Private school and tutor

[Seperellig]

Hi there . Does anyone have their child at private school and also pays for private tutoring ? We are considering private schools but I’m also being hearing that to stay at expected level that most parents also have their child tutored . I was surprised as I thought general tutoring wouldn’t be needed . Thank you

I know a little late to post. I previously had my children at an independent school and what you have heard is very true. My daughter always had a tutor from the age of six as well as I always prepping her. The majority of children are tutored. It is a very competitive environment. You will often find that independent schools’ sendco department to be weak.

It's not only private school children that have tutors. A lot of grammar school pupils and just run-of-the-mill state schools, especially in affluent areas have tutors too. It's still so taboo for some reason, so people don't really admit it openly, but you'd be surprised how many children do have regular tuition. It's become so easy to get a tutor now with so many offering online tuition now. Agencies have so many on their books and you can easily choose from the public profiles. I've used a few different ones in the past, but I've had good success with MyStarTutor. Their prices are quite reasonable compared to some of the others and they've got sample videos of their tutors teaching to make it easier to choose.

From what I have seen of families with the kids at private school, all the homework is piled on to the parents to manage: whole books of page after page of maths, the environment is competitive, as other posters have said, so kids don't probably ask, freely, for help in the classroom. Kids come home from an extended day; eat whilst tackling homework which Mum finishes, fall asleep writing, or on the loo. Mum gets up at 5am to finish off helping.

Yes, a tutor might save Mum having a nervous break down.

People do but not everyone and if your child is at the right school for their abilities then it isn’t necessary. We have paid for a tutor in maths for one child, the area of weakness. The other child hasn’t needed one apart from some help from us. So don’t believe everyone has one. I think a lot do though!

Neither of mine have had tutors either at primary (state) or private school.

Around here most of the tutoring seems to be for state school pupils. It doesn’t have to be declared on UCAS forms either.

IME there was lots of tutoring at state primary for 11 plus, but so far I’ve seen none at private secondary. The school provides extra support if it’s needed (teachers giving extra coaching at break time, older girls being Maths buddies to younger girls once week, and so on).

It depends on the school. I tutor a couple of children from private schools. Some schools provide extra help in-house; some don't.

What kind of school is it? How much tutoring was needed to pass the exam?

A non-selective private school where your child is top of the class is very different to a very selective school where a child scraped a pass. Even though a child at the latter will probably end up with great grades, they might need tutoring for their self esteem so they aren't struggling at the bottom of the lowest set.

DD is at a selective school, I have no doubt that there are children being tutored (in increasing numbers as you get closer to 11+) but I am of the opinion that if they need to tutored to keep up, it is not the school for them.

They work hard enough over the school day and with the homework they are given, the absolute last thing I will be doing is destroying her childhood by adding to that via a tutor. If she cannot keep up, there are plenty of other schools she can go to where she will also be able to thrive.

The other side is that I am paying enough in fees for a reason and should not need to supplement with tutoring.