Description
**This course follows the KS3 National Curriculum for Secondary English as it relates to writing. Students taking this course should also take the Lower KS3 Reading Course in order to ensure they are covering both sides of the English curriculum. Both sides of English complement each other and both rely on the skills developed in the other.**
Lower KS3
Lower KS3 roughly equates to Year 7 at an English Secondary School. Students are typically 11-12, though other ages (younger and older) take part in the sessions as age is not necessarily a reflection of ability.
The Lower KS3 English Writing Course in full…
Term 1: Becoming a Writer (11 September – 20 October)
Term 2: Non-fiction Writing – Review Writing (6 November – 15 December)
Term 3: Non-Fiction Writing – Run Your Own Business (8 January – 9 February)
Term 4: Creative Writing – An Adventure Story (19 February – 28 March)
Term 5: Non-fiction Writing – Troubleshooting (15 April – May 24)
Term 6: Creative Writing – A Fantasy Story (4 June – 12 July)
Students should take a complete Reading and Writing course each year in order to make good, balanced progress in English. This ensures solid foundations are created ready to move to the next stage in the following year and then on to GCSE study.
Studying English is as much about skills development as it is about knowledge acquisition – it’s essential, therefore, that an experienced teacher is there to give individualised and effective feedback on students’ work.
Tutor Dave is a qualified and experienced teacher who also holds a Master’s Degree in Contemporary Literature and Culture meaning that he not only has a deep understanding of English, but also has the ability to effectively support students to make good progress and discover the joy that comes from being able to engage with exciting and challenging texts.
Studying English also allows students to succeed in all other subjects too. The ability to express ourselves clearly and forcefully, and to be able to process complex information are skills which are applicable across all subjects and across many aspects of our lives in general. Investing in a strong education in English has benefits far beyond just passing an English GCSE.
English Tutorial Features:
- Live, online tutorials in small groups for the best learning experience – learners support and encourage each other
- Online worksheets allow students to write and share work in tutorials and are available even outside tutorials
- Instant feedback from Tutor Dave within lessons to promote progress
- Optional homework (when applicable) to keep the learning going
- Positivity, praise and encouragement to build confidence and love of learning
- Opportunities to make friends with other learners from around the world!
More reasons our live tutorials are a great way to learn:
- Small groups (capped at 8 students) meaning a lovely atmosphere and great rapport
- Learner cameras and microphones are enabled so students can engage directly with the tutor and each other (encouraged but optional)
- Professionally qualified tutors with years of experience in schools and within Home Education
- FREE Certificate of Attendance with all topic tickets
- Students are able to join the programme at any time (subject to availability), they do not have to start in Term 1 (though this is desirable)
- There are no long-term contracts and no joining fees
- Your child can join a topic that has already started (subject to availability) – just get in touch
- You can request a free trial to sample the teaching style and small-group atmosphere.
Please note we do not make recordings of tutorials available. We focus on delivering the very best live, interactive lessons we can and we find recordings can dampen students’ willingness to participate. Read an article about our ethos here.
Your Tutor
I have been working with HomeEd families since 2018 and haven’t looked back! I studied a wide range of subjects at university including English, Creative Writing, Philosophy and History, and love being able to explore these topics with our students. Having this breadth of knowledge is invaluable in contextualising novels and looking deeper into the texts we study. I also co-founded a mental health training company, and I believe student wellbeing is one of the most important factors for helping children succeed. After all, we learn best when we feel happy and well-supported. My approach to education is probably best defined by the word ‘flexibility’. Everyone learns differently, so a one-size-fits-all approach is definitely not for me; I love to be able to adapt and support students according to their needs, whether that be increasing the challenge and debating their ideas with them, or offering motivation and encouragement for each small step along the way. Finding what works for each student is something I enjoy doing and there’s no greater reward than seeing students who were feeling ‘stuck’ start to make progress. I’m also interested in mechanics (I recently taught myself to weld!), music (both listening and playing) and all sorts of literature (as you’d expect from an English teacher!). I love to learn new things, and feel very grateful to have had a love of learning instilled in me from an early age – thanks to everyone who made that happen!
Joining tutorials is easy…
Step 1: After checkout look out for the ‘download’ link on screen and open it to access your ticket*
Step 2: 5-10 minutes before the start of the tutorial click on the Zoom link to access the class. To make introductions and ensure high levels of safeguarding ALL new students must be seen on camera prior to joining their first tutorial.
We strongly recommend downloading and testing out Zoom before using it for the tutorial. Your child is advised to use a computer, laptop or tablet to access the tutorial rather than a phone. The Zoom user name must match that of the child or the purchaser to ensure access.
*You can also access your purchased download links via the automated email you were sent at checkout (check your junk/spam if you can’t find it) OR you can log into your Tutor Led Learning account and go to your downloads section.
It’s important to be nice…
We treat all members of our community with respect and expect our students to do the same. We will not tolerate any abusive language or behaviour towards either students or tutors and we may remove students who behave inappropriately from any lesson without warning or refund.
