The Whizz

The very popular BBC Jam, provider of educationally-oriented games, has closed as of the 15^th of March. This has been an excellent resource for many parents seeking interactive learning at home for their children and as Helen Jones posted, it has left many parents in a pickle for a suitable alternative. Fear not, the post from Creative Match has other worthwhile alternatives and Helen kindly recommends Maths-Whizz as the best interactive maths tutoring service.

‘Homework’ is a word that strikes dread into the heart of children around the world. For many children it means the disappointment of having to stop doing fun stuff and sit down to do something that they find boring. There is no situation where this more evident than when it comes around to exams and revision. With no direction and a vast amount of work to cover children can end up feeling lost. They wander aimlessly through the pages of their ledgers in a state of mind that is about as attentive as a lobotomized fish. As a result of this children can sometimes be unable to take in the information required of them.

This is where we do things differently. Whilst we fully believe that it is important for children to have the discipline to study in the usual way, we also believe in encouraging children to think of learning as an enjoyable experience. By breaking down the barrier between games and work our students become more attentive because they are doing something that they find stimulating, whilst taking on board the concepts that we are trying to teach. (more…)

The middle of May sees the start of SATs testing. The SATs (’Statutory Assessment Tests’) assess the performance of students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland on certain National Curriculum benchmark ‘Levels’.

Children are tested at ages 7, 11 and 14 (equivalent to the final years of Key Stages 1, 2 and 3) and the results help decide everything from where students will be placed in later years to the schools league tables, those long charts that eager parents study every year.

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