Teenage Tutor

[binaryoverload]

Hi Parents!

I am a 16-year-old student currently studying A-Levels and I am looking into doing some tutoring for younger students in the summer holidays. I would be putting myself out there for tutoring in maths and physics since I am studying both of these at A-Level and achieved A* for both at GCSE. I also tutor students at school in Maths so I am fairly experienced in basic tutoring.

My main outset is not to gain money but that could be a plus. I'm perfectly willing to do it voluntarily as it's good for university applications. It would mainly be aimed at children aimed 11-16 due to what I can teach and the level at which I can support students.

I am also aware there are limitations around SEN learning, I would actively refuse offers should I become aware that the child was SEN due to the level of support they need.

I would just like your opinions. Do you think it's a good idea? Would you want someone like me to tutor a child of yours? Any opinions on anything are welcome.

Thanks!

If you are 16 years old then you didn't get A* in Maths, you would have been awarded a level between 1 - 9 (unless you are at a private school doing IGCSEs). So you aren't being entirely straightforward.

I would not be interested in hiring someone like you: no offence, but you have no experience, no track record and you won't have been DBS cleared either. You won't have marked for exam boards and you won't have ever moderated papers as part of a department. These are what people pay for and expect. One of my dc has a science tutor and he is a p/t head of physics at a private school and knows his stuff.

I also think that the attitude you have expressed towards dc with SEN is very negative and reflects poorly on your overall approach. What you are saying is that you want an easy ride and you don't want the hassle of working with dc who may require different teaching strategies. You aren't selling yourself very well. It looks like you are only pursuing this as a way of spicing up your UCAS application.

Hi Pepper,

My mistake on the grades. I got an 8 in Maths and I tend to say A* because not everyone is up to date with these.

I do entirely see your point about DBS clearance and experience and this is the entire reason I make this post to see what people thought.

My attitude to SEN may come across as negative but I can assure you it is in the best of interests. I have read previous posts where parents have expressed concerns over SEN so I was simply trying to make the point that SEN wouldn't be something I would claim I can handle due to the lack of any training.

Thank you for responding :)

I would also like to add that I am not just doing this to spice up my UCAS application. Although it may seem that way I am trying to learn and gain experience through the holidays as well as keep myself educationally active.

It's clear that this is something I probably won't be able to do but I would at least try and see where it gets me.

you can get DBS clearance very easily, apply for it online.

Yes, sixthform students make great tutors, they have so recently gone through the process themselves, they are experts on the whole thing.

It is common around here, many of my sixth form students tutor, the going rate is £20 per hour ( london)

go for it! And yes, you can say no to anyone you don't want to tutor.

Make sure you think carefully of your personal safety, public place if possible, only tutoring the same sex, etc

One thing you do need to think about, is that I suspect the kind of pupils who will want tutoring over the summer holidays are going to be ones who are struggling and need to catch up.

I know from my own experience how hard it is if you just 'get it' to break things down simply enough for a less able person.

If you were tutoring in term time this would be less likely to be an issue I think.

Have you considered signing up instead with your local ExploreLearning, Kumon or KipMagrath? My nephew works as a 'tutor' for one them, and when he went to university he was able to transfer to the centre at his university town.

I also think you would be better working at a tuition centre. 1-2-1 tuition is usually required for catch up, Sen or to push for entrance exams. Pupils who are doing well at school rarely require tuition.

It's very different from 'helping' a pupil in class and requires planning, knowledge of the curriculum/accreditation/schemes of work & behaviour management. There is nothing worse than a pupil going to a tutor who has no knowledge of this and it actually be detrimental rather than helpful for a pupil.

Plus the dbs is a huge thing when working 1-2-1. You would 1) not be considered by many parents & 2) putting yourself in a risky situation as you should have a dbs if working with children or young people.

I would do a summer in a tuition centre to gain experience first.

I would like to thank everyone for their kind answers!

I have searched around and found that I have a Kip McGraph nearby so I will 100% look into that and also the DBS clearance.

Thanks again!

Hello binary

I think you’ve had some harsh responses here. While I don’t think you can put yourself forward for charging £20 plus an hour as some students try to do, I do think there is a market for you. Not all parent can afford private tuition but badly want some help for their child. I have used tutors, the first was a pretty awful, He was a university student who was clearly just out to make money, didn’t put much effort into it and then decided after a few weeks he was leaving as he was moving but it was ok, his old housemate would be happy to help (no thanks!) I did however find one girl who was a student and came and helped over the holidays just before exams, it was helpful in that someone was there actually doing something with my son who would otherwise have done very little. She also brought her old books with notes, I wasn’t sure how useful she would be but I couldn’t afford a qualified teacher and my son said she was really helpful (unusual for him as tuition in his spare time isn’t his idea of fun!) I would say that if you offer help at more like £10 an hour max then someone will take you up on it. But yes, be careful about where you are going.

Great idea.
Good luck .

I used a first year university student to tutor my daughter for A level. It worked well as he had a real, recent understanding of the subject, but also the marking schemes.
Good luck 😀