How many students are tutored?

DarkEnergy · Post by **DarkEnergy** » Mon May 17, 2010 7:06 pm

I had a conversation with my nephew at LSS in Rugby. He said that 8 out of 9 boys in his year (current year 7) had been tutored for the 11+. Mostly paid tutors rather than parents DIY. He said the remainder, 1 out of 9 are the serious boffins who taught themselves to do 11 plus. Does anyone have any more accurate information on how many are tutored?

It would be interesting to find out, how many successful GS candidates were tutored and how many unsuccessful candidates were tutored. Also, what are the statistics comparing parent DIY to paid tutor.

I am a confirmed DIYer, but I get the feeling many parents are quietly paying for tuition but not telling anyone.

pheasantchick · Post by **pheasantchick** » Mon May 17, 2010 7:32 pm

Your suspicions are correct! Many parents do pay for tutors but don't widely publicise this.

I've asked my DS how many people in his class are being tutored, and the general concensus is most. However, I only had one serious conversation with a parent from his class about this, plus a few odd comments in passing. The children are more forthcoming. ie." ...I can't come around tonight as I'm going to my tutor...".

sherry_d · Post by **sherry_d** » Mon May 17, 2010 8:04 pm

I was trying to encourage my DD one day when she was moarning about doing her work that she has to work hard and it doesnt matter what everyone at school is doing. That was me in naivety thinking most werent doing it. DD replies but mum all my friends are going to tutors. To make sure I had heard properly she counted me the number up to about 10 or so who are seeing tutors.

People are a bit cagey about it and there are some who DIY and claim they dont do tutoring. But whats that, maybe coaching but its still tutoring IMHO just its your own lot. Some lie about the amount they do and if your DC sees a tutor and gets 2 hours homework. Thats 3 hours a week not 1 hour a week.

DarkEnergy · Post by **DarkEnergy** » Mon May 17, 2010 8:26 pm

Just had a shameful thought that I will share.

Maybe I do not hear much about tutoring because my DD is indeed DD as are her friends. Are some parents less likely to pay to tutor a DD than a DC. I cannot believe that I have just written this in 2010, more like 1910. Sorry if I have offended anyone, I do not mean to.

Rugbymum · Post by **Rugbymum** » Mon May 17, 2010 8:28 pm

Children are quite open about being tutored and there are quite a few at my DD's school being tutored, including DD. I was going down the DIY route but found it wasn't really working out so at Easter, I decided to get a tutor.

Several of my DS's classmates at primary school were being tutored and out of those who passed only one was never tutored at all - he wasn't even a boffin and his parents admitted to being surprised he passed. My DS was tutored for about 6 months by a tutor and then we went DIY for the last few months.

Sherbetlemon · Post by **Sherbetlemon** » Mon May 17, 2010 8:43 pm

It's absurd to lie about it (and a complete waste of time; the children in my year 5 daughter's class all seem to know who is seeing which tutor, when, and probably how much their parents are paying), but people are entitled to do as they wish.

Parents will prepare their children for the 11+ according to the child's ability, their own ability, the depth of their pockets and the importance they place on the child passing. Most children who pass do seem to receive some sort of coaching. Whether they need it or not is another matter, but it is hard not to join in the fun, especially when the children themselves are so conscious of how much preparation other children are receiving.

For what it's worth, DarkEnergy, my daughter (now year 7) received a rather naive DIY preparation, little more than the 'familiarisation' process that the LEA would approve of, and passed comfortably. She's not brilliant, wasn't top of her (admittedly very able) primary class, though she is a quick thinker and probably quite well suited in temperament to the breathless pace of the test.

I'd like to think that this means that the Warks test is as 'tutor proof' as is claimed, but of course I don't really know, without being able to put a clone of her through the test again with more intensive tuition to see what the difference in score might be. I do know that during the break in the test, several of the children grumbled that 'that tutor was a waste of money'.

Sherbetlemon · Post by **Sherbetlemon** » Mon May 17, 2010 8:44 pm

DarkEnergy wrote:Just had a shameful thought that I will share.

Maybe I do not hear much about tutoring because my DD is indeed DD as are her friends. Are some parents less likely to pay to tutor a DD than a DC. I cannot believe that I have just written this in 2010, more like 1910. Sorry if I have offended anyone, I do not mean to.

To my relief, and undoubtedly yours, I don't get the impression that this is the case.

magwich2 · Post by **magwich2** » Mon May 17, 2010 10:34 pm

Both DD1 and DD2 were not tutored although with hindsight we were taking one helluva risk!
DC3 on the other hand also being DS1 needs a tutor very badly indeed!
I cannot BELIEVE how different DDs and DSs are despite several years of indoctrination at university - anyone who says they are the same is seriously deranged!
I do not wish to sound unpleasant but if DDs 1and 2 had been DSs then DC3 would not have been brought into existence!!!

sherry_d · Post by **sherry_d** » Mon May 17, 2010 10:45 pm

magwich2 wrote: I do not wish to sound unpleasant but if DDs 1and 2 had been DSs then DC3 would not have been brought into existence!!!

tiredmum · Post by **tiredmum** » Mon May 17, 2010 11:02 pm

in my dd's class 10 children passed. My dd and another dc did not have paid tutors. (i did practice papers at home with her) - 3 attended a group paid tutor, the rest had tutoring one on one. 2 of these had up to 3 hours a week tutoring for the 6 months running up to the test!