Before students write, we show them exactly what the examiner gives marks for. Every piece of writing after that is aimed at a target they have actually seen.
There is no single way we do this. The right technique goes at the right moment: a quiz after they finish a text, a quiz on the mark scheme, a first draft written with nothing to copy from, and a spoken reflection at the end of a session where they explain what they learned.
Writing is broken into its parts, and each part is practised and marked on its own. Not one vague grade for a whole essay — a separate mark for each element of it.
Every piece is marked element by element against the examiner’s criteria — not one grade for the whole thing. Each part gets its mark, what to fix, the student’s own sentence rewritten to the next grade, and a model answer beside it.
Once a student has shown progress on a topic, we move them to a new topic and a new text. They circle through all of their texts and come back to the one they started with later, taking it further than they left it. Their best-graded pieces are kept for revision nearer the exam.
Interleaving does not mean mixing topics together. A student keeps one main focus, for example A Christmas Carol, and we ask them to think about a related text at the same time, such as An Inspector Calls. Both are about wealth and power, and about how wealthy people treat people who have nothing. Explaining what is similar and what is different in how the two stories tell that idea builds a stronger understanding of both texts.
Students learn to judge their own writing against the criteria before anyone else does — so they can see the difference between good and nearly-good in their own work.
The programme
Plans and prices
£20 a month
Start the habit.
£70 a month
Build the habit.
Most popular
£140 a month
The full programme.
£300 a month
Maximum support.
There is also a free plan: a full diagnostic assessment, a predicted GCSE grade, a free demo lesson and starter resources from the Grade 9 Library.
A free live session for parents. We show you the method, you ask anything you like, and there is nothing to pay.
Each week
How the programme runs
Tuesday and Thursday 5:30–7:30, or Saturday 4:00–6:00. Two hours, live with a tutor, writing and being corrected as you go. Gold includes one a week; Platinum, two. Between sessions they write on the platform whenever they like, and every piece comes back marked.
Saturday 2:00–3:00. One hour watching an expert plan and write a full answer in real time. Everyone gets to ask a question, and the model answer and the replay come with it.
Monday 5:00–6:00 or Tuesday 5:30–6:30, whichever suits. Students are seen one by one and taken through their own work to check they are on track.
After each assessment. One hour, one to one with Abdullah, going through the marking in detail and setting the next targets. Three per 12-week programme.
Any time, self-paced. Worked examples, model answers and technique cards. Some of it is free to everyone.
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