Tutoring & what to expect

[duoplik]

I'm interested in targeting some of the South London grammar's & comps with streaming sets. Everything I've read suggests I need a tutor. I've been in touch with a few I found but the regimes are intense. 2.5 hours a week plus 3 hours homework for 2 years & things like if you don't do the homework or pass the assessment you can't continue etc. Is that normal? My dc do quite a few extracurriculars & I don't really want them having to give everything up. Or is the reality that if I want those schools I need to do this?

It depends how bright your child is really. We did an hour a week 1 to 1 tutoring in y5 and until Dec in y6 plus probably 45 mins a week of hwk/past papers.

He's bright but certainly not genius

I was really put off by the long tutoring classes. I decided that if it required that much preparation then it wasn't worth it for us. 1 to 1 is more efficient and perhaps flexible.

I have a DS and a DD in South London grammars. They did some CGP books and practice papers with me in the last 2 terms of year 5 and I filled in any maths gaps. They did sit 2 Sutton mocks each. But they really were top of their cohorts and it was mostly about sending them into the exams with confidence.

If they are bright but not outliers, it can definitely still be done without a tutor but people tend to outsource for peace of mind. It can all seem very opaque. If you have the time to navigate everything yourself, I would say for bright DC doing well across the board at school, 2 hours a week starting January in Yr 5 is plenty. But doing it that way takes more of your time if you're going to be the one planning, gathering resources, seeing what their weaknesses are, etc.

If they are strong in English writing, they have an advantage, because as long as they make it to the second round, this is where there is a much greater range of ability and it is much harder to tutor for.

@KindergartenKop can I ask how you found your 1:1 as everything I've found is the long classes.

@GobblingGyozas I don't really have the time tbh & their biggest weakness is confidence. Interesting to know that about the 2nd bit

Totally - I wouldn't have the time now either, so I completely get why finding a tutor appeals. The mocks run by Sutton, Wilson's and Wallington are good as the results are detailed, with ranking in cohort etc. Best of luck

https://www.teacherstoyourhome.com/uk we used someone from this website.

Based on the experience with my son, I would say you don't need to be exceptionally bright or give up any extra-curricular to make it into a school like Wilson's. My son started preparing in Y5 and continued his activities throughout (at least 5 times a week, incl. the nights before the tests) and I think it actually helped him. He was super relaxed and seems to perform particularly well in a test environment. However, I will say that we spent far more than 2 hours a week on preps, particularly from mid-April. He found the tests fairly easy though and finished them all with plenty of time to spare so perhaps he could have passed with less work but it's difficult to gauge. I prepared him myself, partly because it made it easier to fit the work around all his activities and partly because I had no idea where to find a good tutor. But honestly I found it tiring and stressful and I can absolutely see the appeal of external tutoring.

My DS got into all superselectives he applied for with only a few weeks of exam technique tutoring. He is bright but not genious

We're not in London but another area that is highly (HIGHLY!) competitive with selective grammars. Our daughter is doing 1 hour a week 1-2-1 with someone from a company called Tayberry and has come on so much just in a few months. We started quite early, not on 11+ specific prep, but more general maths and English, and then they gently started the 11+ prep in about November. They're not by any means pushy and my daughter really enjoys her sessions

Dd got into Tiffin (and some independent schools) though didn’t try for the Sutton grammars. That was with about an hour of home prep a week in Y5, some more over the summer holidays before Y6 (nothing some weeks, several hours in others depending what we were doing).

The Sutton mocks are really helpful for finding where your DC is in the cohort, but you need to book quickly as they are very popular. For VR and NVR, Atom is also useful.

Dd continued with her hobbies and play dates as usual, I wouldn’t have been happy with prep that meant she had to give up things that she enjoyed.

This is all very helpful so thanks everyone.

@HighRopes How do i book Sutton mocks?

@Oopswediditagain2023 I've seen Tayberry mentioned a few times so will look at them.

@duoplik They’re run by the PTA, website is here https://www.sgsptamocktests.com/

My DS did 2 hours small group tutoring with about 30 minutes of homework a week, which covered exam technique and taught the stuff he hadn't yet covered in school (as the exam covers the entire KS2 syllabus but is sat at start of year 6). I deliberately avoided anything more intense than that as didn't want him to get in if he'd struggle once there. Something must've worked though as he was the only boy in his class to get a grammar school place.

I believe a lot is about focus and speed. Can he/she concentrate and work quickly? Can she be self motivated? Most of the kids don't and endless battles with them would put a distress on your relationship with your kid.
A good tutor does the regular mockup tests. Times them etc
It also depends what schools you targetting. Talk to the parents who have kids in the relevant grammar schools as there are many grammar where is much easier to get to Sutton Wellington and Tiffin are very VERY competitive and if he/she gets in you will be likely to pay for tutor all the years she/he is there...as most of the parents.

Also bear in mind that normal school curiculum doesn't prepare them completely to pass tests to grammar. And definitely not to independent school.