State secondary - When to start tutoring?

What did you mean by 'year 24', Letsgoogogo? Wouldn't that make them 28 and old enough to get on with it?

Don't assume you'll need to. Of all my friends with kids in state schools I only know one who has got her DD a tutor.

Would be more beneficial to work with them on really effective long term learning and revision methods including the importance of starting early (ie beginning y11 not y9!)

Umm, we didn't.

Unless you count 'one session with Aunty Janet', for my slightly panicky DD who felt she didn't get maths? Aunty J does a better calm and soothing voice than I do.

I cannot possibly imagine that a child who has not studied hard and who considers GCSE not important will pass A levels very well

Most of the subjects are continuation. If a kid hardly applied herself to maths at GCSE is unlikely master it all within two A levels and pass it with flying scores

my son has Math tutoring since year 4. And no, he is not bad at it that needs tutoring. Actually, he has always been good at maths

Tutoring can help with understanding, revision, exam technique. If you know what you want it will help find the right person.

You can't tutor everything.
So first consider if it is even needed.

Going from a 3 to a 4 in maths/english is important, or maybe a 5 for specific entry requirements.

Otherwise think why you want to do it. If there isn't a specific issue to be solved is it worth it to get a subject up a grade?

Why do you assume your DC will need it?

Extra school unless they truly need it is a miserable use of childhood.

I am preparing to possibly need a maths tutor when my eldest starts year 10, but only if there is still gap between her potential grade and her performance

As PPs have said, it's worth waiting to see what subjects they're most likely to benefit from extra help in before committing. Also, just to warn you, be careful with who you choose to tutor them. It's basically a completely unregulated industry, and while there are many amazing tutors out there, there are also a lot who, while their subject knowledge might be good, don't know anything about the exam system or the phrases that you need to use to hit marks on the mark scheme which is really key at GCSE. The safest bet is someone who is a teacher but otherwise try to do your research and go with recommendations from other people. I worked for a while through a tutoring agency and felt it was criminal some of them were taking parents hard earned cash when they had no idea how to support the kids to do well

i don't think it's worth it for GCSE, the grades are often not desperately important and as pp says there are too many subjects.

i think tutoring delivers the best bang for buck if it starts a couple of months into year 12, ie towards the very beginning of A levels. maybe once the results of Christmas exams come in to give an idea of where to target in order to pass muster/to excel?

There are so many subjects at secondary school it might be worth letting them settle and see where their weaknesses are before starting tutoring. They may not even need the extra support. They will definitely need to do sciences as well as maths and English to GCSE and if you’re planning for tutors for all that’s going to be heavy going. I think my advice would be just to look at your child and tutor where necessary (or not at all if they’re already looking like they’re high performers anyway)