Tests and all that.

Well done to all the year 6's who have made it through SATs week (and to all the parents, teachers, TAs and assorted support staff who played a vital role in making it as stress-free as possible for the children.

Good luck to all those starting GCSE or A level exams;we tutor more primary children at the moment but we do have some GCSE pupils.

Tests have been in the news a lot over the last couple of weeks: leaked papers, apparently ambiguous questions (I say apparently because  I haven't seen the actual test papers) tales of tearful children and a general astonishment at the difficulty of the tasks we are asking of our 7 and 10 year olds. Oh, and let's not forget the government minister who got a sample question wrong, or the educations secretary's misspelt letter.

However, I'm not going to make political statements - that's not my job. What I am concerned about is what next? What happens when the results come back. Whatever the 'national standard' turns out to be, however your child  has done, rest assured that they have been working at a far higher level than we did at primary school. They have been working incredibly hard to learn concepts way beyond that which can be reasonably viewed as age-appropriate, or in some cases even vaguely useful. Time and again we have heard parents say they don't understand their children's homework.

So make sure your child  knows you think they are amazing irrespective of the results that come back, give them time to do all the childhood things they have missed out on whilst cramming for these tests and be proud that they have finished with that stage of their life -- new challenges lie ahead.

And news of the long-promised adult sessions - you too can spot the subjunctive,the past progressive and modal verbs. You can learn to 'chunk' and understand decomposition. ( I can see you all shivering with the excitement of it all . Half hour sessions will be held on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings - just the thing after you drop the kids off for their own morning's work. For more information message us on Facebook -
 https://www.facebook.com/East-Kent-Tutors-928477163883890/

 or e mail: sue@eastkent-tutors.co.uk.