October 2018 Half Term Activities in and Around Manchester

Posted on 17/10/2018 by

Half term October 2018 is coming up and there are a plethora of events to entertain, educate and amuse your family in Manchester and the surrounding areas. Here is our pick of the best ones.

Dashehra and Diwal Celebrations

Image result for diwali celebrations

Autumn is the season of golden leaves, bright orange pumpkins and cosy nights by the fire. There’s no denying that the longer nights can be a little gloomy, which is why the Hindu festivals of  Diwali and Dashehra are very welcome, bringing light and movement into the still, dark and chilly evenings. Head to Albert Square, Manchester from 2 – 9 pm on 20th October for the joint celebration of Dashehra and Diwali. Dance, drama and music will be followed by a stunning lantern parade as darkness falls and a spectacular finale of fireworks.

This event is FREE.

Manchester Science Festival at the Museum of Science and Industry .

Museum of Science and Industry

This annual event never disappoints. Highlights include Distortions in Spacetime (18th – 28th October). If you’re brave enough to step into a black hole and prepared to be stretched, squashed and spaghettified, tickets are FREE but booking is essential, so visit the website well in advance. Relaxed sessions are available. Also at the MoSI, don’t miss Power Playground (20 – 21 October), where you can make a solar-powered model car, build a fuel cell and use a drone to explore a virtual windfarm.

Take Tea with a Tiger at Quarry Bank Mill

‘The Tiger Who Came to Tea’ is on a nationwide tour of National Trust places and is stopping at Quarry Bank Mill until 28th October for an exhibition celebrating the 50th anniversary of Judith Kerr’s classic. Make tea for a giant cuddly tiger in an interactive play kitchen.

Alongside the ‘The Tiger Who Came to Tea’, the exhibition will feature children’s classic books from the Workers’ Library collection.

This event is FREE.

Hallowe’en Festival, Southport

Image result for halloween festival southport
Trick or treat trails, ghost pirate pandemonium and a ‘scare’ crow festival are just a few of the spooky goings on in Southport over half term. Lose yourself in the haunted maze in the Town Hall Gardens, get tickets for the Little Monsters’ Ball and be sure to watch out for the two giant dragons swooping over the town.

Events take place throughout half term and are mostly FREE. Visit the website to see the full schedule.

Monster Hallowe’en Ball, Liverpool

Image result for monster halloween ball liverpool

Billed as three days of workshops, mini parades, dance-offs and more, the Monster Hallowe’en Ball will run from 24 – 26 October at the Palm House in Liverpool’s famous Sefton Park. Hosted by the Lantern Company, activities include monster mask and lantern making and evening visits from giant puppets who will light up the dance floor. Tickets start from £7.50 – book here.

Hallowe’en Main Stage in Exchange Square, Manchester

Image result for exchange square manchester

Gruesome gravestones, giant cemetery gates complete with gatekeeper will adorn the main stage, which will playhost to Heart, CBeebies and CBBC. Challenge Death to a game of chess or simply enjoy the live music, entertainment and street food on offer.

This event is FREE and will run on 27th and 28th October. Visit the website for the full schedule.

Poppies: Wave at Imperial War Museum North

Image result for imperial war museum north poppies

Visit Imperial War Museum North at Salford Quays to make and star in your own mini-documentary, view  the Poppies: Wave installation and even attend a poppy handling workshop – all for free. Half term activities run from 20 – 26th October, whilst Poppies: Wave is on display until 25th November.

Half Earth Day at Manchester Museum

Image result for half earth day

Our precious planet Earth is under threat. Half Earth Day, part of Manchester Science Festival, aims to draw attention to this global campaign to save half the world for all of life. Plastic coughed up by seabirds, ancient Egyptian beehives and the living colonies on the museum’s roof will all be on display. For families aged 5+. This event will run from 11 – 4 pm on 22nd October and is FREE.

The Big Draw at the Whitworth

Image result for the big draw

The world’s biggest drawing festival takes centre stage at the Whitworth on 22nd October from 11 am – 3 pm. Explore patterns in art and nature from a scientific point of view. Take an experimental approach to drawing using scientific methods, create your own colourful screen prints and produce repeat patterns to rival the Whitworth’s collection.

This event is FREE.

Anderton Firework Spectacular

Image result for anderton boat lift

Stand on the lawned terraces of the majestic Victorian Anderton boat lift and watch as the night sky is lit up by dramatic explosions of colour over the River Weaver. Food, music, a ghost train and children’s adventure playground promise to make this a memorable evening. This event takes place from 6.30 – 11.30 pm on 27th October. Family tickets start at £20.

 Lightpool Festival, Blackpool

Image result for lightpool festival blackpool 2018

From 25th – 27th October, Blackpool’s night sky will come alive with a carnival of light. Visit the website for more details.

Half Term at Dunham Massey

Image result for dunham masseyHelp Herbie the Hedgehog get ready for hibernation with a trail around the gardens. You can also make some cute cobweb crafts. Events run throughout half term and are FREE.

Better Tuition will be closed for half term from Sunday, 21st October until Monday, 29th October. When we reopen, why not give us a call on 0161 748 3912 to find out how we can help your child achieve and succeed in school?

 

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Proposed Changes to Ofsted Inspection Framework Announced

Posted on 16/10/2018 by


At Better Tuition, the learner is at the centre of everything we do. We challenge and support learners to develop thinking skills. Our goal is for our students to gain high-level thinking and study skills. We prepare children for specific exams such as entrance exams and GCSEs, but it is always our aim to give our students an enthusiasm for learning, coupled with independent study skills. The good news this week is that education’s governing bodies are taking our views on board.

A common criticism of schools currently is that they are ‘exam factories’, concerned only with results in SATs, GCSEs and A Levels. Bowing to the pressure of more a more demanding curriculum and significantly more challenging GCSE syllabi, many schools have been accused of simply ‘teaching to the test’.

To counteract this, the UK’s Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) has announced changes to its inspection framework. Speaking to school leaders at the annual SCHOOLS NorthEast summit in Newcastle, Ofsted Chief Inspector,  Amanda Spielman said the changes would take effect from September 2019. According to Ofsted, the changes will be designed to allow teachers and leaders to spend more of their time on the real substance of education.

Moving away from a Focus on Data

In recent times, Ofsted has tended to focus on results. The new framework will seek to look away from mere numbers and to examine how schools are going about achieving their results. The big question will be: are schools offering a curriculum that is broad, rich and deep?

Ms Spielman acknowledged that the current inspection framework has increased teachers’ already excessive workload. She said that when it comes to assessing a school, Ofsted should complement, rather than intensify, performance data.

“For a long time, our inspections have looked hardest at outcomes, placing too much weight on test and exam results when we consider the overall effectiveness of schools,” she said. “The cumulative impact of performance tables and inspections, and the consequences that are hung on them, has increased the pressure on school leaders, teachers and indirectly on pupils to deliver perfect data above all else.

“But we know that focusing too narrowly on test and exam results can often leave little time or energy for hard thinking about the curriculum, and in fact can sometimes end up making a casualty of it. The bottom line is that we must make sure that we, as an inspectorate, complement rather than intensify performance data. Our new focus will [lead] the inspection conversation back to the substance of young people’s learning and treating teachers as experts in their field, not just data managers.”

Ms Spielman announced that Ofsted will consult on the introduction of a new judgement for ‘quality of education’. This will take the place of ‘outcomes for pupils’ and ‘teaching, learning and assessment’ with a wider, single judgement. The ‘quality of education’ judgement will allow Ofsted to recognise primary schools that, for example, prioritise phonics and the transition into early reading, and which encourage older pupils to read widely and deeply.

It will make it easier for secondary schools to offer a broad range of subjects, encouraging children to take up of core EBacc subjects at GCSE, such as the humanities and languages, alongside the arts and creative subjects. Furthermore, Ofsted will take issue with those schools where too much time is spent on preparation for tests at the expense of teaching, where pupil are not offered enough choices at GCSE, or where children are pushed into less rigorous qualifications purely to boost league table positions.The Chief Inspector also announced the three other inspection judgements that Ofsted will consult on:

  • Personal development

  • Behaviour and attitudes

  • Schools’ leadership and management

The ‘personal development, welfare and behaviour’ judgement in the current framework will be split into two distinct areas. This change recognises the difference between behaviour and discipline in schools, and pupils’ wider personal development and their opportunities to grow as active, healthy and engaged citizens.

Tackling excessive workload

An overall effectiveness judgement will continue to be awarded, and all judgements will be made using the current four point grading scale.

“With teacher workload and retention such pressing issues, I am firmly of the view that a focus on substance will help to tackle excessive workload,” said Ms Spielman. “It will move inspection more towards being a conversation about what actually happens in schools. Those who are bold and ambitious and run their schools with integrity will be rewarded as a result.”

Ms Spielman said the new framework will make it easier to recognise and reward the good work done by schools in areas of high disadvantage. Ofsted hopes to remove the incentive for schools to put overall results ahead of individual children’s needs, by shifting the focus away from outcomes.

Ofsted’s consultation on the new inspection framework will be launched in January. Ofsted will consider all responses carefully before finalising the framework. Further details of the consultation and how to respond will be published early next year.

Overall, we think this is a positive change, as it looks to evaluate the quality of learning rather than simple ‘learning outcomes.’ What do you think? Please comment below with your views.

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Secondary School Open Evenings in Urmston, Stretford and beyond 2018

Posted on 14/09/2018 by


If your child is in Year 5 or 6, you will probably be thinking about which secondary school will be best. There is a lot to take into account: results, pastoral care, friendship groups and extra-curricular activities are just a few. Visiting a few schools can help you establish which ones have the right feel and that is why open evenings are so very useful.

We have a selective grammar school system (more information about entrance exams here). For various reasons, this means that many children travel outside the area for secondary school, so I have included schools which are commonly attended by children from Urmston and Stretford. N.B. The grammar schools tend to run their open evenings in the summer term, which is why there are no grammar school open evenings listed below.

Wednesday, 19th September 2018, 4 – 7 pm: St Antony’s Catholic College

Wednesday, 19th September 2018, 5.45 – 8 pm: Wellacre Academy

Thursday, 20th September, 9 – 11 am: St Patrick’s RC High School, Eccles

Thursday, 20th September 2018, 5 – 8 pm: Lostock College

Thursday, 20th September 2018, 6 – 8 pm: Blessed Thomas Holford

Friday, 21st September 2018, 4 – 6 pm: Blessed Thomas Holford

Thursday, 27th September 2018, 3 – 7 pm: Broadoak School

Thursday, 27th September 2018, 5 – 8 pm: Flixton Girls’ School

Thursday, 27th September 2018, 6 – 8 pm: Knutsford Academy

Thursday, 4th October 2018, 6 – 8 pm: Lymm High School

All information is correct at the time of writing, but do click on the links above to check for further details before setting out for the schools.

While we have you here, did you know that Better Tuition can help your child get ready for secondary school? Whether s/he needs SATs preparation, entrance exam tuition or individual, focused maths and English lessons, our qualified teachers can help – and we can start off with a FREE assessment or FREE trial session. Act now: call Paul or Christine on 0161 748 3912 and find out today why we’re better!

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FREE: Entrance Exam/ 11 Plus Information/ Q&A Event

Posted on 28/08/2018 by

Are you thinking about entering your child for grammar school entrance exams in 2019? Would you like to find out more about what is expected from them? Would you like a FREE assessment in maths, English, verbal and non-verbal reasoning that will pinpoint their strengths and weaknesses?

UPDATE (2nd October 2018): this event is now past. We do intend to run more of these events. Please contact us to let us know if you would like to be informed about these.

nvr - analogies

Better Tuition can help your child understand NVR analogies.

Come along to Urmston’s busiest tuition centre at 2.30 pm on 22nd September and let Paul and Christine guide you through the process.  We’ll explain the format of the examinations and give you lots of guidance about how to prepare your child. We’ll also explain how to register for the exams and outline what will happen on the day of the examination. We can, if you book early, arrange a FREE assessment for your child at the same time (in a separate room) and give you same-day feedback. Whether your child is preparing for GL or CEM examinations, Better Tuition can help.

Book your FREE assessment at the Better Tuition Centre, Urmston

We hope that this event will be very popular and so advance booking is required. To book, please call Paul or Christine on 0161 748 3912.

We have been helping children succeed and achieve their best possible results for ten years.  It’s not just parents and teachers who seek out our expertise: we have found ourselves on the BBC Breakfast sofa, showcased by ITN and interviewed by the Manchester Evening News among others, so you can be sure that we are acknowledged authorities on the subject of entrance exams. It’s not just the media who recognise our talent, knowledge and dedication: check out our testimonials, read our Facebook reviews and find out what Google has to say about Better Tuition.

Our Centre Director, Paul Syrett, was interviewed by Sejal Karia of ITN.

Entrance exams can feel overwhelming, but don’t worry: we will explain everything in simple terms and empower you to give your child the best possible chance of success. For ten years we have prepared dozens of children each year for entrance exams for Urmston Grammar, Stretford Grammar, Sale Grammar, Loreto Grammar and St Ambrose College.

You don’t have to wait until 22nd September to come and meet the team: contact us now to book your free assessment and secure your child’s place for the coming academic year. We teach maths, English, science and entrance exam preparation to children aged 5 -16. Find out today why we’re better!

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Five Autism-Friendly Places to go with Children

Posted on 17/08/2018 by

Halfway through the long summer break, there’s still plenty of time to have fun and enjoy new experiences with our little ones. Going out and about can be tricky when your child has autism – planning ahead is necessary and it’s always great when venues are understanding about your child’s special needs. Your child may feel overwhelmed by crowds or bright colours, overstimulated by noise or triggered by new surroundings, so you need to know that when you’re going out and about, you will find understanding and perhaps even a helping hand if needed.

The following five venues have been selected for their proximity to Manchester: we’d love to hear about more autism-friendly places to go, so please comment below if you can make a recommendation.

  1. Inflatanation Autism Friendly Session

    Inflatanation in Trafford Park offers autism-friendly sessions every Saturday.

    Inflatanation in Trafford Park offers autism-friendly sessions every Saturday.

    Previously Jump Nation trampoline park, the owners decided they wanted to offer something unique and so Inflatanation was born. It’s essentially a huge arena filled with inflatable fun – from bouncy castles to bouncy slides, an inflatable climbing wall and an inflatable assault course. Inflatanation offers Autism Friendly sessions from 9 – 10 am every Saturday.During the week it’s very noisy and it can get very busy, possibly overwhelming for a young person with autism. The Autism Friendly session turns the music right down (it was so quiet, I wasn’t actually sure whether it was playing or not!) and allows only half of the usual numbers in. You get free entry for an essential carer (spectators are always free, but you will at the very least want to do a brief tour of the inflatables with your youngster) and free juice and biscuits at the end.It costs £5.95 per hour for under fours (they have a designated area for this age group) and £9.95 per hour for over fours. You can find out more about Inflatanation’s Disability Friendly sessions on their website.

  2. Morrisons Quieter Hour/ the Unicorn Grocery

    Image result for morrisons quiet hour

    Morrisons supermarket offer an autism-friendly Quiet Hour every Saturday.

    Okay, it’s not quite got the excitement factor of some of the other activities but the big shop needs to be done in as calm an environment as possible, am I right? Morrisons deserves massive praise for this autism-friendly initiative. During Quieter Hour (every Saturday from 9 – 10 am), Morrisons stores:

    • Dim the lights;

    • Turn music and radio off;

    • Avoid making tannoy announcements;

    • Reduce movement of trolleys and baskets;

    • Turn checkout beeps and other electrical noises down;

    • Place a poster outside to tell customers it’s Quieter Hour.

    I would also like to mention the Unicorn Grocery in Chorlton. It’s a small supermarket selling fantastic, organic fruit and vegetables (much cheaper than elsewhere) as well as other staples such as pasta and bread. They don’t play music or pipe offensive smells into the shop and there’s a small play area for children with a blackboard, a mock-up shop and kitchen area. I consider the Unicorn to be very autism-friendly at all times – but don’t go on a Monday, because it’s closed.

  3. Eureka National Children’s Museum

Image result for autism-friendly Eureka

Eureka is an autism-friendly venue.

Situated in Halifax – a 45-minute drive or a one hour train journey from Manchester Victoria – Eureka is the national children’s museum. The museum caters for children aged 0 – 11 and offers the opportunity to explore science and geography with interactive exhibits and role play in a ‘real’ shop, bank, post office and kitchen. It’s a lot of fun – and children with autism are well looked after.

Eureka offers free entry for essential carers, a ‘chill out room’ for children who feel overwhelmed and a booklet (The Eureka Story) which you can download and read before your visit. Eureka also offers an Extra Pair of Hands: you can ring up two weeks before your visit and Eureka will allocate you a staff member who will stay with you for two hours during your visit. All in all, Eureka offers a very autism-friendly experience. You can find out more about all of this by visiting Eureka’s access information page.

4. Autism Friendly Relaxed Screenings and Performances at Home Manchester

HOME Photo credit Machteld Schoep

Home Manchester offers autism-friendly relaxed performances and cinema screenings.

Whether your child is a fan of raindrops on roses or prefers whiskers on kittens, they are sure to enjoy Home Manchester’s autism-friendly relaxed screening of The Sound of Music on Saturday, 25th August at 11 am.

During the screening, Home will keep the cinema lights on low and turn the volume down a little. There will be no trailers or advertisements before the film starts and you are welcome to move around the cinema if you want to. A separate chill out space will be provided if you need some time out of the screening.

Home offers autism friendly ‘relaxed’ theatre performances and cinema screenings throughout the year, as well as various workshops aimed at young people with autism spectrum disorder. You can find out what’s coming up here on their website.

5. The Sandcastle Waterpark, Blackpool

The Sandcastle offers many autism-friendly facilities.

The Sandcastle offers many autism-friendly facilities.

The Sandcastle is a huge waterpark boasting 18 slides, a wave machine and lots of water-based play facilities. This place is fantastically welcoming to people with autism spectrum disorder: the first hour of every day is a quiet hour and they also have accessibility evenings (the next one is on 8th September) which are extremely cheap (£3.50 for your child and one essential carer; £4.50 for siblings or other carers).

The Sandcastle has a ‘fast track’ queuing facility and a quiet room you can use if feeling overwhelmed. They also offer familiarisation visits and a familiarisation booklet – The Sandcastle Waterpark Story – that you can read beforehand. You can download the booklet and read more about the Sandcastle’s fantastic autism-friendly facilities here on their website.

Wherever you go this summer and beyond, please let us know if you find somewhere that is truly welcoming for children with autism. We can spread the word and hopefully help make parents’ lives a little easier. Comment below or call in and see us at our tuition centre in the heart of Urmston.

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What’s on at Better Tuition – week commencing 6th August

Posted on 06/08/2018 by

UPDATE: This is an archive post. Find out about our 2019 Summer School here.

The wonderful summer sunshine hasn’t sapped our enthusiasm for hard work at all. The first week of our summer school has come and gone and we couldn’t be more impressed with the dedication of our super students.  Here’s a summery summary (see what I did there?) of upcoming events this week:

Book early for summer school at Better Tuition.

Better Tuition can help you avoid the summer slide.

Tuesday & Wednesday:

Lessons in maths, English, science and entrance exam preparation for students aged 5 – 16.

Wednesday 8th August:

10 am: Practice entrance exam (GL-style) SOLD OUT
1.30 pm: Practice entrance exam (CEM-style) SPACES AVAILABLE

Thursday 9th August:

9.30 am – 12.30 pm: NVR Masterclass SOLD OUT
1.30 – 4.30 pm: NVR Masterclass SPACES AVAILABLE

Extra Exam Dates (GL):

We have added TWO new GL dates to our calendar: Weds, 22nd August (10 am – 12.45 pm) and Saturday, 8th September (1.30 – 4.15 pm). You can book by clicking on the ‘Book a Practice Entrance Exam button on the right of this screen.

Other News

We are taking bookings for September 2018. Whether your child is preparing for SATs, entrance exams or GCSEs or simply needs a boost in order to achieve and succeed in school, please don’t hesitate to give Paul or Christine a call now on 0161 748 3912. Since 2008 we have helped thousands of children achieve their academic goals and we can do exactly the same for your child. You can start with a FREE assessment or FREE trial lesson and take it from there.

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Five five-minute crafts perfect for the summer holidays

Posted on 19/07/2018 by

We’ve put together a mini-collection of five-minute craft projects because we’ve all done it, haven’t we? Planned a summer break full of worthy-but-fun activities:  museum trips, hikes in the wild and craft projects so detailed they bring gasps of admiration from everyone who views them. Then one day we wake up and realise we’re two weeks in and the closest we’ve come to craft is flattening some cereal boxes to fit in the recycler.

The trouble is that by the time the summer break comes along, we are all – kids and adults alike – so keen for a break that we readily fall into a routine of lie-ins and lazy days in front of one of the many screens which proliferate in our homes (are they breeding? I feel like the screens are breeding!). Inactivity is fun in its own way but unstructured days can pass into a blur and the long summer break is really a time to make memories – and craft!

We’ve put together a list of five, five-minute craft projects which you don’t need to be particularly crafty to put together with your child. We can’t decide whether our favourite is walnut owls or turning your smartphone into a projector. Which is your favourite?

Toys made from packaging

This comes from 5 Minute Crafts on Facebook. The toys are made from ordinary household materials such as cereal boxes, tin foil and pasta.

https://www.facebook.com/5min.crafts/videos/1413755778767003/

Turn your phone into a projector

Picture of Build a Smartphone Projector With a Shoebox

Would you like to turn a mobile phone into a projector with just a few objects such as a magnifying glass and a shoebox? Find out how on the instructables website. 

Maths painted coasters

This is a fun project and the finished articles can be given out as gifts. Perfect! You’ll find full instructions on this fantastic website.

 

Homemade painted coaster materials.

The last two projects are from redtedart.com, which is a beautifully curated craft website full of creative projects for kids and adults alike.

Walnut Owls

Walnut Owl Craft
Because who hasn’t looked at a walnut and thought what a lovely bird-like form it has? Find out how to transform your old nuts.

Cute Bookmarks

These are also from Red Ted Art and they are the perfect five-minute craft project.

These projects are the perfect way to bring out your child’s creativity in a way that is relaxing and fun. They are also pretty good STEM projects, helping avoid the ‘summer slide’ (and don’t forget we are running summer school for that also).

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Avoiding the ‘Summer Slide’ – Why Summer Study is so Essential

Posted on 13/07/2018 by
Book early for summer school at Better Tuition.

Better Tuition can help you avoid the summer slide.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Find out about our 2019 Summer School here.

Is your child ready for the next school year? Is s/he meeting expected standards in maths, reading and writing? If so, congratulations: you are in a wonderful position. But whilst s/he may be where s/he needs to be at the end of the summer term, in September it could well be a different story. What’s more, if your child is a little behind in some subjects, or has gaps in knowledge, s/he may find the next school year more than a little tricky.

Summer study gives your child the opportunity to fill in learning gaps, retain current levels of core skills and rekindle motivation for learning. Better Tuition’s summer school does far more than that, however: it is our aim for your child to begin the new school year brimming with confidence and enthusiasm. We will help him or her develop new skills to give them a strong foundation for the new school year. Our summer school lessons promote strong study skills that will really give your child the edge s/he needs to get ahead in the new school year.

Professors Brent Davies and Trevor Kerry, from the International Educational Leadership Centre at the University of Lincolnshire and Humberside have carried out extensive research in the field of summer learning loss. This found that students can regress by up to 1.8 months in core skills such as reading but in maths the learning loss suffered over summer is even more severe.

We know exactly how effective our summer school lessons are because we have been running them for ten years.Our own son has greatly benefited from consistent study over the summer break and we have many success stories.

One parent wrote the following:

“I can’t thank you enough for your wonderful help this summer. J is no longer worried about Year 5 and now feels he is ready for September.”

Another told us:

“The difference you made to M’s maths was unbelievable, she said it feels like she had a puzzle she couldn’t understand for years and years and years and then it all fell into place and now she knows she can pass GCSE next year and go on to achieve her dream of being a nurse.”

If you would like to book in for summer school lessons here at Better Tuition, please call Paul or Christine on 0161 748 3912 today. More information about our summer services can be found on our Summer School 2018 page.

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Your Child’s SATs Scores Explained

Posted on 12/07/2018 by
Find out how to decode SATs scores.

Preparing for SATs? our qualified teachers can help.

Understanding SATs scores In Key Stage 1 and 2

Key Stage 2 SATs scores were received by schools earlier this week. You may need to wait a week or two to find out your child’s scores, as schools generally include them in end of year reports. But when they arrive, will you understand your child’s SATs scores?

Many parents with older children are familiar with the old National Curriculum levels. Children were awarded levels from 1 – 6, with 6 being the highest. However, National Curriculum levels are now obsolete and SATs results are currently given as scaled scores.

What is a scaled score?

Your child’s raw score is the total number of correctly answered questions s/he achieves in a test. The raw score is then converted into a scaled score. This means that scores are adjusted to take account of the fact that the difficulty of tests may differ from year to year.

Scaled scores for 2018, should you be interested, can be found on the DfE website.

What Score Should You Be Happy With?

A scaled score of 100 or more shows that your child has met the expected standard in the test. Below 100 indicates that your child has not met the expected standard and above 100 indicates that s/he has exceeded expectations.

For KS1, 85 is the lowest scaled score that can be awarded. The highest scaled score is 115. You may not be given your child’s SATs scores at the end of Year 2 (unless you ask for them), but your child’s end of year report will state whether s/he has met national expectations.

For KS2, 80 is the lowest scaled score that can be awarded. The highest scaled score is 120. A pupil awarded a scaled score of 100 or more has met the expected standard in each test. Your child’s KS2 SATs results will form part of his/ her end of year report.

If your child’s SATs results have given you cause for concern, try not to worry. These tests, important though they are, represent a snapshot of your child’s ability. Your child’s teacher will be familiar with his/ her abilities over time and may be able to reassure you that your child’s SATs scores do not truly reflect his/ her capabilities.

If, however, you feel your child needs more support to move forward in school, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Paul or Christine here at Better Tuition. Since 2008, we have been helping children achieve and succeed in school. We have expertise in maths, English and SEN and it goes without saying that we are qualified teachers. Ring us now on 0161 728 3912 or click on the ‘book a FREE assessment’ button on the right. Whether your child needs help with SATs, entrance exams, GCSEs or more general assistance, we care and we can help.

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Staring into Space: How Daydreaming can Unlock Your Child’s Creativity

Posted on 11/06/2018 by

Staring into Space is a new campaign, launched today by children’s laureate Lauren Child. The campaign – and its array of fabulous resources – aims to get teachers to build daydreaming and simply looking around into the school day.

 

lauren-child-staring into space

Staring into Space

 

 

On one hand, I’m all for this. I love daydreaming and staring into space. I can remember very frequently gazing out of the window at primary school.  It was an interesting view: my school was on a hill and looked down on a river, beyond which there were high hills and busy roads. I’d imagine complicated scenarios involving the cars and lorries on the other side as well as the odd sea monster. One day I became convinced that an oddly placed sunbeam was a UFO. I spread the rumour round the class, who all agreed with my assessment of the situation,until Miss found out and put the kybosh on my fun by explaining it away as a trick of the light.  In my book, Maddie Doyle and the Mystery of Heather Bank Farm, Maddie uses daydreaming as a way to escape school and the stress of her father’s disappearance.
On the other hand, I think it’s a pity to make it into a formal item on the list of hundreds of things teachers have to do every day. Surely part of the joy of daydreaming is the knowledge that you are mentally playing truant for a few minutes, rejecting a lecture on oxbow lakes or your husband’s mansplaining of the Highway Code? The resources created by Lauren Child and Josey Scullard are wonderful and I shall be using them – but I worry that teachers are being encouraged to take responsibility for something children should already be embracing. Many would say that teachers should encourage creativity but when it comes to daydreaming, children need to seize the moment for themselves.

Tuition is not the same as classroom learning: at Better Tuition our lessons are very intensive and designed to demand full focus from our students at all times. Because of this, we build a brief creativity break into our 75 minute sessions. These are as integral to the learning that takes place as any other element of the lesson. Students are encouraged to draw or to daydream in order to rest their brains so that they can keep going at full power for the rest of the lesson. It’s highly effective and students are always amazed by how much they have achieved by the end of the lesson.

I suppose that I, and other teachers, need to recognise that everyone is different. Some people can whistle, others lack the knack. Daydreaming and staring into space doesn’t come naturally to all of us. If we teachers can set out students on the path of daydreaming then, whatever the restrictions of the curriculum, their adventures will know no limits.

 

 

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