Why We Don’t Call Ourselves a Tutoring Agency
Why We Don’t Call Ourselves a Tutoring Agency Every so often, a parent asks me why we describe ourselves the way we do — a Community Interest Company (CIC), and at the start of a new academic year, I think it’s worth answering properly, because it explains a lot about how we actually work, and […]
What the Government’s New SEND Reforms Actually Mean for Your Child This Year
What the Government’s New SEND Reforms Actually Mean for Your Child This Year If you’ve seen the phrase “Every Child Achieving and Thriving” mentioned somewhere over the summer and wondered what it actually means for your child, you’re not alone. In nearly 46 years in education, I’ve watched a lot of policies arrive with big […]
My Child Is Worried About the New School Year — What Can I Do?
My Child Is Worried About the New School Year — What Can I Do? Most years, sometime in the last week or two of August, I start hearing the same thing from parents: “They’ve gone quiet about school.” Sometimes it’s a child moving up to secondary school for the first time. Sometimes it’s simply a […]
What to Do If GCSE or A-Level Results Aren’t What You Hoped For
What to Do If GCSE or A-Level Results Aren’t What You Hoped For Results day rarely goes the way anyone rehearses it in their head. Some years the surprise is a good one. Other years, a grade lands lower than the mocks suggested, or lower than a predicted grade a school has been using for […]
Supporting Your Home-Educated Child: What The Community Schools Can Offer You
Supporting Your Home-Educated Child: What The Community Schools Can Offer You By Claire Meadows-Smith, Founder and Lead Tutor, The Community Schools Home educating a child through secondary school is one of the most committed things a parent can do. The flexibility, the creativity, the sheer dedication it takes — I see it every single week […]
How to Help Your Child Prepare for Year 11 or Year 13 This Summer — Without the Pressure
How to Help Your Child Prepare for Year 11 or Year 13 This Summer — Without the Pressure By Claire Meadows-Smith, Founder and Lead Tutor, The Community Schools Every July, I have a version of the same conversation with parents. It usually begins something like this: “I want to help her use the summer well, […]
The End of Term Isn’t the End of Progress — What Smart Families Do in July and August
The End of Term Isn’t the End of Progress — What Smart Families Do in July and August There’s a particular kind of exhale that happens at the end of June. You can almost feel it from families up and down the country — a collective breath out as GCSE exams draw to a close […]
Why Being Shortlisted for the National Tutoring Awards 2026 Belongs to Our Families
Why Being Shortlisted for the National Tutoring Awards 2026 Belongs to Our Families I’m not very good at talking about myself. Ask any parent who’s sat across from me in a planning call — I’ll spend the first fifteen minutes asking about their child, their worries, what’s keeping them up at night. It takes a […]
Grade Boosters: Are They Worth It? A Parent’s Honest Guide
Grade Boosters: Are They Worth It? A Parent’s Honest Guide Every school holiday, I get a version of the same question from parents: “Should we do something academic over the break, or do they just need to rest?” It’s a fair question. And the honest answer is: it depends. But let me explain what Grade […]
How to Support Your Child Through Exam Season Without Adding Pressure
How to Support Your Child Through Exam Season Without Adding Pressure There’s a particular kind of parental worry that arrives in May. It’s quieter than the September panic, more loaded than the January revision guilt. It’s the worry of watching your child work hard — really hard — and still not knowing whether it’s going […]
The Last Push: How Tutoring Can Still Make a Difference Before GCSEs
The Last Push — How Tutoring Can Still Make a Difference Before GCSEs Every April, I get the same message from parents. Sometimes it’s an email, sometimes a slightly panicked phone call. The question is always a version of: “Is there any point starting tutoring now? Exams are only weeks away.” I completely understand the worry. […]
How to Help Your Child Feel Calm and Ready for SATs
How to Help Your Child Feel Calm and Ready for SATs If your child is in Year 6, you probably find yourself talking about “SATs” often. Maybe your child mentions them a lot. Maybe you’ve noticed a change – a bit more worry, a few more “I can’t do it” moments, or a reluctance to […]