The Learning Journal
Ideas, strategies and reassurance for parents
Written by our tutors, for the families we work with. Ten pieces in each of our five strands, from early number sense to GCSE exam technique.
GCSE
GCSE maths grade boundaries, explained
Grade boundaries move every year. Here is how they work, and why raw marks alone tell you very little.
4 min read
11 Plus & Entrance
When to start 11 Plus preparation
Too early can be as damaging as too late. A realistic timeline for 11 Plus preparation.
4 min read
English
Reading comprehension: answering the question asked
Children lose marks by writing what they know instead of what the question asks. A simple fix for parents.
4 min read
SEND Support
Signs your child may need extra support in maths
Not every struggle is a difficulty, but some patterns are worth raising. What to look for and who to ask.
4 min read
Maths
Why number bonds matter more than counting
Counting on fingers is not the problem — relying on it is. Here is why secure number bonds unlock everything that follows.
4 min read
GCSE
Higher or foundation tier: choosing well
The tier decision in Year 9 or 10 shapes everything after it. How to choose without closing doors.
4 min read
11 Plus & Entrance
Verbal reasoning: what it actually tests
Verbal reasoning looks strange, but it is not random. Understanding the question families makes it teachable.
4 min read
Maths
Times tables without the tears
The Year 4 multiplication check is real, but drilling harder is not the answer. A calmer route to fluent tables.
5 min read
SEND Support
What an EHCP is and when to request one
An Education, Health and Care Plan is a legal document, not a diagnosis. How it works and when to ask.
5 min read
English
Phonics at home without the flashcards battle
Early reading should feel like play. Simple, low-stress phonics routines that actually build decoding skill.
4 min read
GCSE
How to revise GCSE maths without just re-reading
Highlighting notes feels productive and does very little. Three methods that genuinely move maths grades.
5 min read
Maths
Fractions: the four ideas children mix up
Most fraction errors come from four confusions. Name them clearly and the topic stops feeling impossible.
5 min read
11 Plus & Entrance
Non-verbal reasoning: spotting patterns
Shapes, rotations and sequences. A systematic way to approach non-verbal reasoning questions.
4 min read
SEND Support
Dyscalculia: what parents notice first
Dyscalculia is not maths anxiety or laziness. The early signs, and how tuition can adapt.
4 min read
English
Why handwriting still matters in a keyboard world
Legible, fluent handwriting saves marks at every stage of school. Here is how to help without nagging.
4 min read
Maths
Helping your child with word problems
The numbers are easy; the sentence is hard. How to help a child decode a maths word problem calmly.
4 min read
GCSE
The GCSE maths topics students lose marks on
The same handful of topics account for most lost marks every year. Here is where to look first.
4 min read
11 Plus & Entrance
11 Plus comprehension under time pressure
Many children can answer the questions — they just cannot do it in the time. How to build speed safely.
4 min read
English
Building a wider vocabulary, one word at a time
Vocabulary is the quiet engine of reading and writing. Small, deliberate habits that grow it fast.
4 min read
SEND Support
Dyslexia and maths: the overlap
A child can be strong at reasoning and still lose marks in maths. Where dyslexia and maths collide.
4 min read
Maths
What 'mastery' in primary maths really means
Mastery is not moving faster. It is being able to explain, apply and connect — here is what that looks like at home.
4 min read
GCSE
Exam technique: showing method for marks
Half of GCSE maths marks are for method. What 'show your working' really means in practice.
4 min read
11 Plus & Entrance
Creative writing for independent school exams
Ten minutes, one prompt, no planning time. How to prepare for a timed writing task.
5 min read
English
Creative writing: helping a reluctant writer start
The blank page is the enemy. Practical ways to get a hesitant writer moving in five minutes.
5 min read
Maths
Long division: a calm, step-by-step approach
The method has not changed, but the way we explain it has. A clear route through long division.
5 min read
SEND Support
Working memory and mental arithmetic
Holding numbers in your head is a separate skill from calculating. Why some children lose track.
4 min read
GCSE
A calculator paper plan that saves minutes
The calculator paper rewards a system. How to structure the ninety minutes to keep marks you already have.
4 min read
English
Grammar terms parents meet in Year 6
Fronted adverbials, relative clauses, modal verbs. A plain-English glossary for the SATs grammar paper.
3 min read
11 Plus & Entrance
Building exam stamina for an 11 Plus paper
Concentration is a muscle. How to prepare a ten-year-old for a long, quiet exam room.
3 min read
SEND Support
ADHD and tutoring: setting up for success
Short bursts, clear structure and a tutor who moves. Practical adjustments for a child with ADHD.
4 min read
Maths
Algebra in Year 7: what changes and how to help
Letters appear and confidence drops. Here is what actually changes in Year 7 maths — and how to steady it.
4 min read
GCSE
Six weeks out: a GCSE maths revision plan
A realistic six-week plan for the final stretch before GCSE maths, with one hour a day.
5 min read
English
Reading for pleasure when your child says they hate books
Some children genuinely find reading hard. Matching the right book to the right child is everything.
4 min read
SEND Support
Autism and group tuition: preparing your child
Predictability is the accommodation that matters most. How to prepare for a first group session.
4 min read
11 Plus & Entrance
Common 11 Plus myths, examined
Tutoring from age five, hundreds of papers, and other beliefs that do more harm than good.
4 min read
Maths
Maths anxiety: what it looks like at home
Tears at homework time are rarely about laziness. Recognising maths anxiety is the first step to easing it.
5 min read
GCSE
Understanding the 9–1 GCSE maths grading
A grade 4 is not the old grade C in every sense. What the numbers mean for your child's next steps.
3 min read
English
Spelling strategies that work for dyslexic learners
Look-cover-write-check is not enough on its own. Multisensory spelling approaches that hold.
5 min read
SEND Support
Supporting a child with speech and language needs
When understanding language is the barrier, maths and English tuition must adapt accordingly.
4 min read
11 Plus & Entrance
If your child doesn't get an 11 Plus place
Results day can be hard. What to say, what to do next, and how to keep the year constructive.
4 min read
GCSE
Mock exams: what to do with the results
A mock is diagnostic, not a verdict. How to turn a disappointing result into a working plan.
4 min read
Maths
Five-minute maths routines that stick
Short, regular and spoken. The routines that quietly build fluency without turning home into school.
3 min read
SEND Support
Reasonable adjustments in tuition
What extra support a child is entitled to, and what to ask a tuition provider for.
4 min read
English
How to talk to your child about a book
Comprehension grows in conversation, not in worksheets. Six questions that open up a book.
3 min read
11 Plus & Entrance
Practice papers: how many is too many
There is a point where more papers stops helping. How to judge the right amount of practice.
3 min read
GCSE
One-to-one GCSE tuition: when it's worth it
Group tuition works well for most students. These are the situations where one-to-one earns its place.
4 min read
Maths
Reading a maths question is a skill nobody teaches
Decoding the question is half the marks. Three reading habits that lift maths performance immediately.
4 min read
English
The power of reading aloud, even in Year 6
Reading aloud to a capable reader is not babyish — it is one of the most effective things you can do.
4 min read
11 Plus & Entrance
Choosing schools: a Year 5 timeline
Open days, registration deadlines and exam dates — what to do and when during Year 5.
4 min read
SEND Support
Working with your child's school: who to talk to
Class teacher, SENCO, or head of year? A short guide to getting the right conversation started.
3 min read