Easy Back To School Breakfast

Easy Back-To-School Breakfasts

It’s almost time for back to school, which means the crazy school mornings are back! It’s important that you make sure your children have a good breakfast before they head off for the day. Here are some simple back to school breakfast ideas you can prepare to make sure your children get all the nutrients they need.

1. Overnight Oats- no-fuss, quick and healthy breakfast!

Ingredients

• Oats
• Frozen Berries
• Water
• Frozen Yoghurt, regular yoghurt or soy yoghurt – natural and unsweetened if possible

Equipment

• Jar

Method

1. Spoon 3 dessert spoons, approx 27g of dried rolled oats into the jar
2. Add 1 teaspoon of water
3. Add approx 10 frozen berries
4. Top off with yoghurt and leave overnight in the fridge for best results

2. Smoothies- Perfect for those who don’t want to eat in the morning!

Ingredients

• 1 cup – Greek or plain yogurt
• 2 medium – banana
• 1 cup – strawberries, frozen, unsweetened
• 1/4 cup – flaxseed, ground
• 1 cup – spinach

Method

1. Add all smoothie ingredients to a high-powered blender. (If your blender won’t mix this, add small amounts of water until it begins to blend, but try to keep it as thick as possible.
2. Serve immediately

You can adapt this recipe and change any fruits/yogurt that you prefer.  

3. Oatmeal Breakfast Cookie – Cookies for breakfast are bound to go down a treat!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup 1 mashed banana
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter (or non-peanut)
• 1/2 cup honey*
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour*
• 1/4 cup ground flax seed (or an additional 1/4 cup flour)
• 1/4 cup nonfat milk powder or vanilla protein powder (+ 2 tablespoons water if dough is too thick)
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins

Equipment

• Bowls
  
• Baking tray
• Measuring Cup
• Container

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat two cookie sheets with cooking spray, and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the banana, peanut butter, honey, and vanilla.
3. In a small bowl, combine the oats, flour, flax seed, milk powder, cinnamon, and baking soda.
4. Stir the oat mixture into the banana mixture until combined. Stir in the cranberries.
5. Using a ¼-cup measuring cup, drop mounds of dough 3 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. With a thin metal or small plastic spatula dipped in water, flatten, and spread each mound of dough to a 2¾-inch round, about ½ inch thick.
6. Bake, one sheet at a time, for 14 to 16 minutes or until browned. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
7. Store in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag for up to 3 days, thaw before serving.

Serving Size: 12

4. Eggo Breakfast Sandwiches- Something different!

Ingredients

• 8 individual Waffle
• 4 individual Cheddar Cheese, Sharp, Sliced
• 4 ½ ounces Deli Ham, Sliced

Equipment

• Freezer Bag
• Cling film
• Baking Sheets

Method

1. On one side of the waffle place one slice of cheese and two slices of ham.
2. Place other half of waffle on top of ham to form sandwiches.
3. Bake sandwiches on a baking sheet for 4-5 minutes, until outside is crispy and cheese is melted.
4. Wrap the sandwiches you have NOT baked individually in cling film and place into freezer bags and freeze so they are prepared for the week ahead.
5. Thaw the waffles the night before in the fridge and they will be ready to bake in the morning.

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Danielle Reid
14/09/2018

Five Ways Tuition Can Complement School Learning

Five Ways StudyBox Tuition Can Really Complement School Learning

When it comes to after-school tuition, parents have many questions such as “why should I pay for extra tuition? Shouldn’t my child’s school be covering all of their educational needs?”
Here are our reasons why we complement your child’s school learning.

1. Truly personalised experience

We have the ability to adapt lessons to suit each and every child based on their individual learning needs.
We work in such small ratios allowing time to get to know your child and how they like to learn.

2. National curriculum methods

StudyBox offers English, Maths, Science and Coding tuition. We aim to complement and support your child’s school education which is why all the methods we teach are based on the national curriculum.

3. We keep the fun in learning

We understand that Maths and English are not every student’s cup of tea. We reward positive behaviour and effort with reward cards, once your child has a certain number of stars they will be able to spin the prize wheel and choose a prize!

4. Keep parents involved

As a parent, it is natural that you want to know how your child is getting on. We aim to make sure that parents are always kept involved. Based on the unique lesson plans that we create for your child, at the end of every lesson we always provide parents with in-depth feedback on the session.

5. Our tutor-to-student ratio

It’s no surprise that tuition can give more individual attention to students. At StudyBox we keep the ratios small, tutors are assigned up to 3 students who work independently. The tutors set work and teach the students for the entire hour. Lessons are on the same day and time each week, so your child will always have the same tutor.

Extra Tuition

If you feel you have helped your child as best as you can but they still need help, maybe consider a tuition centre where your child can get tailored help from a skilled professional. Here at StudyBox each student has a unique lesson plan & works at their own pace guided by the tutor, goals are set and monitored with weekly feedback to parents.

Want a free trial at StudyBox Tuition? Click Here.

Making learning fun! Click Here.

Danielle Reid

How to Prepare For Secondary School

How to prepare your child for secondary school

We’ve prepared five ways to help your child prepare for secondary school smoothly and successfully.

Summer is nearly over, which means it is almost time for the big transition to secondary school. It can be an exciting and daunting time for both parents and children. As a parent, you want to ensure your little ones (not so little anymore), are relaxed and prepared.

Be there to listen

Starting secondary school is a big transition and children are bound to be worried.
Encourage them to share what they are worried about, remind your child that everyone is in the same boat when they start.

Help your child become more responsible

Secondary school is a big step up from primary school and requires far more organisation. Get them into the habit of packing bags the night before, help them arrange a homework schedule. Their days are a lot longer, make sure they get enough rest and get into a good sleep pattern.  

Encourage independence

If your child is going to make their own way to school make sure they are familiar with the route. Taking the trip with them over the holidays will allow them to feel confident on where they are going.

Ensure they have everything they need

In order that everything goes smoothly, check your child has everything they need to start the term, the school will often send a starter pack with a list of everything you need to buy.

Stay prepared

You won’t have as much contact with the school as you did with the primary school and you mainly rely on your child to bring home notes and messages from school. If you want to stay in the loop, parent-teacher meetings and get involved with the parents’ association.

Conclusion

According to the Institute of Education, students who have a successful transition display higher levels of self-esteem and confidence once at secondary school. They also adapt much better to school life and find work they completed in year 6 to be very useful for the work they have to undertake in year 7.

Extra Tuition

If you feel you have helped your child as best as you can but they still need help, maybe consider a tuition centre where your child can get tailored help from a skilled professional. Here at StudyBox each student has a unique lesson plan & works at their own pace guided by the tutor, goals are set and monitored with weekly feedback to parents.
StudyBox is a tuition centre based in Wallington, Sutton, Croydon and Battersea. Find out more click here.

Danielle Reid

Be Supportive on Exam Results Day

How to support your child on exam results day

The run-up to exam results day can prove to be an anxious time for your children, and for parents, it is just as stressful. It is a good idea to prepare for the day ahead, here are a few things that you can do to support your child:

Don’t put pressure on them.

Try to avoid putting unnecessary pressure on your child in regards to gaining certain grades. Whatever results they get, they will have a lot to think about and it’s important to remind your child not to panic and that there are always options available. Before the results even come out be sure to re-enforce how proud you are of the effort they have put in.

Find distractions

On the run up to the day it is mostly likely your child may be feeling very anxious, having acknowledged how they are feeling it would be helpful to find some distractions. You could take trips during the day or encourage them to take part in an activity, making sure they have something to keep their mind off results day is key!

Make a plan

Regardless of your child’s results they are going to need a plan on what their next steps will be, sit down with them and make a plan A and a plan B. Plan A can be the next steps if their grades are what they wanted and plan B can be if they receive unexpected results. Although,  you may not want to think about a plan B it is good to have one in place, so your child feels a sense of reassurance if all does not go to plan on the day.

Be supportive

This is the most important of all, let your child know that you are there for them no matter what the outcome is on the day. Your child might want space on results day and that’s okay, just let them know that you are there for them when they are ready to talk.

Be prepared for your GCSE exams! Click here.

For more information about how StudyBox tuition can help your child, visit our website www.studybox.london

Danielle Reid
14/08/2018

Why is Science Important?

Why is Science Important to learn?

Science is everywhere in our day to day lives.  It can help to answer all those questions children ask, like ‘Why does the moon appear during daylight?’ and ‘How do aeroplanes stay up in the sky?’ Science helps children to learn how and why things happen in the world.

Why should children learn Science?

Encouraging your children to learn science will help them to uncover new beneficial discoveries in the future and develop their knowledge as these skills will be used to prepare for GCSE exams and SATs.

Contents of science

Science is divided into 3 categories such as; Biology (the study of living organisms), Chemistry (investigations of reactions) and Physics (the study of nature and properties of matter and energy).

Science at School

Science is studied in detail starting from KS4 (Year 10). StudyBox provides teaching and learning experiences starting from KS3 to enable children to achieve the highest possible standards at GCSE level.

What methods we use to teach

• Teaching topics using a whiteboard
• Verbal Class quizzes
• Written Exams
• Various levels of Worksheets
• Encouraging students to make revision notes in diverse ways (revision cards, booklets)
• Interactive Science Education videos

After learning science and continuous practice, many students show positive progress and attain better results. We consistently encourage the development of their scientific skills and attitudes to provide lifelong learning.

Free Trial at StudyBox Tuition. Click Here. 

Make sure you’re prepared for your GCSEs! Click Here.

New Times Tables Test for Year 4 Students

New Times Tables Test

What is it?

The government have introduced the multiplication check to help ensure that children know their times tables up to 12 off by heart. The test will take place in Year 4 and takes no longer than 5 minutes. It will allow teachers to recognise where children need support to ensure they leave primary school with a secure grasp of fundamental arithmetic as a foundation for maths.

Why are times tables important?

Knowing their tables will allow children to confidently solve problems quickly during lessons and later on in life. As we all know, times tables are crucial in everyday life. From working out quantities of ingredients when baking to calculating the currency exchange rate when going on holiday!

Encouraging your child to learn tables

The best way for a child to learn their times tables is lots of repetition and lots of practice. Try and incorporate learning their tables into your child’s everyday life. Times such as driving to and from school and meal times are great opportunities to ask your child times tables questions. You can also turn it into a fun game and challenge your child to see how many they can get right in a certain amount of time! For children who love screen time, there are lots of apps available on iPads and tablets that use fun, interactive games to help with times tables. There are also lots of videos on YouTube that teach times tables using catchy songs.

Here is an example of a “catchy times tables” song on YouTube. Click Here.

How can we help?

Here at StudyBox, we set aside 5-10 minutes of each maths lesson for students to learn and practise their tables. We have a variety of online programmes and worksheets to support children when learning their times tables as well as opportunities to practise under timed conditions.

Make learning fun! Click here.

Sophie Lambert,
Tutor at StudyBox

5 Ways You Can Encourage Your Child to Read

Encouraging Your Child to Read

1. English Reading Skills

Reading is a vital skill for children to learn as they’re going to need it in their everyday life. Even if they’re not reading books, your child will have to read instructions on the board at school and on test papers. Not being able to read can often make children feel isolated from peers and create low self-esteem. However, if you keep encouraging your children to read, it can expand their imagination as well as their vocabulary and grammar – as well as improve their spelling. Books are a great way to do this as they provide engaging stories and expose children to different sentence types and vocabulary that they can use in their own writing.

2. How to encourage reluctant students

Some students are reluctant to read as they find it boring and difficult. To help combat this issue it is often helpful to start reading books with interesting covers, with pictures that are about stories they recognise or that friends are already reading.

For example, a book many children want to read is the Harry Potter series. This is because it is a well-known story that many other children they know have read, as well as having movies that children have often already seen. These types of books are then more accessible to children.

3. What if that doesn’t work?

If books like this still don’t gain your child’s interest, it can often help to choose a book to read together. You can then take turns reading a paragraph each or each reading a different character’s part. This is something I do when my students are reluctant to read as it makes them feel like they are reading less and makes the activity more engaging.

Here’s a more recent blog post about how to improve a child’s concentration. Click Here.

4. Understanding what they’ve read

Understanding what they have read is an important skill that children will need, especially when they begin taking exams. To make sure your child has understood what they’ve read it can be a good idea to ask them questions after they have read each chapter – this can be done straight after they’ve read it or a little while afterwards. The more they remember over a period of time the more you know that they have understood what they’re reading.

Another relevant blog about the importance of reading skills! Click Here.

5. Progress over time

At StudyBox students are often encouraged to complete comprehensions during the lesson – something they will have to do in their SATs in year 2 and 6. The students who read at home often find the comprehensions easier to complete. This increases the child’s confidence in their own abilities as they know that this is a task that they can complete well.

We’re a tuition company based in Sutton, Wallington, Croydon & Battersea. Would you like to know more about our free trial? Click Here.

We continue to write engaging blogs, weekly. Click Here.

Annabel Yates,
English Tutor at StudyBox

Understanding the new GCSEs:

Understanding the new GCSEs: What you need to know

What exactly are the new GCSEs?

We’ve all heard about or are experiencing first hand the recent reforms to the education system, starting with the way in which 16-year-olds are tested at the end of year 11.

Teens are being challenged like never before, so it is important to know how the new GCSEs work, to understand what students are experiencing this summer.

Why did the government change them?

The government wanted to make these changes so that the new GCSEs would be more ‘demanding and challenging’ for students. The new, two-year course aligns more with the essay based, analytical and evaluative skills needed at A-level. This is better preparing students for their future.

It also makes tests ‘fairer’, the government argues, through the limited coursework, there is across the curriculum. Previously, coursework has been varied and dependent on the school’s teaching methods. This way, everyone has the same chance at the end of two years to show their skills off in an exam.

Why did the grading system change?

The government changed the grading system to give more opportunity for students of all abilities to achieve higher. Students may now achieve a standard or a strong pass, allowing those who achieved a grade C under the old system to be rewarded a higher grade. Similarly, higher achieving students can now strive further for something higher than an A*, so a level 9 was created.

What’s changed?

Firstly, grades are different. Instead of A*-U grades, they have been replaced with 9-1, where nine is the highest grade achievable. A grade 9 will be harder to achieve than an A* and, now, both a grade 4 and 5 is viewed as a pass. A 4 will be a standard pass and a 5 will be a strong pass. Pupils will need to re-take English Language and Maths exams in the next years if they don’t achieve a 4 or above.

Coursework is also different too. Only in subjects where it is crucial to show skill, such as drama and dance. This makes the final exam at the end of the two-year course more important than ever.

Other changes will include compulsory double or triple science (foundation or higher), a single science will no longer be available.

What to expect?

One thing to remember in the face of the new GCSEs is that we are all in this together. This is new to every parent; student and teacher so don’t panic!

Prepare for an exam in whichever way is best for you; be it flashcards, posters, past papers or any other way that makes you comfortable. Little and often is always good when revising, and be sure to take necessary breaks.

Remember, you have a great long summer ahead of you, which will make the work you put in now all the more worthwhile!

You can read more about this topic on the AQA website. Click Here.

Harriet Nokes,
GCSE Tutor at StudyBox

Why not contact your local StudyBox GCSE tuition centre for a Free Trial.

More important GCSE information. Click Here.

Encouraging Creative Writing

Why creative writing is important

Creative writing is important for children to learn as it promotes imagination and helps them to write in a structured and organised style. These skills will help when they have to take exams – such as their SATs and GCSE’s.

How they’ll use it outside of the classroom

Creative writing isn’t just about writing stories; it also involves writing letters, instructions and persuasive pieces, just to name a few.
These are skills they can use later on when writing CVs for future jobs or for composing emails to future bosses.

Getting started

Not every child enjoys creative writing and many are reluctant at first. To combat this, I let the students choose what type of writing they want to complete, (fables, myths, traditional stories, letters, instructions or explanations). This helps to get the child excited about working on the piece and gets them involved.

However, some children are so reluctant that they don’t want to choose anything. If this is the case, I ask them what they’re already doing at school and choose the type of writing that best matches this.        

Planning pieces of writing

Children don’t often want to plan their writing and are more interested in starting their work straight away. The benefit of encouraging the child to plan is that it helps them to organise their ideas and to know exactly what they are going to write about.

To help children plan, I write down prompt questions on the planning sheets that come with the task, e.g.

•  how does your character feel?
• What does the setting look like?
• Why did they behave like that? This helps the child to think about what they’re writing and increases the amount of detail they include.

Maintaining enthusiasm

When working on one type of writing children can become frustrated and bored. To avoid this, we use different types each week that help them write in different styles for the same topic. For example, in myths, they can complete a character plan one week and a poster, diary entry or a report about that character the next week. This prevents students from feeling like they’re just doing the same thing every week and keeps them interested in their own pieces of work as it keeps evolving.

Progress over the term

One of my current students was very reluctant to complete creative writing tasks as he didn’t enjoy it and found it boring. However, after weeks of working on his writing, he has started to enjoy creating his own stories and even does them at home and brings them in for us to read. He likes coming up with characters – especially villains – and is currently working on his use of description in sentences. He is just one example of a student who has progressed well in creative writing during his lessons at StudyBox.

Check out our blog which explains the importance of reading. Click here!

For a free trial at one of our StudyBox Tuition centres, click here.

How to prepare for Mock Exams. Click Here.

Annabel Yates
English Tutor, StudyBox

The Importance of Education

The Importance of Education

In a fast-changing world where the most valuable skill you have is your knowledge, a good education is no longer just required, it’s essential.

The future of Jobs

Every day we hear about new inventions such as driverless cars and AI robots that can answer questions and solve problems.
These new inventions eliminate the need for humans to perform these tasks.
Many current jobs will soon vanish leaving those without adequate education struggling to find employment without going back to school.

The parent’s role

The need for our children to expand their ability to think and learn new skills has become an essential goal for most parents.
Teaching our children, the importance of learning starts at home.
We can encourage them to seek out and explore topics they are passionate about and foster an inquisitive personality.

Learning for life

Learning is not just about teaching children the curriculum. It is a process of experiences that lead them to the great “aha” moments of life.
It’s important to teach children to learn from their mistakes and remove the emphasis of getting things right the first time.
Most things in the real world come from trial and error, therefore we should encourage our children to try many different approaches.

Core Skills

There is always going to be a need for core skill in English Maths and Science.

English helps us to use our imagination and creativity. It gives us essential skills, reading and writing, and how to communicate effectively.

Maths teaches us skills such as problem solving, analysing data, communication & logical thinking.
Simple maths skills are used every day in shopping, baking, journey planning and driving.

Science teaches skills through conducting experiments and forming conclusions, and this encourages the brain to think independently and outside the box. You can learn more about the importance of Science, here.

For more information on how to help your children achieve their full potential, visit our website.

It can be hard adjusting from Primary school to Secondary school. Click here.