Post-11+ tutoring at leading secondary schools

[DC17C]

I think I am with Amber on this one ...but I will confess that DD did ask me to go through a maths test with her a few weeks ago that she had almost flunked and I was able to help with my O level maths from 25 years ago and a bit of pointing dd in the way of a few websites that could help more than I could. If she had needed more than this I would have been questioning if she was in the right maths set rather than getting a tutor.

I can appreciate it must be a bit tricky if parents don't feel they can help but I think it healthy for kids not to be always top and to realize the world is not going to fall in if they are not top or dare I say it fail sometimes.

[Yamin151]

Quite agree! Didn't do me any harm to fail and meant that I worked hard to pass, with that bit of help to understand the bits

[LostInTheShuffle]

I now see the vicious cycle created by over-preparation for the 11+. I feel bad for DCs who require extra-tutoring to simply keep up at highly selective schools because their happiness and self-esteem must take a hit. If this practice is pervasive, does it mean that private schools actually do a poor job figuring out (via interviews, etc) which applicants have been over-prepared?

I can understand the situation raised by Yamin151 of a DC requiring a little "top-up" tuition at the time of a major exam (GCSE). It is when tutoring constitutes a normal, every day routine (particularly at a highly selective school) that looks more troubling.

[Guest55]

There should be absolutely no need for a tutor up to GCSE in a GS.

Teachers run additional help sessions which are free ...

[scary mum]

It's an interesting one. I agree that it should not be necessary. However DD (at a Bucks GS) had it suggested to her that she might benefit from a few sessions of maths tutoring as she had missed some basic stuff in year 9 for various reasons. We did this & it helped her, and more importantly gave her confidence. I think there can be circumstances where it is appropriate but this should be the exception rather than the norm.

[Yamin151]

There should be absolutely no need for a tutor up to GCSE in a GS.

Teachers run additional help sessions which are free ...

Correct but schools aren't perfect and I think a little extra help in privacy of own home for a few weeks very different beast from ongoing tutoring to keep up.

[lefol]

In my indie experience, this is quite common for kids at private schools to be tutored and some at grammar schools . This happens from year 7-11. The simple reason I have found from those tutored is that the kids some
Kids are not willing to put the extra work in and the teachers focus on the ones willing to Learn, rightly or wrongly and the parents in a desperate aim to ensure their kids have decent GCSEs employ tutors to supplement that which the teachers cannot provide . I speak to parents and tutors and regularly used .

[Amber]

..the parents in a desperate aim to ensure their kids have decent GCSEs employ tutors to supplement that which the teachers cannot provide

Cannot provide? What exactly cannot they provide? Is it unreasonable for a teacher to prefer students who are actually prepared to put some effort in? Surely by the time children are at secondary school they should be learning to take some responsibility for themselves? I don't know any teacher who would refuse to support a child who went and asked for help.

Such 'desperation' in parents would be better channeled by addressing the fact that their children are 'not willing to put in the work' than buying in to tutors to spoon feed them through exams. Sorry but I think this just leads to the sense of entitlement which some young people from privileged backgrounds seem to display. The sooner one learns that rewards require some kind of effort, often at the expense of one's enjoyment, the better. As I said to my students, it is a few short months of your life that you have to work like this, but the results will be with you forever and will help to determine your path in life. Even a 12 year old can understand this principle.

And just to be clear, no I am not talking about a few targeted sessions to address genuine issues in children around the time of their exams - no problem with this at all.
I am talking about a culture of propping up frankly lazy children by surrounding them with tutors from the moment they say 'ooh this is a bit hard, I can't do it'; often then followed by a criticism of the teacher who 'didn't explain it properly'.

[Yamin151]

+1

[tiffinboys]

And just to be clear, no I am not talking about a few targeted sessions to address genuine issues in children around the time of their exams - no problem with this at all.
I am talking about a culture of propping up frankly lazy children by surrounding them with tutors from the moment they say 'ooh this is a bit hard, I can't do it'; often then followed by a criticism of the teacher who 'didn't explain it properly'.

+1

But sometimes there are problems at schools too. I am told of recent problem at a nearby Grammar. The General Science teaching (KS3) was being done by a teacher who specialize in just one science subject, so was not putting enough efforts on other two subjects. Now even this teacher is on 'stress leave', the Science teaching is now being done by inexperienced (a.k.a incompetent) supply teachers, who are reading their notes in the class. Some parents in this situation are desperate to find tutors. My suggestion to the parents concerned was to speak directly to the HoY or to the Head Teacher.