AMA (Ask Me Anything) with an experienced tutor

[TinaTheTutor]

Hi everyone,

As an experienced tutor and teacher, I am eager to stay up-to-date with current parent perspectives on tutoring so I can better meet your needs and those of your kids!

Most of my tutoring is with Y1-Y3 and GCSE as well as adults. I am a languages specialist but also teach some primary maths and dip into primary Sci/Geog/Hist as required :)

So feel free to respond to this post with any questions you'd like to ask me, no strings attached of course :)

@Hollyhead Thanks for your post! You are not alone in wanting more for your kids, I work with quite a lot of parents in a similar situation. The kids aren't a "cause for concern" for the school, but the school isn't pushing them to achieve more either so they just end up coasting.

I do think that is a good reason to get private tutoring, if it is accessible to you. A good private tutor can give your children the individual attention that a teacher of 30+ simply cannot, regardless of their skill and knowledge. A tutor could also extend their knowledge beyond the curriculum of their year group, and explore a broader range of literature or topics.

Tutors usually do an assessment of needs in their first sessions with a new student, and that would then tell you exactly what the child is strong/weak at.

Feel free to post any other questions :)

Thank you so much, plenty for me to work towards with him.

Are there ever circumstances where tutors expect the customer to pay their tax as an 'employer' like nannies do? I ask this because I am using a couple of tutors and wondering if I am at risk of being hit with an unexpected tax bill later! One is invoicing me with invoices which include a line 'taxable: £0' and another line line labelled 'tax (0%) before listing the balance of the hourly rate I am paying at the bottom. I thought it wierd to list out £0 tax! Another tutor isn't invoicing me but has just given her bank details for me to make bank transfers of fees. I wondered if I am risking being treated as an 'employer'! One tutor does 3 hours a week of tutoring usually at the same times each week although we do vary it a bit when it suits. The other tutor just does ad hoc sessions. Are these normal ways of billing for self-employed tutors?

Hi @MGMidget!

The invoicing Tutor is probably just using standard software. I shouldn't worry.

If you like, you can send them an email asking for reassurance on your concern.

Hi @MGMidget I've never heard of a tutor charging the client for tax. Most of us are sole traders or contractors if going through an agency. It might just be their invoicing software doesn't let them delete that bit about tax, but there's no way you're classed as their employer.

So my daughters year 10 mocks weren't great Looking at getting some tuition over summer to help with those she struggles with. But where to start! So many tuition sites. Some local, many online. How do I know what's reputable and will help?

@Butterfly44 Great question! Can you find out exactly what your child struggled with? For example, if it's English, is it creative writing? Is it analysing unseen poetry? Is it to do with exam anxiety? Did they run out of time? Do they need to get a particularly high grade to access further education?
Then you can hone your search for tutors who specialise in exactly what your child needs help with.

In terms of tutoring agencies/websites, you are right there is a huge range! To be able to advertise my services on these websites, I had to go through quite rigorous identity and reference checks, including proof of address and proof of qualifications. You can rest assured, people advertising through these agencies are verified.
tutorful.co.uk
outschool.com
firsttutors.com

I'm sure there are other great agencies too, these are just the ones with which I have personal experience.

If you choose to go directly to a tutor and not an agency, you have the right to ask for all the evidence you want! I am always happy to provide a copy of my Enhanced DBS check, CV, references etc.

With regards to online/offline, I really think it depends on the individual. Your child might be super receptive to online tuition, or they might not. Involve them in your search. Arrange a trial lesson with several tutors, and let your child feedback to you what they preferred.

Hope this helps, if you have more questions go for it!

My son, aged 9, yr 4 but delayed summer born so could be in yr 5, is at a selective junior school attached to a senior public school. He got in from quite a poor primary, beating lots of preprep kids for a spot so shouldn’t be too rubbish at tests. He did supposedly great course work but bombed his end of year assessments. He’s dreadful at comprehension. He rushes maths questions and misses out answers or makes silly errors. I’m worried that because he’s mature, affable and can pull finger in class and wins competitions, he will coast through school before messing up exams that really matter! I had hoped he might get a scholarship and wanted to put him forward for other schools at 11+ to see if anyone else would offer but if he continues like this I wouldn’t blame the school for weeding him out! He’s refusing to read more than 20 pages a day for pleasure. What sort of tutor does he need: one that teaches exam technique or one that inspires a love of learning (which his teacher did do)? The school expressed surprise at his reforms cx as they see him as capable. I don’t know if he’s lazy, dyspraxic (he was flagged for it age 3 but seems to have improved) or has the inattentive element of ADD.

@Googleplexian That's a tricky situation, the biggest thing that stands out to me is that you and your son are not aligned in terms of goals. So anything you do arrange is likely to be seen by him as punishment/meaningless. Children do not learn much when they see the learning process as either a punishment or a pointless activity.
So I think before you book any specific tutor or educational psychologist, you should have a chat with your son (maybe facilitated by someone at his school) so you can agree together on (a) what the issues are and (b) next steps for improving.

Some talking points to consider with him:
-Which of these tests/homework tasks/activities in your notebook are you proudest of? Which ones are your best work? How do you know?

-If you could choose 6 subjects to keep doing at school, which ones would they be? > These are ones you could take at GCSE level > What do you need to do now to ensure you'll do well in those subjects when you are 15?

• Do you think it's possible to train the brain like a muscle? Or are you always going to be good at one thing and dreadful at another? (guide him towards the "growth mindset" which is heavily evidenced by current pedagogical research)

• Feed his interests. Does he like football, for example? Okay then, he can read about footballers: biographies, tactics, training regimes, rags-to-riches stories etc

-Ask the school for specific feedback, and discuss it with him. Is he aware this is what the experts think of him? Can he pick even just one area he really does want to do better in? Try to get really specific, for example, "predicting what might happen next in the story" or "understanding the reason why a character did what they did".

Hope that helps :)

Thanks @TinaTheTutor! That’s very useful. The problem is, he is enthusiastic in class! I wonder if he’s a bit too comfortable as, being the eldest and reasonably sporty in a class of more bookish types, he’s ‘popular’ so doesn’t think he needs to try.

He loves history and used to be a massive bookworm and then screens came along and lock down exacerbated this.

We must be doing something wrong at home. I’m now remembering his state primary teacher mentioning that she was surprised that he had also fluffed some of his SATs as she thought he’d be top of the class.
We had him independently assessed a few years ago by an ex head teacher/tutor who is familiar with the school we were applying to. At the time, she said if this was the top of the class at a state primary she would hate to see the rest of them! We spent a lot of time then doing Bond tests (lots of tantrums from him!) When he got in, he was elated and has loved it ever since. I have warned that he can’t take his place for granted in the senior school as he will be competing with other boys.

The feedback his teacher gave us was that he was really disappointed in his writing in the English test - no structure and he did poorly on comprehension. Though he was in the ‘third quartile’ for maths he actually got 80%. I think it’s just exam technique in that area perhaps.

@Googleplexian I think a lot of parents are going through a similar "addiction" to screens after lockdown. As teachers and tutors, we get it. It will take time to wean them off, but it's important to do so. Your child should be reading daily.

Maybe try presenting things to him as "challenges" e.g. a reading comprehension or a worksheet that is aimed 1 year above his.

You could also discuss the seating plan with his teachers - is he perhaps sat next to students who are also a bit too laid back and aren't trying hard? Or perhaps he was paired with a very weak student, so he feels really strong by comparison?

Maybe it's worth exploring consequences in more detail. If his place is entirely dependent on grades, what happens if he continues to score poorly in tests? Are there other people you know who were asked to leave the school? Have you taken him to visit other local schools?

Thanks again @TinaTheTutor. They rotate who they sit next to in the year. To be honest, I would say nearly all of the others in his class are very conscientious. There are no low achievers because it’s a selective school. I’m just worried that my son is coasting and will be caught out with dreadful exam results at a time when it matters! We have had chats with his teacher and he will be in a support group next year which should help. He’s a bit mortified but it may propel him to do better! The eight week holidays really don’t help!

@Googleplexian the support group is a great idea and hopefully it will help him realise what the issue is and that he can improve. Maybe during these hols you can come up with a learning plan. I totally believe kids need a break and a holiday, but they can also manage to do some fun learning during this time! Maybe he could research a topic of his interest, read books/website pages on it, and write a presentation to show you and the family?

Great idea re topic. He’s really obsessed with geography and modern history so will get him to delve into this!

I have a general question. We are thinking about sending our child private in a few years. She will have to take 11+. How one finds a good tutor in the absence of personal recommendations? Thank you.

@Flippin I am not experienced with 11+ so I don't have much to comment here, I'm afraid. In the absence of personal recommendations, look for online reviews on Google, Facebook or Trustpilot, or agencies approved by Mumsnet, The Tutors Association or the Good Schools Guide.

Hi, is there such a thing as a tutor that can help my son learn to study? He's halfway through yr10, does really well in class but doesn't seem to understand (or want to) put the effort in at home to study. Clearly, I can get tutors for each subject but this would cost a lot! I've tried a few times to sit with him but we very quickly fall out so I need to understand my options. Thanks!

@WeeBoysMum Yep that makes sense! A tutor who could teach study skills, revision techniques, exam technique etc. A lot of these skills can then be applied to different subjects e.g. if your child learns how to make flashcards for terminology, he can use that in Science as well as English Language. Sometimes schools cover this topic as part of PHSE/ form tutor time too.

Is it a waste of time to get my daughter a tutor for her GCSE maths exam this summer?
In her mocks she got a 7 by a couple of marks. Would a tutor help her get a 7 in the summer exams? School have been useless and her maths teacher left a couple of weeks ago.

@loobylou44 Definitely not a waste of time IF your daughter is on board with doing this. If she is willing to do the extra work, then I definitely would. Given how little time is left before the exams, the tutor could focus on just a few topics that your daughter is finding trickiest, or perhaps on exam technique/ addressing any exam anxiety.

Schools tend to run "intervention" only for students at risk of failing (i.e. below a 4) so I would imagine your daughter won't be included in these groups as they wouldn't be suitable for her.

Hope it goes well :)

@TinaTheTutor
Thanks for the quick reply. My daughter is keen to do well in her maths GCSE. Her school gives intervention for everyone in maths once a week but with her teacher leaving in the last couple of weeks she hasn't had any consistency of teaching.

Sounds like she could really benefit from some tutoring then! Hopefully the teacher can be replaced soon too :)