KS3 Programme Frequently Asked Questions
Our KS3 programme is designed for home-educated students aged 11–14 who are curious, motivated, and ready to build real-world skills. We’re looking for learners who enjoy challenge, creativity, and critical thinking.
- STEAM projects are hands-on, open-ended, real-world design challenges that integrate science, tech, engineering, arts, and maths.
- Tuition sessions focus on academic depth in English, Maths and Science, helping students build strong foundational knowledge and independent study skills.
Together, they create a complete learning ecosystem: knowledge → application → reflection → growth.
While it’s not mandatory, we strongly recommend doing both. The STEAM strand helps apply learning in powerful ways, but without the academic core, students may struggle to keep up. Likewise, tuition builds academic confidence, but project work brings it all to life.
We don’t rely on traditional grades or exams. Instead, we use:
- Design diaries and reflection journals
- Project deliverables that demonstrate real-world application
- Individual trackers to show academic content covered and mastered
- Tutor feedback focused on effort, problem-solving, and improvement over time
We have high standards for both.
- Consistent attendance is essential. Missed sessions impact group projects and student progress.
- Respectful behaviour and a willingness to work hard are expected.
- We’re here to support — but not to chase or rescue children from their own responsibilities.
You can read more of our Behaviour Policy here
Yes — but it varies. Homework might include:
- Research
- Writing
- Learning software
- Practising specific skills
- Catching up on missed content via Google Classroom
We expect families to protect time during the week for focused, independent learning. To see real progress, it’s essential that parents take an active role in supporting their child’s education beyond our sessions. This may include setting aside regular time for revision, additional practice, or even arranging further tuition if needed. Our programme is designed to complement – not replace – a strong home learning routine. Children thrive when families treat our work as part of a wider, consistent commitment to their development.
Our programme is best suited to children who are open to learning, willing to try and can engage in a small-group environment. It may not be the right fit for children who:
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Prefer to avoid challenge or give up easily when things get tough
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Rely heavily on constant 1-to-1 support
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Often miss sessions, making it hard to keep up with projects
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Are still developing the core literacy or numeracy skills expected for their age
We don’t expect perfection — just a positive mindset and a willingness to grow. We’re here to support potential, not pressure.
We act early. If a student is struggling, we:
- Speak with them privately to identify issues
- Alert parents and suggest practical steps
- Offer targeted help and a clear action plan
But support requires partnership. If there’s no home follow-through, progress will be limited.
Not in the traditional school sense. Instead, we provide:
- Continuous feedback
- Updated progress trackers
- Evidence from student work
- Parent meetings or check-ins when needed
We’ll always speak to the student first, then to the parent. If behaviour or effort doesn’t improve, we may ask the student to leave the programme. We owe it to the other students to protect the learning environment. You can read more of our Behaviour Policy here.
Each project lasts between 7–8 weeks and runs one day per week. Students can enrol for one project or multiple across the year. Tuition runs year-round in termly blocks.
Not at all. We teach all the tools and skills needed — from 3D design to teamwork. What matters is curiosity, resilience, and a willingness to try.
Yes — but in a balanced way.
- The tuition strand covers full KS3 content, taught with clarity and progression.
- The STEAM strand pushes students to apply knowledge creatively and critically.
- Together, they aim to help develop confident, capable learners.
That’s possible, and both strands work independently — but they were designed to complement one another.
STEAM helps students apply their knowledge. Tuition ensures they have that knowledge. Doing both gives the most balanced growth.
No. This is a face-to-face programme.
The hands-on nature of the projects, the peer collaboration, and the real-time support simply can’t be replicated online. If attendance is an issue, we may not be the right fit right now.
At TechBloq, we follow a mastery approach, which means helping children build a deep understanding of what they learn, not just move quickly through topics.
However, true mastery takes time, repetition and regular practice, most of which needs to happen at home.
Our sessions are designed as part-time support, not a full replacement for daily study.
Because our groups often include children of varied ages and ability levels, our priority is to ensure every learner reaches a secure understanding of key concepts before moving on. Application and fluency, especially in subjects like maths, requires regular, focused practice at home.
Mastery learning is a long-term process, not a one-hour outcome.
To achieve real mastery, children need to keep practising and applying what they’ve learned between sessions – for example, revisiting maths topics, completing short tasks, or explaining ideas in their own words. These small, regular habits make a big difference over time.
Our role is to guide, model and build the foundation. The parent’s role is to support, reinforce and provide consistency. When both work together, children develop genuine confidence and depth in their learning beyond what our sessions alone could achieve.
Accelerated learning is possible, but it requires careful planning, consistent effort and strong support at home. Children need time to consolidate understanding, not just move quickly through content. Without this, gaps can form and stress levels (for both parents and children) can rise. A successful accelerated pathway often includes:
- A structured study routine at home with minimal distractions.
- Balanced weekly time allocated to each subject, combining new learning with revision.
- Access to targeted support, e.g. tutors, online platforms (like IXL, Seneca) and exam preparation resources.
- Close parental involvement in monitoring progress, setting achievable goals and guiding difficult topics.
- Encouraging soft skills such as resilience, focus and time management, which are essential for coping with accelerated demands.
Acceleration should be gradual and flexible, respecting the child’s well-being while keeping them challenged. True long-term success comes from combining pace with mastery, not rushing alone.
For parents interested in a more detailed guide to accelerated learning pathways, we are creating a dedicated page that will cover step-by-step strategies, planning tips and best practices for home-educating children aiming to complete GCSEs on an accelerated schedule.
Mastery learning doesn’t mean children must achieve “perfect” understanding before they can move on. That would be unrealistic and could hold them back unnecessarily.
Instead, it means they have a secure grasp of the essentials: they can explain the concept in their own words, apply it in different contexts and avoid repeating the same mistakes.
This often looks like:
- Spending extra time revisiting tricky areas through short review sessions.
- Using varied activities so children practise the same skill in different ways.
- Identifying and addressing gaps early, rather than piling new content on top.
At TechBloq, we prioritise the core objectives (for example, in maths: number sense, place value and times tables) while still exposing children to the full range of topics. Not every detail needs to be mastered straight away, but the key building blocks do, because they unlock progress later.
So in short: mastery is not about slowing down indefinitely, but about ensuring secure foundations before adding new layers. Done well, with lots of consistent support, it can help children meet and exceed curriculum targets more confidently.
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