Keystone Tutors Blog

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Keystone's Director in Asia, Jenny McGowan, was joined by our Head of Consultancy, Harriet Brook, and Ed Richardson, our Director of Education to discuss different Prep school options for your child. They provided a fantastic insight into the junior/Prep school landscape for any parent considering Prep school options for their child.

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Keystone's Director in Asia, Jenny McGowan, was joined by our Head of Consultancy, Harriet Brook, and Ed Richardson, our Director of Education to discuss the different senior school options for your child. They provided their top tips on how to select and apply to a school .

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Keystone's Homeschooling and Courses Manager, Poppy Dundas, was joined by Professional Tutors Jon Gale and Lara Isaac. Lara is also a trained nutritionist and together they discussed how best to get your child prepared for the upcoming exams. Topics included keeping motivation strong, the best foods to eat, how to structure revision days, how to calm nerves and general revision tips and tricks.

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This guide is for anyone applying to a university programme where applicants must first complete the Test of Mathematics for University Admission (TMUA). 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 mathematics at university.

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Starting primary school is a big step in your child’s life and marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter. This guide gives you a detailed overview on preparing your child for school, recommended reading lists plus some activities and ideas that may be helpful for supporting your child with the transition.

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Students often feel a little uneasy about the Oxford HAT at first, because its format has changed over time, and because it is very different from A-level exams.  To make the test a less daunting prospect, I have created an introductory guide for candidates as to what it entails and how best to prepare.

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Are you taking your GCSE English exam this summer and looking for advice on how to achieve a top grade?  In this article Michael has compiled some useful insights, tips and guidance on how best to prepare for the GCSE English exam and his top tips for achieving a Grade 9.

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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.

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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.

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Are you taking your GCSE Maths exam this summer and looking for advice on how to achieve a top grade?  In this article, Keystone Tutors have compiled some useful insights, tips and guidance on how best to prepare for the GCSE Maths exam, top tips for achieving a Grade 9 and some interesting findings from the examiners reports.

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Keystone's Homeschooling and Courses Manager, Poppy Dundas, was joined by Keystone's Director of Education, Ed Richardson, and our guest expert Clare de Lotbiniere, a BACP Accredited Psychotherapist, to discuss how we can support school-aged children with their mental health.

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Enrolling your child in a new school for the final two years of their secondary education can be a big change, at a critical time in their pathway toward university. It can also be an enormous opportunity as well, if your child gains a place at a school that is a better fit for their needs and goals.

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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.

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Understanding the expectations of Maths in the 11 Plus  11 Plus Maths is a staple of every child’s experience throughout years 5-7 of school, whether they sit an ISEB 11 Plus, Common Entrance Paper or a pre-test for 13 Plus entry.

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How to prepare for 11 Plus Creative Writing Creative writing at 11 Plus can be a really tricky skill to teach, and an even trickier one to learn. It can seem very vague and wishy washy: ‘more detail’, ‘more vibrant vocabulary’ etc. I often get the sense that students are not really sure why one paragraph may get lots of ticks, and another not so much.

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Non-verbal reasoning is a type of problem-solving centred on shapes, figures and patterns. It tests your ability to think logically and understand the relationships between patterns and numbers.

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There are three types of reasoning tested within the UKiset: Verbal Reasoning: language questions and problem solving with words  Non-Verbal Reasoning: solving problems using shapes, pictures and logic  Mathematical Reasoning: looking at number, value, quantity and sequence concepts.

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Common FAQs on Working with an Education Consultant The decision on where your child should go to school or university is a critical one, and can be exciting, complicated, and even a little overwhelming for any parent.   It can be the culmination of years of your child’s hard work and careful planning, and can open up avenues for their education and career that enable them to flourish – or close them off.

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Reading List for children in Year 1 and Year 2 (Age 6 and 7)Parents often ask us for reading recommendations and so we have compiled the following list below as a good starting point! These are all either personal favourites or recommended on well renowned book lists.

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Reading List for children in Year 3 and Year 4 (Age 7 and 8)Children studying for the 8 plus exams are moving on from the initial chapter books and early reading series they may have looked at during seven plus preparation and are starting to choose more sophisticated titles. Books at this age are starting to get longer and tackle a broader range of subjects.

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Reading List for children in Year 5, Year 6 and Year 7 (Age 9 to 11) Children studying for the 11 plus exams are at a key point in their school reading journey. They are starting to develop the independence and autonomy to seek out their own reading books and decide how to incorporate reading into their daily routine.

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In order to excel in the 11 Plus, children need to have a wide vocabulary to draw on. Good vocabulary knowledge will help in all aspects of the English exam (reading, writing, verbal reasoning) as well as in the interviews. Comprehending the reading part of the exam requires knowledge of what the individual words mean and what they mean within the context of the particular comprehension.

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Students taking the 13 Plus will be expected to use language effectively in all areas of the English exam, as well as in interviews. The exam will likely test candidates understanding of an unseen passage from a novel, play, poem or from another genre. At this level, students are assessed on their understanding of the text, as well as their analysis and evaluation of it.

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Vocabulary plays a crucial part in all aspects of communication; listening, speaking, reading and writing. Children taking the 8 Plus exam will need to have a good range of vocabulary to call on in interviews, and when completing the reading, writing and reasoning aspects of the entrance exams.This age group will be developing their use of logic and understanding of cause and effect.

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Six to seven year olds expand their vocabulary at a rapid rate, learning 5-10 words a day. While these are mostly learnt indirectly through everyday experiences, such as through discussion and reading, direct teaching can consolidate and improve a child’s vocabulary knowledge in readiness for the 7+ exam.

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Keystone works extensively with families looking to relocate to the UK from abroad or apply to a UK boarding school.  Our Consultants use their in-depth knowledge of the British education system and entrance exams to help families all over the world find the right UK school for their child.

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There are a great variety of resources and materials available online for Pre-Test and 11 plus assessments. The most reliable are from Galore Park, although some schools do offer sample papers or links to the types of assessment they use. Below we have compiled details of entry requirements and links to school specific 11 plus past papers for independent schools in London that are free to download.

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In this webinar Harriet, Keystone's Director of Education, and Sabine Hook, a specialist nursery consultant, discussed the following key questions: How do you decide what the best option is for your child? When should parents start thinking about nursery schools and when do they need to register? How do you start the search and What do you recommend looking for in a nursery? What questions should parents ask when visiting a nursery? Is the Ofsted report a good place to find out.

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Oxford has 39 colleges, Cambridge 31. You can leave it to chance and make an open application, but most people expect to direct their application to one of them. In some ways, it seems an unnecessary distraction. After all, no one presents Formula One drivers on the starting grid with a wine list expecting them to choose which champagne they want to be sprayed with on the podium.

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UK universities are incredibly popular with students from Hong Kong, and Keystone Tutors has extensive experience in helping these students to gain admission to their desired university. This invaluable guide covers key facts and tips about the application process, how to choose the right university and course, and the costs and fees involved.

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In the press

Knight Frank
Ed Richardson
Times Educational Supplement
The West Journal