GCSE Results Day 2019

GCSE results day this year falls on Thursday 22^ndAugust 2019.

This week, students across the country awake with anticipation to find out what grades they have received in their GCSE exams.

Students can collect results from their school on the morning, usually from 10am. Results can also be received via email from 8am, if requested from the school.

What is the importance of GCSEs?

GCSE results signify the end of secondary education and determine the next step. Whether it’s continuing higher education and starting A Levels, doing an apprenticeship, or going into full-time work, there are plenty of options.

What happens when my child receives their GCSE results?

On GCSE results day 2019, students will find out whether they’ve received their predicted grades and have been accepted into their 6^th form or college of choice, should they wish to continue into higher education. They will also find out whether they are accepted onto their chosen A Level subjects.

Back-up options are also selected when applying for 6^th form or college. This is in case a student doesn’t receive the predicted grades to get accepted into their first choice.

New GCSE Grading System

This is the second year that the numerical grading system has been implemented. Grades rank from 1-9, (where 1 is the lowest and 9 highest), in order to differentiate amongst the brightest students. Read more about it here.

What if my child doesn’t receive their predicted grades?

If a student doesn’t achieve their predicted grades, there is no need to panic – there are plenty of other options available. Contacting the 6^thform or college and finding out about other options is advised. Sometimes, the institute will accept lower grades, or offer an alternative subject to study. Another option is requesting a paper remark from the exam board, at a charge. This comes with a risk of the grade being marked lower than the original received grade, however. If a student thinks they have been marked incorrectly, they can appeal an exam result. This can be done by asking the school to get the result looked at again, or requesting it from the board themselves.

Alternatively, exam resits take place in November 2019. Asking the school for information about exam resits is the best way of finding out the details. StudyBox offers tuition for GCSE resits in November, simply call one of the centres in Croydon, Sutton or Wallington to enquire.

If none of the above options are possible, it could be worth changing a career plan and exploring something new, like doing an apprenticeship or considering BTEC qualifications.

Good luck to everyone on GCSE Results Day 2019! But if the results were different to what was expected, don’t panic. There are always plenty of other options to consider.

Call StudyBox today on 02086428884 or sign up online for a free trial!

National Playday 2019

The 7th August is National Playday 2019! This special day highlights the importance of play in children’s lives.

On this day, children are particularly encouraged to participate in local community events, which are created specifically for National Playday. Alternatively, children can have fun with their own activities at home, or visit a local park.

The 2019 Playday theme is ‘play builds children.’ Children learn and grow through play, so it is important for them to have fun and develop in this way.

At StudyBox we offer a Kids Coding Lab course, where children can program and play with robots. We also run maths and English tuition sessions, so children can keep their minds active as well, this summer. We are open throughout the summer from the 22^ndJuly – 31^stAugust, from 10am until 2pm. Why not book a free trial this week at our Croydon centre, Kidspace, and enjoy one hour of free play to celebrate Playday!

To commemorate Playday, there are loads of exciting activities this week for children to participate in:

Playday events across London:

• Coram Fields Playday, 7^thAugust 2019, 13.00-16.00pm

93 Guilford St, London WC1N 1DN

Fun, free activities for all, including face painting, bouncy castle, inflatable slide, arts & crafts, slime making, music and much more!

• Islington Playday, 7^thAugust 2019 12.00-16.00

Paradise Park, Mackenzie Road N7 8SE

Free event to celebrate Children’s Right to Play. Get creative with the cardboard city, enjoy hanging about in the nets among the trees, have a go at using tools, build a den, make slime or giant bubbles and much more.

• Art4Space Workshops, 7^thAugust 2019. 10.00-12.00, 14.00-16.00

Studio 1, 31 Jeffreys Road, SW4 6QU

Get creative with jewellery, jewels and fabric at this free workshop promoting wellbeing and connection. For 5-18 year olds (under 8s must come with an adult).

If you enjoy this workshop on Playday, there are other free workshops:

Wednesday 14^thAugust: Earthly Matters & Clay Play.

Wednesday 24^thAugust: Mindful Mosaic & Fab Printing.

Drop in, no booking required.

• Redbridge National Playday 7^thAugust 2019. 10.00-13.00

Hainault Youth Centre, 116 Huntsman Road, Ilford, IG6 3SY

Make your own smoothies, multi-sports for all ages, children’s yoga, face painting. *Free event.

• Barking & Dagenham National Playday 7^thAugust 2019. 11.00-15.30

Valence Park, Becontree, Dagenham, RM8 3EU

Free event for all families. Face painting, inflatables, messy play, crazy golf, and much more.

For more information on Playday events happening in London: http://www.playday.org.uk/region/london/

Activities in the Sutton Borough:

• Summer Camp Modern Musical Week, 5^th-9^th 8.30-18.00

Sellincourt Primary School, Tooting, SW17 9SA

Singing, dancing and acting. Adaptations of some of the greatest musicals of our time.

£30 a day.

Book here: https://hoop.co.uk/blue-performing-arts/PsJI6Q-summer-camp-modern-musical-week/

• Summer Tennis Camp, 5^th-9^th 9.00-9.45

Wimbledon Park Tennis Courts, SW19 7HR

Fun tennis camp for children.

£12 a day.

Book here: https://hoop.co.uk/teddy-tennis/DZ1VMV-summer-tennis-camp/

• Mad Science Super Summer, 5^th-9^th 9.00-16.30

Joseph Hood Primary School, London, SW20 9NS

Science camps sparking imaginative learning through physical, brain-stimulating activities.

£44 a day.

Book here: https://hoop.co.uk/madscienceeast/VxIpYl-mad-science-super-summer/

• Stagecoach Summer Workshop, 5^th-9^thAugust. 9.00-12.30

The Langdon Down Centre, Teddington, TW11 9PS

Fun and creative drama, singing and dance workshops for everyone – no experience necessary. Children will create a performance for friends and family.

£135 for a 5-day workshop.

Book here: https://hoop.co.uk/stagecoach-twickenham/VI7rKf-stagecoach-summer-workshops-the-big-top/

• FUN Soccer School Holiday Camps, 5^th-9^th 9.00-12.00

Wandle Recreation Centre, London, SW18 4DN

Learn while having fun. Football training session, as well as fun filled day of football activities.

£15 – £20 for 1 day. £55 for a 5-day workshop.

Book here: https://hoop.co.uk/funsoccerschool/NUEHfD-fun-soccer-school-holiday-camps-summer-holiday-camp/

Jewellery Design & Wearable Workshop, 7^thAugust. 10.00-11.30

Kite Studios, London, W12 9RY

Unleash your inner fashion designer with headpieces, belts and bags inspired by nature.

£15 for the day.

Book here: https://hoop.co.uk/kite-studios/XgYcrq-jewellery-design-wearable-work/

 

Celebrate Playday by booking a free trial with StudyBox today! Book here.

Alternatively, call 0208 669 4343 to book.

Introducing a Coding Course For Kids During May Half Term

This May half term, StudyBox will be introducing a coding course for students. Further courses will then be made available during the summer break.

What is coding?

Coding is the skill of the future. It is the foundation on which websites, apps and video games are created and maintained. Put simply, through the language of coding we communicate with computers.

Why should children learn to code?

Learning to code might be perceived by students as a welcome diversion from academic study, but it is a great way to develop new skills. Not only is coding fun and “cool”, but there are also many benefits associated with learning to code:

Coding helps students to develop new, transferable skills

• Problem Solving

Coding teaches students to confront complex problems and break them down into smaller parts. This leads to logical, computational thinking.

• Creativity

Instead of just using technology, through coding students put together their own vision of an app, game or website

• Collaboration

By working together on projects, students naturally learn to collaborate and work effectively as a team, thereby developing robust work and life skills.

• Communication

Of computers, it is often said that you only get out what you put in, and this is very much the case with coding. Students must communicate their requirements concisely through the language of coding for their project to be successful.

• Critical Thinking

When coding, a methodical approach is essential. Students learn to map out and rigidly follow the stages of their work.

All these skills are transferrable across academic disciplines and extra-curricular activities.

Coding skills provide wider opportunities in the job market

According to Emsi, the student-to-employment economic specialists, Britain faces a shortage in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) skills. Coding is a skill that is very much associated with this area of learning.

Coding skills improve job prospects:

• When applying to colleges or universities for STEM subjects, having coding experience can give students an advantage over the competition
• Demonstrating coding skills will increase a student’s prospects of securing programming job roles. Computing jobs are growing at over twice the national average of other careers, but it is argued there are not enough skilled people to fill them
• Basic programming knowledge enhances the way students interact with the technologies they use at university and throughout their career.

StudyBox tuition will be introducing a coding course in May half term.

Why Choose StudyBox Coding Lab?

Introduction to coding concepts using a variety of tools and techniques that will enhance their knowledge of coding.

What they will learn:

• Learn about control and sensors while programming a robot

• Curriculum-based activities

• Learn to input commands

• Debug programmes

• Create their own games

 

Transferrable Skills: Problem Solving, Creativity, Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking.

 

May Half-Term

10 am to 2 pm

Monday 27th – Thursday 30th 

The course will take place at StudyBox@Kidspace Croydon

Book your free trial.

Course Overview:

5-7 year-olds

1-hour lessons

• A fun introduction to coding.

• Screen-free and hands-on activities to teach coding.

• Learn to program a robot to perform a sequence of steps.

• Children can set up fun cause and effect sequences.

 

8-9 year-olds

1-hour lessons

• Progress from off-screen activities to on-screen coding.

• Team-based projects.

• Create a vehicle and programme it to move and complete tasks.

• Introduction to Python coding language.

10-12 year-olds

1 or 2 hour Lessons

• Learn how coding languages work.

• Create your own code.

• Linking software with hardware.

• Learn how to continue working on their project after the lesson has finished.

Get in touch

To find out more about StudyBox coding courses and how your child can learn the skill of the future, call us on 020 3189 1442 or visit our website.

An additional tuition centre for StudyBox at Kidspace, Croydon

In April, StudyBox opened its latest tuition centre. In addition to our centres in Wallington, Sutton and Epsom we now have our third centre in Kidspace at The Colonnades, Croydon.

This unique setting allows us to provide students with the opportunity to combine exercise and education. As experts in English, Maths and Science tuition, at StudyBox we understand the benefits of exercise on a child’s capacity to learn.

Kidspace provides the perfect setting for learning

The creation of Kidspace was a response to a lack of recreation facilities for children in the local area. The owners maintain that play should be challenging and fun, a mantra that sits perfectly with the StudyBox approach to education. We like to challenge our students while doing everything possible to create a relaxed and inspirational environment.

So, the perfect partnership between recreation and education was born. The StudyBox centre at Kidspace is open weekdays from 4-6pm and on Saturday mornings. There is free car parking, and for those using public transport, the centre is on a busy bus route.

The added bonus for students attending our Croydon centre is that they also get one hour of free play time before or after their class. A report published in PubMed Central (PMC) found that the ability to focus attention is improved among children who participate in physical activities. Having a tuition centre inside an indoor adventure playground must, then, be a win-win!

StudyBox tutors complement the work being done in schools

StudyBox first opened in March 2015. We take great care to hire a wide range of enthusiastic tutors who can adapt to the different learning styles and abilities of students. Close relationships with local schools are also key to serving local communities effectively.

We follow the national curriculum, guiding students through 11+ exams and GCSEs, and helping them transition from year to year throughout their education. StudyBox is proud of its achievements so far.

Get in touch

If you would like any more information about the new centre at Kidspace, call us on 0203 189 1442 (ext 4) or email us at [email protected]. Book your free trial now.

 

Private Tuition Could Benefit Your Child

Many students find that mainstream education doesn’t have the resources to provide sufficient one-to-one attention from teachers. Parents are turning to private tuition to complement the teaching provided in school.

How can tutors help with GCSEs?

Tuition for GCSE students is on the rise. The 2018 Sutton Trust survey found that 27% of students now have a tutor at some point in their education.

Benefits of working with a tutor at StudyBox:

• Our tutors provide customised lessons in which they can concentrate on specific areas of the syllabus that are proving problematic
• In one-to-one sessions, the tutor can determine and focus upon a student’s weak areas
• A student is more likely to ask for help and resolve the problem they’re struggling with
• Our tutors can help the student with homework and test practice which helps build confidence in the classroom
• Students have access to additional learning resources

Why invest in a tutor for the 11+ exam?

Grammar schools have a reputation as the pinnacle of the secondary education system. With a wealth of resources and a history of exceptional results, parents aspire to see their child attend grammar schools. Places are incredibly competitive and students must pass the 11+ exam to gain entry.

The 11+ exam is extremely difficult, to the extent that many children begin to prepare for it from as early as Years 3 or 4. Our tutors know which techniques to use to improve a child’s score and enhance their chances of getting into a grammar school of their choice.

The 11+ exam is an advanced KS2 level and we provide a specialised programme for students in year 4 and 5. We begin teaching students more challenging topics early on in year 5 to ensure they have sufficient time to consolidate their knowledge and practice applying skills to exam style questions.

The benefits of revision

The sooner a student starts to revise, the better.

In mainstream education, the time to teach the syllabus is limited and students are required to do a large proportion of their revision at home.

By taking the time to go over subjects, again and again, the student’s confidence naturally grows. A tutor can offer various revision techniques to avoid cramming which causes stress and anxiety.

StudyBox is a maths and English tuition centre based in Wallington and Sutton. We provide tuition in English, mathematics and science for SATS, GCSE and 11+. To find out more visit our website. Follow our Facebook!