Step Ahead Tutoring And Educational Services

Special Youngsters

As we approach the school summer holidays, it is good to reflect on some of the wonderful achievements of pupils.

Regular readers will have heard about Sam Pope, but he has surpassed himself recently with an incredible performance in a Standard Grade Maths Non-Calculator Paper where he dropped only one mark.  4th Year secondary pupils normally take such a paper - but Sam is still at primary school !

At a time when spelling is not being given much of an emphasis in many schools, P5 pupil Rory Philip is tackling comfortably words designed for 12-13 year olds, and often mis-spelt by much older youngsters and adults !

Tutees who have impressed greatly recently include 6 year old Max Yeoman;  nine year old Peter Bery;  Kincardine lad Caine Dooley; 11 year old birthday boy Grant MacDonald;  and two lads in Midlothian, from Penicuik Allan Macdonald and Queensferry-based Sam Pearson.

Warm STEP AHEAD welcomes to :  Archie Grieve,  Liam Murray and Lewis Shiel, who have all hit the ground running ! 

Research Findings

A report has revealed that white boys are virtually bottom of the class in schools throughout Britain.

They do WORSE in exams than children from almost EVERY other group in the country.

Caribbean, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Indian, black African and Chinese pupils, as well as girls from any background, are all well ahead of them according to latest research by government education chiefs.

Only gypsy and traveller children or those in care - that is, kids whose educations are routinely disrupted - come below white boys.

These findings are based on exam results from the nation's 30,000 schools.

Nick Seaton, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, pointed the finger of blame at white mums and dads who didn't give their sons the educational support they needed.

"Chinese and Indian youngsters do well because they are pushed by their parents to do well and have supportive families - but many white British males don't have this," he said.

A spokesman for the Department for School Children and Families (DSCF)-who produced the report- admitted "underachievement, regardless of background or ethnicity, can only be tackled by changing the aspirations of young people, their parents and the education system."

The report found that both white boys AND girls did worse than other racial groups-but white boys in particular were found to be especially poor.

Mastering Maths

 

MATHEMATICS should be one of the most useful subjects children learn in school –

yet thousands leave school each year unable to use simple mathematical methods.

Worse, they are traumatised by their experiences in maths classes.

 

This results in many adults being left vulnerable, not only to financial ruin, but in any

situation involving mathematical thinking or reasoning.

It should be the right of all children to be given a basic but sound mathematical

knowledge and understanding. Yet thousands of students actually fear or hate maths.

Children also suffer because they come to believe that maths achievement equals

intelligence, and to fail at maths is a sign of being stupid. This idea serves to erode

children's confidence in their ability to think, and it is the reason so many children

feel traumatised when they don't do well in maths.

 

There is a pervasive view in the UK that only some children can do well in maths;

this is wrong and damaging.  It is really important that children know that everyone

can be good at maths and everyone can reach high levels.

There are many ways in which parents can help their children, particularly through

encouragement and support. 

 

Negative comments to the youngster do not help;  similarly avoiding saying, "I was

terrible at maths at school," as research has found that when mothers say this to their daughters, their expectations fall." 

 

Mathematical success can be helped by puzzles and games worked on at home within

the family such as sudoku (there are many children's versions around), snakes and

ladders (for early number work), Rubik's cubes, jigsaws, draughts, chess, dominoes,

Connect 4 and any logic puzzles.

 

The above is part of a new section being prepared for our web-site, highlighting subjects tutored by STEP AHEAD.