Home tutors for KS2 what to look for?

[Cornonthecob]

Hi have also posted in primary education but wanted to tap in to any "been there done that's" in secondary!!

DS is in year 4 and we are looking to hire a tutor to help give him a boost as secondary school looms! He's smart but lacks concentration at times and struggles a little at English comprehension although he is meeting his targets at (state) primary.

Looking on gumtree there are an array of tutors, is there any particular type of tutors I should be looking for? I.e an experienced state primary school teacher v's an independent school private tutor and teacher? Does it matter?

Thanks in advance any advise is appreciated, he's our eldest so this is all new to us but would like to give him the best opportunity for state secondary schools as well as boost his confidence.

[Waitingandhoping2015]

Depends what you need them for, but if you can get a recommendation then that would be a much better route than adverts.

Don't bank on state primary comprehension levels though - we found that although DS was getting almost full marks in every comprehension he did at school, the difficulty of the comprehension for the schools he was trying for was much higher with almost all questions inference, and not easy!

[TeenAndTween]

but would like to give him the best opportunity for state secondary schools

Can you clarify, are you looking at getting into selective state schools (ie Grammar school), or coping once at secondary?

Getting into Grammar via 11+ seems to be a whole industry, about which I know nothing as luckily I live in an area with good comps only.

Coping once at secondary. From what I've seen with DD1 (now y11), provided you've got your solid level 4s (old money) you are well set up to achieve in a good secondary school.

[Cornonthecob]

Hi thanks for the replies, good idea on recommendations thanks waiting No not selective schools, just want to give him a boost with his English, maths and in turn his confidence. I guess what I'm looking for solid KS2's (new money) as per TeenAndTween so he doesn't struggle.... Thanks!

[mnistooaddictive]

You generally fund tuition doesn't work in the way you want it to. You want to get him tutoring so he improves and will then continue to improve without tuition. As s teacher, I often find that when children get to the end of the content they were tutored on that they stalk again as they do not make the same progress without the individual1 to 1. So within 2 years they are back to where they would have been without tuition. The exceptions to thus are if they missed a lot if school or had a particular issue with one teacher.
If you start tutoring now, you will have to continue up to GCSE. I would wait a few years and start in tear 9 so if pushes up his GCSE grades.

[whathaveiforgottentoday]

My DD is in year 4 and I'm considering a tutor too, so can I jump on the bandwagon. I'm interested in specific help with literacy. She got behind in year 1 which i think may have been largely because she had problems forming letters so the physical act of handwriting was difficult. She also has problems with using phonics in spelling so really just want to focus on improving writing. (reading, comprehension and maths are fine/good) I'd like to get her ready for secondary too. My thinking is that if they start behind in secondary they tend to stay behind the whole way through. (always exceptions to the rule but with 20 years experience as a secondary teacher sadly this is generally the case)