NiH Consultancy

07/06/2026

Watching your teen work hard but still struggle?
Here's the thing most parents don't realise: study skills, organisation and managing overwhelm aren't taught in school.

But they can be learned.

I'm Nicki, a study coach and former teacher at UWCSEA. I work with international school students online, and in the UK, to help them untangle the stress and find a way of working that actually suits them.

👉 Swipe through to see the shift that's possible.

Does this sound like your child?
I'd love to chat about how I can support you both.
https://nihconsultancy.com/academic-coaching

12/05/2026

Have you ever thought, "I can't draw!"?
Come and join me this weekend at Nicky's Atelier in Clevedon, so you never have to say that again!

11/05/2026

Revision doesn’t start 6 weeks before exams. It starts on Day 1.
And this is something many students and parents are never shown.
By the time exams arrive, students are often trying to relearn months of content in a short space of time.
That’s when stress builds.

The students who feel more in control aren’t necessarily working harder, they’ve just been using small, consistent strategies from the beginning:
• checking what they can remember
• identifying what they don’t yet know
• revisiting content over time
• actively thinking, rather than re-reading

Nothing complicated.
Just structured habits that build over time.

And the impact is bigger than most expect.

When students know how to study:
→ revision feels more manageable
→ confidence starts to grow
→ anxiety around exams reduces
And that shift matters, for students and for parents.

Over the next few posts, I’ll share a few of the simple strategies I’ve been using with students this year.

If your child is heading into their final year or just starting their courses and this resonates, I’ve shared more about how I support students here: https://nihconsultancy.com/academic-coaching

03/05/2026

Is your child working hard but still struggling to remember what they study?
Many GCSE, A Level and IB students feel overwhelmed, unsure where to start, and lose confidence as content builds.
I help students learn how to study effectively, using proven strategies that:
- improve memory
- reduce overwhelm
- build confidence across subjects
through structured 1:1 support and small group sessions.
If you’d like to explore how this could support your child, I would love you to get in touch.

22/11/2025

Is your teen overwhelmed and stressed?
Looking for someone who can support them?

Hi everyone, I’m Nicki Hambleton and I’ve worked as an international education for over 30 years in Asia, Europe and Africa.

I now mentor students online in:
🎨 Visual Arts support (GCSE, A-Level, IB)
🧠 Study strategies & organisation
✏️ ideation, problem solving, thinking
⏳ Managing workload and revision

If your child is feeling overloaded and lacking confidence, send me a message so we can have a chat to see how I can support them.

If you’re in the South Bristol area of the UK, I can also organise face to face sessions.

22/09/2025

When I was teaching in Staffordshire, I had a class of boys who were determined to push me to my limits.
No matter what I tried, they resisted and those lessons have stayed with me ever since.

In schools, disengagement is hard to miss.
It displays as disruption or defiance.

In the workplace, it looks different.
People sit quietly through meetings, their thoughts elsewhere and walk away clueless about what was decided.

In my latest podcast episode, I explore what leaders can learn from teachers.

Strategies that keep students engaged: a strong hook, active participation, feedback loops, scaffolding and visual thinking, also make meetings more collaborative, focused and inspiring.

🎧 If you’d like to find out a little more you can listen to the episode here: https://nihconsultancy.com/rethinkthepodcast

Because whether it’s in the classroom or the boardroom, everyone deserves to feel included, engaged and clear about their next steps.

20/09/2025

I really enjoyed following Suzanne’s 5 day back to school challenge and extracting the key points of her suggestions and strategies. I started to make a sketchnote of the 5 sessions to help me understand and remember it. I see such use in organising information in this manner not to be pretty or aesthetic but to help review and revisit just as a student would do with notes for their revision. If you want to find out more about Suzanne’s challenge visit Clarity Education Coaching and if you’d like to find out more about visual thinking and sketchnotes take a peak at my website: nihconsultancy.com

If you didn't manage to finish my recent five day back to school challenge, my dear friend Nicki Hambleton made this handy graphic of the key points from each day! You can still access the videoa and resources from the challenge by joining the group below. It's not too late!
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/16yJZjhbEi/

19/09/2025

Last week I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with Suzanne about the work she does with neurodivergent children and how thinking visually really helps. You can find out more about Suzanne and executive function on her website: https://www.clarityeducationcoaching.com/

Episode 33: Shining the light on how visuals support executive functionIn this episode of Rethink: The Podcast, Nicki Hambleton speaks with executive function coach Suzanne Kamal, who specialises in helping children and families build routines, st...

20/01/2025

Why Thinking Visually Can Change Everything, Even on a Podcast.
Have you ever wondered how visual thinking can transform the way you learn, work, or collaborate?

🎙️ Episode 1 of rethink: the podcast is live!

Whether you're a student trying to make sense of complex topics or a professional managing team projects, thinking visually can help you turn mental chaos into clarity.

In this first episode, "Why Thinking Visually Can Change Everything, Even on a Podcast", I dive into how combining text and images can spark creativity, improve memory, and make problem-solving more effective—no artistic skills required!

💡 Why listen?

Discover how visual thinking can help students chunk information for easier revision.
Learn how teams can use visuals to brainstorm, plan, and engage all voices.
Hear the story of how I fell in love with visual notes and how they’ve changed my approach to teaching and collaboration.

📚 For students: Visual strategies like sketchnotes can make learning more engaging and help with memory retention during revision.

💼 In the workplace: Visual tools can boost collaboration, spark new ideas, and ensure everyone’s input is seen and heard.

🎧 Ready to rethink how you see, communicate, and problem-solve?
👉 Listen here: https://nihconsultancy.com/rethinkthepodcast

Have a question or topic you’d like me to explore? Drop a comment or send me a message via the QR code—I’d love to hear your thoughts!

09/12/2024

How Structured Study Schedules Help Students Succeed

⏳ Does your child struggle to balance homework, extracurricular activities, revision and preparing for exams?

One of the most vital Executive Function skills for academic success is organisation, and a well-structured study schedule is at the heart of it.

When students have a clear plan, they:

✅ Reduce stress by knowing exactly what to tackle and when.
✅ Stay focused and avoid procrastination.
✅ Feel confident, knowing they’re making steady progress.

But creating a good study schedule is easier said than done.

Many students:

❌ Overestimate how much time they have.
❌ Underestimate how long tasks will take.
❌ Don’t know how to prioritise effectively.

That’s where I come in!

I work with students to:

🔹 Break down their workload into manageable chunks.
🔹 Create a realistic study schedule tailored to their commitments.
🔹 Use proven techniques like time blocking, chunking, and the Pomodoro method to maximise focus and retention.

With ongoing guidance, and the accountability of having a learning coach and champion, your child can build these habits for life, not just for exams.

👉 Ready to help your child get organised and thrive under pressure?
Send me a message and we can have a chat about how I can help support your child.