First Education

High school has a compounding problem. Miss one concept in Year 9 maths and Year 10 builds on it. Miss that and Year 11 becomes genuinely difficult through no fault of current effort. By the time a student sits down with a tutor, the presenting issue is rarely the real issue.

This is what makes tutoring different from just re-explaining the current topic. A decent tutor figures out where the gap actually is, which is sometimes two years back, and works forward from there. It’s slower initially but it’s the only approach that actually sticks.

The other thing worth knowing is that most high school students who struggle aren’t struggling because they lack ability. They’re struggling because something wasn’t explained well the first time, or they were absent, or the class moved too fast, or they were too embarrassed to ask. One-on-one tutoring removes most of those variables. There’s no social cost to asking a basic question when it’s just you and one other person.

Subject-wise, maths and sciences tend to benefit most from tutoring because the content is genuinely sequential – you cannot skip foundations. English and humanities are more about developing a skill set around argument and analysis, which improves steadily with good feedback over time.

The students who get the most out of tutoring are usually not the ones furthest behind. They’re the ones sitting in the B range who have a specific goal and a specific gap. Targeted work on those tends to move marks faster than general revision.

That;s why good tutoring asks diagnostic questions before jumping into content. That’s usually the difference between tutoring that works and tutoring that just adds to the weekly schedule.

Oliver Fletcher

Motivation is a main driver for learning, especially at the younger levels, as a tutor, I have learned that my job isn’t just to teach students the information they need to know, but to do so while maintaining an engaging, enjoyable comfortable environment that hopefully encourages or keeps their motivation for the topic. If a student isn’t motivated, even the most basic information might feel difficult to process or understand. Thats why I value motivation to such a high extent.

Before getting straight into the content of the topic, I always make sure to revise the topic itself, explain specific concepts that might come up, allow for the student to familiarise themselves with the topic to the best extent they can without actually starting to learn it yet. This helps keep the content as digestible as possible, which helps with minimising frustration and confusion, all emotions that hinder motivation.

One of the quickest ways I’ve seen a student lose their motivation is when they look at their assessment notification, all those expectations and content to learn had the student stressing out, feeling upset and lacking motivation. To counter this, I simply broke down the requirements into smaller, more manageable loads for the student to start working on, which made them feel a little better, I threw in some comments like, “See, you couldn’t do a question like this even just 10 minutes ago” to mark their progression on the topic. This method seems to help students maintain motivation, feel comfortable with their ability and overall, succeed!

Now I understand motivation is very conditional, it varies based on many factors, but the important thing to think about is to work with what you have, if they have a bad day, that doesn’t mean if they can’t focus to get frustrated with them, it means lighten the workload, help get their motivation back, don’t pile onto what was likely causing it in the first place.

Motivated students show up, prepared (often with work in hand), they ask questions and they celebrate little wins. When you do that, the results come flooding in.

Lishai Rubinstein

During this tutoring session, I observed a Julian working with a Year 12 student on Financial maths. The session focused on compound interest, loan repayments and interpreting financial data, all of which are key concepts within the senior mathematics curriculum.

Julian demonstrated strong subject knowledge and was able to explain complex financial concepts in a clear and accessible manner. He began by reviewing previous content to assess the student’s understanding before introducing more challenging problems. This approach helped establish the student’s confidence and ensured any misconceptions were addressed early.

One of the tutor’s strengths was his ability to connect mathematical concepts to real-life financial situations. For example, when discussing compound interest and loan repayments, he used practical examples involving savings accounts and mortgages. This helped the student understand the relevance of the mathematics and increased her engagement throughout the lesson.

The tutor encouraged active participation by asking the student to explain her reasoning and work through problems independently before offering guidance. Rather than simply providing answers, he used questioning techniques to prompt critical thinking and problem-solving. This allowed the student to develop a deeper understanding of the processes involved and build confidence in applying formulas correctly.

Throughout the session, the tutor maintained a supportive and positive learning environment. He provided constructive feedback, acknowledged the student’s successes, and patiently clarified areas where she was unsure. The student appeared comfortable asking questions and was willing to attempt challenging problems without fear of making mistakes.

By the end of the lesson, the student demonstrated improved accuracy in calculating compound interest and greater confidence in interpreting financial mathematics questions. The session was well-structured, engaging and effective in supporting the student’s learning goals. Overall, the tutor displayed strong communication skills, subject expertise, and an encouraging teaching style that contributed positively to the student’s understanding and progress in Financial Mathematics.

Demee Georgas

Tutoring English and Legal Studies is a rewarding way to share knowledge while helping students navigate two of the most demanding subjects in the senior school curriculum. What makes tutoring particularly enjoyable is that it combines academic challenge with genuine intellectual discussion, creating opportunities for both tutor and student to engage with ideas beyond the classroom.

English is especially interesting to tutor because it is never simply about memorising content. Students are encouraged to analyse texts, develop interpretations, and communicate their ideas clearly and persuasively. Every text raises different questions about culture, history, and human behaviour, which means lessons rarely feel repetitive. It is satisfying to help students move beyond formulaic responses and develop a stronger sense of confidence in their own thinking and writing.

Legal Studies is equally engaging, but for different reasons. The subject focuses on contemporary legal issues, political debates, and questions of justice that continue to shape society. Discussions often extend beyond the syllabus into current events, landmark cases, and legal reforms, making lessons relevant and dynamic. Helping students understand how legal principles operate in practice can make a complex subject far more accessible and enjoyable.

Another aspect that makes tutoring rewarding is the opportunity to work closely with individual students. In a classroom setting, teachers often have limited time to address each student’s specific needs. Tutoring allows for a more personalised approach, whether that involves refining essay technique, clarifying difficult concepts, or developing effective study habits. Small improvements can have a significant impact on a student’s confidence and academic performance.

What ultimately makes tutoring enjoyable is the variety. No two students think in exactly the same way, and each lesson presents different challenges and conversations. Whether discussing a novel, analysing a High Court case, or refining an essay argument, tutoring English and Legal Studies offers a chance to engage with interesting ideas while helping students achieve their academic goals. It is intellectually stimulating, highly interactive, and consistently rewarding.

Lara Venn Jones

A lot of people rely on pure willpower when it comes to procrastination, convincing themselves that they will “just do it”. The key problem with this is that willpower is finite throughout the day and will therefore be the least available when you need it the most, especially after a long day of school, sport, or just working for a large chunk of time. Using brute force to get yourself to do something may work briefly, but it is not a complete solution.

Procrastination does have solutions, however, and it is not a character flaw.

Make starting smaller than what you think is reasonable
The key problem often lies between what you are currently doing and what you would like to be doing. Your plan might be to do your Economics notes; however, you are currently sitting on your bed and cannot bring yourself to start.

In this scenario, I find that the best way to start is by setting yourself a super small goal, so the whole task does not seem unachievable. This may be as simple as opening your book.

Once you get over this barrier, it gets a lot easier. You get into the flow of doing work, instead of wasting time thinking about having to start and complete a big task.

Build a consistent routine
A critical component to overcoming willpower is to set guidelines, so you remove the internal decision-making. This looks like setting up your routine to study at the same time, same place every day and with a specific task already designated. This removes almost all decision-making and makes doing tasks almost autonomous, as everything is already set up for you. All that is left is to execute the task.

These two simple things will go a long way in removing procrastination when you have to study or revise for long periods of time.

Hayden McCarthy

The school holidays are your chance to rest and reset. You have worked hard during the term, so it is completely fine to relax, sleep in, see your friends, play games and enjoy a proper break. Taking time to recharge is healthy and it can help you come back to school feeling refreshed.

At the same time, the holidays should not become a complete break from learning. If you do no revision at all, it is easy to forget important skills and ideas. This can make the first few weeks back much harder because you are trying to catch up on old content while also learning new topics.

Revision during the holidays does not need to be intense. You do not need to study every day for hours. It can be as simple as reading over your notes, doing a few practice questions, going back over mistakes or preparing for the next topic. Even small amounts of revision across the break can help you stay sharp and confident.

The main goal is balance. Enjoy your holidays and give yourself time to recharge, but also set aside some time to keep your learning active. A little bit of effort now can make the next term feel much easier. Students who find this balance usually return to school more prepared, more organised and less stressed.

Nabil Harrar

Recently I had had to attend a dinner for my mother’s birthday; a curry night. The options were vast, with the selection of meats being the most notable part of the entire night. Family had spent the better half of the waiting time leading to the main dishes arriving anticipating the diverse order.

I’ve never been a very big meat eater. This hasn’t always been because of ethical or moral implications. I have always cared deeply about animals, yes; I would argue it’s hard to find any child who actively doesn’t care about at least one type of animal. But meat was never really my favourite parts of a meal for a long time.

So I had opted to avoid the meats for the night. I thought this wasn’t terribly unusual of me nor not understandable. My mum was electively pescatarian and often ate vegetarian, so surely it would be a candid choice.

The remanning half of the wait for the food then became conversation solely oriented around the practicality and logic behind my choice to avoid meat for the night. Some joking comments remarking I “didn’t know what I was missing out”, a single genuine concern regarding my potential conversion to “hyper-wokeism”, and then finally a reasonable question asked by mum; simply “why?”

Beyond the details of ethical philosophy I could relay onto them; the flimsy distinctions in a deference to species-based accounts that barely defend a position to ethically consume meat, or an argument that falsely presumes a justifiable and scientifically-accurate difference in consciousness between livestock and human, I only replied that I just wasn’t in the mood.

This isn’t to promote veganism or virtue signal. I just found this recent intersection of culture and ethical discourse quite interesting. Mostly, I still remain perplexed why my choice mattered to them that much at all.

Toby Bower

We all have those days where the last thing you feel like doing is studying, you would much rather lie in bed and doom scroll then trying to get any work done. Here are some tips to try and get you out of that rut and try and get a little bit of productive work done instead.

1. Set out tasks that need to be done
– Starting out with small, achievable tasks makes doing something much more approachable and achievable. Instead of having a massive assignment that you know you need to do, break it down into doing one small part of it. Once you get into a rhythm, it makes it much easier to keep going with the rest of the tasks on your to do list.

2. Set up a study space
When you have a relaxing study space, it can make going to study much less stressful. When the space around you is relaxing, your mind will follow this. Make sure your desk is clean and the work you need to do is set out, which triggers your brain into remembering what you need to do. Get yourself your favourite beverage and a snack to get you motivated to study,

3. Study with friends
Organise times to study with friends, which combines socialising with study. This makes it easier to get up and go to study as it can make it more enjoyable. Studying with friends also allows you to have good balance between a social life and studying, which prevents burnout and lack of motivation.

4. Start with ‘easy’ subjects
Start study with the subjects that you enjoy most, do your favourite parts of study to begin a study session. This helps to ‘warm up’ your brain and get used to studying. Starting is always the hardest part, so beginning with something you like can make it easier to approach.

Maddie Manins

Helping students develop a skeleton essay for english assessments is undeniably valuable but only when it is understood for what it truly is: a starting point, not the final destination. A well-constructed skeleton offers students a sense of direction. It models a coherent argument, demonstrates how evidence can be integrated, and gives them a framework to organise their ideas under exam pressure. For many, this initial structure can be the difference between feeling overwhelmed and feeling equipped.

However, the effectiveness of a skeleton essay is only realised when it is actively tested and reshaped through practice. Too often, students treat their skeleton as something fixed, something to memorise and reproduce regardless of the question. This approach is limiting and ultimately counterproductive. The final exam does not reward rigid responses; it rewards adaptability, precision, and a clear alignment between argument and question.

Practice questions, therefore, must be taken seriously. They are not merely opportunities to identify which quotes might fit, but rather opportunities to interrogate how the central argument itself must shift. A strong student does not simply “plug in” evidence; they reconsider the thesis, adjust their line of reasoning, and refine their ideas to directly address the nuances of each question.

In this sense, the skeleton essay becomes a living framework. Its true value lies in its flexibility—its capacity to be moulded, challenged, and improved. Through repeated application and reflection, students move beyond dependence on a preset structure and develop genuine analytical control. That is the ultimate goal: not to reproduce an essay, but to think critically and respond with intention in any context. Students who engage with skeleton essays in this dynamic way build confidence, develop sharper judgement, and gain the ability to craft nuanced, question-specific responses under timed conditions, which is precisely what distinguishes high-band performance from formulaic, memorised writing consistently.

Thea Macarthur-Lassen

Homework is one of the most debated practices in education. Parents resent the time it consumes. Students resent the intrusion into their evenings. Researchers are divided on its effectiveness. And yet it persists, in virtually every school system in the world, as a near-universal expectation.
The debate is partly one of misaligned purpose. When asked what homework is for, most people will say something about reinforcing what was learned in class. This is a legitimate function, but it is only one of several, and it is not always the most important one.
Homework can also serve as a diagnostic tool. Work completed independently, without the guidance of a teacher or the social prompting of a classroom, reveals what a student genuinely understands versus what they have been following along with. The student who grasps algebra in class but cannot replicate it at home has not yet learned it, they have borrowed the understanding of the room.
There is also an argument for homework as a habit-builder rather than a content-delivery vehicle. The practice of sitting down to work independently, managing time, tolerating frustration, and completing a task without supervision is itself a skill with long-term value, arguably more transferable than most curriculum content.
Where the research does draw a firm line is on quantity. Studies examining homework load in primary school find very little correlation between homework assigned and academic outcomes. The benefit-to-cost ratio improves in secondary school and more clearly in tertiary settings, where independent study is the primary mode of learning.
The quality and design of homework tasks matters enormously. Busy-work, repetitive tasks designed primarily to fill time, produces resentment without benefit. Well-designed tasks that require application, synthesis, or genuine problem-solving produce the most growth.

Misha Fry