Would you get a tutor?

[Looneytune253]

My daughter has always been exceptionally bright. She is predicted fantastic grades but she really struggles with math. It's always been the one thing that is not quite as high as the rest. Even from a young age she couldn't grasp the times tables (not sure they're even fully grasped now at age 12). Her high school have now placed them in sets (only for maths) and she was placed in set 2. Now she is talking about how she would really like to go to Cambridge. As a low income, working class family I understand this will be hard for her to achieve but I obviously want to give her the best chance, if there's any chance at all. Would you hire a tutor even when she's supposedly predicted a grade 8 and is working above. I don't know whether it's worth it. You can't really speak to their maths teachers to find out the progress but set 2 would suggest there's a lot of room for improvement. Any advice, or tips to make her more confident in maths. Thank you.

We've just arranged a maths tutor for DD, just starting year10. She's not awful st maths but needs a boost. She wants to do Sciences so Maths is important.

As a PP said, look at the Sutton Trust etc. Lots of summer schools etc if you fit the criteria.

No I definitely would not get a tutor. She evidently doesn't need a tutor and I would assume tutoring can be an extremely bad idea, though I'm constantly amazed at how many MN parents seem to employ tutors. A big no from me anyhow, in response to the original post.

Sounds like she may well have discalculia if she's struggling that much. Khan Academy on youtube is brilliant (and there's other stuff out there) - all of mine used it and I have one who turned down Cambridge for maths. But if with the classic sort of tests (eg you look at bunches of dots and get asked to estimate how many - discalcs can look at 15 and say 3, whereas most people have a pretty close guess) she is struggling, then need to start thinking round it if you think med schools may be narrow minded at 18 eg think about biomed and then medicine postgrad. If it's not discalculia, you may find khanacademy etc just explain it a way that "clicks" - often children just need something that explains it the right way for them. And with youtube they can go over stuff without an adult looking over their shoulder and making them feel watched

I would assume tutoring can be an extremely bad idea Why?

I don't understand - she's 12 / Y8 but you are discussing Cambridge and GCSE predictions? I'd say too early for all this. Get help with maths if she needs it to keep up but focusing on and discussing universities and degrees is premature. She should be keeping an open mind at this stage about what she enjoys and enjoying plenty of outside interests too.

LesPins and she's apparently working above a grade 8 at the start of Y8.... And yet there's talk of a tutor .

Orangeplastic any child working above a grade 8 a few days into the start of Y8 is not in need of a tutor. That shouldn't need explaining, because any idea to the contrary is just plain dotty. More generally, I'd have thought that a) some tutors will be of very dubious quality and not be properly up to speed with the new/ particular exam board specifications b) might teach in a very different way or order to the teacher at school, leading to confusion c) the fact of having a tutor might well undermine confidence in the teacher at school d) it might undermine a child's confidence in itself, if peers don't also have tutors and d) a weekly after school commitment is an absolute fag on top of a full school day and homework and should be reserved for completely different, enjoyable, other activities. Those are just a few reasons off the top of my head but instinctively I just wouldn't ever want a tutor for my own DC. I suppose there might conceivably be a case if a teacher at school is utterly, utterly incompetent but it would need to be pretty extreme.

She's predicted an 8 not an 8 now I think.

If she is working at a high level but her maths is a relative weakness, then yes exploring this further could be appropriate. I would however caution you against "getting a tutor" without thinking carefully about what the purpose is, and probably discussing with her teacher at school what might be useful.

I agree that she could be compensating in all sorts of ways if her basics are weak for whatever reason. A tutor could be an excellent idea - but you need to find someone who will be able to assess from the basics where she is at and hone in on any particular skills or concepts that she may not have mastered. For example, an older student tutoring maths may well just go through what she is currently learning systematically and not have the experience to go back and find the weak points. If you find someone and/or can get her assessed in more detail first, a "boost" in the near future could really help shore up the foundations.

If she wants to do medicine, her maths has to not only be outstanding, but be something she enjoys and is passionate about as it's essential for the BMAT and the medicine courses.

I think she just hasn't come close to her potential yet in maths and quite possibly the right tutor will do it for her.

But alternatively, maybe she'll start loving other subjects more?

Getting to Oxbridge shouldn't be the end goal (and with a 1 in 10 chance of ANY medical place, it's all competitive for anywhere!) but exceeding her expectations and smashing through her potential is such a wonderful goal to have and you should an amazingly supportive parent. I wish my parents had believed in me like that!

I'd sit tight on the tutor idea for now and instead encourage much more independent study outside of school and homework. There is tons and tons of stuff online. If she wants to get maths a bit more for its own sake rather than for anything else, there are things to read and do that will help.

PS my DH is a scientist and went to Cambridge from a WC background. Once she has the standard 12 time tables, his best advice is to learn more before University level. He used the 17 times table a lot apparently 😳

WineBeforeCake that's just not true about maths and Oxbridge medicine. You have to be competent but certainly not outstanding and very certainly not passionate! DS1 is a sixth year medic at Oxford, has done extremely well on the course so far and didn't even take maths at A level.

Just correcting that statement before it becomes accepted as fact :)

DameD well at the very least she's working above the level required to bag her the 8, so she's absolutely fine!

Thanks for the input everyone. I looked at the Sutton trust last night and that looks brilliant thank you. She would be the first one in either of our families to go to uni so it really is all a bit baffling but that would really help thank you. The most difficult thing is, she doesn't even like maths. I've broached the subject of finding out if theres a maths club at school and she just shuts down and says she hates maths and she's not gonna do any extra. Might have to try and get in touch with her maths teachers at school and see what they suggest.

Just had her do a dyscalculia test and she passed with flying colours. I know it's not official but think she may have struggled more if she was. She did say she hasn't grasped the times tables though. She has to work them out when asked.

Was it an online test? When ds was tested both the learning support teacher and the ed psych said the tests were very tricky.

I should add they meant tricky for the person setting and assessing the results of the test.

It was an online test yes.

It was an online test yes.

Hey, just wanted to say that I'm the mum of a girl who's about to be the first in her school and in our whole family (including cousins/grandparents/aunts/uncles aside from one who married in and went to Plymouth poly!) to go to university and she is off to Oxford to do English and French. I know it's a very different degree but I also know it's nice to hear that similar people have got to that position.

I think that it's important not to be too set on oxbridge (especially for medicine), just be set on a top university - my daughter met so many bright kids at the interviews and was so surprised to find out which ones didn't get in. Regarding the tutor I'd say hold off - especially if she's reluctant to do extra maths. Let her work at it her own way and persevere. Set 2 in year 7 doesn't she's struggling at all - set 2 is amazing! It just probably means she isn't quite as good at it as she is at everything else. My daughter used to tell me she was "bad at biology" but really I think it was just translation for "I don't find biology as easy as the other sciences". She worked harder at it than at her other sciences, and came out with an incredibly high A* - higher than her chemistry mark and only a little below her physics (her favourite and "easiest" science).

I'd say get the tutor if and when she says she wants one.