Sarah Nutchey, Instructor at the Kumon Bradley Stoke Study Centre, has been helping children develop independent study skills through Kumon for more than 20 years. As a former maths teacher, she became a Kumon Instructor in 1998 with around 12 students and has since nurtured more than 1,500 students through the programmes. One of her students, James Smith, has recently been presented with his ‘Completion Award’, which is a superb accomplishment.
James is a jiu-jitsu and judo champion, plays in an orchestra, brass group and jazz band, and sings in a Chamber Choir. He also does climbing. He is currently in Year 12 studying biology, chemistry, maths and music A-levels. James started Kumon Maths in June 2011, when he was 6 years old, and began the Kumon English programme a few months later. He rapidly progressed to a level of study that was in advance of his age in both subjects.
He completed the English programme when he was in Year 7. Reflecting on his journey through the English programme, he said that it had improved his reading comprehension considerably. He added: “My favourite parts of the English programme were the later sections, which involved word derivatives and gave me exposure to a wide variety of books which I might otherwise not have read.” He gained A* for English at GCSE level.
His journey through the Kumon Maths Programme meant that he was always in the top set for maths at school. He was able to take his IGCSE a year early and then a further maths GCSE in Year 11, achieving an A*. James finished the Maths programme in the summer of 2021, completing most of his study at home and then visiting the study centre to take his final achievement test.
It took discipline and commitment to fit his Kumon in between all his schoolwork and after-school clubs, but his hard work paid off. His parents are enormously proud of him. When he has completed his A levels, James is hoping to go to Cambridge to study medicine.
James was presented with his Completion Award by Daniel Smith, Kumon area manager.
At the same event, Daniel also presented Sarah Nutchey with two awards; the first for ‘Nurturing Completers’, recognising Sarah’s dedication and commitment in supporting many students at her centre who have completed the programmes. The second award was for achieving ‘Elite’ status yet again, meaning that the Bradley Stoke Study Centre is one of the top 30 Maths and English Kumon centres in Europe and Africa!
