Tutor in Birmingham

Eleven Plus (11+) in Birmingham, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Wrekin

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DrKumar
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Apr 14, 2012 1:49 pm
Location: Sutton Coldfield

Tutor in Birmingham

Post by DrKumar »

Hello,

I have tried a few tutors but personally not happy with the service we have received so far, not knowing anyone locally who can recommend any ‘good’ tutors I am hoping that this forum may throw up some fresh prospects which are backed up by personal recommendations.

If anyone has any recommendations for tutors they have used in the Birmingham area and kind enough to share I would be extremely grateful you can PM me.

Fyi - my son will be starting Y5 in Sep and we are looking for entry into KE Camp Hill or King Edwards (Ind) schools.

Thankyou



Genuine recommendations by PM only (private message) are acceptable - but beware of the possibility that someone who appears to be offering a recommendation may have a vested interest! Please let us know if you think anyone is abusing the system by soliciting for business or 'spamming'. (It's easy to report a possible problem: just click on the 'report button' - the red exclamation mark.)

Always treat recommendations from unknown persons with caution. However, there are many long standing members (check the date of joining and number of posts) who make a valuable contribution to the forum. If you receive a recommendation from one of them, it could be worth considering seriously (while still exercising a degree of caution).

If you receive a recommendation from anyone else, please exercise extreme caution!

- Moderator


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Kind regards,

ForumAdmin
DrKumar
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Apr 14, 2012 1:49 pm
Location: Sutton Coldfield

Re: Tutor in Birmingham

Post by DrKumar »

Good morning,

Just like to pass on my gratitude to those who replied to my appeal, having made some rash decisions in the past, I was careful not to repeat any by doing a bit more research this time. After exploring the information that many of you were kind enough to share I am happy to confirm that I have now made a decision on a tutor. My thanks again to all who replied, it has been of great help.

Thankyou
sss
Posts: 208
Joined: Mon Aug 16, 2010 3:53 pm

Re: Tutor in Birmingham

Post by sss »

Dear Dr Kumar
We are also struggling to find a decent tutor in Birmingham for our daughter.
Could you please pm your tutor's details?
Regards
sss
Grace2DC
Posts: 22
Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2012 9:50 pm

Re: Tutor in Birmingham

Post by Grace2DC »

Dear Dr Kumar

Would you please kindly pm me your tutor's details as well? My daughter is younger than your son, but I heard that good tutor need to book earlier? Many thanks

Best wishes

Grace
DrKumar
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Apr 14, 2012 1:49 pm
Location: Sutton Coldfield

Re: Tutor in Birmingham

Post by DrKumar »

Dear members,

Following receipt of both private and public requests for information, please note that I have now replied to all via pm. For future reference, please be advised that due to limitations on time I will be unable to visit the forum as often and hence unable to reply to any further messages.

As well as reiterate the caveats posted above by the ForumAdmin, would also like to add by clarifying that having only recently begun to use the service it is too early for me to provide a ‘personal recommendation’. I trust parents will carry out their own diligent research to attain suitability for their own set of circumstances prior to any decision making.

Yours sincerely

Dr Kumar
UmSusu
Posts: 1015
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2011 2:42 pm
Location: Birmingham

Re: Tutor in Birmingham

Post by UmSusu »

Parents often turn to this forum for advice about tutors or recommendations. For those of you who have used tutors, perhaps you could make some suggestions on the type of questions that parents should be asking or looking for in a tutor? Of course, there will be some things a parent might be looking for that are specific to the child's particular needs, but what are the more generic things that should be asked?

A friend recently asked me to help her find a tutor, but I am not really sure what to advise. Having been through the experience as a DIYer, I think I would quickly recognise if a tutor was not up to the job, but how can you try to avoid that if you don't have personal recommendations to go on? Also, what sort of costs do you expect? If anyone does have personal recommendations for the Kings Heath area, I would be grateful. She is prepared to travel (a reasonable distance) to get to the tutor if it is further out.

UmSusu
UmSusu
um
Posts: 2378
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 1:06 pm
Location: Birmingham

Re: Tutor in Birmingham

Post by um »

I would look for:

1-1 or very small group tuition. Ensure that you get a clear guarantee from the tutor that the class sizes will not increase beyond about 6 students. Otherwise they may start in Year 4 in a class of 5 children and before you know it, they are sitting in a class of 30.

Tutors who actually deliver the tuition themselves rather than run a large centre where your child is actually taught by less qualified people. Fine to have students etc to be assistants and support staff, but the tutor should be doing the main teaching. You also want the tuition school/centre to have a small enough number of students that the tutor knows each child and can give them personal consideration.

Tutors who actually teach rather than hand out thick piles of paper/Bond books and then sit and mark while the children get through the papers alone. This is not tuition; this is babysitting.

Tutors who can themselves speak English well and fluently. I am not saying they need to sound like the Queen, but I have come across a surprising number of tutors with pretty poor literacy skills. I've mentioned before the Small Heath tuition school advertising Grammer (sic) tuition but was surprised recently to go on a website of a large tuition school apparently run by an ex-Head teacher, in which I noticed 7 punctuation and grammatical errors on the first page alone. Now we are human and all make occasional errors in emails/posts etc, but on our main website page?

I wouldn't suggest that all tutors should have a 100% pass rate - they are not magicians - but be wary of tutors who refuse to tell you theirs.

Look for a tutor who assesses children before accepting them, particularly if your child is joining a group. Otherwise they could end up (I know two examples) in a group of children who are barely at national average, and this is not going to support their progress and motivation at all. I also feel that it just isn't ethical to take on children who are working at too low a level to be put through the rigours of the 11 Plus.

Try to work out if they actually understand the CEM examination content or if they will spend a year ploughing your child through NFER VR papers :roll:

Finally beware of 'hard sell' tutors and tuition schools, who try quite aggressively to get your business and offer 'free assessments' and 'free lessons'. A good tutor doesn't need to use those gimmicks and will charge a fair amount for their time and experience.
UmSusu
Posts: 1015
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2011 2:42 pm
Location: Birmingham

Re: Tutor in Birmingham

Post by UmSusu »

Thank you um. Some great suggestions as usual :D . I will take them to her and I am sure your suggestions will help others too
UmSusu
UmSusu
Posts: 1015
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2011 2:42 pm
Location: Birmingham

Re: Tutor in Birmingham

Post by UmSusu »

Can anyone recommend a tutor for current year 4 pupil? Either immediate start or start in September?
UmSusu
DIY Mum
Posts: 744
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2007 10:08 pm
Location: Not in a hole in the ground but in a land where once they dwelt-the Beormingas

Re: Tutor in Birmingham

Post by DIY Mum »

um wrote: Look for a tutor who assesses children before accepting them. (I know two examples) in a group of children who are barely at national average, and this is not going to support their progress and motivation at all. I also feel that it just isn't ethical to take on children who are working at too low a level to be put through the rigours of the 11 Plus.
Why? Surely one day's (or more) assessment isn't a holistic reflection of a child's latent possibilities? There are many reasons why a child may not be working at the national average (poor schooling, turbulent life-style / family problems and bright children from impoverished areas will underperform). As a teacher, I think it would be unethical to give up on them!

From personal experience, when my daughter was in Y5, she was labelled in this category. After sitting a battery of tests, she scored miserably. But we knew that she had also attended 8 different primary schools (none of which were good) and this, if anything, was the real cause of her underperformance in the initial assessment tests. Thankfully, she persisted and her true potential was realized in the actual KE test.

Yes, I know the 11+ process isn't for the faint hearted but I would still prefer to light one small candle than to curse the darkness. :wink:

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