Our Centres - Ballymoney
| Centre Manager: | Ken Humes |
Ballymoney FC Social Club,
Castle Street. |
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| Tel: | 028 2074 2935 |
| Email: |  |
| Subjects: | Maths English |
| Class Times: | Tuesday 3.00 - 5.00pm |
Welcome to the Ballymoney First Class Learning Centre
Maths Tutor to GCSE Level and beyond
Scroll to END to read our motto
Where are we?
Ballymoney FC Social Club, Castle Street, Ballymoney BT53 6JT. The venue is inside the car park and there is also free parking at Tesco, which is one minute away.
When do we meet?
Tuesdays 3.00 to 5.00pm. The students can come anytime between 3.00 and 4.30pm, and normally stay 20-30 minutes; more if they are doing both subjects. We ask that children of primary school age are collected inside the building, unless other arrangements have been agreed.
What areas are covered?
Everywhere with a BT postcode. If you are unable to get to the Centre, talk to us and we will get the worksheets to you, no matter where you live in N Ireland. We will open other centres as demand grows.
Who runs the Centre?
The Centre Manager is Ken Humes. Ken has taught adults Numeracy and Literacy through both a FE College and WEA. He has tutored for the dreaded 11Plus for 20 years and has run an after-school centre for 9 years. In 2004, his Centre came first in UK and Ireland for having the highest percentage of students working at advanced levels. In 2006, a student at his Centre became the first student in Ireland to complete the Maths programme to Advanced Level and beyond. His assistants are local Sixth Formers who have recently passed their Maths and English exams and are, therefore, well placed to talk to and help younger students following in their footsteps. Their first quality is that they are good with children; the fact that they are also good at Maths and English is a bonus.
What do we offer?
We aim to help our students gain confidence and to succeed in Maths and English. Courses are tailored to suit the individual ability and learning style of your child and are based on the school curriculum.
What age groups study with FCL?
We welcome students of all ages. As a general rule, however, the earlier your child starts the better. We currently have students aged from 5 to 18 years, as well as a few parents (parents get a special rate if their child is also enrolled). Primary age is the most common time to start, but others come after moving to secondary level while some come because this is their exam year. Extra one-to-one tuition is available for those approaching an exam but these places are now filled for the summer 2010 exams. Please book your place now if you want one-to-one tuition from September.
Initial Assessment:
Before a student commences study with First Class Learning, he/she will be assessed by the Centre Manager. This assessment will help to determine the specific needs of the student and ensure a suitable starting point on the course. As a general rule, we start the student at their current level of ability and then close the gaps as we move up to the school level and beyond. Where appropriate, the assessment will be repeated in class after 2-3 weeks, just in case the student was nervous or apprehensive on the first occasion. Most students welcome this opportunity to 'improve their score'.
In the Class:
On arrival, the students are greeted, they return their communication sheet and their completed homework, and they take their classwork for that day and their homework for the next week. They complete their classwork; it is marked (quite often by the students themselves) and they take it to a member of staff for assessment. Independent learning is encouraged but all students know that sympathetic help is always available, and there is always a short progress chat between students and staff before they leave. New topics are always started in class with one-to-one tuition, and any students having difficulty know that one-to-one tuition is available at any time. We take our studies seriously but the Centre is also an informal and happy place. We want each student to go home wanting to come back the following week.
Home Study:
At each visit to the Centre the student will collect a detailed programme of homework to be completed during the week before the next class visit. Answers are provided to enable the student to mark the work and correct it on a daily basis. This home study plays a vital role in your child's progress by ensuring constant consolidation of the skills learned during the visit to the Centre. We ask parents to assist in the marking process. This ensures that you will always be fully aware of the work your child is doing and the progress being made. We lay great emphasis on effective communication with students and parents.
Does FCL address the requirements of the NI Curriculum?
YES. Some after-school programmes are used in many countries around the world with little or no difference in the content of the Maths programmes. First Class Learning was developed in UK by a team of educationalists specifically to support the 5-14 Programme in Scotland and the National Curriculum in England, Wales and N Ireland. Using a combination of carefully structured worksheets and textbooks, the First Class Learning programmes will take your child from the basics of the subject through to the more demanding aspects of schoolwork. Also, unlike some other after-school programmes, we include exam preparation as an integral part of our programmes.
Want to know more?
If you would like to find out more about the study centre and how First Class Learning can help your child to succeed at school, give Ken a call on 2074 2935 or 078 038 02944 or click on the email address above and fill in the boxes. The initial assessment is free and involves you in no obligation whatsoever. We hope your child will join the growing number of children throughout the UK who are already enjoying success with First Class Learning.
We are very proud that already more than half of our students come from parent or school recommendation.
OUR MOTTO
Little and Often
Once upon a time, there was a boy called Little and a girl called Often. They were good friends, and they helped each other, as good friends usually do. Little’s Dad asked him to go the shop to buy stamps, but the shop was a very long way away. Often’s Mum asked her to wash the dishes, but there were so many of them because her cousins had been at her house all week.
The two friends sat down and had a chat about their problems. Little didn’t know how far it was to the shop, but he knew it was a long way — too far to even think about it. Often didn’t know how many plates, spoons and so on there were, but she knew it was an awful lot — too many to even think about them.
Suddenly Often exclaimed, “Little, I know how to solve your problem.” Little smiled and said, “That’s good, because I know how to solve yours.” Often explained, “Start walking, but don’t think about how far it is to the shop. Instead, look at the next bend in the road, and walk to it. When you get round that bend, look at the next bend and walk to it. I’ll even go with you to keep you company. Now, how do I get all those dishes washed?” Little smiled again, “Just start with the easy ones and wash all the spoons first. Then the knives, next the forks, and so on until you get to those difficult plates. But don’t think about the plates when you are washing the spoons — in fact, don’t ever think about how much there is in total. And guess what, I’ll help you.”
So, the two friends helped each other. First they went to the shop and bought stamps. Then they came back and washed all the dishes.
Always remember:
Little and Often will go a long way, and Little and Often can get the biggest and most difficult jobs done.
