Mumsnet Talk

"Do you really want your kid to answer - because you have cool outdoor toys. Its like a job interview. Are you really going to wait to be asked why you want that job BEFORE you start to think of an answer?"

I'm not about this. I would think that that would be an entirely appropriate answer from a 6/7yo! A skilled teacher could use an answer like that as a starting point for talking about interest in sport or what sort of games they enjoy. But I can see the point of making sure that your child is used to speaking to unfamiliar adults, and doesn't mutter or get distracted and start wondering round the room fiddling with things (as my 7yo would probably do).

If your child is going to be doing an exam, it would seem to make sense to have a bit of practice on exam technique (i.e. showing your working, and not just staring into space for the rest of the test if you get stuck on a question). It would also be a good idea to look at the ks1 syllabus and working on any areas of weakness at home for 10 minutes a day or so. Thankfully the schools round here (not London) are much more informal in assessments at this age, and tend just to invite children for a chat with the head, and a taster day.

I can recommend an excellent 11 Plus/ Common Entrance tutor.

His e mail address is scholarlyachievement @gmail.com

Hes an excellent teacher and motivates/ ensures his pupils reach their full academic ability.

Should you contact him mention my name. Hes tutored all 3 of my sons.

Sarah

Not at all impressed by a tutor touting for business who uses an apostrophe in a plural!

Hi mum's

I have been a tutor for the past 5 years specialising in teaching Maths and some English Language.

Ive recently started setting up a tutoring agency so have a group of tutors in my books. Lessons are per hour and at a very affordable and reasonable rate. All tutors have had experience and have degrees in their subjects.

If you are interested please reply to this message.

Kindest Regards

Lisa

Can anyone please recommend any maths tutors in the south London area?

hi all,

I am looking for a tutor for 8 plus as I have to move my son out of his current school (he is being bullied which is not being addressed by the school and is bored in class as the teacher has to focus on the other children who are struggling with aspects of classwork). We live in Twickenham/St Margarets/Richmond area.

Can you recommend a good 7+ tutor in Loughton, Buckursthill, Waltham Abbey area.

Can anyone please recommend a good 7+ tutor in the watford area.

I can recommend in East London.

I disagree with so many of the comments on this thread. sigh I don't think it's sad for a 7 year old to have tutoring at all! I think it's a luxury to have a one-on-one lesson with an attentive teacher and when I hired a tutor to help my youngest he even looked forward to his lessons! I had tutors for all my children and I didn't part with any tutoring fees lightly but I actually think the money I spent on tuition when they were younger was a better investment, it really helped their confidence and got them sitting on the top table or in division one early on, so they got used to being at the top of the class. I wish my parents had found ME a tutor when I was younger... think where I'd be today.... but I digress. I can recommend Hippocrene Tutors if you're looking for someone in North London (all their tutors are very experienced and the agency focuses on School Entrance) and they're probably willing to travel. In the centre perhaps Bright Young Things (although I've heard mixed reviews and personally haven't tried them). These are agencies though so there's an agency fee on top of it, which means it can get quite pricey.

Seriously wondering how useful some of the posts on this thread are in helping answer the original question?!

It asks for a recommendation.

I'm a tutor but sorry can't help all my classes are full plus I'm in north London.

Good luck with your search.

Turniphead - which school is the HM from? Is it one of the girls super-selective private schools? Feel free to message me of you don't want to put it here. Thanks!

Lynne, the tutor didn't win the places, the DCs actually did that.

When it comes down to it, it is what is inside the heads of the DCs who actually take the exams and the hard work THEY put in that gets them the places.

Tutors would have you think otherwise, but of course they have no reason to mislead you at all, have they?

I know they do Turnip (crikey, I've seen plenty of hysterical parents around here, I know they aren't confined to N London! )but from what I see it is of absolutely no use in securing school places at 7, and in several cases has definitely done the child harm.

Plenty of tutored children not getting places and plenty of untutored getting into the schools the tutored nervous wrecks failed to get in.

I know these parents love their kids and only want the best for them. Many of them are good friends. The sad thing is that the formal tutoring and pressure at 7 does not help their kids sail into the "top" schools. It just stresses the kids out and makes them worry about the whole process so they cannot relax and be themselves. Not what they want for their DCs at all, I am sure.

By the way, I see no harm in chatting through the process with DCs so they know what to expect, just keep it low key. I told my DCs the day was for them to see if they liked the school and to try out some of the work they do. Worked fine for them, they just relaxed and got on with it.

Carrots - (nice veg thing we have here ) - you are living in cloud cuckoo land if you think that parents in SW London/Surrey tutor any less at 6/7 than parents in North London.

The school I am referring to is not a Prep school however - it's a "through" school and that in many ways is why people are so competitive, in that getting in means no stress at 11 or 13. However, the tutor my DS goes to has many many children from pre-preps or preps that themselves run through til 13. So these parents are paying twice. We aren't that daft.

Yes - of course the HMs to whom you speak with say that. But the reality will be something different.

For me, tutoring at 3 is bonkers (but people do it, sadly). Tutoring at 7 is just getting good practice at doing the type of papers they will have to do at the exam. I'd do it myself, but my kids rail at stuff like that from me, but happily do it for a nice lady who gives them a lollipop at the end of the hour.

The quote came from gym not the OP

But see, the OP didn't say 'super competitive' she said 'most Private schools'...

"because you have cool outdoor toys is EXACTLY the kind of answer i would want from a 7 year old yes-because they are 7"

Well, if it was you sitting on the admissions panel of the OP's super competitive school then her kid will have no problems getting an offer.

"Its like a job interview. "

they are 7

because you have cool outdoor toys is EXACTLY the kind of answer i would want from a 7 year old yes-because they are 7

"this is so sad ... 7 year olds having to prepped for tests for super competitive schools"

I see nothing wrong in prepping a kid by asking the kid questions like - what would you say if the HM ask why you want to come to this school?

Do you really want your kid to answer - because you have cool outdoor toys Its like a job interview. Are you really going to wait to be asked why you want that job BEFORE you start to think of an answer?

Gymboy - the sad thing is that it is not necessary and most of the prep schools don't like it.

Both my DCs got into well regarded preps at 7 without amy suggestion of the need for formal tutoring. It was the same story for most of their classmates.

this is so sad

7 year olds having to prepped for tests for super competitive schools

sad sad sad

Turniphead - lots of heads of top preps disagree with that HM - I have spoken to them, this is how I know.

Personally I would avoid that school. Maybe they are all like that in North London, I would move in that case.

I am in SW London/Surrey area. All the prep heads I have spoken to in this area have a completely different attitude, which I am thankful for.