In the UK today there are currently 1,163,000 people aged between 16 and 24 who are not in employment, education or training (‘NEETs’). This figure is absolutely staggering and extremely worrying indeed; to stop things getting worse we need to start thinking seriously about concrete ways of bringing this number down.

New research by the Centre for Cities has discovered a clear trend linking poor English and maths results with joblessness among young people. In the last four years nearly 50% of young people left school without having attained an A*-C grade in English and maths. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that not reaching basic levels of literacy and numeracy will set you back when trying to get a job.

Although the unemployment figures are partly to do with the ongoing waves of job cuts, they also show that many people haven’t got the right skills to be offered a job. Basic English and maths are key in almost all professions, and without a decent GCSE in either subject, it’ll be hard to find an employer who will welcome you with open arms.

Cities with the highest youth unemployment figures, also have the most students who have not achieved good GCSE results, whereas in areas such as Cambridge, where youth unemployment has remained at a steady 1.3%, many more pupils are leaving school with decent results.

Many schools have been encouraging students to take ‘soft’ GCSE subjects so that they have a higher chance of doing well and thus will make the teachers and the school look better in the league tables. However, this isn’t helping anyone in the long-run.

What these new figures and the latest research shows is that schools need to work harder when it comes to helping their students attain high marks in traditional GCSE subjects. That way, when the students do leave school they will quite simply be more attractive and valuable to employers.

Some schools offer both, most schools offer just A Levels, but growing numbers are opting for IB. The IB is very different from A Levels, but which is best?

A Higher Education Statistics Agency report done earlier this year stated that pupils who do the IB at school tend to perform better at university and get higher paid jobs. To many, this information alone is enough to make the IB come out on top.

An advantage and disadvantage of the IB is that students have to study certain subjects, and more subjects than most students take at A Level. If you are taking IB you can’t just do essay or arts bases subjects, as you could with A Levels. The good thing about this is that school leavers have a much broader knowledge in different subject areas, however they are less likely to be specialists in an area, as their A Level comrades might be.

As there is less choice within the IB system, some students may end up having to take subjects that they aren’t particularly keen on or good at. Should all students take maths until the age of 18, or should they be allowed to drop key topics? There are convincing arguments on both sides.

Having tutored a few IB students, I have been particularly impressed by the creativeness of their thinking and ability to tie different subjects and ideas together. This is probably a result of the Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge elements. However, many of my past A Level tutees have had the edge when it came to analysing texts, particularly those who took two or more essay-based subjects.

Arguably one of the best things about the IB is the international outlook, with many languages included in the diploma programme and the many international issues studied. The IB is also recognised almost worldwide, and students who want to go to university abroad may have a marginally higher chance of being offered a place if they have done the IB. However, many British universities are still a bit unsure about the IB and although things are changing, when I was at university many friends who had done IB were convinced that the admissions tutors hadn’t totally understood what their grades really meant.

Whether it’s ‘better’ or not, one thing’s for sure: the IB is on the rise. It is now studied in 141 countries, in 3,294 schools and by 972,000 students.

What do you think? Are you on ‘team IB’ or ‘team A Levels’?

According to a survey done by The Children’s Society, 21st Century consumerism has now thoroughly engulfed British children. Although I remember wanting particular Sylvanian Families toys, or perhaps a kind of pencil case, we never had mobile phones or iPods to yearn after, and the wealth of expensive modern goods available now has pervaded the wish lists of young people.

The Children’s’ Society asked thousands of children between eight and fifteen what they thought the ‘essentials’ for someone their age were. Many of the ‘must have’ items are expensive goods that most adults need to save up for to be able to afford, such as iPods, satellite televisiona and designer-branded trainers and clothes.

Children without five or more of the ‘must-have’ items were five times more likely to have ‘low levels of wellbeing’. I find this extremely worrying indeed, and personally I think that it is awful for children to feel depressed because they don’t have the latest gadgets.

Although on the other hand, there were many things on the list that reveal children’s’ desires to spend quality time with their families. Many were keen for day trips and holidays spent with their siblings and parents. A number of the children also wanted outdoor spaces near their homes. This reveals just how important it is to protect green spaces, especially in cities, and that we should allow children time to play outdoors. It also shows how valuable quality time spent together as a family is.

The things most coveted by the children were:
-Pocket money
-A garden at home or outdoor space nearby
-At least one family holiday per year
-A personal music player
-Monthly trips or family day out
-Designer, or branded trainers
-The ‘right’ clothes to fit in amongst peers
-A family car
-Cable or satellite TV at home

What ‘essential’ things do you think you need to make you happy?

In the play I have recently been working on there’s a line which says ‘Autumn babies get picked first at sport’, which got me thinking about whether or not the time of year you are born has an impact on your life at all, beyond when to schedule your birthday party, that is.

Purely coincidentally I just came across an article published in the Guardian that explores exactly that, and presents research that confirms that the time of year that you were born really does have a significant impact on your future.

Some clever people at the Institute for Fiscal Studies have been looking at thousands of children and teenagers in England and researched whether there’s a link between a child’s birth month and what they end up doing when they leave school. The results are staggering…

Children born in August are 20% less likely than those born in September to attend Russell Group universities (such as Oxford and Cambridge). Instead, they are far more likely to go onto vocational courses after leaving school. This is because babies born at the start of the academic year are older, have more mature brains when they start school and so are more likely to perform better academically. Once they get ahead, they continue to steam forward and attain high results in examinations. Children born in the summer are a lot younger than their autumn-born classmates when they start school and so are at a disadvantage from the offset.

Obviously not all summer-born babies lag behind, but a significant proportion of them do. They are also more likely to lack confidence and be unhappy at school (perhaps because they feel intimidated and overshadowed by their older classmates?).

As children develop at different rates, it is often hard to predict whether or not they will struggle throughout their academic lives, but now that we know that there’s a high chance summer-born babies will find school a bit of a struggle, we should think of ways to compensate so that the playing field is levelled out and everyone gets a fair chance in the classroom.

With information so readily at our fingertips in our modern age of technology, Google and smart phones, I don’t think I am the only one who is worried that our memory is weakening. Why bother learning something long term when you can just look it up on an app on your ‘phone?

Just as it’s really important to keep your body fit, you need to look after the health of your brain as well, particularly if you are young and still growing. For academic success, your brain needs to be in tip-top condition. The brain has an amazing ability to adapt and develop, and so if you follow our suggestions below, your mind should be in peak condition before you know it!

1. I’m always advocating the importance of exercise and scientists have proven that regular physical activity will benefit your mind as well as your body. Exercise boosts the amount of oxygen travelling to your brain which in turn helps to reduce the risk of disorders that lead to memory loss. Exercise also boosts positive chemicals that help to look after your brain cells.

2. Sleep deprivation has a very poor impact on brain function indeed. If you get enough sleep each night you’ll improve your ability to think creatively, problem-solve and remember things. You’ll also feel happier too.

3. Laugh lots: funnily enough laughing involves lots of different parts of the brain at the same time, so by having a good giggle, you are giving your brain a great work-out.

4. Minimise your stress levels. This is important not only for your sense of self, but also because stress produces chemicals that actually damage the brain, particularly the hippocampus, where our memories are stored. Go for a gentle swim, listen to relaxing music, have a soothing bath; find what helps you to relax and make sure you use these things to help you reduce stress.

5. Eat brain foods: oily fish, nuts, leafy green vegetables, brown rice and pulses are all good for your brain. Minimising your intake of saturated fat and alcohol should also have a positive impact.

6. Make time for your friends and family; human beings are pack animals, and we thrive on having good social relationships. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found that people with very active social lives have a slower rate of memory decline than their lonelier counterparts.

7. Keep your brain on its toes by doing puzzles like crosswords and Sudoku, learn new skills and do activities that challenge your brain in order to keep building neural pathways.

The BBC has a great part of their website all about memory and with lots of fun games to test your brain. Click here and you’ll find it.

Computers are taking over our lives, and we rely on them more and more every year. Instead of reading real books, you can read e-books, instead of meeting up for a chat, you can Skype, and instead of writing a letter, you can send an e-mail. Most students now write the majority of their homework on the computer and then print it off, and some just e-mail it to their teachers. So is handwriting irrelevant now? I would argue no; it is still vitally important to develop your own handwriting style and researchers in America have proven that people who learn joined-up writing skills have improved brain function, compared to those who never join letters up.

Your handwriting is very particular to you, like a fingerprint or the colour of your eyes, and people much prefer to receive a hand written card or letter than a text message. We should also remember how to function without modern technology, so it is essential that we remember how to write without the aid of a keyboard!

If you feel like your writing is a bit messy, don’t despair! Here are some tips for how to improve your handwriting.

1. Although your handwriting should be personal to you, why not find an example of a handwriting style that you really like so that you have something to aspire to.

2. Get kitted out with the right tools. A blunt pencil and the back of a receipt will not do. Instead, invest in some lined paper and a nice pen. You don’t need to spend a fortune on a fancy fountain pen, but whatever you go for, make sure it feels comfortable in-between your fingers.

3. Remember to be patient. Practice makes perfect, but you won’t transform your style immediately, so just take one step at a time.

4. Start by writing the alphabet. Maybe just focus on a couple of letters a day, then build up to words and sentences.

5. Use different resources to help you improve. There are some excellent guidelines for children and adults here and there’s a fantastic website with very detailed advice to be found if you click here. If you’d like to get your paws on a book to help guide you then try Rosemary Sassoon’s ‘Improve Your Handwriting’. It’s got lots of superb exercises in it for you to follow. Click here for a link to give you more info.

If you’re a parent with young kids and you want to help your children to develop their writing skills then a good place to start is encouraging them to build up the fine-motor skills which handwriting demands. Playing with play dough, puzzles and building blocks will build muscle strength. Tying laces, using finger paints and playing games with small counters will improve dexterity. Then when they start to write, their hands should have the required strength.

August. A month synonymous with school holidays, weekend BBQs, and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Since 1947 ‘the Fringe’ (as it is affectionately known) has been running as an alternative to the Edinburgh International Festival. Although now, The Fringe has rather overtaken the main festival on account of its gargantuan size and scale.

The Fringe is particularly renowned for showcasing plays and comedy events, although there are also concerts and dance shows. It is an unjuried festival so anyone can take a show to the festival. Every year the number of shows seem to grow and grow. In 2009 there were over 2000 shows in 265 venues. Whereas in 1947 there were only eight fringe shows! During the festival you can see performances not just in theatres but in churches, shops, parks and one year there was even a show in a lift. You can also see short sections of different shows on the Royal Mile, where many performers try and entice the crowds to come and see their performances.

Many famous writers, actors and directors started their careers in Edinburgh, and every year lots of people achieve great successes during the festival. One of the most historic shows was ‘Beyond the Fringe’ which was performed by Alan Bennett, Dudley Moore, Peter Cook and Jonathan Miller in 1960. Then in 1966 Tom Stoppard’s play ‘Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead’ (currently showing at the Theatre Royal Haymarket) received its first proper run. There’s not space to write all of the names of famous British actors and actresses who have performed at the Fringe, but there are thousands of them, including one of the greatest living actors: the exquisite Derek Jacobi, and the much-loved Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Emma Thompson, Rowan Atkinson and the world-famous theatre company Complicite.

If you are interested in the arts then I can’t recommend the Fringe highly enough. I cannot explain the amazing buzz that fills the city throughout the month. It is absolutely thrilling. If you are going to go, why not look up some shows before you hop on the train and book a few tickets in advance, but leave some time free as you’ll hear about what’s good when you get there. Tickets are rarely more than £10 each and you can see three, four, five shows a day if you want to. I would advise checking where the venues are though and how long it takes to walk between them. As the venues are spread across the city, you wouldn’t want to miss a show because you failed to check a map beforehand.

Top tips: wear comfortable shoes (you’ll do a lot of walking), take a brolly (you never know when a shower may hit, and carry some snacks with you (normal mealtimes tend to go out of the window).

Have a great time!

You may have seen that yesterday we began a special series on useful phrases for foreign holidays. Today we’ve got a selection of French words and sentences that might be handy to have up your sleeve if you’re crossing the channel in the next few weeks…

Please: s’il vous plait

Thank you: Merci beaucoup

You’re welcome: De rien

Yes: oui

No: Non

I don’t understand: Je ne comprends pas

I speak very little French: Je parle tres peu le francais

I would like: Je voudrais…

How much is it?: C’est combien?

Where is/are? Ou est/sont…?

How do I get…?: Por aller…?

To the station: a la gare

When…?: Quand…?

Today: aujourd’hui

Tomorrow: demain

I am English: Je suis anglais(e)

I live in London: j’habite à Londres

What will the weather be like tomorrow?: Quel temps fera-t-il demain?

We’re lost: nous nous sommes perdu(e)s

Is there a bus to…? Est-ce qu’il y a un bus pour…?

Could you tell me when to get off? Pourriez-vous me dire quand descendre

A single room: une chambre pour une personne

A double room: une chambre pour deux personnes

Do you have a room for tonight?: Est-ce que vous avez une chambre pour ce soir?

Where is the nearest supermarket? Où est le supermarché le plus proche?

Are there any good concerts on?: Il ya de bons concerts en ce moment?

What’s on at the cinema?: Qu’est-ce qui passe au cinéma?

How much are the tickets?: c’est combien les billets?

I would like two tickets: Je voudrais deux billets

Play tennis: jouer au tennis

The bill please: L’addition s’il vous plait

What is the dish of the day?; Quel est le plat du jour?

Can you recommend a local dish?: Pouvez-vous nous recomander un plat régional?

Do you have any vegetarian dishes?: Vous avez des plats végétariens?

More water: encore de l’eau

Bon appetit!