Nick Dale - Private Tutor

28/09/2026

Divisibility Rules OK!
Times tables can be tricky, and there’s no substitute for learning them by heart. However, the divisibility rules can at least tell you whether an answer is definitely wrong. I’m a great believer in ‘sanity checking’ your work. Just ask yourself, “Is this crazy?” If it is, you’ll have to do the question again!

And, no, this is nothing to do with Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak… Times tables can be tricky, and there’s no substitute for learning them by heart. However, the divisibility …

28/09/2026

11+ Word of the Day: embrace = hug (noun and verb)

27/09/2026

Algebra
Algebra is supposed to make life easier. By learning a formula or an equation, you can solve any similar type of problem whatever the numbers involved. However, an awful lot of students find it difficult, because letters just don’t seem to ‘mean’ as much as numbers. Here, we’ll try to make life a bit easier…

Nothing makes the heart of a reluctant mathematician sink like an algebra question. Algebra is supposed to make life easier. By learning a formula or an equation, you can solve any similar type of …

27/09/2026

11+ Word of the Day: designated = named

26/09/2026

Useful Terms in Maths
Maths is complicated, but a good first step on the road to understanding it is to get to know the most useful terms. There are lists in the front of the Bond books, but here’s my own contribution. I hope it helps!

  Maths is complicated, but a good first step on the road to understanding it is to get to know the most useful terms. There are lists in the front of the Bond books, but here’s my own c…

26/09/2026

11+ Word of the Day: cleanse = clean (verb)

25/09/2026

Negative Numbers
Working with negative numbers can be confusing, but a few simple rules can help you add, subtract, multiply and divide successfully…

Working with negative numbers can be confusing, but a few simple rules can help you add, subtract, multiply and divide successfully: Adding and Subtracting If the operator and the sign are the same…

25/09/2026

11+ Word of the Day: brief = short or inform

24/09/2026

Prime Factors
Prime factors have nothing to do with Optimus Prime – sadly – but they often crop up in Maths tests and can be used to find the Lowest Common Multiple or Highest Common Factor of two numbers…

Prime factors have nothing to do with Optimus Prime – sadly – but they often crop up in Maths tests and can be used to find the Lowest Common Multiple or Highest Common Factor of two nu…

24/09/2026

11+ Word of the Day: accustom = familiarise