Keystone Tutors Blog
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Making a Revision Plan
Keystone's Director of Education shares his thoughts on making an effective revision plan.
Organising Your Way to Effective Revision
As a tutor I have the opportunity to work with a wide variety of students, but despite the differences between them I often encounter some of the same issues over and over again.
Children and The Use of Technology
One topic often discussed in my conversations with parents is the impact of technology on family life.
Pre-Preparatory School (Reception – Year 3) Reading List
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.
Primary Level Resources for the Home
In the primary phase of education, it is important that children secure the fundamentals. This truth especially holds for the fundamental topics in English and Maths, without which future academic progress is made significantly more difficult.
Oxbridge - Key Application Dates For Oxford and Cambridge
NB: Correct at time of writing. Details may be subject to change. One scheme Oxford and Cambridge use to weed out weaker candidates is their complicated application process! If you don’t want to fall at the first fence, have a read of the below which outlines the most important steps.
Romance, Bloodbaths and Poetic Immortality: A Guide to a GCSE Set Text
This is a striking piece of poetry. Nine books and a good 6,000 lines of poetry into his epic, Virgil breaks from the narrative to address the audience directly and tells us that his work will be read for as long as the Roman Empire lasts.
Book, Line and Sinker: Fostering a Love of Reading
With the summer holidays in full swing, parents will be wanting to keep their children’s minds active, so as to stop the dreaded ‘summer slide’ in academic ability. However, they may encounter problems. It can be hard to know where to start when choosing a book; some children are reluctant readers; and others do read, but stay away from ‘the classics’. With a little bit of effort from parents and tutors, however, these difficulties can be overcome.
University Applications
The summer ahead presents an excellent opportunity for those who have just finished their AS/A-Levels to think about the next step. UCAS requires applications to be completed by mid-January* and sixth formers will find their first term of the academic year saturated by careers advice and personal statements. University can be a fantastic experience and, in addition to a degree, will likely provide you with lifelong friends and the best environment in which to mature.
The Solution to Hannah's Sweet Question
The internet has once again been abuzz with a tricky Maths question (following the extremely challenging problem set in a Singaporean exam a few weeks ago). Today's question came from the Edexcel GCSE exam paper. The question and solution are below.
Why Children Should Read
Scanning the education news last week, I was struck by a headline in the Guardian on reading: "Lost for words? How reading can teach children empathy".
Online Revision Resources
At this time of year, I am often asked where to find decent revision materials. My response is always the same: your child’s rucksack. Parents look at me confused: do I really think that their child has matured enough in the run-up to exams to have finally started making colourful, concise and comprehensive notes? Of course I don’t. Most of them have lost their folders or thrown them into bogs.
The Solution to Albert, Bernard and Cheryl's Birthday Maths Problem
The internet has been abuzz with a Maths problem that has everyone stumped. It was set by the Singapore and Asian School Math Olympiads. The question (and solution) are below.
Easter Holiday Revision Tips
Easter is at a sharp approach and following this weekend students and parents may be feeling daunted by the exams ahead. An organised approach to revision is fundamental to success and I hope the following suggestions will help you in the run up to the summer exams.
Online Tutoring – How Far Can It Go?
Keystone was fortunate enough to be invited to hear the outgoing Headmaster of Eton, Tony Little, speak last week. To a packed house at the Royal Geographic Society, he delivered an excellent paper for the Old Etonian Association titled… “The New Etonian.” You can view a video of the lecture on the Eton website.
Compulsory Post-16 Maths?
I recently came across an article in which Elizabeth Truss, MP for South West Norfolk, claimed ‘Britain is still in denial about its Maths problem.’ Truss is amongst a wealth of other significant figures in government, education and public life, most notably Carol Vorderman, who have, in recent years, paid reference to the fact that UK students are falling behind their international peers when it comes to mathematical competence.
National Tutoring Conference Speech on Trends in Private Tutoring in London
I was delighted to speak at The National Tutoring Conference today. I had been asked to comment on where the demand in UK for private tutoring had come from in the past 10 years, and started by pointing out that the market is now so broad and fragmented that my own observations were bound to be limited and were not necessarily representative of the UK tutoring market as a whole.
Keystone Sponsors Event with Education Secretary, Nicky Morgan
Keystone was delighted to sponsor Politeia's Winter Address by Secretary of State for Education, Nicky Morgan. Keystone has been a long standing supporter of Politeia's education programme which has been provoking expert discussion and generating wide ranging opinion on curriculum reform.
Why We Support Kung-Fu Maths
It is a fact of living in a diverse city like London that it is home to both families of privilege and those of more modest means. As a company, we were keen to make sure that we do not ignore those children for whom tutoring was not so easily affordable but who would nonetheless derive much benefit from it.
