The A Level Mindset

In The A Level Mindset: 40 activities for transforming student commitment, motivation and productivity , Steve Oakes and Martin Griffin share the secrets of coaching students to develop the characteristics, habits and mindsets which will help them realise their potential. During their combined 40 plus years of teaching and coaching, Steve and Martin have discovered something important: those students who make real and sustained progress at A level aren’t necessarily the ones with superb GCSEs. Some students leap from average results in Year 11 to outstanding results in Year 13, while others seem to hit a ceiling. But why? It was in trying to answer this question that the VESPA system emerged. Steve and Martin have cut through the noise surrounding character development and identified five key characteristics that all students need in order to be successful: vision, effort, systems, practice and attitude. These characteristics beat cognition hands down. Having pinned down the core traits that contribute to student success, the authors have developed a range of practical activities to help every student develop the A Level Mindset: 40 concrete, easy-to-use and applicable tools and strategies that will supercharge learners’ ambition, organisation, productivity, persistence and determination. And in this revised edition Steve and Martin present a range of case studies and useful advice on effective implementation to guide schools towards putting the VESPA model into practice. Furthermore, they have also revamped the introductions to each aspect of the VESPA model with updated insights and references. Suitable for teachers, tutors, heads of sixth form or anyone else who wants to help A level students achieve their potential.