The Freeze... And how to move past it
As exams get closer, I'm spending less time talking about subject content and more time talking about exam technique. For GCSE students...
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Nicola Burkinshaw
- Feb 24
Stating the Bleeding Obvious
This post is probably the most ironic I have ever written. I haven't written a post for some months, partly because time has run away...
Nicola Burkinshaw
- Sep 1, 2022
Poetic Form and How to Identify It
If you are studying poetry you will have come across discussion of rhyme and metre: perhaps you have carefully noted down a rhyme scheme...
Nicola Burkinshaw
- May 4, 2022
How to Support Your Child with English Language GCSE
English Language GCSE is a test of your ability to communicate your ideas and your understanding of others when they communicate their...
Nicola Burkinshaw
- Feb 23, 2022
Half-Term Reading: The British Empire
This half term I’m taking the opportunity to read as much as possible. When I’m working it can be a struggle to really get into a book...
Nicola Burkinshaw
- Jan 11, 2022
Writing an Essay: Questioning the Question
When you receive an essay title it’s likely that it will include words and phrases such as: “to what extent”; “assess the validity of the...
Nicola Burkinshaw
- Dec 31, 2021
New Year; New Classes!
Like many of you, I'm spending much of today thinking about the challenges and successes of 2021 and wondering what 2022 will hold. One...
Nicola Burkinshaw
- Nov 7, 2021
Happy Bolshevik Revolution Day!
Today marks the 104th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution. For those of you studying Russia at either GCSE or A Level you will be...
Nicola Burkinshaw
- Aug 17, 2021
Are You Ready?
We're nearly at September which, for me, is more like the new year than January. It's the month where I embrace good intentions, plan...
Nicola Burkinshaw
- Aug 8, 2021
Five Thoughts About Results Week
GCSE and A Level results are out this week and I know that there will be a lot of mixed feelings, worry and concern from students,...
Nicola Burkinshaw
- Jul 13, 2021
Context in English Literature
When you’re reading a new book, poem or play it’s always worth having a think about context before you start. The amount of depth you go...
Nicola Burkinshaw
- Jul 8, 2021
What We're Reading...
In 1948, The New Yorker magazine published a short story that would soon become a classic. The story was The Lottery: a atmospheric and...
Nicola Burkinshaw
- Jul 3, 2021
Exam Anxiety
If you are doing some form of mock exam right now you're probably feeling a little bit stressed. A couple of things that might help a...
Nicola Burkinshaw
- Jun 21, 2021
The Trouble With Social Media
The other day I did something I had promised myself I would stop doing: I got into a social media spat. The subject was not massively...
Nicola Burkinshaw
- Jun 15, 2021
What We're Reading...
As my long-suffering students will tell you, one of the major themes of my tuition - whether it's English or History - is the importance...
Nicola Burkinshaw
- Jun 13, 2021
That Awkward Subject...
I hate talking about money. I am horrendously British and get stammery and pink-faced whenever the subject comes up. But unfortunately...
Nicola Burkinshaw
- Jun 5, 2021
Movin' On Up...
It's that time of year when, pandemic or not, teenagers finish one stage of their education, breathe a sigh of relief, then start...
Nicola Burkinshaw
- May 22, 2021
Why it's time to forget about exams
It's a bittersweet time of year for us educationalists. On the one hand there's the faint tinge of sadness as we watch our young people...
Nicola Burkinshaw
- May 11, 2021
A Crash Course in Dealing With Historical Sources
I was going to write a convoluted and frankly naval-gazing piece pontificating upon the role of sources in history but it strikes me that...
Nicola Burkinshaw
- Apr 30, 2021
Meet the Team!
In recent weeks I have been spending time on LinkedIn. It's a useful resource in many ways and it's good to stay in touch with what's...
Contact
I'm always happy to chat with parents or students about anything English or History related. Feel free to drop me an email, give me a call or fill in the form below. Or you can contact me on social media if you prefer.
07914554522
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