Important notice on swine 'flu

Introduction

MPW Cambridge, established in 1987, is a co-educational GCSE and A level college accepting up to 150 students each year. The college is situated in spacious and attractive premises a few minutes' walk from the centre of Cambridge.

No student is accepted without attending an interview, the initial purpose of which is to provide parents and students with the best educational advice. If we feel that it is appropriate to offer a place at MPW, every effort is made during the interview to identify the right programme and options, often by means of detailed discussions with individual subject tutors.

Once a student is accepted at MPW, our aim is to provide the most effective possible preparation for the specific exams that he or she will be taking. Our methos is based on intensive tuition in small groups, close personal monitoring of academic progress and regular examination practice. We insist on strict punctuality in the attendance of lessons and the submission of homework, but are otherwise free of many of the school rules which today's students find restrictive.

Our reputation is based on having created a college in which students can enjoy working hard. The environment is friendly and informal, the tutors experienced and enthusiastic and the atmosphere positive and conducive to success. The systems that we have adopted have been developed over many years and are shared by all the colleges in the MPW group.

Tuition

Tuition takes place between the hours of 9.00 am and 6.00 pm on weekdays. Syllabus coverage is focused on the precise demands of the final examination and particular emphasis is placed on exam technique. It is a fundamental principle at MPW that all students in a given group are studying for the same examination on the same board on the same date. Under no circumstances do we mix students who are studying on courses of different durations. Of equal importance is our absolute maximum of eight students in any one class. With these group sizes it is possible to combine a lively and stimulating classroom atmosphere with the close individual attention that each student requires.

Lessons are supplemented by one-to-one surgeries, extra laboratory sessions and workshops on past papers. All students may attend study skills seminars designed to improve revision technique, speed reading, note taking, memorisation and time management. MPW writes and produces its own study material in all major subjects and students are encouraged to seek help from tutors between lessons when facing difficulties with a particular topic.

Supervision of progress

MPW is well known to its friendly and supportive personal tutor system. Each student is assigned to a personal tutor, whose role is to supervise the academic progress, university applications and general welfare of a small group of students. Personal tutors keep in frequent contact with subject tutors and parents, and are able to devote much of their time to helping and encouraging the students under their care.

Regular, individual meetings are held to discuss progress in class, homework, test results, UCAS applications and reports. Written reports from the subject tutors and a covering report from the personal tutor are sent to parents twice in the Autumn and once in the Spring and Summer terms. Parents' evenings are held in the Autumn and Spring terms.

Examination Practice

We place considerable emphasis on regular testing under timed conditions, which we find plays a major part in building students' confidence and motivation. Students on A level courses sit timed assignments every week throughout the Autumn and Spring terms. Most timed assignments test the understanding of work covered during the previous week. The remainder test the understanding of work covered during the previous half term or term, thus ensuring that revision is a continuous process throughout the year. Students on GCSE courses sit end-of-unit tests twice per term in the Autumn and Spring terms.

Full mock examinations are held in December for the January examination session and in April for the May/June examination session. All timed assignments, end-of-unit tests and mock examinations take place under supervised exam conditions that replicate the conditions under which public exams are sat.