What makes a good 11+ tutor

[Storkpelican]

I have tutored kids in the 11+ before and have recently expanded my business past family friends. I got a famjly who wants me to tutor their kid for the 11+ and I charge 22 pounds an hr. I usually go through the 11+ resources the kid have and bring my own. What else an I meant to be doing? I time the child and ask them to ask for any thing they're not sure about.

Both my were tutored for the 11+ test. The tutor provided all the resources.

The tests my dc did included verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, so the tutor taught my dc what the questions were looking for, tricks to look out for etc.

Also, the tests covered aspects of maths not yet covered in school (more year 7 maths) so this was covered as well.

Finally, the tutor prepared them for doing an exam such as time pressure etc. They did several papers under exam conditions.

The eleven plus.co.uk website has lots of useful information on it.

Thank you, I was wondering how much your tutor charged you? I know 22 is on the low end for one to one tuition and I do teach the child tricks but am worried I'd be blamed if the child does not do well as they started tuition relatively later than others.

£22 sounds cheap to me - I’m sure I paid £25 over ten years ago!

Have a look to see what people charge in your area. I’ve just looked at some websites - some don’t say but others are up to £40 . (Maybe contact some as a potential parent using a non-identifying email).

I would get a contract signed which covers basic points -

• that they pay in advance for x no lessons (maybe cheaper rate?) or pay upfront weekly
• still have to pay for non-attendance (or pay half fee for non-attendance, unless pre-arranged. Eg holiday
• Poor behaviour will mean ceasing treatment (but no return of fees)
• tutoring does not guarantee the pupil will pass

Thank you I already started tutoring. The child is okay and I made sure the parents were aware I cannot just drop everything for them.

I don’t know where you’re based but around us tutoring would be between 40-50/hour. I wouldn’t blame you if my child didn’t make it but equally I’d look to you for guidance through what is, for me, an unfamiliar process. That would include letting me know which books to buy, setting clear homework, knowing where we’re at relative to where we need to be (I.e. learning unfamiliar math or working on more challenging writing tasks and what they are expected to include) and keeping me up to date on progress. Ultimately though it’s a team effort between you, the child and the parents supporting them in between your sessions. So it shouldn’t all rest on you.

I have been looking at the value add of a tutor versus doing the work myself- for what it’s worth I’m not going to be paying for a tutor but I’m not aiming for a super selective grammar. I’d be paying if I was. If you’re just going through bond books and the like I’m not sure that’s worth paying for. If I was in a grammar area for example, I’d want an 11 plus tutor to know exactly what the target schools are looking for, providing additional materials and filling specific gaps and not spending time on exercises that aren’t tested. I’d want someone that really knew the school and how to pass that school’s test.

Having had two children going through tutoring for the 11+ and considering setting up my own tuition business once they're all through school this is something I think of quite a lot!

For me:

• I would expect you to be expert on and provide the relevant resources. I wouldn't mind if they were Bond/CGP books but I wouldn't be relying on resources the child already had.
• Clearly structured sessions with homework for the following week based on session content and areas for improvement (when I've gone through CGP etc books with my own children I;ve highlighted the bits they find hardest and then make up some similar questions to print off for them to try a few days later so they get plenty of practice in these areas in particular).
• Expert knowledge about the 11+ system in the area you're based. Get feedback from children who took the last 11+ to get a feel for how they found it/the types of questions that surprised them etc). Know the exam providers, informarion about the school, results, applications etc.
• As the real exam gets nearer, I'd expect plenty of practice on exam techniques as well as learning. Our tutor runs a summer school over July and August - all material learning is done before this and these two months are spent putting the knowledge into practice. Mock exams, timed papers (even short ones), using the correctly formatted answer sheets which many children will not have seen before.
• I think excellent feedback is really key too - it will help manage parents' expectations as well as guide parents in terms of areas they can help with more at home. Our first tutor gave very little feedback and as a result I probably spent a lot of time at home covering topics my child was already very proficient in rather than focussing more on areas he was struggling with.
• Also, £22 is an absolute bargain! I'm in the north and tutors here charge easily above £40 for an hour's one-to-one session!