First Class Learning Centre will open a new premises in Shacklewell Lane in Hackney from March, offering tailored maths and English sessions for children in reception through to GCSE.

After a hugely successful career in finance and raising two sons, Raxa Mehta is launching a First Class Learning Centre in Hackney.

Raxa wants to help children reach their potential, just like her own sons have. They are now forging their own career paths, both working in the fight against infectious diseases, one as a doctor and the other as a health professional.

“I was able to give my sons my best,” she says. “Their competence in maths and English gave them confidence in other subjects, which helped them win scholarships and places at the country’s finest universities and I now want to help other children fulfil their dreams.”

Raxa says launching the learning centre provides the perfect platform for her to give something back to the community and believes all children can “gain confidence and do well in maths when given the right approach and encouragement”.

“Children’s understanding of maths is like popcorn,” Raxa goes on to say. “Some get it early and ‘pop’ straight away, while other children are more like the kernels that take a little more time to cook; but when given enough time they too will pop.

“The same is true for English,” she adds.

Raxa will launch Hackney’s First Class Learning Centre on March 1, running Saturday maths and English sessions from 10am to noon using programmes that align to the national curriculum.

These 30-minute weekly sessions are followed up at home with daily paper-based worksheets, which usually take around five to 10 minutes to complete.

“Within a couple of weeks, children will become familiar with completing their worksheets and start to develop their own routine with the programme, which builds their confidence and enables them to take steady and significant steps in their ongoing skills development,” says Raxa.

Initially, tutorials will be delivered online and Raxa will offer a Covid-19 safe, contact-free worksheet delivery service, where she will personally pick up and drop off the worksheets.

Once lockdown lifts, the tuition centre will be based at The Petchey Academy on Shacklewell Lane, which boasts contemporary facilities.

First Class Learning has an individualised approach to learning, which factors in the different learning styles and learning paces children have.

Each child has his or her own individually tailored programme, which is set by an initial assessment, and their progress is monitored on an ongoing basis.

Numeracy and literacy skills are developed through step-by-step learning at a pace suited for each child.

This makes the First Class Learning programme suitable for all abilities and programmes are offered from reception class to GCSE level.

By employing this personalised approach, First Class Learning has already seen some incredible results in more than 300 centres throughout the UK.

“The launch of this programme could not be more timely,” explains Raxa.

“Given all the lockdowns we’ve had, children will have lost a year of education, unless all of us - teachers, students and parents - put in extra effort to catch-up.

"At the First Class Learning Centre, we aim to take some of that pressure off teachers and parents and help children regain their confidence in learning again.”

While Raxa agrees that children and families have probably had enough of online learning, she says the paper-based worksheets offer a break from screen time.

“As well as practicing their handwriting, children also do not compete for limited wi-fi bandwidths and devices, apart from that initial period when weekly online support will be provided,” she says, adding: “I am keeping a positive outlook, and so looking ahead, I do not expect online learning to last more than a few weeks.”

From March 1, 30-minute maths and English sessions will run on Saturdays between 10am and midday.

Initially, sessions will run online. When lockdown guidelines permit, tutorials will then be held at The Petchey Academy, Shacklewell Lane, E8 2EY.

To arrange a free skills assessment call Raxa on 07768 863239 or email hackney@firstclasslearning.co.uk

firstclasslearning.co.uk