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 - 5.45 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.
Middlesbrough News - December 2009
Celebration of Achievement – Monday 7th December 2009
This will be a very special day! Class will open as normal at 3.00pm and refreshments will be available in the Main Hall from 4.15pm. Our special guest, who will be presenting the certificates, prizes and Christmas presents, will be Mrs Mary Cobbold, Headteacher of St. Bernadette’s Primary School, Cookgate, Middlesbrough. We plan to start the ceremony at 5.00pm and it should take no longer than one hour. You will by now have received invitations in the post. Can I ask that you return the reply slip by 3rd December.
Holiday Dates
The last class of 2009 will be Thursday 17th December and we reopen on Monday 11th January. If you are going away early please tell me in advance and I will ensure you receive homework.
Plans for 2010
There are now six primary schools in Middlesbrough which are using the FCL maths programme as part of a morning club, including St. Bernadette’s. If you know of any school which would benefit from using the FCL materials please get in touch and I will arrange for the local representative to contact the Headteacher.
Intensive revision 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.
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.
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 .
I hope to see you all at the Celebration of Achievement.
Middlesbrough News - January 2010
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Welcome to 2010!
HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope you all have had a great holiday. Batteries will have been recharged and made ready to go. This term is arguably the most important of the year in terms of demonstrating ability. Those students who are taking exams have this term to get it right. Very, very rarely will a student get full marks in an exam which rigorously tests the range of the student’s abilities. Therefore students can always perform better. Apart from ensuring necessary competences such as number skills or handwriting, children who wish to do well in the tests later this year need to practise the sort of questions which will confront them.
The whole thrust of the First Class Learning Maths and English programmes is to produce work which addresses the learning outcomes of the National Curriculum. Consequently, whatever worksheet a student is studying, it will always be relevant to the work covered in schools. To supplement the worksheets we will also be using a variety of materials in class. These materials have a proven track record, are already well integrated into the centre procedures and are very popular. I can also make some of these materials available for home use but this work would be in addition to and not a replacement for the modular worksheets. I have found that combining the daily homework with guided study during the class to be the most effective means of preparing for exams.
If you wish your child to receive these materials at home or are concerned about a particular topic at school please give me a call and I will do everything I can to help. If it’s school homework all I ask is that they bring it into class and that you let them stay longer than usual while we go though it with them..
My telephone number is at the top right of the newsletter. I only use the mobile number during class time so please ring it only if it’s about that class. E-mail is checked regularly and I’m always delighted when people get in touch.
Celebration of Achievement
Thank you all for coming along to the Celebration of Achievement in December. It turned out to be the largest ever with over 250 students and parents attending. Our guest speaker, Mrs Mary Cobbold, pointed out how impressed she was with both the students and their parents, especially those who had been with us for many years. Those students who couldn’t make it will not miss out, receiving both their certificates and present this month.
Middlesbrough News - February 2010
February 2010 Class days:
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FCL in local schools
Those of you who attended the Celebration of Achievement in December will know that FCL is now being used in a number of schools in Cleveland. We were delighted when the Headteacher of one of the participating schools, Mrs Mary Cobbold from St. Bernadette’s, came and presented the awards. 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 DVD 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 for a copy.
FCL at the Education Show
The Education Show is the largest and most prestigious event of its kind for education professionals – and indeed anyone who is interested in education! It takes place at the NEC from 4th – 6th March. For the first time, First Class Learning will be exhibiting at the show this year. Pat and I will be attending, along with colleagues from First Class Learning Centres all over the country. It promises to be a very exciting and enjoyable event! If you are going please pop in and see us at stand J89.
Half term holidays
The class will be closed during the week beginning 15th 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 8th 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.
Middlesbrough News - March 2010
March 2010 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.
Middlesbrough News - April 2010
April 2010 Class days:
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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 newsletter page, you can also view two short films about the success of the FCL morning maths club at St Joseph’s and St. Bernadette’s Schools in Middlesbrough.
On-line help
Dr Phil Prentice of the FCL Finchley Centre in London has his own web page from which students can download video lessons covering topics such as long multiplication and divisions and work with fractions. The lessons have been designed to support the FCL worksheets and follow the same methodology. This service is completely free. If you want to look at the web page the address is: www.philsmathspage.co.uk .
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 two weeks beginning 5th April to coincide with the Spring holidays. Whether you are going away or planning to stay at home, it is important that students still complete their homework. All the students will receive their holiday homework during the week beginning 29th March.
Middlesbrough News - May 2010
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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 first Monday in May the Class will have to close on this day as well (Monday 3rd) and will receive their homework for that week on Monday 26th April. Those students who normally attend on Mondays are welcome to come to the class on Thursday 6th May, bringing that day’s work with them.
Middlesbrough News - June 2010
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.
This year I am delighted to say that we will be able to offer an extra dimension to your child’s summer study with the introduction of exciting online resources. During July and August, students will have access to the excellent educational activities from Education City, the leading provider of online educational resources. There will be more about how this service works in the next newsletter.
Half term holidays
The class will be closed during the week beginning 31st May 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 24th May. 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.
Middlesbrough News - June 2010
Exciting News
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.
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 but aim for them to complete a little work five days out of the seven and fill the record sheets in as you go.
However, this year we can offer an exciting new dimension to your child’s summer study. First Class Learning is working in partnership with EducationCity.com, a leading web-based teaching, learning and assessment resource. With its innovative and engaging activities, fully matched to the curriculum, EducationCity is widely used in schools.
Your child will have access to a wide range of learning games and exercises to support not just their maths and English but also science and modern languages. What’s more, this fantastic resource complements the structured and individualised programme that your child is already studying with First Class Learning.
To start using these materials please go to www.educationcity.com and enter these details:
School Login Name: Please contact Chris Jones for details
Login Password: Please contact Chris Jones for details
There is no need to enter any personal details. Simply click on your child’s school year and choose any of the activities for the different subjects. When you’ve finished, just close the window. It’s great fun and adults can play as well. We will continue to use EducationCity in the new school year.
Summer Holiday Dates
We will continue to open until Thursday 22nd July. Classes will reopen on Monday 6th September.
