Maths
Why You, Me, and Beyoncé Are All Pigeons
A dive into the Pigeonhole Principle—a deceptively simple idea with unexpectedly creative power. It doesn’t crunch numbers; it sidesteps them, using logic to prove the impossible.
Nici Hoyle
Biology
Why heat makes you stupid
There’s a specific kind of summer brain that feels like trying to do calculus inside a hairdryer. You’re technically conscious, but only just. You go to the fridge and forget why, aside form to stick your face in it. You reread the same sentence four times and still
Maths
13 ways to ruin a perfectly good Friday
A mathematical and scientific wander through the weirdness of Friday the 13th.
Super-curricular
How to flunk it, fix it, and kick the door in
June 6th deserves a pause. Not the poppy-emoji-on-stories kind. A proper pause — the kind where you stop, breathe, and realise this day changed everything. Because on this day in 1944, thousands of mostly young men (many the age of Year 13s) climbed into boats, planes and gliders, crossed the English
English
What's the plan?
You sit down. Ninety minutes on the clock. A question in front of you. Your mouth’s gone dry, your pen feels like a weapon you’re not trained to use, and the question is staring at you like a cat judging your life choices. This is not the time
Super-curricular
Oxbridge interview prep... powered by IKEA?
I have stared into the abyss. The abyss has a name. It is SKÅRNVIK. It arrived in a toe-breakingly heavy IKEA-branded cardboard sarcophagus which seemed far too small to contain anything more ambitious than a sandwich. Yet, it promised a sleek, white monolith of drawers, quiet despair and my all-night
The F-word nobody likes
Failure. Tuesday night, in a valiant attempt to bake my daughter a surprise birthday cake, I found myself knee-deep in disaster. Again. I’ve been here before. It all started with my son's first birthday cake. I misjudged the flour-to-egg ratio and ended up with a number “1”
Super-curricular
Run like you stole it
Last Sunday, while over 50,000 people ran the London Marathon, I completed a much shorter (and lazier) event: the “Watch-Athon.” Cuppa? Check. Curious brain? Double check. Admiration? Absolutely. And no intention of joining in. I hate running. If you see me sprinting, call for help — I’m either being
Activities
What teachers don’t tell you about science success
Science isn’t just for the lab-coated elite. You don’t need goggles, a Bunsen burner, or a grant from NASA. You just need a match, a slinky and a sense of curiosity. Whether you’re a teacher looking to spark curiosity in your students or a parent hoping to
English
How to turn ‘reading is boring’ into literary gold
Ever seen someone parallel park like a pro? One fluid move, no hesitation. Meanwhile, the rest of us are stuck doing a 17-point turn, with a line of cars silently judging. Reading is kind of like that. Some kids glide into books effortlessly, no awkward gear shifts, no panic. Others?
I know what you'll be doing on Sunday
As if getting teenagers out of bed isn’t hard enough... Knock once—silence. Knock twice—still nothing. Crack the door open and a groggy voice, thick with betrayal, mumbles, “Five more minutes.” Except on Sunday, five minutes is actually sixty-five, because British Summer Time (BST) has swooped in overnight,
Why energy is everything (even when you have none)
In his famous Proverbs of Hell, William Blake declares: "Energy is eternal delight." Apt, I thought, as I surveyed the Monday morning carnage. The kids were practically asleep in their porridge bowls—about as lively as a phone on 1% battery. On the bus stop walk, they were