Excel in Key Subjects

You’ve still got to paddle your own canoe!

It is foolish to leave everything to the government and the experts to sort out. Whilst I strongly agree that one ought to take the opinion of experts into account when making decisions, we live in a world where there is a huge amount of information available at our fingertips. From experience, we have learned that, when faced with a crisis of this magnitude, it is usually up to the individual person or family to make critical decisions. Of course, we ought to recognize the opinions and recommendations of large institutions such as the government and other expert bodies such as the BMA and WHO, etc. But I would like to draw an analogy between the current coronavirus situation and trying to paddle a canoe across a wide sea in very turbulent waters. The government and experts provide the navigation equipment and radar and so on to help us navigate and, perhaps, row safely; however, success ultimately depends on the ability of the individual family or person to read and interpret the navigation gadget and row safely to a safe shore.

The bigger picture of cancellation of exams

Cancelling or delaying exams would have a knock-on effect regarding university placements, so this is another reason why such a measure may not be taken. In the event of school closures, contingency plans are being drawn up to allow students to still sit their exams, although, as yet, exact details remain unclear.

It must be said that it is extremely unlikely that the GCSE exams will be cancelled, or even postponed, as both options have serious ramifications. In the event they are cancelled, what is likely to happen is that students will be awarded an estimated grade in each of the subjects, a situation that many will consider to be hugely unjust. There is a very strong case for disagreeing with cancellation as many students accelerate their performance in the months and weeks leading up to the summer examinations. For those students who may have sped up their potential performance at the last minute, an estimation of grades, based on teachers’ recommendations, is unlikely to take into account such 11th-hour improvements. In my view, the issue of massive disruption that results to examinations and qualifications is the third most serious concern, superseded only by the notion of loved ones being seriously ill or dying and of an economic slowdown or decline. There is no easy way out of this situation for the young people, their parents and the government. It is unfortunate that the coronavirus situation has added to the already existing anxiety as young people face their summer examinations. The worry is that it is more likely to get worse than get better. All we can do is to work hard at minimising the damage that will be done.

Technology – a blessing and a curse!

Whilst technology has come to the rescue and we must explore it to the fullest, taking into consideration the fact that schools are looking at teaching the full daily timetable online, there is a big question mark hanging over the likeliness of the success and effectiveness of such an approach, for two reasons:

1. It is already so close to the exams that no matter how effective the use of remote teaching proves, there will still be considerable disruption, not least psychologically, in the minds of the students. This is mainly because they will be using an unfamiliar system when they face the first major test of their academic lives
2. People use the internet and computers in a very unproductive way, as most people allow themselves to be distracted whilst using their computer to do serious work that demands a high level of concentration and focus. Incoming messages and other distractions in the home environment are a great challenge

There is no guarantee that teenagers will change their behaviour and stay on task when they are learning online for such a prolonged period of time.

Coronavirus – how can Excel in Key Subjects help?

Below are some of the features of Excel in Key Subjects regarding how it operates its Saturday classes and intensive revision during school holidays. Some of these features make our operation less risky in comparison to the traditional, larger classroom sizes

*Teaching in groups of five to six students – with the largest number being eight students in a group

* Gatherings during lunchtime usually have a maximum of 15 people congregating in an area

*Material that is covered focuses on the key aspects of each student’s specification and teaching of the content is followed by exam question practice in every session

* Because of the coronavirus, for vulnerable young people, or due to parental concern or the fact that a member of their family is of a higher risk, we have been providing resources by sending work home to students. We expect the students to do the work and submit it for marking and feedback by our teachers.

*We have been working on a contingency plan in the unlikely event that we have to shut down classes. This will be aimed at delivering lessons online via a video link and getting students to do assignments and submit them for marking and feedback

*Following the outbreak of the coronavirus, all recommendations by Public Health England are monitored and observed.

With our Saturday classes, your child can easily excel at GCSE maths. We also run intensive revision classes during school holidays and the Easter break in all GCSE subjects! Register now to give your child the weekend weak-end boost. https://bit.ly/2TFuLiB

Boost your child's GCSE/ IGCSE exam grades in English, Maths, Physics, Chemistry & Biology with our Saturday Classes.

Register your interest now to give your child the weekend weak-end boost.

We also run Intensive Review Classes during school holidays and Easter break for the core subjects.

Excel in key subjects Excel in key subjects

Boost your child’s A-level exam performance. With our Saturday classes, your child will excel!
Register now, give your child the weekend weak-end boost.
If they need a boost before exams then register interest for our intensive revision courses during school holidays and the Easter break.

Excel in key subjects Excel in key subjects

As the final few weeks of the school term pass by, and the exam period finishes for those in GCSE and A level, many students and parents are turning their thoughts to the summer break ahead.

The summer holidays allow us time to rest and get some perspective on our progress in life, but they also provide us the time to tackle things that we often don't have time to do during term time.

Here's list of a few of the things that students should consider to have their most productive summer ever…

Read on the blog: http://excelinkeysubjects.com/7-ways-to-make-the-most-of-your-summer-holidays/

Rest & Relaxation

Making productive use of your summer break to get an academic edge and to further career prospects is a great idea, but it's important to remember that as well as experiencing a fierce level of competition from fellow students, young people today are under an unprecedented amount of pressure to perform and succeed. The summer break (particularly for year 11 and 13 students) can provide students with just that - a break. The first few weeks of summer can be a great time for students to rest & relax, allowing them to forget about studying for a few weeks and recharge their batteries in preparation for the year ahead.

Take up a New Skill

Working on new skills and hobbies that aren't related to your chosen school subjects can be a great way to relax, whilst also developing yourself in a way that boosts your CV and can impress future employers. Career prospects aside, working on areas outside your chosen domain is one of the best ways to become a well-rounded and interesting person, expanding your horizons and becoming an effective adult. Here are some ideas we like:
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Continue reading on the blog -
http://excelinkeysubjects.com/7-ways-to-make-the-most-of-your-summer-holidays/