Tell me about good GCSEs without use of tutors

There are plenty of private school kids who also have tutors and I think these posts may be misleading. I particularly see it in exceptionally competitive areas where there has been a complete arms race to get on and kids need extra help to keep up. It’s really sad and I find it incredulous to be paying circa £30k for private education PLUS tutors. But I think a load are and cover up some dodgy teaching.

I do think it’s also changed over past 5-10 years so talking about older experiences are out of date.

Our eldest went to a grammar school, no tutors and excellent exam results

DS, changed school at the start of year 11 (old school were vehemently against it, said it would ruin chances but bullying was so abhorrent and no school support so he decided to risk it).

Old school told new, smaller school that he was expected no higher than a 5 in anything due to SEN (he has lung disease and autism, but to old school it meant educationally not expected to do well).

Through hard work of his own, constant studying, and we used to make him take a break, he got 7s and is in everything. I was so proud. New school helped as saw him as himself not his SEN, and encouraged him hugely.

He's now doing 4 A'levels, maths, computer science, economics and sociology. No tutors here just hard work and self discipline.

What's the point in paying for private school if it's not going to provide everything your child needs?

Not all private schools are equal & sometimes there is less focus on academics. Also some dc despite being in private need additional help.

Ime lots just use tutors to push the child further even if they aren't struggling.

Mine were private. All A* with a couple of A’s.

In Y10 DD’s maths teacher went on mat leave, the supply was hopeless and disappeared after a term. DD had about half a dozen lessons with a tutor mainly for her confidence. The school put it right, the following term by putting on additional sessions after school.

Ridiculous to have to pay for tutoring on top of private school fees unless for a specific need imo. What's the point in paying for private school if it's not going to provide everything your child needs?

My dc is at comprehensive state school heading into 11 GCSEs with target grades 8 & 9. English language, fine art, and physics are weak spots (may “slip” to 7) so we might have a top up tutor but twice, when I’ve got as far as doing the research to find someone to support, dc has suddenly “cracked it” and got grades back on track.

However vast majority of the ambitious parents at the school have been tutoring, some since primary - maths and English in particular. The large Hong Kong population in my area seems very academically driven and this is rubbing off on the other kids to some extent. Even at a young age they are talking about barmy ambitious careers (being a barrister or a surgeon or a neuroscientist- although they have barely any comprehension what those careers entail!). I don’t want my dc to become one of those kids who lives their parents’ career ambitions for them. But if my dc asks for a tutor, I’ll get one.

I would under no circumstances pay for a tutor if I’m paying for private school - pick up the phone and ask the school to help your dc improve! Small classes, paid-for education - you can get the effect of tutoring for free! You’re not struggling with having a physics teacher in their dotage who tells rambling anecdotes and barely teaches anything. Or an English department with 3 teachers on long term leave, struggling to find cover.

You can demand the service you paid for - I’d do that.

I'm not too cynical about tutoring as my (state educated) daughter tops up her student loan by tutoring younger kids. She and they seem to enjoy it and I expect it's at least mildly helpful.

i'm in London and I know some who put their dc down at age 6/7 on waiting lists for 11+ prep.

not that unusual

I’d be pretty hacked off if my kid was at private school and I had to also stump up for tutors!

It's really that unusual but depends on the school.

DC were comp educated and never had need for tutors. They found GCSEs stupidly easy. We didn't know any other students who had tutors (most parents couldn't afford it).

There is a narrative on here that state pupils pay for tutors all the time. Not in my experience. I'm surprised you'd need to top up when you're already paying tbh. And actually, OP, it sounds like you are sceptical that yours need it. Perhaps the parents you're encountering are just the types to throw money at everything. And you need to ignore them and do what you feel is right.

Lots of teacher friends & family & many do tutoring on the side. Plenty for PS students too.

DC are at private school and we haven't used tutors. However DC have become aware of the number of friends at various schools, private and state, particularly in London, who use tutors discreetly: for Oxbridge preparation, for 11+ prep into selective schools, for those struggling with a subject, for those wanting to gain top grades, for those wanting better predicted grades at A level... So many reasons and so many pupils.
The general rule I have heard from London parents is that with a bit of tutoring at A level a pupil will increase one extra grade. So if a DC is predicted A or B at A level, with a bit of extra support with a tutor they will likely get A or A*. What I have gleaned is that tutoring is worthwhile for a particular target - the tutors focus solely on exam technique - knowing the exact words/phrases/techniques that an exam board or Uni test will expect.
Schools will teach a class the syllabus and overall techniques but in a large class it is easy for a pupil to miss some of the nuanced techniques expected. If a child has missed lessons due to illness then it is easy to need support.
I suppose parents should be realistic - as long as you realise that there is a lot of tutoring going on and results will reflect tutoring.
Whether it is wrong/right/fair/unfair is not relevant - Look at what is going on in practice.

My DD was in a school where most had tutoring. Her response was to tutor herself - she actually said that to me one day when I suggested she might want to take a break. She got all 9s. She was and is a very hard worker.

I don't think you will find that others being tutored will be a disadvantage to yours. That only happens if there is a serious issue with teaching (ie no teachers for a subject) and half the class are doing the work with tutors while the other half are waiting for someone to teach them the course.

In the main, those I know with tutors were for specific things and with SEN in the mix (bar the ones with tutors in everything the whole time and then there was quite a strong cultural element).

School are very aware of DD's tutor and it's very much a partnership with the teacher (who is also excellent) to try and work out why she gets top grades in class and completely falls apart in exam conditions and fix it. The tutor is very experienced with her specific SEN issues and we have already seen a 2 grade increase in a month.

If your child is scoring in line with their ability and expectations then I would relax.

Gawd, DD got all 7-9 and we didn't tutor. Her non-selective state school offered a lot of interventions for the whole year group though so we didn't need to.
I would have got her one if she was at risk of failing maths and English but other than that it was left to her.

My DC were at private.

I got an English tutor for one of them but he has significant additional needs and was at risk of failing. His other GCSEs were grade 9. He didn't do a language.

He's now a music graduate and a drummer and applying for masters.

Both my kids got all 7s, 8s and 9s with no tutors at a normal state comp. What I did to support was help them to make a proper revision timetable with all the subjects broken down into topics and time factored into the week for activities. We also bought revision books (CGP) and I spent a lot of time quizzing them with flash cards. As a PP said, I'd be pretty annoyed if I was paying for a private school and had to pay for tutors on top of that!

My DC were/are at Private and no way would I get tutors for them. The school actually discourages it and asks that we speak to them instead if we feel its necessary

Blimey-private school AND tutors? This is GCSE we're talking about!

I’d be pretty hacked off if my kid was at private school and I had to also stump up for tutors!