Educational blog

My 4 children had kept a journal for as long as I can remember. They would take it along with them in backbacks or hand-held for when inspirations would strike while on the bus and tube or in the car. It was initially meant to encourage them to write more but it...

Spring 2023   Dear Families,   Following Eton’s King’s Scholars announcement last Friday afternoon, we are happy to release Metal Rocks' final 2023 school and scholarship results. Congratulations to BOTH of our students who sat the 2023 Eton King's...

Summer 2021   Dear Families, What a rollercoaster year it has been! Across the board in all exam entry points, there were a lot of uncertainties surrounding exam and interview formats, whether standardized tests or proprietary papers, whether online or in-person....

You can't swing a dead cat in central London without hitting an anxious, unsure adult walking with a parenting book.  We used to be just "parents" but now we're Tiger Moms, Hipster Dads, Permissive Parents. We fly helicopters, drive snow plows, and have "parenting...

As a follow-on to my recent email about ‘Winners: Made or Born”, this article in the The Atlantic Magazine (May 2016) talks about the importance of grit to career and academic successes. In particular, it discusses the argument in Angela Duckworth’s new book, “Grit”,...

So you think China's greatest economic concern in the UK is Hinkley Point?  Think again. Here, The Spectator calls an English public school education our "greatest single industry" which is why, when you visit Eton, you will be joined by busloads of education-obsessed...

All children are capable of great things. Those who perform well in exams tend to achieve greatness rather more rapidly and with less stress for their relatives than those who freak out at the very thought of a test, let alone a GCSE or A-level. Here are some...

Studying in a quiet, private space is best, right?  That's not what the research finds best.  Intensive immersion in a topic is the best way to study, as everyone knows?  Nope.  Are you a "visual learner"?  There is no such thing. The article below summarizing the...

By KJ DELL'ANTONIA February 8, 2013   Is your child a warrior, or a worrier? That cute — and memorable — phrasing comes from “Why Can Some Kids Handle Pressure While Others Fall Apart?” by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman (famous for “Nurture Shock” and now the...

I try to implement the following knowledge in my teachings. Here they are in three words: examples, practice and quizzes. Worked examples, extended practice and frequent quizzes are much-underestimated and under-valued, but there’s a huge volume of scientific research...

Just wanted to share an interesting article on education in the Wall Street Journal that applies to parenting because ultimately you are your child's best teacher. Notice principle number 2 ("drill and practise") and why I always stress that all my students do the xxx...

Dear Families and Friends,   With summer finally here and day and boarding school results pretty much finalised, I would like to summarise Metal Rocks’ most recent results. Overall, I am very pleased that each of my students received an offer of a place at his or...

Very interesting article on ADHD children. For parents and educators, this is an important reminder that not every child fits into the traditional mold. The key is to find the appropriate space for an ADHD child to flourish and to tap into his/her unique energy....

How can schools and teachers tell best whether a child is "academic"? The surest way is how well-read he or she is and the written and spoken vocabulary used. You can help your child be life-long learners by encouraging the love of words.  Word Games Children learn...