Who's home tutoring for indies?

[mama-de-dos]

(Wanting to be sensitive to menagerie's original post and to not usurp the conversation...)

We've registered at Eton and Westminster, and I believe that my son might test as soon as November of next year. I've begun a separate post on this topic entitled something like "Test prep for Eton & Westminster", so if you have any comments to add, I'd really appreciate if you'd post there!

Best wishes to your families, menagerie and Tailsmo!

[menagerie]

Good luck with that Mama. We've just been recommended to try out for Colet Court/St Paul's by a tutor who evaluated both DC, so I understand the pressure you're under. (And the St Paul's prep exam is in Feb!)

[Sassie'sDad]

I successfully tutored my youngest for a number of years (4, 5 & 6)though not exclusively. I sent her back to school for year 6 to a different school with a male Head and genuine culture of discipline (& I changed where I lived to ensure this happened). She went on to pass the eleven plus and win a scholarship to Rugby. I found from the beginning her weakest subject was maths especially mental arithmetic. This is the worst/least taught subject in the majority of state schools. Now, year nine she is achieving consistently high results across the board yet her weakest performance remains mental maths.

She has had French and German lessons outside school since year 3. This has positively reflected in her language skills generally. She is top of her year in German and French. She wins prizes for English essays and is strong in Latin and Greek. I am not saying this to show off, rather to illustrate that a strong early start lays down the correct methodology for learning - regardless of subject. Every subject teacher says the same - she is organised, disciplined and very thoroughly prepared. Her work is consistently neat and beautifully presented "a joy to mark". I find being told this (at parents meetings) remains a humbling experience. I find it hard to fight back tears of emotion. I don't think my child is exceptional. Anyone prepared to invest time and trouble, who can find a close emotional rapport with their child, can make an astonishing difference.

My only caveat that this will cost and much more than mere money. I had"fights" with my local education authority and my wife and four years of divorce and ******-minded solicitors (on both sides). It was **** for my two girls and me. Seven years on it still hurts and (at least for the youngest) there are seven more critical years to go. Often I think I may not survive it but I am determined she will. Good luck to menagerie and all of you!

[motion]

We home tutored our kids and they got in but it was close. If we had to do it again I would hire a tutor familiar with the school in question during the home stretch i.e. about a month before the exam.

Hi PD,

I am new here and starting to home tutor my young DS

I just want to know how you prepared your DS for Habs exams please? What material did you use and which was most useful please?

I have started with Bond, and letts, but these are no way as challenging as the habs or NLC/other GS papers

Thanks and Kind Regards

Motion

[Pushy Dad]

Hi Motion
I've ppm-ed you. Apologies for late response - I've only just noticed your question

[motion]

Thanks!!

[sillymum]

I'm home tutoring and our indie entrance test is 2nd December. We're using Bond English, Maths, VR and NVR papers and 10 min tests. We started in March, only 6 weeks to go. DD has improved in all areas and now feels really confident of her ability to pass. I've enjoyed working with her too, so it's been a win-win so far. Can't beleive I've just written that, because it's also been the most stressful thing I've ever done, and I have pulled my hair out so much when it's been going badly. Just come off the back of a good weekend when DD scored over 90% in all 4 papers, so maybe my glasses are a bit rose tinted this week!!My pocket won't stretch to a tutor, so I had no choice but to do it myself. Only time will tell if it worked!

We used the Bond books too. Like you, found it great fun! They're really "user friendly" and alot less than paying £40 per week for a tutor. I think I learned something from them too, so an added bonus