One to one tutoring in schools for struggling learners?

[Sasquashno1]

Hello,

I would like a bit of feedback from anyone that has an opinion on this, teachers and parents alike.

I have been a teacher, SENCO and assistant head with 9 years teaching experience in Infants. We all have strengths as teachers and mine has always been raising the lower achievers, maybe because I was once one myself.

Anyway I am now a mum working as a part time teacher and I have a business idea that won't go away. To provide qualified and specialised one-to-one tutoring to schools for the lower achievers and special needs, maybe also higher able learners also. Not after school or at weekends. From foundation to Year 2. At school, where the children are fresh, eager in a familiar setting and where I can then work alongside the teachers.

My reasons are:

I know how difficult it is as a teacher to unpick and provide the attention we need to children under the national average, especially with our ever-growing class numbers. Our TA's are great but sometimes it does take qualified teachers to unpick, assess and provide quality teaching.

To close gaps early I know is far more effective than trying to do this later.

There is research done by the DfE in 2009 to show that one-to-one tutoring especially in early reading is very effective.

I know it comes down to money but schools do now get pupil premium and I think this would be worth the money?

This is how I expect it to go.

School A asks for a specialist teacher in phonics to come in and raise their lowest Year 1 learners who are on phase 2 with an aim to get to phase 3. The specialist teacher comes in three mornings a week for 12 weeks.
Let's say the specialist teacher achieves this and the school no longer needs to focus on these children as their inline with the majority class now.

Any thoughts? Any mums out there with children struggling to learn? Would you welcome this? Teachers, how would you feel about an external specialist coming in and raising your lower achievers?

Thanks so much for your time :)

IMHO all interventions should be in addition to, not a substitute for other teaching, otherwise the gap just grows and grows.

Thank you, everyone, for all your comments. It has given me lots to think about. I suppose what is frustrating is I know I could make a big impact doing one to one tutoring working alongside the teacher in schools. Not all children can learn in the same way, some do very well in whole class teaching but some get lost. I see this all of the time. So do we accept that's that or do I try and think of a solution?

If you are already working as a part time teacher, surely you - and your TA, if any - are designing and carrying out 1:1 or small group work in assembly, break, registration, possibly lunchtimes, maybe specific other lessons etc on the days that you are teaching anyway?

That's the model wherever I have worked - yes, there are interventions, but they are delivered by class staff at specific times within the school day that are in addition to the whole class English / Maths / Phonics lessons. Part time teachers do exactly the same on the days they are working.

Good TAs work with the struggling children in class and work very closely with the teachers. I think excluding a child from class is not the way to go. It has been demonstrated that PP money spent on TAs who are not targeted on the PP children in an effective way is not a good use of money. It could well be that a teacher would be better as research has shown quality first teaching is imperative in raising standards. However you need to find a school with a large PP budget and become a member of staff. Not all areas have budget cuts so if you are in one of these areas ask around. Where I am a Governor we have a DH who doesn't teach a class. Not every school is getting rid of staff.

Bojo, the point is that the OP wants to 'swoop in' and take children out, having not taught them or been in their normal lessons (as would be true of the teacher and TA for that class).

IME, the most successful interventions are taken by the class teacher and TA, based on learning in normal class lessons and a detailed knowledge of the child. the OP won't have that.

Hi everyone,

We're just sweeping this thread into tutoring, OP please do get in touch if this is a problem.