0:00 Family routines and learning
1:38 Learning difficulties and support
6:28 Adapting teaching
8:43 Persistence
13:11 Discipline and activities
17:50 Online lessons
19:58 Confidence
22:21 Long-term progress

Family routines and learning

[Music] The Education Lounge podcast welcome to The Education Lounge this is our third podcast and I’d like to introduce you to hubert And nadine who are our parents with us and we just wanted to have a discussion about uh education in general really so welcome thank um so uh with Your with your girls I know we started really early and um I think if we talk about perhaps why you decided that it would you wanted to start

Earlier rather than later because some children come to us much much later you know sort of GCSE when they’re ready for GCSEs etc um the younger ones generally come to us for exams so for sats or seven plus or eleven plus and I know That was never your aim um so really uh what was the reason that you felt you wanted to start early yeah so I’ll go so um I think for my point of view I’ve always Believed that education is the pathway to success so I think early on we really wanted to support our our girls um especially the key subject science maths and english so I think we discovered early on uh for my youngest in year three that

Learning difficulties and support

She found studying a bit challenging um you know and we didn’t really understand why at first until we know later when we found out that she did have struggles a bit with dyslexia so really it’s really introducing them really early to Help her support her we tried lots of other different uh methods to to support her um that she really didn’t engage with really didn’t play to some of her strengths and really introducing her to tuition to cheetah I had a tutor when I was young Many many many many moons ago but also you know trying to introduce them to learning earlier we realized that you know really she needed to stretch my eldest over learn um really have a report I’m sure it’s better much major tutors that just she can get rapport

With someone she trusts someone that you can build confidence yeah definitely I think um the early on thing was essential purely because um in the classroom setting you’ve got 30 children potentially so um and you know the confidence was Lacking so it was really important in terms of having one to one that was the key um and looking at specific tailoring to meet her needs um and I think over time that’s what’s helped to build her confidence um but I think that early on was the key because there’s a lot of Repetition required usually you know some tutors or if you’re you know in terms of learning it’s very much kind of this is a curriculum and that kind of was thrown out of the window in that it was tailored to her knees that was the key um and from very early on just reinforcing reinforcement looking at what’s in the classroom versus outside

Of the classroom and what placed her strengths like he said um to help build confidence efforts and gain um the knowledge over time so yeah that’s essential how did you find it in terms of balancing your needs because you’re both Working professionals and you know it’s not an easy task to to to juggle everything so very uh yeah I mean even with regards to then I had to kind of adapt even my work um to meet those needs but it was around tailored around school so Um after school whatever suited in terms of um meeting their needs I mean as has been mentioned I’ll just use napkins so it was like fitting everything in but it was kind of like is it most practical at the end of the school day where you’re exhausted and not necessarily so it was kind of maybe

Mornings I think initially weekends um yeah you know like sort of performance and yes everything was kind of tailored to me our needs really I think what helped once you get options it wasn’t just these are the classes that you’ve got you have cities time deals arranged so You know different times on a saturday for example uh well she’s got different key stages so really we could adapt to that and obviously the best day for us because um it is the weekend so you know you can come to the center so that is ideal but it wasn’t just one-size-fits-all which I think you know you could work around at times And you’re very flexible with different sensors

Because she just wasn’t retaining anything it was me very much to be at home you know you’ve got a young child and you’re trying to and it was just I just need help just need help how can we work together to try and yeah Yeah it’s been a long journey it has and and I mean certainly we’ve learned a lot along the way you know it’s not just about teaching it’s about what we learn about how children learn obviously we We know as professionals you know what’s needed and how children learn but then when you put it into practice yeah yeah it it’s it’s uh certainly my pedagogy has evolved a lot in in these years um so in terms

Of um the older one and we did a lot of one-to-one and even with the younger one we did a lot one-to-one yeah and then as they got older and we felt that we could integrate them into classes certainly when I was out of my depth in GCSE maths is not my subject certainly I can teach a lot of GCSE but not maths so then it was about transitioning them over and I think that’s worked quite well because um they like the matter and the confidence Because initially that wouldn’t have been feasible so again because their confidence grew then they were able to go into a group setting isn’t it where they like the tutor they like the dynamics they kind of yeah yeah I think for me it’s a I think in a classroom setting sometimes you can get

Adapting teaching

Left behind sometimes you can feel alienated because you might not be the brightest or your learning style typically I think what you’ve helped us understand is that um my oldest will get will get it eventually but you take time but not one size fits all so you can adapt your Teaching style to her learning needs yeah I think that has worked well and I think you know she has got a really good relationship with with the tutor um they both have and I think that you know the confidence I’ve seen in my eldest yeah not just in studies but just in yourself Yeah I think and that that rapport that she’s going to build up has been fantastic because as you said she’s an athlete and she’s she’s quite a high level athlete yeah but you can see the improvement over time and it’s definitely attributed to her learning because she was just lacking in confidence and so you’ve seen her go from you know

Wouldn’t wouldn’t necessarily speak up as I said one to one to where she would actively engage to wearing even in her um athletics she’s coaching yeah which is not something she’s actually coaching junior things yeah Yeah because you would never think you know she would be directing younger yeah just amazing the difference over time that’s fabulous what’s interesting is I I had to go to work uh a little while back and I bought my elders with me and um the team are asking my elders a Question you know and she was being articulated into being responsive and she got emailed and said you know if your daughter wants

It’s yeah it’s just encouraged that growth so that consistency has made a big difference absolutely definitely and I think she knows in herself that she will get it yeah I think before she thought I’m not gonna get this I don’t understand it’s too hard to do difficult whereas now she knows I just have to Keep plugging away I will get it might take a little bit longer I like to learn a bit differently but I will get it and you can see it I will keep going dad yeah she got that from you guys definitely because it was kind of just keep going I remember we were we were fostered exactly don’t give up we’re going to over we’re

Persistence

Going to keep going over it and it’s worked it’s worked you can see it it’s that that persistence I remember in year six we had a couple of sessions more than a couple actually where she was in tears yeah just area oh my god working in an area because it was a visual thing that’s Right and they were like not straightforward shame yeah she found that so challenging her understanding her learning that’s Look at things a bit differently to support she will get yeah she’ll get there yeah yeah and that’s come to fruition definitely because as I said when you see her just even in coaching my goodness it’s the complete oh that’s brilliant and the other ones kind of

Aspirationally like okay I can do this I can do that she wanted to come see if change is the same same thing yeah you know as soon as she went into secondary school yes the same thing I’m going to be like I want to be like that yeah so she’s kind of like yeah What’s really interesting about the youngest one is she loves coming to the center and she will do her homework straight away so she’ll say that’s something and then I said it every night she loves the learning and the funny thing she was like this is dyslexic as well And it was that same concern of oh am I going to struggle so I want to do the tuition because she could see the difference I want to go yeah um because it will she always was very keen yes this is going to help me and yeah I mean the thing with dyslexia is

That there is a lot of repetition because I remember having a conversation about getting diagnosed diagnosis I can’t say the word yeah that’s right and and where we go from there because both of them are so Borderline that you you know they weren’t extreme enough for schools to be able to do anything and schools are so stretched the well what do you do well you know I I did quite a bit of research on it And it it was it is simply repetitious obviously not just over you know re-explaining things and adapting the teaching style so that that’s relaxing you don’t have in school

Exactly yeah that was yeah early introduction yeah looking at the the curriculum over the year and said okay you’ve got to do this let’s introduce you to you early yeah she gets that understanding does it at school then comes back and I think that has been the key yeah definitely Just yeah forward thinking and playing do you know what I’ve this week particularly it’s been a really tough week for all of us and we’ve all been as tutors we’ve been really demotivated because things have been so difficult uh and actually yesterday or the day Before we sat down we were in a meeting and we all three of us felt as sort of the the leaders we felt why are we doing this there’s no point let’s just act up and do something else but hearing this really motivates you

Again to think okay well we are making a difference honestly I’m just you really really got us just the journey it’s just been amazing it’s just like part of the family it’s just been she’s been involved with rtg especially elders for so long so I just quite imagine her not Again now and we’re like goodness sakes when elvis was going to do her sex It was just yeah it was just and I think for her again is that buying in that oh my god wow I can do this and you know that that that transitional state give years six and seven yeah and then she’s like going to uh secondary school yeah she’s gone from strength to strength

Yeah fabulous do you know does she know what she wants to do going forward yeah

Discipline and activities

Yeah so yeah that’s incredible yeah yeah but the two have definitely gone hand in hand there’s the discipline again so and that’s the kind of thing say it’s the discipline of you’ve got to do the work you’ve got to put effort in but there will be people to support you but you’ve got to kind of buy in Um and I think that consistency from kind of year age seven yeah yeah um has yeah has very interesting and it’s it is it is for the older one particularly it’s very much seeing that the the consistency you’ve got to have In the athletics the determination the training yeah I’ve had several conversations with her to say well look you know you’re training your body for this yeah all you’re doing is training your mind 100 to go hand in hand doesn’t it I mean

When you relate it to you know your brain’s obviously your muscles Um how have you found uh we’ve sort of talked about this already but how have you found balancing her athletics because I know when you’ve had to go long distances for runs and that we’ve had to adapt yeah um you know and and maybe give you The work or do separate sessions uh but how have you found that in terms of uh not so much where we fit in but in terms of fitting in the work for her alongside the athletics alongside the

School works just to schedule everything so it’s a routine example and again it’s always been about structure yeah so you have to be organize you’ve got business like your own timetable of this is what you need to get done first um because then you’re going to have to Go you know so you’ve got to prioritize your work really isn’t it and it’s just always been about having the structure yeah so I think for me we obviously know what her sessions are over the years so you know so and I we also know up front when she’s going to have meets wherever you need to Travel to sheffield to stay for the weekend so we can pre-plan that so I can say okay she’s not going to be in three weeks time so the tutors can be that in mind and then they can set appropriate work for her to do you know even she’s the way she can be that work of her so you can pre-plan that and it’s quite

Flexible you know in some occasion we can make up classes during the week that you can’t make on the weekend because that’s not a small task yeah but Again I think she needs structure they both need that structure so once they know it’s about the planning and just yeah you need to get your work done it’s funny because this is saying that it takes a village to raise your family yes you know so it’s not just us I’ve treated them

Um this is a resource that’s going to and again I’ve kind of just stepped back really and it’s been brilliant because I’ve not had to be so involved it’s kind of like and what’s really interesting as well because you know sometimes when the girls get set homework I have to Look at it and mark it because sometimes after the online submissions I spoke in the tutor said well this is the work that girls need to do this is how you do it so all right Was like that kind of tension so you know when they’re younger yeah it’s a lot harder because they can’t obviously email us yeah but you know it’s like you know you’re responsible it’s like you know self-learning and yeah responsibility speaking of online lessons how did you find it in lockdown

So for me through my work I’m online all the time and I think nowadays the young children need to understand that I got educated from one of the my eldest the youngest uh appearance even even the the computer said this is going

Online lessons

To be the way the world going forwards you need to have those skills I think it was helpful it helps us balance home life as well you’re at home you know you see you’re getting it traveling yeah exactly exactly yeah you know they’re both in both in different rooms and I can actually come in and have a look At what you do that’s it actually did it really yeah it’s probably easier to meet with your girls it’s we’ve had no issues yeah technically yeah but yeah they’ve not had any noises isn’t it not the same with boys I Have to tell you okay fair enough yeah again they know the online or not you know yeah there’s no

Struggle there they just raise life for them absolutely is you should not you know most young people you don’t himself yeah they they look forward to it yeah so we’ve sort of talked about where the older ones heading any ideas with the younger one Of what she wants to be science something to do I think she’s the the she loves experiments she’s got chemistry kits and yeah it’s funny her past time would be going through the um Table what is her number for I am but she absolutely I don’t know but science is have a look on the website I don’t know

Whether we’ve uploaded them but I’ll make sure that they are uh we’ve we’ve put together experiments they can do at home I’m sure I’ve done them already and there’s a periodic table uh uh worksheet where she can color in and you know learn from that so So use those resources they’re free definitely scientists yeah so but we’ll see she’s got time to decide so yeah amazing and especially anything biology we’ve got pond outside and we’ve got loads of news in it so she’ll fish out

Confidence

The news this is this is this type of new and this is the life cycle you know and her confidence again has grown with the mass because again she Wouldn’t want to try to appear aversion failure you know so but now okay I’ll give it a go and the confidence is built so yeah it’s really funny because when she was with the tutor she was uh adding this attractive minor standards and she really didn’t get it again some reason it really wasn’t sticking And then the tutor really worked for the work of her is it man yeah watch what’s that point yeah he’s now going for strengthening you know there’s a formula there’s a mythology to it once you get it I think upon that point she’s she’s like I said

At school now she’s actually choosing something yeah I want to set up a tutoring at home online amazing really yeah Exactly right exactly right because if you can’t it’s always is to say to explain it to me and and most of the time should be fine occasionally you should fumble but I know it I know it well if you can’t explain it to me you don’t know it yeah so fabulous yeah oh that’s so good I’m So pleased that it worked out yeah yeah uni it was a huge worry you know there’s been points within highs and lows you know you think about that over the years it’s been consistent yeah

Because we know how she got to where she’s at and it’s being just through that consistent approach and you’re just going to keep going keep going you’ll see the benefits so they’re definitely seeing the difference yeah well hats off to you for persistence You know yeah because it takes a lot and that’s what I’m saying I just remember at the beginning I’m saying look I’ve got this chat and I’m doing everything and it’s just I need some I need some help and I understand that it’s not going to be a quick you know but um yeah sort of years old I’m thinking goodness

Long-term progress

Yeah it’s it’s paying off yeah because we get parents who come to us and it it it’s almost like well you touched it last year yeah no it doesn’t work yeah that doesn’t work because We calculated that if they’re with us an hour a week or even two hours a week it works out over the year about one term yeah yeah yeah yeah and we have to fit in everything into that whole curriculum yeah and It’s it’s just not possible without the practice at home yeah yeah of course and I think also uh my elders can also go to cheese to say I need this at school I don’t really understand it is it not me can you focus on this nothing’s really been helpful so she’s got the confidence he’d say I don’t really understand this at school

Can you help me and then we can you know tell you it and tweak it yes well thank you both very much uh it’s it’s been a hell of a it has been but it’s been brilliant to give understand the results so it gets paying off um and yeah and sort of you know thank you Really yeah thank you thank you for the team yeah yeah you know hopefully we will come back everywhere see the results uh oh definitely I will definitely take because obviously I don’t see them much anymore and I’ve got a vested interest because I’ve worked with them from such A game yeah but yeah well thank you very much thank you and and we just as a as a massive thank you before yeah before we finish

Thank you very much whenever I receive a good business I’m going to say something about it yeah we’ve always known when people do things wrong and then the statements can do Things right yeah so we get to get some fixing done and you guys asked you know one small mistake or something Tiny oh wow oh my goodness

[Applause] that option or this you’re like you know what no this is what you know this is What this question is at any level we’ve got maths and science and possibly english okay yeah not No thank you very much are we good to go yeah yeah yeah thank you guys okay yeah [Music]

You