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

  What fun it is to sit down with a jigsaw. You become completely immersed within minutes.  I was given this Dickens jigsaw for Christmas and won't pretend to have recognised all the characters but I definitely sharpened my spatial skills.  The ISEB CPT and CAT4 tests rely on quick spatial and non-verbal reasoning. What better than having to grap a jigsaw piece, identifying where it fits into a pattern and experimenting with orientation for honing these tasks?   As a family:  Choose an accessible jigsaw for the group. Have a look below before settling on an image.  Try a map, a historial event, a famous piece of artwork or learn about an author.   Find a space which won't need to be swept away. Or, if you don't have anywhere, use a big tray. I use a Mahjong table!  Choose your strategy: edges first? Centre. Your call.  As you work, ponder outloud about the image you are building. For this one, I thought about: how grim the air of Vi...

 I've been preparing students for UK studies for over twenty years. Based on my experience, I have put together a parents' workbook as you move towards school and university planning.   You don't have to be considering Eton or an independent school, the main focus of this book is on developing social and cultural capital which your child will be able to use at every stage of their development.  Learn how to:  - identify your child's talents - fill in the gaps!  - develop interests - teach your child to communicate Above all. This preparation will help you to encourage your child to be confident, brave and resilient.    Try this exercise with your child:   Learning how to discuss art and objects - in this exercise, you are not aiming to educate them about an artist, your objective is to start them engaging and finding ways of expressing their thoughts. Go into a museum and find a quiet room.  Imagine that you are allowed to tak...

Even as adults, interviews are daunting so how do you help a young child to prepare for school interviews?  Here's a hint; avoid rote learning!  Here's another: join our online  charity webinar on the 15th August to learn about long term planning, ideas for online interviews, academic interviews and how to prepare for group interviews We'll be looking at ways of identifying your child's unique strengths and sharing tips to help them get the most from the interview experience. At the same time, we will be raising money for Hong Kong's needy elderly. Everyone wins!