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Secondary education

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Original poster

When's the best time to get a private tutor for GCSE

64 replies

pooky213 · 28/09/2013 13:40

My dd is in y10 and will only sit GCSE's in Y11. We are considering getting a private tutor for French or Maths but we are wondering is it worthwhile to get one now at start of Y10 or get one at start of Y11 when things start to ramp up? DD's French knowledge reasonable but Maths is weak.

Looking forward to hearing replies. Thanks.

OP posts:
MagratGarlik · 30/09/2013 10:04

I was a reasonably senior academic at a RG university for close to a decade and now run a tutoring business in maths and science. I would absolutely agree with those posters who say tutoring is not about giving children an "unfair advantage". People use tutoring for many reasons. Sometimes the school they attend is just awful, sometimes children have fallen behind due to moving school/illness or any number of other reasons, sometimes a child has a real aptitude for the subject which parents would like to nurture by having someone explore the subject with them beyond the school syllabus. Several of my students are the children of my former university colleagues, who would be perfectly capable of 'tutoring' their children themselves but the children respond differently to someone else coming in than listening to mum or dad (especially true of year 10/11 as typical teens).

I also tutor a number of undergraduates and postgraduates who are extremely bright and capable in their subject, but maybe didn't 'get' some key concepts from their lectures and their lecturers don't have time to go over it with them again and again, especially when many lectures have 200+ students.

These students are not being tutored 'beyond their natural ability', they are being supported to reach their natural ability.

However, in answer to the OP's question, I would usually recommend short sessions over a longer time frame with a tutor than intensive tutoring before an exam. An hour a week at year 10 is not so much that the student will feel bored by the subject, but can be enough to make a big difference and allows the tutor to support the work done at school. This is much more effective than 5+ hours a week a month before the exams.

NoComet · 01/10/2013 00:29

The style of modern GCSEs means all teachers, not just tutors "teach to the test" as do BBC bite sizes and all revision books.

DD1 got 99 and 96 % on two of her core science papers. She's good (and should be doing triple), but no better than I was at her age. One our much less predictable 3hr I level papers 80/75/90% were the top mock marks and people who got less than that got As.

Kenlee · 01/10/2013 01:21

MG????

I think most people will agree to tutor for understanding bringing in expert knowledge is a good thing. When one does not have the know how themselves.

I think what we have to be wary of is an attitude of over tutoring. That cramming for the sake of rote learning the pass papers. I agree a tutor should be used to encourage children to appreciate and understand the subject rather than to pass exams. Anyway if the child likes the subject they tend to do well in it.

Thank goodness there are tutors who actually care.

I also think tutoring for 11+ maybe a must nowadays... but tutoring two years in advance?....

ontheallotment · 01/10/2013 22:02

dd had a tutor for MFL from part way into year 11. She got a better than expected GCSE grade which was lovely as it had always been the subject she struggled with most and it would have been very easy to wash it out as an unimportant subject and settle for a low grade. BUT, what pleases me most now is that she is voluntarily taking more lessons in the language in her free time - the tutoring helped with her confidence enough to brush away the demons and to inspire her to continue learning the language which is a far better result than the improved GCSE grade imo.

NoComet · 02/10/2013 17:59

ontheallotment That's lovely.
Confidence above all is what tutoring should give. DD2's very quiet friend had a tutor in Y6 and DD says it really helped her, not simply to do well in her SATs and get into set one, but to stop thinking I can't do this.

DD2 and I had the same conversation several times due to their cohort having three really good mathematicians, who put the others off. (DD was probably 4th, but really needed to believe she could keep up).

I never resent paying for singing because DD loves singing and sings in choirs and concerts and an all sorts of things. Yes the grades and the GCSE look good on your UCCA form, but the friends to be made at your local choir in a strange city may mean more one day.

RiversideMum · 03/10/2013 06:59

Gosh, I find it stunning (naive I may be) that undergraduates are having tutoring. When does the tutoring stop? Do some people have tutors to help with professional exams? Or to do their jobs properly?

MagratGarlik · 03/10/2013 08:37

RiversideMum, not intensive "I'm going to show you how to pass an exam" type tutoring (which I generally don't advocate), but support with understanding some concepts which might have been covered in lectures and students still struggle to understand. Yes in theory these students could go and ask their lecturers, but in practice if a lecturer has 200+ students in each lecture, they don't have time to see each and every one individually.

Many people starting new jobs have mentors who are not line-management and I don't necessarily think it is that different.

crazymum53 · 03/10/2013 09:48

It really depends on how "weak" her Maths is OP. Many schools make the decision about whether to enter pupils for Higher level (grades A* to C) or Foundation level Maths (grades C to G) at GCSE based on their results at the end of Y10. So if you don't want to make sure she is entered for the Higher level some tutoring in Y10 may help her reach the required level.

Tuitionservices · 03/04/2014 17:31

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Solly2408 · 19/02/2015 17:09

Could anyone recommend a good English or maths GCSE tutor in North London and specifically in Barnet. I could find someone on line but I prefer recommendations.

Thanks
Solly

jeanne16 · 19/02/2015 21:40

Talkinpeace. Since the better unis look at GCSE grades as well as A levels, you will find that a bunch of GCSE C grades will prevent any DCs from getting good Uni offers and subsequently any graduate jobs. I know of students graduating from Durham and Bristol who are struggling to get jobs so all of this DOES matter.

MEgirl · 19/02/2015 23:20

Talkin l think one should also consider those DCs who are taught well and those who are not. Tutors can fill in the gaps from poor teaching. Being tutored does not necessarily mean being taught beyond your natural level and also some parents do not have the knowledge to help their DCs.<

This is precisely why we tutor. My kids have had a series of not very good English teachers and this mixed with some emotional problems over the last couple of years meant there was a significant possibility of not even getting a C grade. Our tutor has filled the gaps left by poor teaching, helped with their confidence and more importantly, helped them prepare adequately for controlled assessments. Luckily for us she is also has a background as a Senco and counselor. My kids don't want to take English after GCSEs but without that all important C grade there wouldn't even by the possibility of 6th form. We are looking at science subjects for A levels so for us tutoring has done what the school should have done but hasn't.

TalkinPeace · 20/02/2015 15:14

Since the better unis look at GCSE grades as well as A levels, you will find that a bunch of GCSE C grades will prevent any DCs from getting good Uni offers and subsequently any graduate jobs. I know of students graduating from Durham and Bristol who are struggling to get jobs so all of this DOES matter.

Fine.
If they are C grade candidates, they should get C grade jobs.
Sorry, no sympathy at all for kids wanting more than their due.

jeanne16 · 20/02/2015 17:58

Wow. I do feel sorry for your kids.

TalkinPeace · 20/02/2015 18:32

Why?

DD has her 13 A and A* GCSEs under her belt and is working towards similar AS / A2 grades
She achieved that with absolutely no tutoring of any kind.
I expect DS to be similar.

jeanne16 · 20/02/2015 18:54

Aah so it's other people's children who should be doing the C grade jobs!

funnyossity · 20/02/2015 19:14

The more practice you have at maths the better: tutoring , going online with Khan Academy, the help of a confident parent, whatever it takes get teh practice in.

TalkinPeace · 20/02/2015 19:18

jeanne
Yes, if that is their true level.
Why is that a problem?
Somebody has to do them.
I make my living out of E grade people so have no issue with it.

ChillySundays · 20/02/2015 21:43

My DD's maths teacher was shit which is why we got a tutor. She would have ended up failing but got a B.

I had my head in the sand a bit during Y10 so she ended up doing 2 hours week during Y11. Start now. Maths is so important.

notquiteruralbliss · 24/02/2015 21:26

We generally organise tutors if / when DCs ask us to. Seems to work fine and DC 3 ( who had gaps in her knowledge of one subject due to moving school) is now heading for an A or A*.

Jaimme · 08/02/2016 12:24

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michealangelo · 13/07/2017 15:03

If you are going for a private tutor then I will suggest you to look for an online tutor over the internet. There are really some good websites and I have used 2 of them to help my daughter and had good experience. One was Solutioninn and the other was Chegg. The others may be even better but I have not used them yet.

localteachers · 10/11/2017 16:37

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cingolimama · 12/11/2017 18:06

Talking, what is all this stuff about "their natural level"? This sounds eerily like people should "know their place".

Appalling attitude.

JustHope · 13/11/2017 14:47

Fine.
If they are C grade candidates, they should get C grade jobs.
Sorry, no sympathy at all for kids wanting more than their due.

Really Shock

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