A quick disclaimer: these days, exams are in so many different formats: online, offline, adaptive, summative, multiple-choice, extended answer; the list could go on and on. Some of these tips will be more appropriate for some formats than for others, but any examinee will find something helpful below. 1 Don’t underestimate the power of one deep breath One. Deep. Slow. Breath. It’s calmed many an examinee’s nerves, and my students know that when they’re feeling stressed, this is their first port of call. Looking for a school entrance tutor? Meet them here 2 ‘Mouth’ the questions It’s incredib ..read more

Exam technique – Why is it important? I remember taking my GCSE exams (more years ago than I would like to admit!) and feeling incredibly nervous. I also felt like everyone else, my friends especially, were holding it together and taking the exams in their stride with ease. I had revised for weeks beforehand, whole weekends lost trying to commit as much content to memory as humanly possible. My friends revised only a few days before each exam, or so they said. Looking for a Science Tutor? Meet them here Later that summer I managed to achieve GCSE grades that I was pleased with but it was a l ..read more

Are you ready to achieve academic excellence in your A-level STEM exams? Look no further than Rugby School Online’s two-day Easter STEM A-level Sprint Finish revision courses! Our program guarantees complete syllabus coverage, exceptional exam preparation, and the assistance of experienced teachers, giving you the valuable tools required to excel and perform exceptionally in your final exams. What is a Sprint Finish? Sprint Finish courses are LIVE intensive revision courses designed to cover the whole syllabus in just two days. We understand that revision can be daunting, which is why our qual ..read more

As you progress through your career, you are likely to be involved in many conversations with colleagues to support them in their practice, but you may also be called upon to mentor colleagues in a more official and structured capacity. Many schools have formally embedded mentoring as an integral part of their professional development policy, which goes to show how highly these skills are valued. Understanding the key aspects of this practice will allow you to engage meaningfully and successfully in mentoring relationships, wherever and whenever they are needed. Thinking of becoming a tutor ..read more

Whether you’re an experienced teacher or just starting out, applying for a new role can be daunting. While every school has their own variation on hiring policies and practices, there are some key dos and don’ts when it comes to putting your best foot forward and giving yourself the best chance of success. First things first – is this job for me? Don’t apply if you don’t meet the essential criteria… Make sure you have the necessary qualifications to be eligible for the promotion at all. This could include a higher teaching qualification such as an MA in Education, or something specific to the ..read more

Oundle School has partnered with Swansea University to offer a unique 5-day Residential Engineering Course for 14-16 years from 3rd – 7th July 2023. The course will be led by the Head of Aerospace Engineering at Swansea University, Dr. Ben Evans with his team of experts and hosted in Oundle School’s state of-the-art SciTec facility and Engineering Centre in Oundle, Northamptonshire. Working as a team, participants will design rocket cars using CAD software OnShape and build models with the latest 3D printing technology. Once completed, the cars will be tested in a state-of-the-art Wind Tunnel ..read more

Pandora’s box is open… again. Since the dawn of human civilisation, technological advances have changed the way that humans live and behave. From the invention of the wheel to the internet, innovations are typically met with a mixture of excitement and fear. Much like the innovations of the past, the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots is about to create a seismic shift in the status quo, the way it will change education is likely to be profound. What does the chatbox “think”? To illustrate the power of this technology, I asked for an AI chatbot to write a post that matches t ..read more

As all teachers know, your mind is constantly ticking over with checklists. Dr Tina Boogren contended that teachers make more minute-by-minute decisions than a brain surgeon. The problem with this? That makes for a lot of classroom admin to keep track of, married with a large dose of exhaustion. As an NQT (or ECT as it is now known), I constantly felt like I was drowning, occasionally coming up for air. The admin required to do my job adequately felt relentless, leaving me always on the backfoot. Teaching History at Secondary Level meant that I had several classes in the same year group, creat ..read more

A meeting with parents or carers can be daunting, especially if it could involve discussing a tricky subject. No matter the situation, there are some key principles you can follow that will give you the best chance of a purposeful and positive conversation, allowing you to maintain those vital relationships with students and parents and focus on what you do best: teaching. Thinking of becoming a home tutor? Click here 1. Have a plan and purpose Before the conversation, decide what your key take-home message is and a basic structure you hope to follow. Perhaps it’s a concern about a change in ..read more

Important Information for IB Mathematics Students: Please remember, it is the student’s responsibility to ensure their investigation meets all the IB IA assessment criteria. Personal engagement matters, so be sure to choose a topic that resonates with you personally. Meet our IB Maths Tutors here Each of the following titles (in bold) link to sites, documents or videos that give a little information about possible investigations or maths that might be involved in your project. It is up to you (and your teacher) to make sure the level of maths in your IA is appropriate. Don’t think you need t ..read more