Our Centres - Middlesbrough
| Centre Manager: | Chris Jones TD BSc. GCGI |
St Mary’s Church Hall, Green Lane, Acklam |
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| Tel: | 01642 829556 |
| Email: |  |
| Subjects: | Maths and English |
| Class Times: | Monday 3.00 - 6.00 pm |
Expert maths and English tuition
Since opening the Middlesbrough Maths and English tuition centre over 15 years ago, husband and wife team Chris and Pat Jones have become two of the UK’s best-known and most highly-respected First Class Learning maths and English tutors.
Chris has an outstanding track record as a successful and enthusiastic maths tutor. He lays great emphasis on effective communication with students and parents and on putting enjoyment back into his subject. Pat Jones specialises in English tuition, attaching particular importance to the development of thinking skills so that children gain confidence in all aspects of English.
The class has an excellent record of improvement in children’s performance at school and exam success. Pat and Chris are proud that nearly all of their students come from the personal recommendation of parents and teachers. They have students from all over Teesside and the fact that so many of these students are long-term enables them to master sophisticated maths and English skills.
Class Ethos
We aim to create a calm and welcoming atmosphere in the class. We talk to every child while they are in the classroom, and they can also turn to our trained assistants for friendly advice and help. Personal organisation and consideration for others are encouraged. Students are expected to bring a sharp pencil to class and to do their work quietly, without distracting others. However, there is usually a gentle buzz of conversation - older students often help the little ones or remind a new student of classroom routine. Friendships are formed here. We take our studies seriously - but we enjoy ourselves at the same time. Children arrive and leave with a smile.
Improve at School, Increase Exam Grades
The class caters for students studying from primary age up to A level. Specific support for exams and national tests is available. Students typically spend 20 – 30 minutes in class or a little longer if they are studying two subjects. Independent learning is encouraged but all students are aware that sympathetic help is always available and that rather than being a sign of failure an error is always seen as a learning opportunity.
Your next step
To find out more about the Middlesbrough class and how joining us could benefit your child please contact Chris or Pat on 01642 829556 or send us an email at middlesbrough@firstclasslearning.co.uk
If you wish to find out more about how First Class Learning works in schools please give me a call or send me an email.
February 2012 Class days:
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FCL in local schools
The schools project involves children completing worksheets from the First Class Learning maths programme each morning before school begins. The project is proving extremely popular, not only with the children themselves but also with their parents and teachers, who have commented on improved performance as well as increased confidence and motivation across the curriculum.
We hope to expand the number of schools using the maths materials throughout this year. We have produced a video of the children completing their work together with contributions from parents and teaching staff. It can be viewed by visiting the First Class Learning website and clicking on the ‘News’ link: First Class Learning - Schools programme.
If you think your school would benefit from First Class Learning please get in touch.
Marking and learning
We encourage all FCL students to mark their own work or be involved in the marking process. FCL handbooks, laid out like the worksheets, have been designed to facilitate student involvement in marking. As students check their answers against those in the handbook, they are unconsciously extending their learning; when they find a discrepancy, the automatic reaction is to work out why their answer is different. Furthermore, self-marking helps to keep students motivated, as they understand that the work they are doing is for their own benefit, and they can see immediately the progress they are making. It also helps to clarify to them what they need to work on in order to improve further.
The completion of the record sheet is an essential part of this process. It is important that students complete the ‘smiley face’ column each day so that it is clear not just how accurately they have worked, but also how confident they feel about the work.
Half term holidays
The class will be closed during the week beginning 13th February to coincide with the half term holidays. Whether you are going away or planning to stay at home it is important that the students still complete their homework. All the students will receive their holiday homework during the week beginning 6th February. If you will not be able to attend that week or are going away please get in touch and I will make the necessary arrangements to ensure that continuity is maintained.
December 2011 Class days:
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Holiday Dates
Here we are at the end of another year! Knowing what a busy time of year this is, with school Christmas productions and parties going on, we will be giving out holiday homework on Monday 5th December. However, we hope very much that we will see you at our last class of the year, which will be on Monday 12th December. Your child will simply need to bring along the homework for that day.
The session on 12th December will be very much a fun class, with an informal celebration of students’ achievement, Christmas activities and, of course, certificates and presents. Parents will be most welcome, and refreshments will be available.
We reopen on Monday 9th January. If you are going away early, or will be unable to attend on 9th January, please tell me in advance and I will ensure you receive homework.
Winter Studies
This time of year is busy for both children and parents - presents to buy, functions to attend, relatives to meet. With all this going on it’s sometimes difficult to find time to do the homework. Nevertheless it’s very important that children do some regular and systematic academic study during the long break. If a child does some work for at least five days out of seven then it’s like attending a virtual school but only for one class per day. That class can be spent doing their First Class Learning homework.
Some students will receive slightly different work over the holidays, in some cases using textbooks or workbooks, as holiday times are a good opportunity to revise and refresh skills. You will notice that we have left the record sheets blank over the holiday period. Just fill in the work done on the relevant day. Don’t worry if you miss the odd day, but do aim for your child to work at least five days out of seven.
By following this study pattern, the children will not only learn something new over the holidays but they will also go back to school with their brains ready to learn and consequently will shine compared with those schoolmates who have done nothing . This is particularly important for those children taking exams in 2011 and intensive revision courses for SATs and GCSE students will begin next year. This is available for children in Y2, Y6 and Y11. If you would like to obtain more details of these courses please get in touch.
I hope to see you all at the celebration class on 12th December.
November 2011 Class days:
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First Class Learning in Schools
There are now eight primary schools in Teesside who have introduced the programme as part of their daily routine. The largest is St. Bernadette’s school in Nunthorpe which is now in its third year of using First Class Learning. This is a huge endorsement of the quality and effectiveness of the materials. There are many reasons why First Class Learning is proving so popular with local schools.
One, of course, is the link to the National Curriculum. Schools are very reluctant to use anything which doesn’t aim to achieve the objectives laid down in the national numeracy and literacy frameworks. Secondly, there is the way in which regular practice achieves long-term goals. Considerable improvements have been shown by those children who have been studying First Class Learning for more than 12 months. Thirdly is the way that the programmes can be adapted to meet the individual learning styles and needs of the child. The final factor is the psychological approach which focuses on assessment for learning. This involves using assessment to raise students’ achievement. It is based on the idea that students will improve most if they understand the aim of their learning, where they are in relation to this aim and how they can achieve the aim (or close the gap in their knowledge). All of this means First Class Learning will continue to expand and be adopted by many schools.
If you wish to find out more about how First Class Learning works in schools please visit the schools page on our website (http://www.firstclasslearning.co.uk/schools/) . Here you can see two short videos of the maths clubs in operation together with interviews with teachers and parents. If you wish to find out how your school could get involved with First Class Learning please give me a call or send me an email.
Temporary traffic lights and roadworks - ST. MARY'S WALK, GREEN LANE.
Balfour Beatty will be working on behalf of CE Electric at the above locations to install electric ducting in the carriageway by means of open-cutting. Phase 1 of the works will commence at St. Mary's Walk and Green Lane near the junction with Acklam Road. Traffic management will be in operation, using 2-way temporary traffic lights, as and when required. As a consequence the St. Mary’s Walk entrance to the Church Hall car park will be closed for two weeks. However, the entrance from Green Lane will remain open. If you do enter the car park via this entrance please be careful as you drive round the front of the building.
I hope this inconvenience will be short-lived and appreciate your patience
October 2011 Class days:
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Long term rewards
I am sure you are aware of the current debate about the changing face of childhood and how we can give our children a childhood that is secure and happy while preparing them for adult life.
I often think of a poem which some of you may know, called ‘If a child lives with…’ It sets out some of the attitudes adults show towards children and their consequences. Two lines of this poem run:
If a child lives with tolerance. . . . . . . .he learns to be patient.
If a child lives with recognition . . . . . . . .she learns that it is good to have a goal.
Patience and aiming for a goal – these fit in well with the concept of ‘deferred gratification’, an acceptance of which is fundamental to success at school and in life. It means understanding that rewards are not always immediate, and it underpins such things as the learning of multiplication tables and essential spelling patterns. It underpins also the understanding that it is worth spending time and effort learning and practising key skills. Not only the skills themselves, but also the recognition of progress and the good study habits that the child develops, will help to build success. Students often tell me that the skills they have practised at First Class Learning are helping them at school. Of course, they don’t realise that they are experiencing ‘deferred gratification’; they just know that all their hard work is paying off!
Independent Learners
Two further lines which always resonate with me are:
If a child lives with criticism. . . . . . . .he learns to condemn.
If a child lives with encouragement . . . . . . . .she learns to be confident.
A fundamental element of our ethos at First Class Learning is that mistakes are not failures, but learning opportunities. When a child has corrections, my first question is, “Do you know where you went wrong?” More often than not, the child is able to spot the error. By explaining the correct procedure to an adult, they clarify it in their own mind. Encouraging a child to make use of corrections in this way, without censuring them, makes them unafraid of making errors and more willing to have a go, instead of immediately turning to an adult for help. Thus they grow into confident, independent learners.
These simple principles make the difference between failure and success, between dependence and independence, between fear and confidence.
Half Term Holidays
Class will be closed as usual during the half term break (week beginning 24th October). All children will receive their holiday homework the week before.
September 2011 Class days:
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Welcome Back
I hope you have all had a fantastic holiday and are ready for the new term. Congratulations to all those Middlesbrough FCL students who have achieved success in their exams, whether SATs, GCSEs or A levels. Our very best wishes go to all of you who are embarking on a new stage in your education.
Educational material for Early Learner
All experts agree that the early years of learning are crucial to the sort of success mentioned above. Two well-known and respected educationalists, members of the Advisory Board of Durham Learning Systems, have produced materials designed to help the development of children from 3 to 5 years.
MENTIS is a Child Development Programme designed by Dr Madeleine Portwood, a Senior Educational Psychologist with 25 years’ experience specialising in Early Years child development. The programme uses a variety of tools designed to extend a child’s thinking skills, enabling them to work out challenges.
Another member of the Advisory Board is Celia Stone. Celia has co-designed the ADDACUS activity pack, a highly structured multi-sensory programme incorporating design and technical input from The Design Centre at Northumbria University. Celia has years of experience in early years and special needs education and has applied all this knowledge to create an original and stimulating learning aid.
If you know of any child who you think might benefit from either of these two innovations then I would be happy to give advice as to what is appropriate. You can find out more about MENTIS or ADDACUS by visiting these websites:
July 2011 Class days:
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Summer Study Plans
The summer holidays are almost upon us! As we all know, skills decline if they are not practised regularly and this is especially true of maths and English. During the long summer break, those children who do complete regular homework will not only maintain their skills but continue to develop them. This means that they will return to school in September feeling confident and ready to learn – and will have a distinct advantage over those pupils who have done no work at all over the summer.
All students will be given homework to complete over the holiday period. This may consist of worksheets, textbooks or a combination. This work may either be new material or revision of work already covered.
Record sheets have been left blank to allow for changes in routine over the summer holiday. Don’t worry if your child misses a day here and there – this is the summer holiday, after all! - but aim for them to complete a little work five days out of the seven and fill the record sheets in as you go.
Many of you have told me about your holiday dates which has allowed me to plan the homework packages well in advance. Consequently everybody will receive their holiday homework on Monday 11th July although we will open the following week on Monday 18th July for those people who would like to attend.
Remember that although the class is closed, you can always get in touch with me over the summer if you have any queries about your child’s studies.
Summer Holiday Dates
We will continue to open until Monday 18nd July. Classes will reopen on Monday 12th September.
Pat and I wish all our students a great summer holiday and look forward to seeing you relaxed, refreshed and ready to learn in September!
June 2011 Class days:
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Holiday Homework
Students taking Key Stage 2 SATs will have sat them by now, while A level and GCSE students have exams approaching. I’m sure many will have better grades than originally anticipated when joining the class and several will excel. For both groups and those sitting exams in the future it is important that the momentum which flows from success is not lost. For instance many students will be moving to a new school next year which will present them with new challenges both personal and academic.
Their performance in this new environment will be considerably enhanced if they engage in some thought-provoking and skill-developing activities during the summer break. These activities need to be structured to develop certain thought processes and behaviours and based upon the learning styles and needs of the child. Anything which can also maintain continuity with the subjects taught at the old and new schools is also useful.
From these criteria the ideal would be some structured programme based on academic English and maths interspersed with physical activities developing coordination, team behaviour and the like. This sort of summer action plan can have tremendous consequences. When students start in the new term they are often streets ahead of those who have done nothing. This latter group is further disadvantaged in that often the skills they did have will have faded through lack of use during the summer break. Some researchers believe that it can take a child up to six weeks to regain the lost ground – that means the whole of the first half term is spent catching up!
The good news is that First Class Learning fills that gap produced by the long summer holidays. We are planning a structured programme of summer study for each FCL student, designed to keep their skills honed during the holidays without putting them under undue pressure.
If you would like to discuss your child’s summer work, or any aspect of their FCL studies, please feel free to email me or give me a call using the contact details at the top of this newsletter.
May 2011 Class days:
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FCL – a First Class flexible programme!
One of the great pleasures for me in running my First Class Learning Centre is when students come into class beaming because their FCL studies have helped them directly with their schoolwork. This frequently happens, because the FCL programmes have been written to meet the learning outcomes of the National Curriculum. Since children can see the relevance of their FCL study to their schoolwork, they understand the benefits of FCL and remain motivated as they grow in confidence.
Another great advantage of the FCL programmes is their flexibility. The range of materials available to me is such that I can easily ‘troubleshoot’ – give help with specific topics that a child has not mastered at school – without disrupting the steady progress through the programme.
At this time of year, the flexibility of the FCL programmes really comes into its own, as I am able to provide valuable revision help to students facing end of Key Stage exams, including GCSEs.
From Stress to Success
Dr Madeleine Portwood, a highly-respected educational psychologist with Durham LEA, is on the Advisory Board of Durham Learning Systems. Below is an extract from an interview with Dr Portwood published in the Northern Echo.
Parents need to be aware of the stresses that children are going through at this time... Stress can manifest itself in many different ways. Children can be very abrupt and angry so parents need to accept that this is a time when they need to avoid confrontation and make the home environment as calm and relaxing as possible. Dr Portwood says it is important for the young people to build in time when they are not just revising. “To sit and revise for a three hour period is a lot less productive than revising for three half hours and then having three half hour breaks in between. That goes for children of all ages. You should build in some sort of reward system into the revision so the child is motivated to achieve. Healthy food and diet is also very important along with a good night’s sleep.”
Holidays
As the Church Hall will be closed on the last Monday in May for the Spring Holiday the Class will have to close on this day as well (Monday 30th) and children will receive their homework for that week on Monday 23rd May.
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On line Newsletter
A reminder that you can also see this newsletter on the internet. To access the newsletter please go to this address: www.firstclasslearning.co.uk and visit the Middlesbrough class web page. On the Schools page you can also view two short films about the success of the FCL morning maths club at Schools in Middlesbrough.
Communication
I am extremely appreciative of the constructive use that parents make of the weekly record sheet as a means of communication. Obviously there is no need to write an essay every week, but specific comments by parents are helpful to me in assessing children’s performance at home and informing my planning. It is a particular pleasure to read messages from parents regarding teachers’ positive comments about their children’s progress.
If you have any more detailed comments or queries about your child’s progress, then please feel free to email or call me using the contact details are at the top of this newsletter. (You can also email me from the Middlesbrough web page.) Please note that the mobile number is for emergency use only during class.
Spring Holidays
The class will be closed during the three weeks beginning 18th April to coincide with the Spring holidays. Although the 11th April will be in these holidays and some schools will be closed, the class will be open on this day for children who want to attend.
Whether you are going away or planning to stay at home, it is important that students still complete their homework. To be on the safe side, all the students will receive their holiday homework during the week beginning 4th April – so if you are planning to attend on 11th April you will need to bring that day’s work with you.
March 2011 Class days:
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Maths SATs/GCSE Revision
For those students who are taking external maths exams later this year I am able to offer maths exam revision based on a series of books which focus on problem solving skills. These books are commercially printed and designed for use in schools. They cover new topics as well as those included in the FIRST CLASS LEARNING maths programme, such as fractions, time and area, etc. The work is presented in a way typical of an exam question and is very accessible. One book would last several weeks so it would need to be looked after. I would expect most students to continue with their worksheet programme but that workload could be reduced. The exercises would also identify areas which require further practice and we would use the worksheets for this. This process might involve extra tuition during class so students might have to stay in the class for longer than usual. Those students studying the English programme have already been using materials designed to practise exam-type questions but specific exam practice will also be available to them.
We also have an exciting English module, Writing Skills, which provides students with structured, supported practice to enhance their performance in the SATs Writing tests. It also includes useful tips for students tackling these exams.
Most existing students could easily switch to the problem-solving modules but any new students would have to be formally assessed. Existing maths students can also study English revision work and vice versa. If you are interested in receiving this extra service, please contact me either by e-mail or telephone.
Help with schoolwork
Don’t forget that we are always happy to help children with their schoolwork. All we ask is that you give us some notice and bring the relevant work (including textbooks) to the class. The best times to attend in these circumstances are during the first or last half hour of the class (3.00 – 3.30 or after 5.00). I can help with certain A level subjects (including maths of course) and Pat is able to help with English, German and French.
