by Hayley | May 27, 2022 | Writing
The first time I heard the term ‘pen licence’ I was listening to Charlie, my eight-year-old, in the back of the car on the way home from school. He wasn’t wildly impressed with the concept. He explained to me that his teacher, Mrs. Barker, awarded...
by Hayley | May 20, 2022 | Exams, Non-verbal reasoning, Teach
The eleven-plus (11+) exam includes three “reasoning” sections—verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, and spatial reasoning. If you’re anxious about your child’s ability to understand and answer these reasoning questions, you’re not alone. Non-verbal reasoning tends...
by Hayley | Apr 27, 2022 | Exams, Front page posts, Non-verbal reasoning, Teach, Verbal Reasoning, Writing
Confession. I’m an absolute Kent Test geek. I’ve been studying the details, and noting down children’s responses to particular questions and timings, for over a decade. Here are some key pieces of information I’m keen to share with you: 1. Timing is everything...
by Hayley | Feb 15, 2022 | Exams, Front page posts, Maths, Parents, Teach, Uncategorized
Using your fridge is a gentle, stress-free way to help your child revise key maths facts. Maths isn’t all calculations and understanding new concepts. Some content is purely revision-based – and that’s where your trusty chiller comes in…...
by Hayley | Jan 5, 2022 | Front page posts, Parents, Uncategorized, Writing
When your child first picks up a pencil, their teacher shows them how to hold it, and then off they go. Well that’s what most of us believe… Even as an experienced teacher myself, I too used to presume that once a pencil/pen grip had been put in place in...