Should I get a tutor for my child?

This is a guest post by Orlando Simon from Clarendon Tutors.

I know what you’re thinking. You’ve read the article’s title and you can see that I’m the co-founder of one of the UK’s leading tutoring agencies. You’re thinking that this article will be a long winded equivalent of a tartan salesman telling you that kilts are this season’s must have look.

Perhaps a bit of candour will help.

• Do you NEED to get your child a tutor? No.
• SHOULD you get a tutor for your child? Read on.

I was excited when Anita asked me to write about tutoring for her blog, as, whilst I have seen countless times what a powerfully positive experience tutoring can be, there can also be some negativity surrounding it.

Picture this, you arrive at the school gates and that parent (who is always dressed immaculately and drives a car that looks like it could run your car over) starts telling you that they have 7 different tutors for their child, one for each day of the week, and that they’ve started preparing for an entrance exam that is 5 years away.

You can start the day off feeling like you’re somehow failing as a parent because you don’t have a Nobel scientist at home tutoring your seven year old the difference between a liquid and a solid. This is nonsense.

There are so many ways for a parent to augment their child’s education and tutoring is only one of them. Moreover, when tutoring is focused on the child’s long term development and is delivered without intense pressure, it should be a joyous, transformative experience.

Beyond improving grades, tutoring can build a child’s confidence, inspire them with a love of a particular subject, foster them with soft skills, teach them how to learn and, importantly, take some of the bite out of the occasionally fractious parent-child working relationship.

Tutoring is not a panacea and I think it is important to say that there are two things that tutoring cannot and should not replace:

Independent learning – The development of a child’s ability to think independently and execute tasks independently must be protected at all costs. We have parents ask us for tutors to help with homework, but this is counterproductive in the long term. We know that some parents feel pressure from schools for homework to be completed, but if a child is struggling with homework the school must be made aware of this and, often, the struggle is central to the child’s academic development.

Recreation – This spring, we had a parent ask us if we would provide a tutor to work every single day of the summer holidays for six hours with their 10 year old daughter. We refused. A childhood is a sacred thing. Whilst all the students we help look forward to their tutors arriving, we know how busy the schedules of some children are nowadays and if your child has just one free hour in their week that could be filled with either an hour’s tuition or a an hour of screen free play, we might recommend the latter. Play is serious stuff.

With those points made clear, I think I should point out the circumstances when tutoring can be really beneficial. I know some parents’ budgets are already stretched in these uncertain times, but tutoring can be found at a variety of different price points, online tuition is cheaper (and effective), group tuition is also beneficial (though not as effective as one on one) and some programmes offer pro bono Oxbridge entrance support.

11+

For this, read all entrance exams: 16+, 13+, 11+, 10+, 7+ etc., grammar or independent. Your child might be precocious, but with so many of their peers receiving tutoring, your child will be disadvantaged without it. Whatever happens, the right sort of tutoring will help your child improve academically and in confidence.

Targeted help in crucial subjects

If your child is falling behind in a core GCSE subject or an A level that will scupper their uni offer, then tutoring could be the answer. It is wonderful how often our students end up choosing as A levels the subjects they’re being tutored in at GCSE, such is the impact of the tutoring. It doesn’t just unlock better grades, it can unlock passion for a subject too.

Oxbridge

Personal statement support and interview preparation are so specific for Oxbridge that one on one help can be a massive boost for your child’s chances. We run a charity initiative with a local academy school and I’m always amazed by the life skills being enhanced by personal statement support and interview prep.

Demotivated students

If your child is demotivated – they’re not doing their homework, they’re falling behind and they don’t seem to care – then finding them an enthusiastic, supportive and nurturing tutor can work wonders. (I should add that if the problem is persistent and spreads beyond academic work, then seek professional therapeutic support).

SEND

At Clarendon we worry that future local authority budgets are going to hamper schools’ ability to provide adequate SEND support. If your child is affected, then it is possible to find qualified (and I can’t stress that word enough) support through an agency.

With all of the above, they should be framed in positive terms of personal development, not in a success or failure dichotomy. As your child prepares for 11+, they will improve their skills. Oxbridge entrance is a formative experience for anyone who makes interview. A student going from always handing work in late to handing work in on time is a triumph.

So, in summary, you don’t need to get your child a tutor and you don’t need to fear the school gate mania around tutoring, but if you frame the tutoring positively and find the right tutor, it could be transformative for your child.

 

Orlando Simon is the founder and director of Clarendon Tutors. Clarendon Tutors are a London based tutoring agency and educational consultancy that helps children all over the world reach their educational goals.