“We had planned to stop the tutoring after the 11+ exam, but with the next lockdown and more disruption to her education, we quickly relented when she literally begged us to continue going! The sessions are adjusted to her needs and she describes them as ‘really fun’ and she likes it that the work is specific to her level and much more individualised than the class work at school.”SATs HELP FOR BUSY PARENTS
SATs Help: How can busy parents help their children facing Year 6 SATs?
When and How?
Age 11 early May of Year 6: SATs in English and maths, marked externally, results published nationally. Teacher assessment in science.
Year 6 SATs
Date |
Test |
| Monday 13th May 2024 | Grammar and Punctuation Test-45 mins
Spelling Test-20 mins |
| Tuesday 14th May 2024 | English Reading Test-60 mins |
| Wednesday 15th May 2024 | Mathematics Arithmetic (Paper 1)-30 mins
Mathematics Reasoning (Paper 2)-40 mins |
| Thursday 16th May 2024 | Mathematics Reasoning (Paper 3)-40 mins |
Day 1: Grammar and Punctuation
Spelling Test
Day 2: English Reading Test
Day 3: Maths Arithmetics (Paper 1)
Day 4: Maths Reasoning (Paper 2)
Maths Reasoning (Paper 3)
Obviously, the children will be aware that there is something going on and that they are going to be tested. During Year 6, your child will undoubtedly get plenty of exam practice and specific work on how to answer particular questions in exams, particularly in regards to the reading comprehension exam. Some schools will put on more pressure or expect more revision than others, with many offering extra tutoring either before or after school. It may be a motivator for some kids to try and bit harder, however, many find it stressful.
Our Advice:
You can also help your child at home in the following ways:
Chat to the teacher about where your child is at and if there are areas for improvement.
Keep to routine by making sure they are well rested and get plenty of exercise. Avoid late nights or sleepovers during this time.
Talk to them about why tests are important but also not to worry. Keep up the communication so that they can tell you how they feel.
Talk about stories, books and characters. Read them stories and hear them read. Play story CDs in the car. It helps children to hear stories before they write them. Much children’s TV is chopped up into short or fast moving chunks that don’t hold any narrative, so minimise this.
Practice and re-enforce basic maths skills such as timed tables. It’s an essential skill that will improve accuracy but also fluency (getting it right but also completing more questions).
Suggested Links:
Here is a link to Past Papers:
KS 2 Year 6 Grammar, Punctuation, Spelling Past Paper
KS 2 Year 6 Reading Assessment Booklet
KS 2 Year 6 Reading Assessment Questions
KS 2 Year 6 Maths Paper 1 (Arithmetic)
KS 2 Year 6 Maths Paper 2 (Reasoning)
KS 2 Year 6 Maths Pape 3 (Reasoning)
We recommend Andrew Brodie books especially for maths.
Also CPG SATs revision books are great for maths and English.
In the end it is better that issues are flagged up now if they need extra support. SATs should be information for you and the school about your child’s progress rather than their performance. If you would like to book a free assessment with us to get professional advice then click here…
Common Questions About Our Tuition Services
Ask A Question And We Will Answer
In this article we answer some of the common questions that parents ask. We hope that you will find it useful.
Is it One to One?
Yes, but each tutor has four or five students at a time. They are able to give each student one to one attention, even though they may be learning different subjects or be different ages. Each week, the tutor will plan a individual programme for your child to help them with any areas of weakness. Because all the planning and resources are prepared in advance, the tutor is able to teach each student something new each session.
Will you Come to Our Home?
No, all of our tutoring is done in our centres so your child has access to all of our learning packages and technology in an optimal learning environment, without any distractions. Try homeschooltutoring…
Do You Do Online Tuition?
No, we do not have an online offer at the moment. We feel that we can deliver the best quality lessons in person and we feel that children respond better when teachers are present in the room.
How long will it take to solve my child’s problem?
Every child is different, so it’s important they come in for a FREE Assessment so we can come up with a plan and goals, for them to work towards. We don’t know how long it will take, but we promise to give you honest feedback about progress. Every session that your child attends is individually planned and adapted to suit their particular needs. We aim to unlock areas of difficulty as soon as we can for each child.
How do I know that my child will improve?
We guarantee to work with your child until they feel confident to flourish and no longer feel daunted by the problematic area. Combined with our expert tutoring, their school work and extra homework from us; your child will feel supported, encouraged and will make progress in the areas you are concerned about.
Can you tutor my child with a Special Educational Need?
We are not a SEN centre, but because we tailor our lesson plans to the specific needs of each child we have taught children with diagnosed ADHD, Aspergers, Dyslexia, Autism and others in the past. If your child falls into one of these categories it’s very important you get in touch and set up an interview with us and an assessment. Then, we can establish whether we can effectively tutor your child.
Our Portsmouth Centre has wheelchair access and the use of a disabled toilet. We want to offer the best for all the children we tutor, so this is a very important process. We are always willing to go the extra mile regardless of any special need. Please call for more details.
If you have a question or concern why don’t you email us at tutors@ilovetolearn.co.uk
Teach your child Handwriting-getting started
In this video I explain how to write lower case letters. At I Love to Learn Professional Tuition we teach cursive (or joined up) writing right from the beginning. I start with writing letters that begin with vertical strokes e.g. i, t, l, p and m This is suitable for parents wishing to help their child with the basics of joining up ( cursive) handwriting. However, it can also be used by all those who would like to improve their handwriting style.
Summer Writing Competition Prize Giving!
Fantastic Story Writing
Thank you to everyone for coming to our Summer Writing Competition Prize Giving event!
Well done to Alice and Shumaiya for winning our competition. Local author Justin Strain handed out wonderful prizes to all the children who entered.
Alice also won £100 in book tokens for her school (St Jude’s Primary) and I was able to read out part of her story to the assembly at the school. They loved it!!
Summer Writing Competition
Summer Writing Competition!
I Love to Learn tutors have teamed up with local children’s author Justin Strain, to encourage children to get writing this summer. the competition is open to ‘I Love To Learn’ students as well as children in local schools.
The theme is ‘Mystery and Adventure’ and there will be three age categories;
- 7 to 8
- 9 to 11,
- 12 to 16
Portsmouth author, Justin Strain, has agreed to judge the stories and present a signed copy of his book to each winner On Saturday 29th September.
Summer writing competition will be a signed book, I Love to Learn goodies and £100 in book tokens for the overall winner’s school!
Click here for Justin’s ‘Profile’ page in The Times Chicken House Award
Click here for Justin’s ‘Good Reads’ page.
Justin writes books for young people (9-14) based in our home city of Portsmouth! His first book is called ‘The Secret of the Scarlet Ribbon’ and has been short listed for The Times Chicken House Children’s Fiction Award.
The deadline for all entries is Sat 8th September, to be handed in or posted to I Love To Learn Education Centres. Alternatively, email tutors@ilovetolearn.co.uk
Competition Judging Criteria:
- Originality of idea
- Use of language
- Imagination
- Development of characters/plot
Justin’s Top Tips for Writing
- Try and imagine a scene as your character would experience it. Showing the reader what the character sees/hears/tastes/smells/feels can be really powerful.
- Think about how things would be different for your character in their situation/historical period. What would they wear or eat? Would they go to school? How would they get about?
- Describing an everyday event from a different perspective can be really effective. A walk across a darkened room after the lamp has gone out can be an adventure in itself!
- If you have a hero and a villain, make sure the villain comes alive – villains can often be the most deliciously interesting characters to the reader.
Summer School 20th -24st August 2018
Maths and English Fun at Summer School
Summer will soon be here and Summer School 2018 is here by popular demand! Each student receives 10 hours of professional tuition in a week. Some children stay in the afternoon for sport activities.
Summer School 20th -24th AUG
Tuition: Maths & English 9-11am or 12-2pm Cost £200 6-16yrs
A full ten hours of professional tuition in reading, writing, spelling and maths to boost your child this summer. Individual plans and all abilities catered for. Classes in our Portsmouth and Fareham Centres.
Tuition and Sport*: Maths & English Tuition + Trampolining/Gymnastics 9am-3pm
Sport*: Trampolining, Gymnastics and other activities with fully qualified coaches from PSTGC
Learn some new moves and gain a badge and certificate at the end of the week!
*Transport is available to take students from the Fareham Centre and back to Priory Tennis for the sport activities.
-Save £30 by booking both Sport and Tuition-
Cost was £275 only £245 (if booked before w/e June 30th) 6-12yrs
Many Children Fall Behind
‘Research shows as many as one in three children can fall behind as a result of a seven-week break from the classroom.’
For most children, summer is a time to leave classes and homework behind. While summer is a holiday from school, it does not have to be a holiday from learning. The summer holiday is great for recharging your children’s batteries, but if they are not using the skills and knowledge that was learned in the classroom, they will find themselves struggling when school starts up again.
Skills and knowledge gained throughout the school year fade during the summer months. Research shows that loss of content retention begins within 24 to 48 hours of learning unless the new information is reinforced or applied immediately. That is why, during summer holidays, even the best students forget lessons they have learned during the school year. After a month without reinforcement, approximately 80 percent of what a student has recently learned can be lost.
Gain Confidence
For children who have struggled in school, summer is an invaluable opportunity to catch-up on key skills and feel more confident when they return to class. For students who do well, it is an opportunity to keep their enthusiasm for learning high.
If your child needs help with reading, writing, spelling or maths call Howard or Linda for a free assessment on 023 93 96 86 26 now.
Request a Call Back
New Fareham Tuition Centre Open Party!
New Tuition Centre Opening Party Sat 10th Feb
Come and celebrate the opening of our new tuition centre. We are giving away cake, I Love to Learn T-shirts and balloons. Have a look around, play some educational games and chat to the tutors!
Please feel free to drop in and find out more, even if you are not thinking about getting help at the moment. It is a free event so all are welcome. Whether it is for now or the future, for reading, writing, spelling or maths; we are happy to talk. Your child might be getting closer to SATs, GCSEs, or you may be considering 11 plus/common entrance exams. We are here to help all children from 6-16 and all abilities.
Time: 12.30-1.30pm
Date: Sat 10th February 2018
Place: 4 Delta Business Park, Salterns Lane, Fareham, PO16 0QS.
The latest addition to after-school education in Fareham is now open with the I Love to Learn Professional Tuition Centre now officially in operation. We have already got lots of students studying with us and are open on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
We will be offering a free assessment to every child who attends the event. This is a chance for you to get a detailed snap shot of your child’s educational progress. Please talk to us about how to arrange this.
Parking is free in the business park and we are the very first unit on the right! We have got lots of signs up now so you can’t miss us!
Click here to find out more…
“A Real Confidence Boost”
“She Loves It!”
Katelyn really struggled at school with confidence and wasn’t making the progress expected of her. Her mum, Caroline, already used a home tutor but had seen little improvement. When she heard about us she wondered if we could help boost her.
Since beginning tuition with us she has gone from strength to strength. Now Katelyn’s attitude has completely changed. Caroline says,
“ She has grown loads in her spelling and I have seen a massive improvement. She loves it and her confidence has really grown. It has helped her with her numbers and reading too! She is much happier at school now and really starting to learn.”
We are so delighted to hear this and excited to hear Katelyn loves to learn!
Summer School 21st -25th August 2017
Maths and English Fun
Summer will soon be here and our Summer School is back by popular demand! Each student receives 10 hours of professional tuition in a week. Some children stay in the afternoon for sport activities.
Summer School 21st -25th AUG
Tuition: Maths & English 9-11am or 12-2pm Cost £200 6-16yrs
A full ten hours of professional tuition in reading, writing, spelling and maths to boost your child this summer. Individual plans and all abilities catered for.
Sport: Trampolining & Gymnastics with fully qualified coaches from PSTGC Cost £75
Learn some new moves and gain a badge and certificate at the end of the week!
Tuition and Sport: Maths & English Tuition + Trampolining/Gymnastics 9am-3pm
*Save £30 by booking both Sport and Tuition*
Cost was £275 only £245 (if booked before w/e June 30th) 6-12yrs
Many Children Fall Behind
‘Research shows as many as one in three children can fall behind as a result of a seven-week break from the classroom.’
For most children, summer is a time to leave classes and homework behind. While summer is a holiday from school, it does not have to be a holiday from learning. The summer holiday is great for recharging your children’s batteries, but if they are not using the skills and knowledge that was learned in the classroom, they will find themselves struggling when school starts up again.
Skills and knowledge gained throughout the school year fade during the summer months. Research shows that loss of content retention begins within 24 to 48 hours of learning unless the new information is reinforced or applied immediately. That is why, during summer holidays, even the best students forget lessons they have learned during the school year. After a month without reinforcement, approximately 80 percent of what a student has recently learned can be lost.
Gain Confidence
For children who have struggled in school, summer is an invaluable opportunity to catch-up on key skills and feel more confident when they return to class. For students who do well, it is an opportunity to keep their enthusiasm for learning high.
If your child needs help with reading, writing, spelling or maths call Howard or Linda for a free assessment on 023 93 96 86 26 now.
Request a Call Back
Help with Handwriting
Dylan Had Always Struggled with Handwriting
Dylan had always struggled with very poor handwriting. We came to the centre and found the assessment very helpful.
After only a few months of tutoring with Linda, teachers can now read his writing and he feels more confident. His coordination problems have been recognised, thanks to your suggestion, and this has helped at school. We have now spoken to an Occupational Therapist who has recommended that Dylan gets more time in his exams. This will be a great help.
It has made a big difference to his schooling as he enjoys it much more now. All his teachers are much happier and able to give him more help. It has also shown him that he can do things he thought he couldn’t.
