Block Examples

A Year 5 student came to us from a returning family. Her older brother had been very successful in the 11+ and had won scholarships to multiple schools, including Forest School which he had accepted. The family were keen that the younger child would also attend Forest School but were aware that their daughter had social anxiety and found learning new concepts more difficult than her older sibling. However, with the right teaching approach and targeted tutoring, she made great progress over the year and successfully sat all her 11+ exams, gaining a place at Forest School.

Following a disappointing school report, a Dukes Tutoring client sought tutoring to help her Year 13 daughter achieve her target grades for university and to highlight any areas that required intervention. The student admitted that she hadn’t been working hard enough, so we liaised with the client to agree and put in place a checklist that allowed the student to take greater responsibility for her learning and become more accountable.

To best support the student during this critical period in her education, three achievable targets were identified around focus, demonstration of commitment and producing quality work. And to ensure ongoing accountability, the student was asked to assess herself against the three targets and compare it to her tutors’ overall impression after each lesson.

The student worked very well with her new plan for self-assessment, actively reflecting on the quality of her work and progress and becoming more invested in her progress. This resulted in a marked improvement in her retention of knowledge and the quality of her written analysis, and her improved autumn exam results were back on track to meet her predicted grades.

Maria* had dyslexia and wanted to apply to several selective schools. Our tutor understood how to help Maria access the curriculum she needed to learn in preparation for these exams. We advised on access arrangements with the schools and ensured that the appropriate extra time would be awarded. Maria was fully prepared for her exams and achieved a place at the school of her choice. We hear from her family regularly to let us know how well she is doing, using the strategies and confidence that was built up during her tutoring with Dukes Tutoring.

An EAL student came to us during Year 6 requiring tutoring to support him towards sitting for 13+ boarding school exams. We assessed him and found that although he was very able at maths, his English was below age related expectation; his reading age was only 7 years and 9 months. There were many gaps in his English knowledge which included areas that students typically have when English is an additional language: phonics, spelling, vocabulary, grammar. We provided a targeted approach to address these gaps and in January of Year 7, he had his first set of 13+ exams, including the ISEB Pretest. His results were outstanding, and he was offered places at all of the schools that he sat for: St Edward’s, Clifton, Bedford, Uppingham, Cheltenham College.

Emma* came to us with low confidence as she was mildly dyslexic. We assessed her and found that she had a fantastic imagination and was extremely articulate. Through gentle English tutoring and encouragement, Emma understood how talented she was and developed into a gifted writer with a deep passion for literature and creative writing. Emma became so confident that she decided to sit for the 11+ and she achieved a place at the school of her choice. She has thrived there ever since, going on to win prizes for outstanding achievements in English.

Matthew* had a range of special needs which affected his ability to access the curriculum in school and severely affected his confidence in day to day life. Dukes Tutoring started working with him alongside other professionals, to ensure that Matthew gained a place at the secondary school of his choice and continued to reach his potential across all subjects. Dukes Tutoring supported his learning so he was always confident and able to manage the work he needed to complete on time and to the right standard.