Guides for parents on schools, exams and home education
Practical guides from our education consultants on the questions parents ask us most, from school applications and GCSE grades to revision, tutors and home education.
Latest guides
Tutoring
TutoringHow to help your child with maths at homePractical ways parents can help with maths at home, from primary number skills to GCSE, and how to tell when a tutor would help.TutoringHow much does a private tutor cost in the UK?What affects the price of a private tutor in the UK, what to compare besides the hourly rate, and how to keep the cost sensible without losing quality.TutoringOnline or face-to-face tutoring: which is better?Online and in-person tutoring both work. Here is how to decide which suits your child, the subject and your family, and how to get the most from either.TutoringSigns your child needs a tutor (and when they don't)How to tell when extra help would make a difference: the signs to look for, why to speak to the school first, and when a tutor is not the right answer.TutoringHow to choose a private tutor: 10 questions to askTutoring isn't regulated in the UK, so quality varies. Ten questions to ask about experience, safeguarding, progress and fit before you choose a tutor.
Exams & Qualifications
Exams & QualificationsHow to improve GCSE English Language and LiteratureHow the two English GCSEs work, what examiners reward and practical habits that raise grades, from planning answers to using quotations.Exams & QualificationsGCSE science: combined or separate (triple) science?The difference between combined and separate GCSE sciences, which suits your child, and how the choice can affect A-Level science options.Exams & QualificationsExam access arrangements: extra time and other adjustmentsHow access arrangements such as extra time, rest breaks and readers work for GCSE and A-Level, who applies, what evidence is needed and when to start.Exams & QualificationsResults day: what to do after GCSE and A-Level resultsWhat to do on GCSE and A-Level results day: clearing, adjustment, reviews of marking, resits and alternative routes, and how to support your child.Exams & QualificationsHow to support a child through exam stressSigns of exam stress, practical ways parents can help, what to do on exam day and when to seek further support.Exams & QualificationsHow to choose GCSE options: a guide for parentsHow GCSE options work in England, what to consider when choosing, common mistakes to avoid and the questions to ask your child's school.Exams & QualificationsA-Level subject choices and university requirementsHow to choose A-Level subjects: what to think about, when universities require particular subjects, and how to keep your options open.Exams & QualificationsGCSE resits in English and maths: how they workHow GCSE English and maths resits work in England, who has to retake, when the exams are held and how to improve a grade.Exams & QualificationsEntering GCSEs as a private candidate: how it worksHow to sit GCSEs or IGCSEs as a private candidate: finding an exam centre, deadlines, costs and which subjects are hardest to take privately.Exams & QualificationsGCSE grades explained: what 9 to 1 means for your childWhat GCSE grades 9 to 1 mean, how they compare with A* to G, what counts as a pass, how grade boundaries work and what to do on results day.Exams & QualificationsHow to revise for GCSEs and A-Levels: methods that workEvidence-based revision techniques, retrieval practice, spacing, interleaving and past papers, plus how to build a realistic plan and how parents can help.Exams & QualificationsIGCSE vs GCSE: what's the difference?How International GCSEs differ from GCSEs in who offers them, content, assessment and grading, how universities view them, and which suits your child.
Choosing a School
Choosing a SchoolHow school admissions criteria work (and how to read them)How oversubscription criteria decide who gets a place at a state school: siblings, distance, catchment, faith, and how to read a school's admission policy.Choosing a SchoolSchool admission appeals in England: how they workYour right to appeal a refused school place in England, the deadlines, what the panel considers, infant class size appeals and how to prepare a strong case.Choosing a SchoolIn-year school admissions: finding a place when you move mid-yearHow to apply for a school place outside the main admissions round in England: who handles applications, waiting lists, moving from abroad and refusals.Choosing a SchoolThe 11-plus and grammar schools explainedWhat grammar schools and the 11-plus are, how the test and applications work, whether a pass guarantees a place and how to prepare without pressure.Choosing a SchoolIndependent school entry: assessments, scholarships and bursariesHow independent school admissions work in the UK: entry points, assessments, early registration, and how scholarships and bursaries differ.Choosing a SchoolQuestions to ask when visiting a schoolWhat to look for on a school visit and the questions worth asking about teaching, behaviour, wellbeing, practical matters and admissions.Choosing a SchoolSchool admissions in England: key dates and how to applyKey dates for September 2027 entry, how primary and secondary applications work, how places are allocated and what to do if you miss your first choice.
Early Years & Primary
Early Years & PrimaryPhonics and learning to read: a guide for parentsHow phonics works in English schools, what the Year 1 phonics screening check involves and practical ways to help your child learn to read at home.Early Years & PrimaryStarting Reception: what to expect and how to prepareWhen children start school in England, what happens in Reception, how to prepare and what to know about summer-born children and delayed entry.Early Years & PrimaryHow to choose a nursery in EnglandHow nurseries, preschools and childminders work in England, what to look for on a visit, questions to ask and how to think about costs and funded hours.Early Years & PrimaryKS2 SATs explained: what parents need to knowWhat KS2 SATs are, when they happen, how scaled scores work, whether they matter and how to support your child without adding pressure.
Home Education
Home EducationHome education curriculum choices: what should we teach?The main approaches to home education curriculum in England, how to choose what suits your child and how to plan the route to GCSEs.Home EducationHow to start home education in EnglandThe first steps to home educating in England: what the law says, how to withdraw from school, choosing an approach, records and exams.Home EducationHome education in England: a practical guide for parentsWhat the law requires, how to take your child out of school, the council's role, how to plan a suitable education and how home-educated children sit exams.
Free downloadable guides for families relocating
Four practical guides for British families moving to Dubai. Enter your name and email and we'll send the PDF to your inbox. It's free. See also our relocation advice.
Guide 1 · Ages 0–4
Finding the Right EYFS Nursery in Dubai
KHDA ratings explained, what to look for on visits, how waitlists work, and the transition from nursery to FS1.
Guide 2 · Ages 4–18
British School Waitlists in Dubai, Explained
How waitlists work, a strategic approach to applications, understanding KHDA ratings, and how to give your child the best chance.
Guide 3 · Ages 11–18
IGCSE vs GCSE, What Dubai Parents Need to Know
The difference between IGCSE and GCSE, which exam board your child's school uses, and what it means for tutoring and university applications.
Guide 4 · All Ages
Homeschooling in Dubai: The British Curriculum Guide
Is home education legal in Dubai? Cambridge vs Edexcel, how to sit exams as a private candidate, and building a curriculum that works.
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