The first week back after the festive break can feel overwhelming—but fear not, because as we mentioned in last week’s blog, we are more determined than ever to help you smash your goals in 2025.
We’re throwing everything we can at making sure you succeed:
- One-to-one sessions tailored to your needs.
- Group sessions designed for collaboration and confidence.
- Webinars packed with exam-focused advice and resources.
- Informative blog entries (like this one!).
- Personal references to help you shine in your applications to sixth form and college.
Let’s dive into this week’s highlights and start how we mean to go on!
This Week's Sessions...
Key Stage 3: The Power of Persuasion
Our KS3 tutees are learning about persuasive writing, focusing on Logos, Ethos, and Pathos—Aristotle’s timeless framework for convincing an audience. A great example? The strategies used by contestants in The Traitors to manipulate their groups.
Top Tip: Avoid just listing arguments; layer them. For example, combine Logos (logical reasoning) with Pathos (emotional appeal) to create a stronger, more convincing case.
Key Stage 4 (GCSE): Diving Deep into Literature and Poetry
- Jekyll & Hyde (Chapter 2): Our tutees are exploring Lombroso’s theory of crime and Darwin’s theory of evolution, linking these to Hyde’s monstrous appearance and criminal behaviour. Hyde’s description as “troglodytic” not only highlights his primal instincts but also mirrors Victorian fears about degeneration.
- An Inspector Calls: Students are analysing the generational divide through Mr. Birling and Sheila. While Mr. Birling is dismissive of social responsibility, Sheila’s transformation shows hope for change, making her a symbol of Priestley’s optimism for a better society.
- Power and Conflict Poetry: Revisiting Kamikaze and The Emigree amongst others, tutees are focusing on themes of duty and honour, linking the poets’ choices to their intended effects.
Top Tip: When revising poetry, focus on why the poet made specific choices. Did they use enjambment to create a sense of urgency? Did repetition emphasise a central idea?
Key Stage 5 (A Level): Child Language Development
A Level students have been diving into the theories of Vygotsky, Piaget, Bruner, and more, applying these to real-life transcripts of children’s speech. For example, we’ve analysed how Tomasello’s theory of usage-based grammar explains why a child might say, “I goed to the park.” It shows how children generalise patterns as they learn language.
Top Tip: Link theories to specific examples. For instance, pair Skinner’s behaviourism with evidence of imitation in a child’s language development. This specificity impresses examiners.
February Half Term Group Sessions: Book Now!
Our February Half Term group GCSE sessions (in-person) are perfect for focused revision. Sessions are available on:
- Monday 17th February (1:30–2:30pm)
- Thursday 20th February (1:30–2:30pm)
- Friday 21st February (1:30–2:30pm)
Spaces are limited, so book early to secure your spot. Sign up here! (scroll to the bottom of the product page)
BA Tuition Loyalty Cards
Bring your BA Tuition Loyalty Card to every session to collect stamps. After five sessions, you’ll receive a sixth session at half price. Don’t worry, we’ll remind you after each session—we don’t want anyone missing out on this great deal!
Mastery Webinars: Your Exam Toolkit
Our 2025 GCSE Mastery Webinar Series are now available for sign-up! Choose the topics you need support with or go all in with the discounted Full Works package, giving you access to every session and recording. These webinars are tailored for success, covering exam skills, key content, and revision strategies. Sign up here!
Group Sessions: Learning Together
Pair up with a friend for a group session! Whether as a replacement for a one-to-one or an additional session, group learning:
- Encourages collaboration and shared ideas, deepening understanding.
- Saves on costs with discounted rates for participants.
Email us at info@ba-english-tuition.com to arrange a group session.
Tip of the Week: Mastering Exam Technique
Cognitive science shows that knowing how to approach an exam is as crucial as content knowledge. Here’s how to sharpen your technique:
- Plan your answers: Spend the first few minutes outlining your response—this keeps you focused and efficient.
- Practice under timed conditions: Familiarity with exam timing reduces stress on the day.
- Learn from feedback: Review past answers, focusing on how to improve.
Funny Flashback: Jemma’s Exam Technique Glow-Up
Jemma’s Year 11 plan was to “read every question twice before answering.” By Day 2, she was still finding herself rushing through practice papers, missing key instructions. Yet by May, she had a much more structured, step-by-step approach to planning for responses within timed conditions. She had transformed her technique, highlighted key elements of questions and underlined key terms.
Looking for a Maths Tutor?
If you’re in need of a Maths tutor, we’ve got you covered! We work closely with experienced Maths tutors who have a proven track record of helping students achieve outstanding results. Whether it’s building confidence, mastering tricky concepts, or preparing for exams, they’ll provide the expert guidance you need.
Get in touch with us at info@ba-english-tuition.com for more information.
Life Outside the Books
It’s all systems go at BA English Tuition! Our brainstorming sessions have been full of wacky ideas from Bradley (not all practical—Jemma had to knock the idea of “revision karaoke” in one-to-one sessions on the head). Meanwhile, Arlo’s second birthday involved three parties—more than King Charles! Between cake and chaos, we’re ready to tackle 2025 head-on.
Thank you for continuing to let us be part of your learning journey.
Stay focused and stay BA….Tuition!
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