Monthly Archives: October 2011

Do stereotypes hold young learners back?

Over one hundred happy students come to the Better Tuition Centre every week and they all start off with a FREE assessment.  Over the years, particular issues with learning come up time and again. If I had a penny for … Continue reading

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Here’s a cost-cutting measure we can all agree with…

We have a proposition for Trafford Council that will save them money, reduce congestion on roads across the borough and help young people sitting their entrance examinations for Trafford’s grammar schools.  Sounds interesting?  Read our letter to the Stretford and … Continue reading

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Decoding the Year 1 phonics screening check

  The Year 1 phonics screening check (not test!) will be run by all schools beginning in June of 2012 until such times as decoding phonics is no longer fashionable at the Department for Education. The introduction of the screening … Continue reading

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What to do in Manchester and Trafford at half term

  The Better Tuition centre will be closed for rest, recuperation and relaxation over half term (23rd – 30th October 2011) – even Urmston’s top tutors need the occasional rest – but before we go we’d like to leave you with … Continue reading

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Entrance exams: what you need to know (part 3 of an occasional series)

Verbal Reasoning (VR) is a key component in all of Trafford’s state grammar school entrance examinations, bar one (Urmston Grammar).  VR tests understanding, and ability to reason through words.  Question types include: 1.  Identifying opposites, e.g. Choose the word which is most … Continue reading

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Entrance exams: what do I need to know? Part 2: NVR

What do we hear most often from parents who come to us for entrance exam preparation?  “I can help my child with everything but Non-verbal Reasoning.”  If you feel like this also, read on for how to get results that … Continue reading

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Entrance Exams: what do I need to know? Part 1 of 3

This post aims to give an overview of Trafford’s entrance exam system and give an idea of what you should be doing now if you are the parent of a Year 5 child. There are seven grammar schools in Trafford: … Continue reading

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No Neat Solution to the Problem of NEETs

The dismal news that the UK currently has more NEETs than any other nation in the developed world bar the US has to be a wake-up call for those who care about our young people.  Almost one in ten of our … Continue reading

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Please find us and follow us…

There’s lots to see on Better Tuition’s Facebook page. We’ve got plenty to talk about and we’d love you to chat with us on Facebook or Twitter, so please get clicking and join our happy gangs of followers and fans. … Continue reading

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How dealing with failure can help your child prepare for success

The news that 2010 Apprentice winner Stella English has been fired by Alan Sugar comes as a surprise, but I have a feeling she’ll take it in her stride.  From burning the toast to botching our driving tests (four times … Continue reading

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