ABSTRACT
This ‘core’ chapter has an interesting provenance and history. In the autumn of 2006, I launched at my school a one-period-per-fortnight Key Skills course for our Year 10 pupils. My own set was quite a mixed bunch, and some of their comments about subjects they found difficult or uncongenial sowed the seeds of this book as a whole. More specifically, though, for the purposes of the course I wrote to all our Heads of Department, asking if they would kindly produce ten or so ‘top tips’ to strengthen pupils’ performance, increase their confidence and allow them to be more in charge of their work, especially if they were at present ‘blocked’, disenchanted or struggling.
