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Original poster

How common is it for kids to have a tutor?

53 replies

Middleageddebauchery · 23/01/2018 17:26

Title says it all really..

DD (12) is not too bad at maths but struggling a bit. Not the end of the world, but she really doesn't want to drop down a set at school so she's worried.

I suggested to DH that maybe we could get a tutor to give her a wee boost, and help with confidence. He thought that was crazy and there was no need. But I then talked to friends and it seemed like EVERYBODY had a tutor for their kids.

So is it really common? Or is it just a pushy parent thing?
Thanks!

OP posts:
user789653241 · 25/01/2018 08:17

If she isn't struggling, introducing her to good tutorial site with video explanation maybe enough.

www.khanacademy.org/math

www.mathantics.com/

Or other millions on you tube.

Chaosofcalm · 25/01/2018 08:35

I forget to mention that 75% of the year having maths tutors is in the NE of England. I would get her a tutor sooner rather than later especially if it is mostly a confidence issue.

TalkinPeace · 25/01/2018 16:42

Far too many kids have tutors nowadays.
Neither of mine ever had tutoring
but interestingly DD is doing tutoring to make extra cash at Uni.
Her views on the system are unchanged since we chose not to do it.

Kids who have been tutored get rather a shock when they get to university and have to stand on their own two feet for the first time.

Viviennemary · 25/01/2018 16:47

I think it depends on the school and the area where you live as to how many children have tutors. But if you can afford it and your DD is keen then it is absolutely the best thing to do if she doesn't want to fall behind.

Yvest · 25/01/2018 16:51

Extremely common here. Virtually all of DS friends have them and some have 2 or 3. DS has one for English to help him and he also has as-hoc maths if he’s struggling with a particular topic. DD had a maths tutor in year 6 and I’ve got a 6th former coming over in the holidays to run through a couple of maths topics with her which she doesn’t get and won’t let me show her.

In the highly selective private schools it’s not unusual to have several tutors because nothing less than a 9 is good enough and lots of people have a level tutors lined up before the course starts. So, pretty common

CookieDoughKid · 25/01/2018 17:02

Common but then Asian parents wouldn't think twice about it.

Needmoresleep · 25/01/2018 17:27

"Kids who have been tutored get rather a shock when they get to university and have to stand on their own two feet for the first time."

Really? Your daughter is wrong, and I hope she is not as patronising to her students, who are almost certainly suffering from confidence issues.

DD needed her Grade in GCSE English to secure a University place. A couple of commercial holiday revision courses helped a lot, and she in fact got a grade higher than she needed and two grades higher than she was predicted.

She has made absolutely sure she is not taking a course that involves writing essays. Having had support when she needed it has not impacted at all on her ability to cope with a University degree. Indeed, if anything, having improves writing skills and the confidence that goes with this, has helped.

AlexanderHamilton · 25/01/2018 17:31

I've never had a tutor for dd but Ds is starting with one next week. It's because despite very high cognitive scores he's in top set maths predicted a Grade 8 but bottom set English predicted a Grade 2.

Foxjar · 25/01/2018 17:32

Why on earth would they find uni a struggle after tutoring?Confused

Hoards of parents support their kids who don't then struggle,it's no different to tutoring. Not all parents have the education or time to do it themselves. At the end of the day all tutoring is is the relaying of info. It is up to the kid to listen and then do whatever work is set and graft.

Successful children are those prepared to graft. Don't get the point in not ironing out weak areas. With something like maths op I'd go for it if you've got the money.Failing that there was a thread on here with loads of maths ideas- flash cards, Corbett maths 5 a day etc. My dc do Doctor Frost alongside their homework which has proved to be fab. I think practise and putting in a bit extra helps hugely with something like maths.

elliejjtiny · 25/01/2018 17:33

I don't know anyone who has a tutor. 1 DC in secondary and 3 at primary.

ReelingLush18 · 25/01/2018 17:38

Common at DS's grammar school, too soon to tell for DC2's secondary school.

ILovePandas · 25/01/2018 18:55

When DD started secondary school she really struggled with organisation, writing everything down and it making sense. The school did pick up on this and she had extra weekly classes however by Oct half term she was still in a bit of a muddle so we found an English tutor. We decided to get the tutor to go over the basics with 10 x 1 hour sessions. What a difference it made to her confidence, it changed her mindset from thinking she couldn’t do it to having a go and her handwriting, grammar and spelling all improved. This then translated to all subjects improving as writing plays such a big part in schoolwork. It was definitely worth it and also the tutor told us what type of learner she was.

WellTidy · 25/01/2018 19:01

DS is in year 5, small private school inside the m25. All the kids in his class are being tutored. Some in group tuition, some with one to one. We live in a grammar school area, but we haven't done tutoring just with that in mind. We want to improve his confidence and consolidate what he already knows, improve his focus etc. He does 1.5 hours tutoring a week, and spends about 2.5 hours doing the homework set by the tutors.

tiggytape · 25/01/2018 19:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CheeseyToast · 25/01/2018 19:32

Whether or not it's commonplace to hire a tutor is beside the point, surely? If your daughter needs help, why would you not facilitate that?

You could use a digital program such as Math Buddy, it's very good and a fraction of the cost of tutoring. Plus you can see exactly where they're at.

TeenTimesTwo · 25/01/2018 20:29

Kids who have been tutored get rather a shock when they get to university and have to stand on their own two feet for the first time.

That may be the case for kids who have been tutored for everything.
But many children could benefit from some 1-1 time to boost them up to a pass, or over a higher grade boundary.

Especially maths & English. It is worth tutoring if necessary to get the pass that means they won't have to retake or that will open doors for them later on.

My DD1 didn't have tutors - but effectively she had tutoring for maths and science - I just did it myself.

gingergenius · 25/01/2018 20:37

Who cares? I have engaged a maths tutor for my 16y/o because he was a borderline pass at gcse and desperately doesn't want to have to re-take.

I failed my maths o level having been told from the age of 6 I was shit at maths.

If I can do enough now to help boost his confidence to get him to a pass then I'll do what needs to be done. Nothing to do with being a pushy parent. Just want the poor kid to get an exam under his belt!!

JufusMum · 25/01/2018 23:32

Just got an English Tutor as DD got all 6/7/8 in her mocks except English Language which was a 4. She needs a 6 to study Sociology and Psychology at A level so I'm making that happen. Tutor is expensive but worth her weight in gold. DD went from getting 2/8 to 6/8 in Question 2 within three weeks.

JufusMum · 25/01/2018 23:33

Oh and I forgot to say, I'm Easy Midlands, in state (well below average) godawful mess of a secondary school.

JufusMum · 25/01/2018 23:33

East Midlands!

tellybear · 25/01/2018 23:37

no idea.

DD is 8yo. She has had a 1-2-1 maths tutor for around 4 months.

I could no longer cope with the crying at match homework. DD agreed. Best thing ever. DD is nowhere near top of the class, but she no longer cries when I try and do maths homework with her, which is winning in my eyes.

Works for us.

BackforGood · 25/01/2018 23:46

You really, really, really are not going to get a representative cross section of society replying on a thread in the Private Education Area of MN Grin Grin Grin

Foxjar · 26/01/2018 08:19

I think you're more likely to see tutoring in areas where parents can't afford private education and have kids in poorer schools or kids with Sens. There is going to be less need for additional teaching if your dc go to private or better schools with less disruption, smaller classes and stronger teaching. It's all very well if your kid is in a top private or state school, or if your dc has zero weak areas or Sens to smugly say tutoring is akin to child abuse. The fact is that for some parents and children it is at best useful and in some cases crucial. Aside from that we're going to see more now as getting struggling kids through maths and Eng GCSEs which are harder is now more crucial. Op do what is best for your child.

LoniceraJaponica · 26/01/2018 09:12

DD was always OK at maths if she worked at it. She had a great maths teacher in year 10 and did well, but then had a rubbish teacher in year 11 and started falling behind. I got her a tutor who basically was there to explain the concepts to her. Her marks shot up, and she achieved high enough marks to be entered for iGCSE maths in the January (iGCSE being considered slightly harder than GCSE at that time). She passed with an A*.

She achieved this by doing one practice paper a day, bar a couple of days, over the Christmas holidays. She became so adept at it that she finished both papers early during the exam.

samanthamercer · 07/07/2020 12:02

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