Private tutoring puts children at risk, says independent schools head

[muminlondon]

www.standard.co.uk/news/education/private-tutoring-puts-children-at-risk-8874013.html

Interesting topic. Apparently there are twice as many tutors as school teachers in England. I haven't found any statistics that reveal the most popular age at which children are tutored, but it must peak at 9-10 before entrance tests?

Grammars are negligible portion of total secondary schools. So 11+ tutoring can't peak at 9-10 age group.

I think most likely that tutoring might be more at GCSE level or A level for those who wants to improve grades for university admission.

Grammars are negligible portion of total secondary schools. So tutoring can't peak at 9-10 age group.

I think most likely that tutoring might be more at GCSE level or A level for those who wants to improve grades for university admission.

Private tutoring is rife around here. I dont know anyone who took the 11+ who didnt use it.

However what is PT - is it extensive a couple of times a week to pass say the 11+ or does it also cover someone who struggles with Maths and needs some 1-1 attention. I think there is a place for it tbh (and I have never used it!) Paying too much on school fees. When I think a DS is slipping behind I ask the school to assist. And they do. There is Maths Club for the boarders at DS's school and you drop in and get taught by the Head of Maths (who people fight to have allocated to their son's class)

Lots of people on Mumsnet saying that kids shouldnt go private but use state and tutors so there is clearly a place for them.

I've found the Sutton Trust press release that says 40% of 11-16 year ods in London and 24% in the country have had a private tutor at some point (not that 40% are being tutored at this very moment).

Would it include music tuition? Many parents pay for piano, guitar, violin lessons, etc., after a taster term at school because there is no other provision. (Does anyone remember the days when the whole class learned the recorder in class?)

My friend is a tutor. She does all age groups, her work will be picking up soon after the first round of Parents' Evenings. DS1 had a tutor in Year 2.

I also think some kids parents never reveal they are paying a tutor until the child blabbs to someone....

That's true hand we swore DS1 to secrecy.

They're boasting about tutors by Y5 though, if it's preparation for 11plus.

There are some on MN's who claim their children NEVER had a tutor and just turned up to 11+ after just a few test papers and passed with flying colours - the little fibbers!!

I suddenly realised I can't be smug anymore.
DD1's singing teacher is a retired head of music and is kindly adding GCSE stuff onto normal grade work, because he realised that was what was most use this year.

Also what = a tutor

Does money have to change hands?

DCs with parents who teach at the gramma school and know the entrance requirements inside out aren't tutors as such, but they still get their DCs to practice the right skills.

DH and I both talk science dawn to dusk DD1 gets rather nice science marks.

DD2 had a tutor For a while in year 4 and 5. She would help with her spelling homework, and maths. She also covered things not on the curriculum that she thoughht DD might enjoy. She really helped her confidence, and DD decided for herself that she no longer needed help.

She does go to a selective independent school, but that wasn't the reason we had a tutor for her.

DD1, who is at a superselective grammar had no tutoring, at all. She did do quite a lot of practice tests, and worked rough some "how to" books for VR and NVR, though.

DD just read this over my shoulder an says her DF thinks Scientific parents do count as tutors.

I thought that the arguments put forward in the article linked in the OP were very weak.

We have used tutors for our DC at various points - in particular, when in one subject the standard of the national curriculum was way below our family expectations and all three DC had tutors supplied by the same agency. We have also used a tutor for a DC who was taking high stakes exams and need reassurance. That tutor was supplied by his school at our request and did a very good job.

Parents are surely the best judges of their DCs' needs?

If parents count as tutors - yes, then we have used hours and hours of them!!!

I never had a tutor at secondary school (it was unheard of at primary in my comprehensive schools area) but a couple of my friends did for language O-level. They passed but one went on to fail at A-level. It obviously wasn't enough.

State MFL provision is very patchy.

DD2 did French club at primary (sort of tutoring, I suppose) and would like to continue to GCSE. Given our comps turn over of French teachers I'd certainly look for a tutor if necessary

I have a tutor for my dd for French.
I am really worried about the way in which languages are taught at school so enlisted the help of a tutor.
I am eternally grateful to my mother for getting me a maths tutor when I was young as I struggled with maths.
If you get a good tutor it can be very beneficial.

my dd has had a tutor since year 1 primary, she struggled with maths & reading, it has helped her with her work and confidence. Not everyone does it to get in to school

Quite true nancy. We got one for Ds1 in Year 2 because the teacher told us we had to 'do something'. I believe this to be because she was charging ahead with the favourites top table in Maths and she didn't want to help. She said she didn't have time and yet she had a class of 14.

He's in Year 10 and top sets now.

Us too, nancy. dd1 had a tutor for one term in Y4 as she was bursting into tears over maths homework (though doing fine in school terms - it was a confidence issue rather than ability). She ended the year with the maths prize, which also boosted her confidence and maths is now her favourite subject

Tutoring for school entrance is something I really, really don't want to have to do. But as our state primary doesn't address those needs, a little bit looks necessary if we end up using the indie options

Elibean, we have a similar situation in y4 with our dd. how did you find your tutor?

Actually on the face of it If you tutor to fill gaps knowledge its not a bad thing. I had my daughter tutored for Chinese language. I just dont have the skill set to teach her. We tutored once a week so she could understand the basics.

What I hope will not happen is what is happening in HK.Whereby the teachers say they don't want the kids tutored as they will be bored at school. Yet all the kids are expected to be tutored within an inch of their lives.

I have colleagues whos children are tutored from after school to well past 10 pm....This is the norm in HK.

Thank goodness for UK indie boarding schools...

O btw I didnt tutor for the entrance exams. We went through a few questions at the weekend. So I suppose we did. It was fun as some of them took us longer than expected to understand.

Maybe I'm being cynical, but the article in the OP seems like a PR release for the recently launched Tutors' Association. The people behind it run the big tutorial agencies, who take a big cut from tutors' fees and are miffed that many tutors work entirely independently.

I work as a private tutor and currently tutor for 11 hours a week and have never used any of these agencies, although my details are posted on the "contact" websites First Tutors and Tutorhunt, which don't take a cut from the tutors. It's quite interesting that Neil Roskilly (the CE of the ISA) should be quoted in the article - he had a letter published in the Telegraph a couple of days ago www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/letters/10367680/Dumbed-down-exams-are-to-blame-for-low-literacy-and-numeracy-levels.html

It appears that the people behind the Tutors' Association would like private tutors to operate as mini private schools, which would massively increase the cost of tutoring, because tutors would have to pay a registration fee.

People need to use their common sense when hiring private tutors. My leads now come mainly from personal recommendations and I give parents a folder with my qualifications, a CV, a copy of my DBS certificate and references. However, somebody just looking for somebody to give a primary school child a bit of guidance with homework (for example) might really be looking for a bit extra with after-school babysitting.