember is that there is a spider’s web of people from whom they can seek advice: teachers, parents, friends and even current university students.
Can a quarter of exam grades awarded really be wrong?
As an avid Podcast listener, the More or Less Podcast has long been a weekly essential. The Podcast looks to explain the numbers and statistics used in political debate, the news and everyday life. I was particularly captivated by a recent episode, in which the Podcast investigated the truth behind claims made by The Times that “48% of A level results are wrong”.
Book your family in for an MOT with Keystone’s Education Health Check!
Unsure about how to monitor your child’s education, or keen to have an unbiased opinion regarding progress and future goals? .
Getting ready to start AQA A-Level Philosophy
Maybe you’ve just finished your GCSEs and have decided to enter the brave new world of Philosophy at A Level. It might feel both exciting and a little daunting to be beginning a brand-new subject in Year 12, rather than continuing one, such as Physics or English, that you’ve studied for some years.
What is the purpose of your CV? - Guest Post – Coaching4Careers
Coaching4Careers deliver coaching for businesses, universities, schools, charities and committees in the UK and internationally. Their experienced consultants help people at all levels to identify their strengths, so that they can build a career based on their natural talents and passions. They also help schools and their students with career planning, including getting the most from work experience assignments. Find out more here.
Thinking about your future? - Guest Post – Coaching4Careers
Coaching4Careers deliver coaching for businesses, universities, schools, charities and committees in the UK and internationally. Their experienced consultants help people at all levels to identify their strengths, so that they can build a career based on their natural talents and passions. They also help schools and their students with career planning, including getting the most from work experience assignments. Find out more here.
When and how to start preparing for 11+
Whilst Keystone does not encourage piling too much pressure on to yourself or your child, it is important to recognise the importance of the 11+ exams. For most children, it is their first ‘proper’ exam and can have a significant impact on at least the next seven years of their lives. It is therefore important to ensure the process is as stress free and as positive an experience as possible.
Applying to Study Engineering in the UK
Keystone's Director of Education, Ed Richardson and senior tutor Jon Gale discuss UK Engineering Degrees.
The LNAT Exam
The National Admissions Test for Law, or LNAT, can seem like a formidable hurdle for many students applying to read law at university; this is particularly the case when one considers the historically low average scores (usually around 50%) and the fact that many students do not know what to expect.
11 years of 11+
This article, by Keystone Founder, Will Orr-Ewing, was originally published in Absolutely Education magazine.
Oxford Classics Admission Test (CAT)
This guide is for anyone applying to sit Classics or any combination involving Classics at the University of Oxford. In the sections below you can find out if you need to sit the test and how you go about doing that. There is also some advice on how best to prepare for the test and how important the test will be to your application to study at Oxford.
The Maths Admissions Test (MAT) - Oxford
What is the MAT? The Maths Admissions Test (MAT) is the admissions test used by Oxford for degrees in Mathematics. If you’re applying for a Maths or Computer Science degree at Oxford or a Maths degree at Imperial College London, you must sit the MAT just after beginning year 13 in late October/early November.
The Modern Languages Aptitude Test (MLAT) - Oxford
Any candidate applying to study Modern Languages at Oxford or Cambridge will have to sit a written paper as part of the admissions process: The Modern Languages Aptitude Test (MLAT) at Oxford and the Modern and Medieval Languages Admissions Assessment (MMLAA) at Cambridge. There are big differences between the two tests, from the structure and what they are testing to when they are sat. This blog covers the Oxford MLAT. You can read our blog on the Cambridge MMLAA here.
The Modern and Medieval Languages Admissions Assessment (MMLAA) - Cambridge
Any candidate applying to study Modern Languages at Oxford or Cambridge will have to sit a written paper as part of the admissions process: The Modern Languages Aptitude Test (MLAT) at Oxford and the Modern and Medieval Languages Admissions Assessment (MMLAA) at Cambridge. There are big differences between the two tests, from the structure and what they are testing to when they are sat. This blog covers the Cambridge MMLAA. You can read our blog on the Oxford MLAT here.
What Should We Be Able To Do By The End Of Reception?
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is the first part of the National Curriculum for children aged 3-5, therefore covering both Nursery and Reception. During those years children will be assessed regularly in seven areas of learning: three ‘prime’ areas (Communication, Physical Development and Personal, Social and Emotional Development) and a further four ‘specific’ areas (Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding of the World and Expressive Arts and Design).
What can parents do to help 3+ assessments?
In some areas of London some children as young as 3 are already embarking into the mad and unsettling world of 3+ assessments. Assessing for nursery entry has long been a feature of prominent Pre-schools in New York but has thankfully been more of rarity this side of the pond. Some schools use this assessment to select children for nursery classes, usually linked to sought after independent schools.
What to look for when choosing a nursery for your child
Choosing a nursery is often a daunting experience for new parents as their main frame of reference will be dim memories of their own nursery experience! The increasingly competitive London nursery scene now means that parents in the most sought after areas are forced to make selections on nurseries before their child has turned 1 or even, in some cases, before they have been born.
Preparing for the Oxford History Aptitude Test (HAT)
All candidates for Oxford degree courses involving History must sit the History Aptitude Test (HAT). Students can often feel a little uneasy about the test at first, because its format has changed over time, and it is very different from A-level exams. To help make the test a less daunting prospect, I have created an introductory guide to what it entails and how best to prepare.
Changes to Consortium Schools' Entrance Exams
What did the old exams look like? This year’s (2018) examinations consisted of a paper based English and Maths examination. What will the new exam look like in 2019? At the moment, nobody knows definitively. The consortium have said that the exams will be as follows in their statement: “a one-hour long bespoke cognitive ability test including reasoning and Maths.
Effective Revision Strategies
Keystone's Director of Education, Ed Richardson and senior tutor Jon Gale discuss their top tips for effective revision.
Applying to UK Universities From Overseas
Keystone's founder Will Orr-Ewing and Director of Education Ed Richardson share their insights into applying to university in the UK as an international student. If you are looking for support with your university application then contact us.
Top Tips for School Entrance Interviews
Keystone's founder, Will Orr-Ewing, and Director of Education, Ed Richardson, share their insights on tackling entrance interviews for independent schools.
How to prepare for UK school interviews
If I were to ask whether all of you have been interviewed before, some of you might say that you haven’t and that you are finding the prospect of having an interview at a senior school rather alarming.
George Orwell’s 6 rules for writing good English
George Orwell is famous first for novels such as Animal Farm and 1984, but he also wrote a number of brilliant and insightful essays. His written English is clean and unambiguous, and therein lies the beauty. In his essay “Politics and the English Language”, Orwell writes that “the great enemy of clear language is insincerity” and communicates 6 rules to help keep your writing clear and concise.
Top Tips For Oxbridge Interviews - English at Oxford
Rory Maybery, Keystone Professional Tutor and English graduate from Lincoln College, Oxford discusses his interview with Keystone founder, Will Orr-Ewing. Rory shares his experiences of the final month of preparation before his interview. He talks about the benefits of practice interviews; what to read ahead of your interview; as well as how to approach the interview process itself.
The British Education and Schools Show in Singapore
We have worked closely with Stephanie Cheah at Waypoints for a number of years and all the more so since establishing Keystone’s office in Singapore in March. Waypoints offer UK boarding schools consulting to families in Singapore and organises the British Education and Schools Show in Asia, which runs for the second time later this month.
