Path Education

With the first half-term of the Academic Year having arrived for most, students will be looking forward to hard earned rest. Here are some ideas of how they could spend their break. 1.   Get some (additional) sleep Teenagers, on average need between 8 and 10 hours sleep per night. This can be hard to come by during a busy week at school. Ensuring a regular sleeping pattern throughout the holidays (or at least the last few days) means they can return to school feeling fresh. 2.   Family traditions Perhaps you have some already. These are things that you and your family look forward to doing together during these occasions when you’re home. If you don't have any family traditions that apply during these times, consider introducing some. From heading out together for a family lunch to taking part in a family sporting activity; be creative! 3.   Muscle memory What is that one skill that you love to practice but never get the chance to do during a busy school week? This is the time to practice and so schedule yourself some time to focus on something different. 4.   Exercise A proven mechanism to support and improve physical and mental health. If you only get the chance to do one thing this coming half-term, let it be this. Whether its going for walk, a run, a swim or a session in the gym, this will be of great benefit to you. #patheducation #halfterm #education #educationconsultants #onlinetutoring

All strong university applications are accompanied by interesting and engaging personal statements. Here are some tips for you to consider when writing your own personal statement. 1.  Originality is key Avoid phrases that are cliché such as, “since I was 6 years old I have wanted to” and “I have always dreamed about”. Instead, link personal desires to times of inspiration. What was is that peaked your interest in the course you are applying for? 2.  Your first 10 words Use this opening to give the university a flavour of you; make it unique and make them want to find our more about you. 3.  Don’t quote University admissions teams want to hear what you think – not someone else. 4. Extra-curricular activities Maintain a balance of at least 75% to 25% for academic and non-academic content. For the most selective universities the academic focus should be closer to 90%. Finally, always ensure that any non-academic content this demonstrates transferable skills and understanding that will benefit the course you are applying to study. 5.  Read aloud Some prefer to do this alone and others prefer to do this with a friend or parent. Either way, hearing yourself say what you think is a very useful exercise and can help you feel more confident in your personal statement. #PathEducation #personalstatement #universityapplication #applyingtouniversity #highereducation #sixthform

Is your child ready to make their university applications? For UK universities, all applications need to be completed by 31st January 2025 with some requiring completion as early as October 15th. Here are some tips for students who have not started the process yet..as well as a those who have! 1.   Research your course 💻 Always begin here. Realise what you are good at and decide what it is you want to do. If there is synergy here then you are almost certainly guaranteeing yourself success at undergraduate degree level. Why? Because you will enjoy what you are doing and be motivated to complete it. Do not fall into the trap of choosing the university before your course! 2.   Extra-curricular activities 🏇 Your university application is a form of CV. You will have the opportunity to celebrate your academic, personal and extracurricular achievements. It is therefore important that you explore a number of additional opportunities outside of your regular day-to-day education. 3.   Deadlines 📅 These are of the highest importance. You do not want to miss any university application submission deadlines which may prohibit you from applying, similarly you will have internal deadlines to meet with you school. Make yourself aware of all the timelines you are working towards. 4.   Check your details, twice 📝 As is the case with any formal application, the information you provide must be accurate. Read through your application multiple times before submitting it; even ask a friend or family member to read over your application prior to pressing the submit button. 5.   Interview practice and preparation 💬 Interviews can be incredibly daunting and anxiety inducing. This is normal. However, practising university interviews with an experienced consultant and interviewer will prepare you best. Path Education has a number of experts in this field who can assist you with preparing for these interviews in the best possible way. #patheducation #universityapplication #applyingtouniversity #highereducation #sixthform #oxbridge #educationconsultants

Does your child find any of the following challenging? ⭐ Planning their day or managing a revision schedule ⭐ Organising themselves and prioritising tasks ⭐ Remembering to do things ⭐ Initiating tasks ⭐ Regulating their emotions and responses ⭐ Knowing what direction their next steps are in If so, we invite you to find out more about Path Education’s Coaching and Mentoring Service. We hand-pick one of our expert coaches who will work with your child on a one-to-one basis to help them identify their aspirations and the skills they require in order to achieve these. Your child will then receive ongoing weekly support, tailored to meet where they are and ensure that they make consistent progress towards their aspirations and goals. We recognise that children face different challenges at different times of their life and so the service deliberately addresses both academic and personal development goals. The service aims to develop: ⭐ Positive habits that lead to improved planning and organisation ⭐ Working memory ⭐ A young person’s belief in their ability to begin a task and finish it within a set time period ⭐ Response inhibition ⭐ A sense of purpose and direction ⭐ Realisation of self If you’d like to speak with one of our coaches to learn more, get in touch with our team. #PathEducation #Coaching #Mentoring #PersonalDevelopment #EducationConsultancy

With the new Academic Year on the horizon, here are some tips to help you prepare. 📈 Set some goals Depending on your school year, some goals for the year may have already been determined e.g. preparing for examinations. However, perhaps there are other aspirations that you have for the year ahead such as starting a new sport or improving in a specific subject. ⏰ Begin school week routines now From getting up in the morning not quite so late to going to bed earlier, establishing these routines before the start of term will help make the transition into the new Academic Year more seamless. 🤼 Reach out to friends 6-8 weeks is a long-time and there is a good chance you won’t have seen or spoken to some of your friends during this time. Reach out to them before your first day back. 👔 Uniform check Try on your school uniform during the final weeks of the Summer and check everything still fits! If it doesn’t, you still have enough time to replace it. Remember to check whether there have been any adjustments to your school’s uniform policy. 🗓 Timetable Lesson timetables for the year ahead are usually made available to students during the final week of the Summer. Check your school email inbox for information and updates so you know exactly what to expect on your first day back! #PathEducation #backtoschool #firstterm #schoolpreparation

If you’ve just finished sitting your final A-level or IB exams, there’s a good chance that you’ll be heading to University in September/October. Here is some guidance on how you can prepare best during the Summer break. 👨🎓 Part-time or full-time work You will most likely be eligible for student finance which will cover your university course fees and the majority living expenses. But the university experience is expensive and earning some extra cash during the Summer will only help. 💷 Budgeting Linking to the previous point, spend some time working out what your total monthly outgoings are going to be. From here, you can begin to budget accordingly. If you don’t think you’re going to have enough money spare each month to live as you would like, part-time work may help. 💻 Early purchases From washing detergent to a phone charger, from toilet roll to a toothbrush, it’s wise to begin purchasing these necessities to avoid a mad rush during the final week before you begin your course. 📖 Reading list Your university course will more than likely recommend a reading list for you to work through in preparation for your course. Find out what’s on the list and start making progress. 🍳 Learn to cook No need to begin practising for a Michelin Star, but learning to cook some more basic dishes is wise. Ready meals and takeaways are not the most nutritional nor cost effective solutions! 🕺 Spend time with family and friends If you’re moving away for university, you may have to wait until late October or perhaps evening December before you see your friends and family again. Spending as much time as you can with these people during the Summer will help to alleviate any regret you might feel once your university course begins. #PathEducation #University #Alevelresults #HigherEducation

Moving in to Key Stage 4? We have some summer tips to support students who will be beginning GCSE Maths courses in September. ➕ ➖ ➗ Mathematics is a subject that continually builds upon prior knowledge. For students beginning the GCSE syllabus, we want to provide some common areas that often require additional focus in order to ensure subsequent topics taught are more likely to be understood. 📈 Number lines This may sound incredibly foundational but it remains something that stumps young people. Have your young person draw a number line (a good number range for this purpose is -20 to +20) and have them stick it on their bedroom wall. Ask them to add or subtract numbers from negative numbers to solidify their understanding of this concept. ✍ Worded questions Even the most competent young mathematicians can appear to lose confidence when they are presented with a worded Maths questions . We recommend asking a young person questions about a worded question. These questions might include, ‘what is the question asking you to find?’ or, ‘what information has been given to you within the question already?’. 💻 Private tuition We recognise that Summer holidays are often busy times for the family and so we want to remind you of our availability to fit around your family schedule. Our team of expert Mathematics tutors are available throughout the Summer holiday period. Let us help your child to make the best start possible in September. #PathEducation #KS3 #KS4 #transition #education #privatetuition #mathematics

Thinking about taking a year out from education or a ‘gap year’? Having been in education for almost all your life, you might feel that now is the time to experience something else before you take the next steps. Here are some tips and advice for you to consider should you be taking a ‘gap year’ during your next chapter. 🌍 What do you want to experience? Are you looking to experience new culture? Perhaps play a large amount of sport? Are you looking towards charity work? Or gaining some industry experience? Be clear on what it is you want to experience during the next 12-months. Without this clarity, you could waste a year. 💸 What can you afford? Set yourself a budget; consider any additional revenue you may need to generate during the year to keep you going and make sensible decisions based on what you can afford. 🗣 Speak to your parents. Your parents may have done something similar or experienced for themselves some of what you are looking towards. Getting their insight could be invaluable. 💻 Existing programmes. There are a number of companies that provide interesting ‘gap year’ programmes that might be of interest to you and save you a great deal of time planning. Spend some time researching what’s out there already. 📰 Stay safe. The world is an exciting place but if you are heading into the ‘unknown’, be sure to brush up on local news, obtain any vaccinations you will need and be aware of any threats that could disrupt the experience you are hoping to have. #PathEducation #gapyear #travel #yearout #highereducation #toptips

With results days fast approaching, here is how to reduce the stress and worry a day like this can bring. ⭐ Before results day… Hope for the best; plan for the worst. Make a list of the things you are going to do should you not get the results you are hoping for and play these scenarios out in your head to reduce anxiety if they occur on the day. Have a plan and stick to it. ⭐ How are you going to reward yourself? Results day marks the end of a challenging two-year process. Regardless of how positive your results are, make sure you acknowledge the effort you have put in. ⭐ On results day… - Start the day as you begin any other school day. There isn’t any need to do differently here. - Assure yourself that regardless of what your results are, there are always next best steps to take (you have planned for them already). - Avoid comparisons with others. Your academic achievements are very much about you running your own race. Comparisons can often do more harm than good. ⭐ After results day… - Once you’ve decided upon your next steps, follow them. - Try to ‘zoom out’. In the grand scheme of things, the disappointment and/or excitement you may feel on results day will prove insignificant in the long run. It is an important stage in your life, but not the most defining. - Resilience is key. If you don’t get the results you wanted, don’t give up. There are always more than on ways to reach the destination you are aiming for. If you are a Path family then you can discuss your results with one of our consultants on the day. We will be ready to support your next steps regardless of your outcomes.

Transitioning from GCSE to A levels/IB? Here are four tips to support you with making the step up from Key Stage 4 into Key Stage 5. 📈 Tuition, Coaching and Mentoring The Summer provides a valuable opportunity to reflect on your approach to studying in light of your GCSE results. Making use of a tutor and a coach/mentor, can help you prepare mentally and academically for the challenges that are ahead of you. 🔎 Specifications Essential for both you and your teachers; ensure you know who your exam boards are and what the relevant specifications are for your subjects. Be careful not to reference older specifications which are no longer in use! 🗓 Organisation is essential Getting organised will put you ahead of the game. Use the summer to create digital or physical folders for all of your subjects and the topics within them. 📖 Read, read and read some more Getting into the habit of reading around your subject matter(s) now will benefit you in years to come. Start small and try to read a few pages each evening; you’ll find you get into productive reading habits sooner than think. Reach out to us today, to explore how we can help you prepare yourself best over the coming months. #PathEducation #GCSE #Alevel #transition #schooltransition #sixthform #educationconsultancy #onlinetuition