Step Ahead Tutoring And Educational Services

WE ARE COMPETITION WINNERS

FREESPIRIT ENTERPRISE : "providing support for businesses" - announced this week that STEP AHEAD TUTORING AND EDUCATIONAL SERVICES had been awarded first prize in their 2009 competition. 

We are very excited and gratified by this result and are looking forward to gaining the benefits of their business review and report, followed by consultancies and numerous business coaching sessions. 

More to follow...

Home Schooling

Essex County Council has agreed to pay over £10,000 to six families in which the children are being home educated.  The parents were refusing to send their children to their local school and had hired tutors.

The National Union of Teachers at their annual conference have complained about the dumbing down of the curriculum, the concerns of literacy hour in primary schools, the scarcity of places in sixth forms and colleges, the undue importance being placed on certain tests and the emphasis on league tables.

Essex appear to be admitting that some schools are actually condemnations to low achievement and that by taking children out of them shows a desire by parents to do the best for their offspring. There appears to be a tacit agreement that home education can be as good as, or better than, the schooling offered by the state.

It is clearly an indication - and one which we at STEP AHEAD are seeing more and more - of how parental attitudes have changed.

If you have an example of such a change, please feel free to contact us.

To be continued.........

As Easter Approaches......

One of the most modest youngsters we have had the pleasure of tutoring is 15 year old Ryan Learmonth from Inverkeithing who this week achieved one of his ambitions when he played snooker against one of his heroes, "Whirlwind" Jimmy White.

Selected to tackle the "People's Champion" in Glenrothes, Ryan has also recently represented Scotland versus England - at pool, and will be playing in the World Pool Championships next month.

This week I tested an 8-year old, Conor Philip, who scored nearly three years above his chronological age in a national spelling test.  Perhaps his school should have entered him as a contender for the " The Times Spelling Bee" which aims to discover the country's best young spellers.

The Editor of "The Times" said, "Spelling is important. English is the country's gift to the world and its home-grown headache."

Many think spelling is a bit of a chore, so anything which shows children that it can be fun as well as satisfying is a real boon to parents and teachers.

As national exams rapidly approach and tutoring intensifies, we hope that families work on supporting their examinees through this stressful time.  Enjoy your Easter and your holidays !

Whatever Next ?

You will know by now that at "George's Diary" we are always trying to bring you the latest news on educational developments and reports, whether local or national, no matter how extreme or controversial they might be.

This week we know how silly this sounds but .....the Department of Employment and Learning have announced plans to introduce "spot-checks" - oral reading and spelling tests - at random in the streets - for people carrying, and therefore by implication, reading, red-top newspapers !!!!!  Presumably, in Scotland, this will include the "Daily Record", "Daily Mirror" and "The Sun".

We are of course all for improving literacy, however.....

Nufsed and flabber-well-gasted, all we can suggest is - should you wish to comment, the contact in the Department is Ms Lirpa Sloof, her direct line  : (0207) 040109.