Oxbridge or not Oxbridge?

August 7, 2019

Many schools will be expecting students to be thinking about university applications after this summer break, and most of those decisions need to be decided now, at least as a first step. This post considers the idea of a student possibly applying to Oxford or...

Choices are about to be made?

July 17, 2019

At this stage of the year, the IB is in the minds of four sets of students… Pre-IB. There will be a collection of students who have just finished MYP or GCSEs/IGCSEs and are planning to start the Diploma around September. Will it be the right thing or not? Will you...

More (Yes) on Writing Commentaries

March 27, 2019

One of the best guides to commentary I have ever seen was produced by Theo Dombroski, then of the UWC Pearson College. I am going to provide you with three of his good hints about commentary with the hope they will give you some help when you face this exercise. These...

How to revise for your Maths exam…

March 25, 2019

Last month I made some suggestions for a revision plan. Now, having decided you’re going to spend a 3 hour session revising Maths, how should you set about it? Since the only thing you will be asked to do in the exam is answer Maths questions, then surely the...

Better and Better Essays(#2)

February 22, 2019

‘Sculpting’ your paragraphs so that a reader really wants to hear what you have to say. Yes, it’s the examiner’s job to read whatever you write, but why not make that an inviting task?  It’s probably true that when you see great blocks of...

Better and Better Essays (#1)

February 8, 2019

There are two situations in your Language and Literature courses where you are asked to deliver your ideas in essays: one kind of essay will let you plan, revise and present your work.  The other essay will be written under timed examination conditions. And, during...