Let’s do worst case scenario. Thursday morning arrives and the envelope or the email containing your GCSE results is the biggest shock you have received in your life and the numbers staring back at you bear no resemblance to the grades you need to progress you to the next level of your journey. Blind panic […]
The Guilt of the Working Mum – how I have almost mastered the art of self-forgiveness. I remember vividly my very first thought when I saw the positive read on my pregnancy test… ‘Oh My God, I can’t believe it, not – ‘I am pregnant’ but ‘I drank loads of wine at the weekend!’ Boom […]
Don’t get me started on how angry I am at the so called ‘whistle blower’ and the timing of their decision to tweet their concerns as an exam marker. In true Paper 2, question 5 style or Speaking and Listening topic – I feel the need to respond to the recent furore regarding the so […]
I was 22 years old in 1994 when I was appointed to my first ever ‘proper’ job, an English teacher in a secondary school in Runcorn in the North-west of England. I had my own classroom; my tutor group ; full-time salary; 13 weeks holiday a year and a pension scheme. Wow! My Dad was beyond […]
Within the last couple of weeks my year 11 son completed his GSCES and my response to him leaving school was “thank god!” As my year 6 daughter prepares to leave her primary school, all I keep saying is “oh my god!” I don’t know whether it is because she is the youngest and this […]
I try to keep pretty neutral in my role as Director of a tuition company. We work in multiple catchment areas, serving many schools so I am fortunate in being able to gather a cross section of feedback regarding most educational practices. I try to please all of the people, all of the time. Parents, pupils, […]
This half-term break, signals the half way stage of the GSCEs. Despite it manifesting differently for most, the run up has undoubtedly been the most stressful period in my relationship with my son. Yet, I must say, the build up was worse than the actual exams themselves. Once they got started and the momentum kicked in; […]
May 2016 and I returned my copy of “Of Mice and Men” to the shelf and there it has stayed gathering dust. This was as a result of one of the biggest shake ups the GCSEs had seen since their introduction in 1988. We are all aware of Gove’s changes: removing the coursework component; favouring […]
Here goes… Some advice for all you students of AQA English and not just those in London. All that remains to be said is now that year 11 is drawing to an end, grab a tissue and get emotional remembering all the good times. Don’t go into Kamikaze mode and do daft things like burn […]
This is it. They are finally here and they will come thick and fast. The GCSEs begin this week with some ‘biggies’ and for those of you who have reaped this whirlwind before will understand that this week is now a game changer. For months we have been locked in conflict regarding revision, ironically with […]
