Brandon Learning Centre: British Education - process, preparation and practicalities

How can you set up a successful online 'classroom' at home? Try these... Before you do anything; create a big timetable so everyone in the house can see when lessons are taking place. Set up your workspace... 1: Humans love to fiddle... dig out an old stress ball or something your child can play with as they listen. Go for something soft... avoid fidgetspinners or other noise-making gadgets which will be picked up by the microphone. 2: Try to set up the workstation so it doesn't need adjusting. If you are using an Ipad, get a stand. Why? This removes the need to constantly move the screen. Set up the chair and desk so that the monitor is at a comfortable height and distance. 3: Use headphones if you can but be aware that the microphone can pick up surround sounds so show your child how to use the 'mute' option. 4: Look what is behind your child; there may personal items, doorways into bathrooms, a passageway with constant traffic. Rig up a screen i

Anna's animal magazine includes articles, illustrations and even a competition! We love projects! Managing your own learning; carrying out research; deciding how to present findings; every step of the way takes students further on the road to becoming independent learners. Take advantage of the school shut-down and work on a  project at home. Start with a big question: 'why does ... , 'what happens when...', 'could we...'  or 'how could we solve or improve....' Brainstorm ideas and try to narrow down the research topic; be targeted but wide enough to be interesting! It could cover design, sport, art, dance, drama, history, science, maths, the Greek myths, dinosaurs, cars... anything your child finds of interest. Once you have a question, work together to develop a research plan. Use books, online resources, observation, family archives... What form will the end product make? The report can be written, illustrated, created using software

 How many parents look back and wish they had spent more time with their children? Now you can! Take advantage and work on a family project together. How about... - A family history book - children interview parents, family members and grandparents and create a book of family memories. Suggest a few key areas; family traditions, recipes, houses, holidays, stories which have been passed on. The results can be handwritten, printed, or even stored on index cards to share at family gatherings. - A family portrait. Can't draw? Try a collage. - A family tree - challenge yourselves to see how many generations back you can go. You could add in world events to give context. Some families move around a lot and you could incorporate key events in new countries.  - A family map. Draw or print a world map and chart the movement of your family.  A thought: we are all under immense stress; be kind, patient, and this too will pass. Be calm... we may not be able to change events but

With our children confined to the house and a swirling cloud of panic surrounding us, how can we avoid the build-up of stress? Our children rely on school and social activities to provide them with structure and meaning. Take those away and we are rudderless. This is where mindfulness and yoga come in. UK charity Childline has collated a number of resources for those looking for calm  The Childline 'Calm Zone'  includes a whole range of different techniques to try including breathing exercises and a hilarious relaxing games section (sounds like an oxymoron but they do really work!) There is also a  brilliant Youtube channel called Cosmic Kids which combines yoga and animation (bear with me, it does seem to work!) and would be the perfect break for younger children. Cosmickids Youtube Channel For parents, have a look at the thoughtful and engaging classes offered by Chaz Rough at  Yogamazing  and the incredible range offered by Esther Ekhart and her team  at Ekhart Yog

All our schools are closed and suddenly sitting rooms have become school rooms! At Brandon, we have been teaching online for more than five years now and have a decent idea of how you can make the transition to home schooling painless. Try the following checklist Set up your school area;   you will need: ·         a desk with a clear working space (a kitchen table will do if a desk is not available but, if possible, it should be dedicated to studying during 'school time'); ·         a comfortable chair at the correct height for the desk; ·         good lighting; ·         a stable internet connection; ·         a computer, possibly with a camera for online lessons; ·         stationery; ·         a printer. Create a home-school timetable which is available to all members of the household. Build-in breaks, homework time and time for cultural and healthy activities. Lesson times need to be respected. This means... during lesson times, as much as p

Many selective schools are now using group interviews as part of their selection process. The theory is simple: look at students in relation to each other; do they interact? Do they support each other? Do they stay with students from their own schools or countries? The group interview is a way of predicting how your year group will behave. There are a few favoured styles for group interviews: - the debate or discussion - a teacher uses an article or a few ideas in order to prompt a discussion. This is a feature of the Wycombe Abbey interview - a sports activity - students are expected to follow instructions. Downe House sees how the girls work as a team by using sport. - a science lesson - Tonbridge see how boys follow guidance, work as a team and use their intellect to engage with experiments - a treasure hunt - great fun at Benenden. and my personal favourite... baking at Downe House! As we all know from Gordon Ramsey- a team which works together in the kitchen is always a

Anyone remember the old rhyme? Latin is a dead tongue, As dead as dead can be. First it killed the Romans, Now its killing me! Anyone who struggled with "Kennedy's Shorter Latin Primer" might agree... so why study Latin? Clarity of thought  - Latin follows strict grammatical rules; no place for waffling here. Access to broader vocabulary - many English words have Latin roots. A link with the past - imagine the joy of being able to decipher that tricky Latin motto, even puzzle through the writing on Roman artefacts. We've been teaching Latin at Brandon over the summer and it has been fabulous to see how quickly our students make significant progress. And best of all... Latin never changes, learn it now you know it forever!