The last layer of Clarendon’s sun burn has only just peeled off, but already we are faced with the October half term, which for some lucky / unlucky (delete as appropriate to your disposition) parents is two weeks long.
One or two weeks off school this early in the year is a massive opportunity to ensure your child is on track to reach their educational goals. Anywhere between 3-8 sessions can be enormously effective at consolidating knowledge, honing techniques and polishing exam entrance prep.
Here’s what you could do if your child is in …
Year 13
Hopefully, that personal statement is done, but, if it’s not, get Clarendon to help with getting that important task over the line. Then, it’s on to that all important prep for mocks. Content covered in autumn of year 12 can be very rusty, so this half term is a great opportunity to consolidate.
Year 12
They’ve only just started their A level or IB course, so tutoring shouldn’t be necessary yet. However, for those students hoping to go to Oxbridge, Ivy League or G5 unis, now is the time to get ahead on building that application. For Oxbridge and G5, this might mean planning and writing essay comps, whilst for Ivy League, this might mean essay comps or entrepreneurial projects. Speak to Clarendon for more advice on this.
Year 11
GCSEs are on the horizon now and a good set of results in mocks, whether they are in November or January, is essential to the success of the year. Some one on one tutoring to build confidence in technique can be game changing at this time of year.
Year 10
The GCSE course has only just started, so there is less urgency here. We would recommend tutoring if there is a particular area your child seems to be struggling.
Years 9, 8 or 7
We would recommend a Clarendon assessment in English or Maths, to identify whether there are any haps in your child’s knowledge of the syllabi.
Year 6
11+ crunch time. Hopefully, if needed, your child’s ISEB score is tracking well (if not, that needs attention urgently) with most schools now sitting the test in November. You might also think about second round testing and school specific (St. Paul’s Girls, Latymer Upper and City) papers.
Years 5 or 4
11+ prep. If your child is in year 5, you will want to think – if you haven’t already – about starting 11+ prep in earnest. For a bright kid targeting a relatively ambitious school, we normally counsel 18 months of prep. If your child is in year 4, do a diagnostic test, to see where they are and what’s a realistic set of schools.
Year 3
8+ crunch time. If your child is aiming for Sussex House, Dulwich Juniors or UCS Juniors (who have a handful of spaces), then now is the time to focus in on specific entrance exam prep.
Year 2
7+ crunch time. If you’re aiming for Westminster Under, St. Paul’s Juniors, City, Highgate, Latymer Prep or UCS, this half term is crucial. One on one tutoring can really make the difference now.
Year 1
7+ prep. This half term is an opportunity to accelerate your child’s learning, if you have those aforementioned schools in mind.
Please don’t see these suggestions as compulsory, a break is really important too. However, as always, we really believe in tutoring’s power to not only positively affect educational outcomes, but also to build confidence and enjoyment in learning. This half term is another fantastic opportunity to do that. Let us know if you’d like to know more.
