Dive into our extensive collection of expert insights and guidance, specially curated to support your child’s educational journey. From uncovering the nuances of different learning styles to detailed strategies for exam success, our archive is brimming with valuable advice.
Then let us begin… Zanna Clarke, EYFS expert and Marketing and Communications Manager at Little Dukes, examines the learning needed before reading can start Learning to read starts well before formal phonics instruction. In the early years, children need rich experiences that help them tune into language, rhythm, and meaning. Pre-reading activities are powerful because […]
Melanie Saunders, Chief Education Advisor, High Performance Learning, discusses the link between language and understanding We have known about ‘The Word Gap’, for 20 years. Risley and Hart’, in their ominously titled study, The Early Catastrophe,found that children from disadvantaged backgrounds hear, on average, 30m fewer spoken words by the age of three than their […]
Image: Wiki Commons By Olivia Campbell Growing up with a mother who worked as a guide at The Art Gallery of NSW, I was brought up endlessly being dragged from one exhibition to another and from one small rural gallery to the next major city’s museum. As an adult, I am enormously grateful for these […]
Image courtesy of www.ltmuseum.co.uk With October half term just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to plan family-friendly adventures that combine fun, learning and a little bit of seasonal magic. Here are some of the best activities in London to keep the kids entertained: Become a Detective at Bow Street MuseumKids can channel their inner […]
The sight of a tidy desk, neatly stacked notebooks and a planner waiting to be filled can bring a sense of satisfaction and calm. Yet homework time doesn’t always feel that way. Establishing a clear routine helps children stay organised, gain confidence and settle into their work more easily. A well-thought-out schedule also gives children […]
CAT tests are one of the tools schools use to understand how a child learns and where their strengths lie. They are sometimes part of admissions for selective independent or grammar schools, and many schools also use them to track progress and guide teaching. For parents, it can be helpful to know how to interpret […]
Choosing a school isn’t something you do lightly. For most parents, the first real glimpse of what lies ahead comes on a visit or open morning. You find yourself walking through the gates, perhaps with a slightly nervous child at your side, and suddenly the decision feels very real. The chatter in the corridors, the […]
There are certain milestones in school life that feel weighty, not only for students but for their parents too. The first day of school, the first exam and then later, the all-important UCAS form. For many families this form carries with it the promise of a future, the opening of doors to some of the […]
by Lauren Parcell, Head of Primary Tuition Helping children see challenges as opportunities rather than obstacles can shape their lifelong relationship with learning. A growth mindset encourages resilience and curiosity. Here are some tips on supporting your child: Developing a growth mindset isn’t about constant praise or shielding children from failure. It’s about framing effort, […]
By Tania Virdie Head of Dukes Tutoring A few months ago I read the amusing and thought-provoking novel ‘Lessons in Chemistry’ by Bonnie Garmus and was fascinated by the fact her dog, ‘Six-Thirty’ understands 981 words. This got me thinking about my Border Collie, Flo and how extensive her vocabulary is! I briefly considered creating […]
The end of the summer holidays always creeps up more quickly than expected. One week it’s late nights and relaxed mornings, the next you’re wondering whether shoes still fit and where the school blazer ended up. For children, the switch can feel just as sudden: they move from unstructured days to timetables, homework and full […]
Strong vocabulary is one of the cornerstones of 11+ success. From comprehension to creative writing, a wide and flexible word bank helps children express themselves clearly and tackle tricky questions with confidence. But vocabulary isn’t just about memorising long lists. It’s about nurturing curiosity, noticing words in the world around us and learning how to […]