The Summer Slide

Beware the Summer Slide ! Educational experts are increasingly unanimous in the view that the school Summer Holiday, is “one of the most detrimental periods in a child’s life” (Dr J Lane). There is not doubt that the summer holidays spell a welcome break from term...

Tutors and Resources

All tutors need resources to teach their pupils. Unqualified teachers will have access to off the shelf books available from all book stores; revision guides and workbooks, the exact same that you can buy. They might use the internet to download and use, rarely...

Are you qualified to teach my children?

Sally and I have run our Kip McGrath centre in Ashford for eleven years and our new centre in Hawkhurst since November 2015, and the question at the top of my blog has only been asked by a handful of parents in that time. In a way, I’m pleased. It shows that...

School Starting Age for Summer Babies Should Change

In the news this week has been a story highlighting the dilemma faced by parents of “summer babies” and school start dates. A child is not legally required to go to school until they are five, but some parents who have delayed their summer-born child...

Kip McGrath Dream a Big Dream Winner

We were delighted to find out that Harry Rasmussen, a pupil of Kip McGrath Ashford, was awarded the South East and East of England winner in the national Dream a Big Dream Writing Competition. In Harry’s age range, 8-11, he was one of over 400 entrants, which...

Dream a Big Dream Winners!

Dream a Big Dream Writing Competition Kip McGrath Dream a Big Dream – Winners   Kip McGrath ran a free national writing competition called ‘Dream a Big Dream’, that invited any young person aged 9 to 14 years old to write about their Big Dream. The Big...

Kip McGrath Dream a Big Dream Regional Winner

Young writers think big and secure regional win in Kip McGrath Education Centre’s national writing competition We are delighted to announce that Harry Rasmussen from Ashford has become a South East regional winner for Kip McGrath Education Centre’s UK competition...

Phonics Screening Check ParentsGuide

What is the Phonics Screening Check? The phonics screening check was piloted in June 2011 and rolled out nationally in 2012. The check focuses solely on decoding words using a phonetic approach. Is this a reading test? No, it is just a check on your child’s...

Summer-born hit by school streaming

A report on the BBC website by Angela Harrison today highlights the impact of streaming pupils at an early age. The report, by the Institute of Education at London University, suggests that “by the age of seven, those born in September are three times as likely...

Phonics Screening Test Results 2012

Phonics Screening Test Results This is one of the most common question I get asked by parents. The initial answer is that there isn’t technically a “pass” score, but there is a benchmark score. (I know it’s a semantic argument but Sir Jim Rose,...