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Original poster

How many of you have used tutors to help get your child into a grammar school?

94 replies

Blossomhill · 02/09/2007 12:47

Just wondering really how common it is? Ds has just started his and it is not cheap! Am I wasting my money or is it worth it for a year?
Thanks

OP posts:
sillysausages · 02/09/2007 13:05

yes i did and i think i live very near you - i paid 25 pounds an hour . He is starting grammar school next week so i think it was worth it.

puffling · 02/09/2007 13:07

I'm not familiar with this scenario yet, but I think if you're clever yourself, why not just get the relevant practice tests, save yourself the money and coach him yourself.

Original poster
Blossomhill · 02/09/2007 13:35

ss ~ do you? Wonder if your ds is going to same school my ds is trying for?

puffling ~ I don't think I am clever enough tbh and I don't want to risk it

OP posts:
NotAnOtter · 02/09/2007 13:46

i havre not used tutors and my third child takes his test in 9 days
i think you can do it yourself - i am busy and th tests are pricey but it is worth it

how much is a tutor?

sillysausages · 02/09/2007 13:58

being vague ds sat for one beginning with w and one beginning with s, he passed both tests i would have failed especially the vr. he is starting at sgs. Has your ds sat the mock tests at sgs their should be some in september.

Original poster
Blossomhill · 02/09/2007 15:01

ss ~ no as he is only going into year5. I am going to try for Wa although I really like Wi but apparently very hard to get into. Well done to your ds on getting into both.
I am going through a bit of an indecisive phase about it all tbh. Not sure if grammar is right for him or night. I am sure he can do the work but have all these mixed emotions too.

OP posts:
sillysausages · 02/09/2007 15:51

In that case if you do the mock test at sgs you couyld do it in july then if you decide to go for ity yuou have more time to improve if needed before the real tests.

I know you did not ask for advice but all the schools will be having opening days from now on, if you get a chance you should visit them now then by app time in year six you will have a better idea. I wish we had visited some in year 5 as we had to do about 7 open days over a three week peiod in year 6 and it was exhausting

Original poster
Blossomhill · 02/09/2007 16:37

ss ~ yeah I am going to look at all local high schools. Am thinking if Wa isn't right for ds may go for Gr instead?
Thing is I am away when Wa has it's open evening So will have to give that one a miss. Typical!

OP posts:
samanthar · 02/09/2007 19:22

do you have an explore learning near you. its an afger school centre usually in sthing like sainsburys, run by young graduates, and each child is given a personalised literacy/numeracy/11 plus programme. expensive but you have 8 sessions a month and that wd work out cheaper than a tutor

Original poster
Blossomhill · 02/09/2007 20:28

Thanks will have a look. Sounds good!

OP posts:
miljee · 03/09/2007 14:52

Um- if your child NEEDS tutoring to get in- is your DC bright enough to BE at a grammar?

Lilymaid · 03/09/2007 14:59

It isn't a level playing field. In some areas children at prep schools are coached for the 11 plus pretty intensively. State primary schools generally don't do this. On the day, the prep school applicants are used to the types of exams set and less able privately educated children get in whilst more able state school pupils don't.

seeker · 03/09/2007 15:02

I don't think they need tutoring. I do think that they need to practice doing the papers. 11+ papers are not like anything that they do at school, and would be very difficult indeed to do "cold" But I think the tutoring thing is a sort of expensive self-perpetuating roundabout (if you see what I mean!) I think parents should be brave enough to refuse to tutor and see what happens. Most of the children who pass would have passed anyway, and the few children who really need a years tutoring to get through the test will probably find grammar school too much of a challenge anyway.

LaCod · 03/09/2007 15:04

i will

but the gorl down the roda got her parents to do it

i would but dh awya too much asn he is mathsman

LaCod · 03/09/2007 15:05

ours is grammar or secondary modern and i am not takign the ris
our state priary has a before school 11+ club too

Original poster
Blossomhill · 03/09/2007 16:00

miljee ~ you're missing the point here. My ds is more than capable but I am not taking any chances.

OP posts:
tiredemma · 03/09/2007 16:03

I will definatley be getting some help with ds. He is fairly bright but im not running the risk of him having to go to my old school which has more pupils than the population of a small town.

I dont like the idea of having to have extra tuition- but if the need is there.

We have 5 boys grammar schools in birmingham, - The local secondary schools are like war zones quite often

miljee · 03/09/2007 16:47

No, I'm not missing the point- I'm tired of watching middle class pushy parents hijacking our education system.

Original poster
Blossomhill · 03/09/2007 16:52

How dare you make that assumption. How do you know what class I am from? Do you know what I don't even care what you think.

OP posts:
tiredemma · 03/09/2007 17:38

PMSL- Me? Middle Class?

God, if only you knew.

we barely make 'working class' in this house.

MrsScavo · 03/09/2007 17:59

Blossomhill, to answer your question, I have started tutoring for DS1, and he's only just about to go into year 4.

You're right, it is not cheap!

I don't particularly want DS to go to the grammer school in our town, as most of the secondary moderns here are good schools, and I would hate him to struggle in the grammer. There is no way I would pay out a fortune for tutoring if I didn't think he had the accademic ability to survive in the grammer school. Ideally I would like all of my children to go to the local comprehnsive, and avoid taking the 11+. The comprehensive is a good, but huge school, and I don't think DS1 would survive ther socially, although my other children would be fine. If the worst comes to the worst and DS1 struggles socially in high school, he may need to go to a small private school, which of course will require an entrence exam, hence the tutoring now.

NKF · 03/09/2007 18:11

They're all tutored. The state school kids are tutored outside school and the prep school kids inside.

NKF · 03/09/2007 18:15

Loads of them are tutored once they're there too. Recently a university student asked me if she needed a tutor. I expect people will start having tutors to keep up with their jobs next.

SoupDragon · 03/09/2007 18:20

miljee, you are missing the point. It's like when you learn to drive. You don't learn to drive, you learn how to pass your driving test. The tutoring is to learn how to pass the entrance exam, not to make them appear brighter than they actually are.