Extra Tuition Centre Blog

2013-02-07T12:07:00.001+00:00

The Extra Tuition Centre has encouraged our teachers and teaching assistants to work through our on-line tests so that they understand the changes that we have made in response to changes in the National Curriculum and the 11+ tests.

Many of our assistants have passed the eleven plus. Some even did the eleven plus with us. One, for example, attended 11+ lessons and then came to work with us a teaching assistant. She is now at Cambridge University reading mathematics! A success story – but the eleven plus she was prepared for will look very different in some areas this year.

We have sent all the teachers and assistants our Level 5 tests. These are the same format of tests we are using for our children in the Bexley area. We have also prepared tests for Year 3 and 4 children in Kent as they will be writing the new style tests next year. GL (Grenada Learning) had a contract to supply tests to schools and for the eleven plus. Durham University have now taken over responsibility for supplying the `New Style Eleven Plus Tests.’ We have made contact with a lecturer at Durham University to try to see if the department can look at the effectiveness of our tests. We want to see if Etc’s tests can predict future academic success and well as diagnose areas to work on.

One of our assistants, who is at university studying to become a teacher, explained that trainee teachers have to prove that they are studying mathematics and English along with their other studies. It would be very interesting if a host of trainee teachers could do our tests and contribute towards the research study we are trying to set up with Durham University.

Please give us your thoughts on your experiences of working through the tests and where you feel changes could be made.

2013-02-07T12:03:00.000+00:00

The Extra Tuition Centre is excited to be able to join in the Mozilla Open Badges Initiative.

We need some help, please. Please give us your ideas about the badges you want for yourselves and your children.

2013-02-07T12:00:00.002+00:00

Your children will be facing new challenges in the years ahead. Changes are coming to the way children are selected for grammar schools. GL (Grenada Learning) used to supply tests to many authorities. DurhamUniversity have developed new tests to attempt to identify able children who would benefit from a Grammar School education.

The Extra Tuition Centre used to test children using pen and paper tests from GL. Etc used Goal’s on- line tests with hundreds of children over a two year period. When the new tests from Durham University were announced Etc used its experience of pen and paper and on-line tests to develop their own tests.

Etc uses tests to find starting points for children in lessons in centres and lessons on line. It is interesting to note that children attending other tutorial establishments as well as children being tutored at home use our on-line tests! Of course we have used our on-line tests in our work with schools.

We have approached Durham University to see if our revolutionary on-line tests can form the basis of a research project into the effectiveness of our tests. We would be very grateful for your thoughts and experiences.

How do you and your children feel about our on-line tests?

What else would you like to find in our on-line reports?

2013-02-07T11:30:00.001+00:00

On-Line Lessons

This is possibly a link between the Grammar School of Durham and our on-line lessons. The teachers in the early schools would have strived to present their children with the best possible tools for learning. Some technically aware children in today’s world seem to love the on line lessons.

Your comments and thoughts are very welcome. Please ask your children if they can also spend a little time saying what they think about the lessons. Your feedback is vital.

Learning Languages

2013-02-07T11:29:00.000+00:00

My name is Carla I am ten years old.

I find Spanish boring because none of my friends are in my
class (they can’t speak Spanish).

I learnt how to speak Spanish at home with my mum.
The teacher is kind but she doesn’t speak a word of English.

In the lesson we either learn about the Spanish language
or we learn about humanities. Sometimes I feel a bit left out because every one is chatting but me.

El perro que podía escribir

El día de los reyes pasado Tilly -un perro muy inteligente-ha tenido un ordenador portable.

Para usar lo, tenia que escribir. Tenia que escribir historias y deberes del colegio. Cada noche para una hora y media su profesor le aprendió como escribir. Después de un mes ya sabía como escribir.

Pero Tilly tenía un problema. Siempre olvido sus contraseñas. Esto le causo muchos problemas. Afortunadamente Tilly descubrió que si movió su cola muy rápidamente se acordio de sus contraseñas.