Is it the norm to have tutors for primary school children these days?

[Sugarbeach]

I didn't think it was the norm, but it seems that it is the norm in some part of the country (or the world even). DD is progressing well and is happy at her school, she is about to start Yr 3 where the work is expected to be more formal and there will be a ramping up of the homework I imagine. I was going to just leave the school and teacher to do their job, and not intervene too much unnecessarily. I'm paranoid and thinking whether the majority of children get lots of tutoring at home, so that it seems to be a good school or whether it IS a good school.

So..
is tutoring the norm in your opinion?
Is it mainly done for struggling subjects, or to hot house, or for 11+, or to make up or the lack of teaching at school?

I'm interested to know, it's so different to my days, I feel like I've been living under a rock....

My DD attended a very sought after primary in London. I was shocked that in year 5 and 6 several of her peers were being tutored, I think this was mainly to have a shot at the selective independent schools to which about half the class eventually went. I also know kids at very selective independent primary schools who are being tutored for entrance exams.

I don't think it is due to bad teaching but as more and more kids are tutored everyone feels they have to, to be in with a chance.

BTW my elder daughter attends a super selective statge secondary and some girls in her class are tutored up to GCSE at least. I don't think it is because they are less able but because their parents are terrified they won't get enough A*s etc to go to Med School.

Quite unusual imo.

BeingFluffy that is terrible pressure on the children and the parents.

I agree!

I have also heard of children being tutored for SATS around here as they were under the impression that results were used for setting at secondary.

I thought SATS are more for the school not individuals.

Where is "around here"?

A LOT of tutoring round here to get into the local grammars, one in particular which is meant to be one of the best in the country. I heard that every child in yr 6 was being tutored last year. It's a crappy crappy system if the only children able to get into the grammars are the ones whose parents can afford tutors. I think this is seen as the alternative to private education by some, but what a shame for those children who are just being tutored enough to get in but then struggle while they would do really well and blossom at the local, perfectly well-regarded secondary school.
I have nothing against (a small number of) grammars per se, as long as the right children are getting in.

...if the poor children got heavily tutored in order to get into grammars, the parents had better be prepared to carry on with paying the tutoring fees in secondary just to keep up.

I got into a grammar school from a crappy middle school in Buckinghamshire, it was never like that in my days, zero tutoring apart from a few practice papers the school gave you....

No, of course it isn't the norm. It might be common amongst well-off, middle class parents, but they aren't the norm either.

I assume I am one of those non-normall well off middle class parents then because not just around here but all my friends with children of that sort of age, wherever they live (Glos, Wst Midlands, SW London etc) are also tutoring their children. It does seem to be becoming the norm. And yes I might live in a bubble but we're not abnormally well off - teachers, civil servants, that sort of thing.

strandednomore - Out of interest, what was the reasons that made you decide to do it?

Yes, stranded, it sounds like you and your social circle are well-off middle class types who use tutors. You are a small subset of the population, so not the norm.

Ha - no my children are only 6 and 4 so no tutoring here! Just telling you what my subset friends do!!

No. I would never get a tutor for a primary school aged child unless there was a specific weakness that the school had identified and could be helped by an hours 1-2-1 each week. Tutoring just for the sake of it seems pointless, but then I don't live in a grammar school area, and I have confidence in my DCs teachers.

No selective state schools where I live. At primary level, tutoring only really happens if parents are hoping to get into a indie secondary.

At secondary, some tutors in GCSE, A level years but that's about it,

I have a friend (our children at the same school) who has just engaged a tutor for her 5 yo ds and 7 yo dd.

The 7 yo did have a very bad teacher last year and she is worried her DD is falling behind. Her DS is very bright and she felt he was ignored in the class as he started reception already reading well.

I dont think its the norm here yet though.

Tutors are not the norm for state primary around here, but then there are no grammar schools in the county. "The norm" only means what your friends do, anyway... if you don't have any paranoid, anxious friends, then you probably don't know anyone who has tutors or has heard of people who have tutors for their 4-10 year olds...

No, not normal for these parts. No grammar schools either.

Was shocked to discover that about half of my dd's class had tutors when she was in year 3 - and this wasn't to get into a good secondary, as nearly all were going to the good faith secondary schools they had guaranteed entry to, so no need of tutoring.

But then there's tutoring and tutoring - my kids are top of the class without tutoring but then I'm a teacher and highly educated as is my dh and family, so my dcs have lots of stimulation and role models and wall-to-wall books etc - so in a way, lifelong 'tutoring'. The only formal teaching I've done with them other than games etc was for dd1's 11+ - I did this myslf rather than pay anyone else as was pretty sure I could do it better - and luckily, I was right. But I don't know if it is fair to regard that as not counting in some way because it is not paid for? - there is a bit of snobbery going on here, as not all parents ^can help their children themselves and so paying private tutors may be their only option for their dcs to get the education they themselves lack.

Don't forget that a generation ago, only a tiny proportion of the population got A Levels let alone went to university.

Lots of tutoring here in SW London.
But not just "middle class" parents...

We have a huge Korean/Sri Lankan population here , and the parents tutor rather than a tutor doing it. Always in the library doing test papers after school and at the weekend. A high percentage of them go to the super selective grammars.

shocked at some of these posts, like a poster said a generation ago A levels were the holy grail but the bar is being raised higher and higher and with it the lengths parents will go to to ensure their child's place at a selective secondary. I live in a non-grammar area, thank God and the local secondaries are all good, would it be different if i lived in an 11+ area? Dunno, would i feel the need to tutor? Who knows? AFAIK no one in dds year 6 class had tutors, not even the couple who are going to private secondaries and the school has had a great set of results this year and i therefore feel the kids true abilities have shone through (I do know of one family at a different primary who have a tutor, for the simple reason that pushy parents wanted them to be top of the class)

There are a lot of parents (including me) who "tutor" by doing it themselves. This is v common at our school.

How do people co-ordinate getting two private tutors into their homes/getting their children to see these tutors??? Surely they have to get their children to give up other activities in order to fit it all in? At least if parents do it at home, it can be done as and when, rather than instead of?... Isn't it a shame if children are doing more school work after school INSTEAD of more sport, or music practice, or cubs, or chess, or gardening, or reading for pleasure, or learning another language, or running around outside getting fresh air? Or do children these days just not get any time to themselves and they can fit it all in and get a few hours sleep before it all starts again? I sometimes wonder how I managed to fit in what I did when I was younger, since nobody was telling me I had to do any of it, or setting the timetable for me... but at least I chose what I did and when, and I chose to keep myself busy. Is it because people have got used to the idea of their children's time being highly organised from when they get up until when they go to bed, so it is no longer considered intrusive?

Nearest selective schools (state or private) are 17 miles away from where I live (rural East Anglia). And most people can't really afford it in most this country, I'm sure. It must be still a very minority thing below A-level age.

I have heard parents getting het up about KS2 SATs, telling you with firm conviction how important they are for secondary, especially setting. Then you speak to the school who tell you with equal conviction that they do their own assessments and only refer to KS2 SATs in borderline cases. I know which source ought to have it correct.