Home tutoring for super-selectives?

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menagerie
Posts: 577
Joined: Thu May 26, 2011 9:37 pm

Home tutoring for super-selectives?

Post by menagerie »

Has anyone done this and got in? (Tiffin Boys, Sutton, Wallington and Wilson's are the schools we're aiming for.)

I suddenly realised quite how much tutoring is going to cost us next year. As we are both freelancers we can't guarantee our income and I'm panicking that we won't be able to find the money for the tutor we've lined up.

I'm now wondering if we should home tutor instead. We've been doing some work together regularly and it's gone pretty well so far (early days, I know.) I'm a bit nervous of being bale to explain the more difficult NVR stuff, but if we build to it gradually I'm hoping it will be OK.

Or is this madness? Would the experienced tutor be far better at guiding my DS?

Dithering now...
yoyo123
Posts: 8099
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: East Kent

Re: Home tutoring for super-selectives?

Post by yoyo123 »

if your children will listen to you, go for it! we can help you
moved
Posts: 3826
Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2007 1:42 pm
Location: Chelmsford and pleased

Re: Home tutoring for super-selectives?

Post by moved »

There is no problem with home tutoring. That is what this website is here for. It does involve the effort of you mastering the techniques that are required so that you can give your child the most efficient methods.

A tutor is only a person and so are you.
menagerie
Posts: 577
Joined: Thu May 26, 2011 9:37 pm

Re: Home tutoring for super-selectives?

Post by menagerie »

Thanks for the vote of confidence. I hadn't realised this forum was specifically to help parents do the tutoring, but it's already helped so much, maybe that's what inspired me. Having two boys tutored for a year each will cost £3,500 round here. I don't doubt the value but am not sure how easy it will be to find the money.

We might give it a go. I am happy to do the English tutoring and DH is very good at maths. So as long as we get to grips with what's needed, I think those two papers will be OK. Bit concerned about NVR and VR but so far it's worked out. Right now DS is very keen. Just not sure how he'll/we'll feel about it after a year.

It would be great to hear from people who have done it and got into the super-selectives. The competition is so fierce and I don't want to go ahead without a bit of background info from people who have done it and seen it work (or not!)
Snowdrops
Posts: 4667
Joined: Wed Nov 21, 2007 5:20 pm

Re: Home tutoring for super-selectives?

Post by Snowdrops »

Don't be concerned about the VR and NVR, they are easy peasy really, you just need the techniques book. Once you 'see' how to do them, they really are easy.

Have confidence in yourself. I had never done VR or NVR when I set out to tutor my dd and she passed with one of the highest scores in the area that year - if I can tutor it, anyone can (well, nearly :lol: ).

If you get stuck on any particular question/technique, go to the relevent section at the top of the forum home page and pose your question there, there's lots of people who will be able to guide you through/give you the answer.

Go for it and enjoy the ride!
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Minesatea
Posts: 1234
Joined: Sat Oct 31, 2009 12:08 am

Re: Home tutoring for super-selectives?

Post by Minesatea »

Hello,

I have home tutored DS1 and DD into superselectives (essex). It is definitely possible provided the children are happy to work with you. I have no education background. The important thing is to know exactly what the exams involve for your area and which type of products are suitable for your exams as there is hundreds of different 11 plus books. I didn't have NVR but the VR is worth 50% in our area so this was the main focus of our tutoring. I would say learn the techniques yourself first and then teach them one type at a time before attempting mixed papers.

Good luck. :)
mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: Home tutoring for super-selectives?

Post by mystery »

If your children work well for you, I can't see a problem. Also, probably a tutor does not entirely solve this problem if they don't. The way it usually works is that the child does homework set by the tutor, and the tutor learns from this what the child needs to have explained to them or practise more. So if the child does not work hard at home it's pretty much the same situation apart from what takes place during the tutorial.

Sorry I don't know anyone who has done this - well I do know someone who homeschools entirely and whose oldest has just done some GCSEs and my impression is the standard is high and the student an excellent independent learner. I also know someone who got into Judd in Kent (the superselective requiring the highest score round here) who did nothing other than try out the NFER sample questions at home in the kitchen. So certainly it is possible to home educate your child to a high standard in subjects which are not your own, and equally it is possible to get into a superselective without loads of tuition either from home or a paid tutor.

I'm guessing that the biggest difference between a parent and an experienced tutor is that the tutor has lots of different tricks up their sleeve when a child doesn't "get" something, and that the tutor knows (almost) instinctively what major areas the child needs to improve on to increase their chances of making the grade. Also the tutor has material "at their fingertips" - it will will take you time to keep on finding or preparing the right work for your child.

You can probably match or better a tutor by starting sooner rather than later and doing work which lets you see which topics / question types your child needs to learn new material for or practise more than others. Also, you don't have to deal immediately with the child not "getting" something. You might see from practise exercises that there is something the child does not get. You can spend time writing other questions yourself that build up to it, finding other text books and exercises that will help, asking on here etc etc. The beauty of not spending on a tutor is that you will not feel so bad about buying text books, question books etc.

I would imagine it's the sort of thing where if you have sufficient time and your children are co-operative, it could be hugely rewarding and enjoyable.
menagerie
Posts: 577
Joined: Thu May 26, 2011 9:37 pm

Re: Home tutoring for super-selectives?

Post by menagerie »

Mystery thanks for your detailed reply.

Our tutor isn't free until Jan, and it became clear to us the school hadn't covered the academic stuff needed to be on course to get into a super selective, so we decided to start home tutoring until next January. I am surprised to find the boys are both enjoying it (very early days) and I am loving it, when I thought I'd hate it. Even the maths. Feels like I'm learning alongside them. And, as some other mums here have said, it brings you so close to each other. They seem really engaged and happy to work well. I realise by January I may be on my knees and very glad to hand over to a tutor, but if it works well for us, I'm thinking of the money we could save and (saddo emoticon) the fun we could have.
mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: Home tutoring for super-selectives?

Post by mystery »

Well it sounds as though you've got off to a fantastic start, and you can make your mind up further along the path.
inmystride
Posts: 198
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2011 3:25 pm

Re: Home tutoring for super-selectives?

Post by inmystride »

We all seem to forget the advice of the Headteachers themselves, who recommend no tutoring. Spending a year or more practicing for a single set of exams, even for an adult, is bound to be stressful. If your child is in top sets and you spend a little time in the run up to the exams doing some practice papers and past tests, your DC will feel confident and prepared. More importantly, they will have spent Y5 normally and without having the 'ELEVEN PLUS' looming ahead. In Essex the exams were in November and DS didn't see a practice paper before September.
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