Keystone Tutors Blog
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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.
The merits of and differences between UK boarding schools and schools in Singapore
Diana Stewart-Brown, head of Keystone’s Singapore office, considers why overseas parents are attracted to UK independent schools.
Education Philosophy – 3 Common Myths
Parents today take a more active interest in their children’s education than the generation or two that preceded them, so that it’s not unusual for those of us working in education to be asked our views on a “growth mindset” one day or the “outdatedness of the 19th century factory model of education” the next.
Preparing for Common Entrance
The age old common entrance exam is still insisted upon by many of the UK’s independent schools for 11+ and 13+ entry. The 11+exams tends to comprise English, Maths and Science whilst the 13+ comprises of ten subjects (Maths, English, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geography, History, Religious Studies, Latin, French/Spanish/ German/Mandarin).
The Cambridge Pre-U Explained
What is it and why have many schools adopted it? The Cambridge Pre-U was launched in 2008 and is an equivalent course to the A Level studied in the final two years of school. It aims to offer more depth than the A Level and prepare students more appropriately for university.
How To Write A Personal Statement (UCAS)
WHY is the Personal Statement important? The personal statement is a 4,000 character (one page) document in which you have the opportunity to show admissions tutors that you are ideally suited to study your chosen course at undergraduate level. The lion’s share of a UCAS application is formulaic (e.g.
A triumph for online tutoring!
At a glance, Eton’s 2017 Roll of King’s Scholars appears conventional; a list of the UK’s most notably successful prep-schools. Look more closely and one school sticks out like a sore thumb: Stanford OHS.
Why has entrance to UK independent schools become so much more competitive?
Over the last decade, gaining entry to UK independent schools has become increasingly competitive. Below, Diana Stewart-Brown discusses some of the biggest factors.
How to choose a London Prep School
Choosing a prep-school in London is often a daunting process and whilst you likely have some fundamental pre-requisites set in stone, we have listed a few points below which you might not have considered.
Single-sex vs. Co-educational Schools
When Keystone offers advice on choosing schools, we aim to recommend schools which will best prepare a child for adult life, both academically and socially.
