How many families are really doing this?

[Chelmsford mum]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/200 ... vate-tutor

Hope that link works. Found this article quite staggering really

I know , we all know, there is quite a lot of preparation going on for 11+ exams but this much? 5 am starts and six hours a day
Surely not many people are doing that much?


Sorry realised someone posted this link somewhere else too.Still interested to know if people think this is truly representative of reality

[SunlampVexesEel]

"I am blunt with parents. I tell them this is the most challenging exam their child will do – because it is the only exam they will never be able to resit."

True statement.

Very scary.

[essex-mum18]

Very scary article.

Obviously, it is a rather extreme case but I really do feel the sheer desperstion for those parents who really want their DC to the GS. Competition is so fierce nowadays and I believe parents do feel that their DC will be put in such disadvantage if no tution is given for the 11+ prepartion. It is because no more level playing field if the other children have tutoring and your child does not. This indeed put a lot of pressure on the child and the family as well.

Another interesting point raised in the article is that how parents will keep quiet re their child's tutor. It certainly happened to me a few years ago. Parents would say that they put their child in the waiting list of a very popular tutor but very reluctant to tell who the tutor was . In the end, I was happy to tutor my child by myself with the right resources.

Unfortunately, this sort of intensive tutoring will carry on to some children( I hope it is really the minority) unless better and decent education will be more widely available.

[Chelmsford mum]

I hope that their are tutors out there that would refuse to become involved in some of these practices.
I was definitely too relaxed re preparation and nearly paid a very high price .
However if this article is "for real" then I would hope an ethical tutor would refuse to take a 10 year old for tuition at 5 am.
I would hope equally that he/she would say to parents " your child does not need to do 6 hours prep in a day and that it will possibly be counterproductive."

It is profiteering out of parental fear.No one needs to do that much...or am I just in cloud cuckoo land?

[essex-mum18]

I remember not long ago, a documentary programme on channel 4 called the 'Admission Impossible' highlighted a similar problem. The child did not get up at 5am but he did have a lot of preparations.

If I remember correctly, a child had tution twice a week with a very popular local tutor. Then, 2 hours every night revision with his father at home. Another couple hours every weekend to do the past papers. In the end, I think he passed the 11+ and had a party to celebrate.

His father was very honest and admitted that he would not tell any parents about this popular tutor because it means less competition.

I was rather tensed when I watched the programme because I could feel the pressure for that child as well as the desperation of his father.

[Chelmsford mum]

I remember that programme and he only passed for 1 of the 3 grammars in Sutton, even after all of that
I have toyed with the idea of tutoring as I teach in another sector.I have also prepared my own 2 DDs for the Essex 11+ recently. However when I read this kind of article, I know I am not cut out for it.
I would say " sorry you are barmy if you think you should get your child up at 5 am, for two years, in order to prepare"
So I don't think a career in tutoring is for me.

I just hope that this newspaper have found the worst case scenario. I hope that this family are not typical and that children aren't out there doing 8 hours in a week.
I have never met anyone like that, but then from what you say, they probably wouldn't tell me.

[essex-mum18]

[quote="Chelmsford mum"]

I just hope that this newspaper have found the worst case scenario.

Me too. It is just so unhealthy !!

[za1]

Well - taking the example in the Observer article ---

Any parent who is thick enough/desperate enough to make their child a) attend a 2 hour session at 5am and b) make their kids work 6 hours a day as 11+ preparation.....fully deserve to pay the ridiculous £100 fees. I would consider these fees a fine for being stupid. Can't blame the tutor.

I think a lot of parents on here probably : a) tutored for 1-2 hours a week b) for maybe 1 to 1.5 or 2 years c) probably a couple of hours tuition homework in the week d) paying approx £20.

The above is fair enough I reckon.

[Milla]

: a) tutored for 1-2 hours a week b) for maybe 1 to 1.5 or 2 years c) probably a couple of hours tuition homework in the week d) paying approx £20.

a) one hour
b) one year
c) 30 mins max (often not that much - comprehension, rather than past papers)
d) £5

[Looking for help]

My problem with the whole thing is that it is so subversive. No-one ever gives you a straight answer. The schools themselves hide behind a veil saying if questioned only a few hours familiarisation is necessary, and advsisng that a few NFER papers are all that is available to practice on. Folk like me live in a dark age where this used to be true, unfortunately their youngest child had no idea what he was up against because in the past few years there has been such an explosion in the tutoring business. The school we applied for is in a different area to us, we are not local so never had any playground news/gossip to go on. I had never even heard of the company that everyone apparently goes to to get their children into the school. These kids are tutored for 3 hours every Saturday for at least a year plus nightly homework and extra lessons if they are not up to standard. I would gladly have followed this route if I had even been remotely aware because it was so important to us that he went to the same school/ had the same opportunities as his older siblings.

However what will be will be, we have no choice but to make the best of things, which are not too bad, but do have their ups and downs

LFH