In the average school

The top 15% of students are very quick and able:
they are destined for Grade As

The bottom 15% are slow and always struggle
 

The remaining 70% can go toward either direction,
to a top grade or to just above the bottom

What will influence the direction of a student?

• Their desire and ambition to better themselves.
• Their willingness to make more effort and to spend time.
• Self belief and confidence, built on little successes.
• Attention to techniques and skills for study and revision
  to increase study efficiency and reduce time and effort.
• Their willingness to work moderately over a longish period
  of time: there is no ‘quick fix’ in study.
  Sensational effort is not needed but steady plodding
  completion of tasks well leads to success.
• Their acceptance they might make mistakes ‘along
  the way’ and their ability to learn from mistakes.
   

Progress is incremental, step by step, but students moving
in the correct direction arrive at their destination.

It’s never too late to start, but once started in the
correct direction nobody can know how far a student will go.

NB There will be an article on motivation in the Autumn 2010
issue of ehistory [ehistory No 4.], published by Sempringham
and sent free to Sempringham Study Centre Licence holders.