11 plus tuition type confusion- what to choose

[user1461609321]

Hi everyone

My son will be in year 4 this September and so I wish to start the 11 plus weekly tuition with him.

We normally do extra work together at home with DH taking the lead on math tuition and me focusing on English/ verbal reasoning etc

Owing to time constraints, my DH has been able to do more daily maths tuition with our son, which has now become his area on strength

At school, son in top groups across the board but does occasionally struggle to focus if not set a specific task.

I have come across 2 options for tuition,

1st option

Run in a school setting fairly close to home

Children taught according to age

Children expected to do specialists 11 plus homework 5x a week

1 class on Saturday between 1-3pm

Owner seems popular, eg lots of parents of former students calling out to her as she walked past like a mini celebrity

we attended a test day some months back, son did ok, with maths being clearly area of strength

The written feedback from test day seemed very accurate and summed up my son's ability perfectly, given pointers on how to improve although we did have to wait 2 weeks for the feedback!

Going forward cost will be £40 per week with £20 monthly top up for specialists subject support, so potentially £180 a month in tuition!

2nd option

Person teaches from her home in groups of between 4/5 students (not sure I am happy leaving my child in a strangers house -totally my issue)

Weekly classes

Person comes personally recommended from acquaintance whose child recently got into a gramma

Classes cost £24 per session (so miles cheaper)

So people, which would you choose?

Money is not necessarily an issue as I am desperate for child to do well and this is obviously cheaper than an independent school

Oh sorry op, not my area! Good luck with it. If the choice is out of the two you mentioned in your op, I’d probably go for the cheaper option. You could always change to the other one for year 5 if you’re not happy with it.

'If he needs that amount of tutoring then he is not grammar school material. I used to work in a grammar school in a pastoral role and it was very obvious in the first half term which students had been extensively tutored to get in. This all stops and suddenly they are struggling to keep up with their peers and their self esteem and confidence plummet. "

Same here, I worked for many years doing the same and couldn't agree more, I saw so many boys, so dreadfully unhappy and not coping, whereas if they had gone into comprehensive, they would have been in the top band and full of confidence.

^ This.

I've worked in CAHMS and the amount of kids who crumbled once they were at grammar school as they just couldn't keep up was really sad.

We are in the sutton area and there is a revision centre here that no doubt get results but seemed way to intensive for me. 2 hours a week if you were top group (meaning you were definitely of a level to pass) group 2 (so borderline) was 4 hours a week. Plus homework.

That is just way too much time and money. She went to a 121 tutor and in the first week I heard the tutor telling the parent the son was not grammar material and would struggle - this parent would not hear it and insisted they continued tutoring - why? That's in no ones interest.

That is a lot of tutoring!

1-3 on a Saturday is potentially really restrictive. Is that just term time?

I would go for the second option as the first seems over the top and expensive. If your DS is suited to Grammar school he won't need the very intensive expensive tuition. My DD both went to Grammar schools and we did and hour from in year 5. If you honestly think he will need to do hours each week you need to consider whether it is the right place for him - the ones that get and and don't struggle once they are they have really not needed that intensive tuition.

Forgot to say whether 1 to 1 or groups work best depends very much on your child. Mine much preferred a class as did most of their friends. 1 to 1 sounds good but I think many children really don't like it.

Would be amazing if atleast one person answers the original question asked as I would love to hear opinions on that . To Tutor or not is not the question I think.

But a child who needs that much help just to pass his 11plus, is going to crumble in a grammar school. It isn't fair on him. I think you're doing far far far too much already for a what 7/8 year old child.

^This. With bells on.

Dd has just taken her GCSE’s at grammar. She said all the way through the school you could see who had been tutored within a inch of their lives. Once they had passed the 11+ and got in they gave up - they’d done what their parents had wanted and got into the school that their parents chose. They’d had enough.
Grammar school is for children who want to learn, not children who wish to be educated. If your child does not have a natural thirst for knowledge they will be left behind.

But you don’t want to hear this do you?

Ok Harrowmum111 my answer would be one session a week on a 121 or a small class, some practice papers during the summer before he takes the test and then see how he gets on. That would be my professional and personal opinion.

I'd ask the kid concerned if he wants to do it and what one he wants to do. But then I think it's his life and these exams don't matter anyway. Or shouldn't matter.

I think the cheaper option is better plan of the two. I’m not against tutoring or at least familiarisation for 11 plus as my DS is an example of you can’t guarantee an able student can get in going in with no preparation but there is a risk of them burning out with it all. You want them peaking for GCSE and A level

If a child , any child needs so much tuition to try to get them into grammar, then they will crumble once in.

This is true and so, so unfair to the child. I'm a teacher for what it's worth. If you insist then go for the second option and save your money. It sounds more informal and hopefully less pressure for them. The stress children are put under honestly makes me despair.

The thing with tutoring round my way (kingston) is that the numerous private schools tutor so much you feel like your child wont be on a level playing field. State schools dont tutor so you start off on the back foot. And i say that as someone who wasnt tutored and went to GS

especially of your primary school is shit! Then it's more a case of making up for poor teaching

the numerous private schools tutor so much you feel like your child wont be on a level playing field.

I can accept this is true. Such is the ridiculousness of our education system. I almost want to put 'system' in quotation marks, it almost implies there is logic and thought involved

Woah. I speak as a Primary School Teacher - you're seriously considering this amount of tutoring/pressure/homework etc with your 'only just finished year 3' child?? Purely my opinion but I think that's way too much & a year ahead of time.

Sorry op - I think your making a mistake. If
your son is struggling by himself and needs that much tutoring that early in life to prepare him - he is not going to do well at a grammar - he’s going to be languishing at the bottom - my cousin went through this,
My aunt and uncle paid a fortune - he got in (took another boys place who possibly would have done miles better) and failed in the first year, failed the second year and then dropped out. The pressure (if he’s already not academic) is far too much. Please reconsider. My cousin moved so far from academia after that - totally went off it.

I think I would choose the small weekly group setting. See how that goes in year four and maybe try the other option I by ear five? Have you considered a 121 tutor to visit you at home weekly? Could be another option?

We’ve tutored for the grammar exam. Originally picked 1-2-1 in a tutors home but then switched to a company that specialise in the chosen exam, but who have private sessions in their own building. It’s an hour a week, and costs a lot less than yours, but we still feel it’s good value for money.

I’m pleased as the company know exactly which areas to concentrate on and have their own set of books/tests. However, speed is an issue and one that isn’t focused on enough in the private sessions imo. But we’ve been advised roughly where our child is competitively for the year group, based on their internal scores (the personal data of which is not shared).

Personally I wouldn’t start in year 4. Our school (state) gave an overview of where the child was at the end of year 4 which confirmed to us that tutoring would be worthwhile. Doing that much prep in year four is a lot and would raise concerns about the ability of the child to learn independently and does highlight concerns that the child may not cope in grammar if they need that much extra support tbh.

We’ve only tutored in year 5 and I cannot wait for it to be over. The education system and a years worth of tutoring should be sufficient for a competent child, anything else is overkill. It’s mainly learning exam techniques that state schools can’t teach (compared to private schools that do).

I guess you’re going to do it anyway, but I would urge caution. Also I would prefer one on one, as the child makes more personal progress that way, but I’ve not heard of group tutoring anyway.

I have not experienced 11 plus yet but I would start with the cheaper option and maybe gradually increase the tuition closer to the time. I agree that from all my friends who have experienced 11+, they said almost everyone has their children tutored. I don't quite see the point of people saying if your child needs to be tutored, they won't be able to survive in grammar school. Tutoring can be for many reasons. It can be to supplement the teaching at state school because private schools are a year ahead, it can be to support parents who work full time and always go home late and have little time to work with their kids whilst they are still wide awake. I don't see why tutoring must reflect the child's ability.