PREP | FINDING A TUTOR
T U TOR T R A IL Getting extra academic help for your child can seem as overwhelming as finding the right school. Here’s where to start JASMINE ROBERTSON
DOES MY CHILD NEED A TUTOR?
to know you and understand how the whole family is placed. “It is important to get an idea of the personality of the child,” says Stephen Spriggs, “because all too often, even parents will ignore it.” Agencies will devise a bespoke tutoring plan and a shortlist of possible schools. Spriggs says: “ It’s about having a partner in the process. It is not about someone ringing us up and we give them a place at Eton.”
xtra support can be invaluable for a child who needs help academically or has missed school through illness. For international families with children in the British education system, a tutor can be invaluable for getting a pupil’s English up to speed, exam preparation, or making up for differences in the curriculum. Lucy Cawkwell of tutor agency Osborne Cawkwell says: “A tutor who can tell a child what school is like, particularly boarding, will provide emotional support as well as preparing them academically.” E
HOW DO WE AVOID PUTTING TOO MUCH PRESSURE ON OUR CHILD? he key is finding the balance between hothousing and giving support,” says Charles Bonas. “We might start at 5 or 6 to prepare a child for 7+ but often that’s too young, it all depends on the child.” T
AT WHAT AGE SHOULD TUTORING START? utors often prepare children for specific exams: the 7+, the 11+ and the 13+ or Common Entrance. Tutors will also be called on for GCSE, A-Levels (or IB) and Oxbridge examinations. As Charles Bonas, of blue-chip agency Bonas MacFarlane says: “Everybody needs tuition because the schools system is so competitive and tutoring gives you a clear advantage. To get into the top senior and independent schools – particularly in London – gets more difficult every year.” T
HOW LONG BEFORE EXAMS SHOULD TUTORING BEGIN? wo years before the 11+ is the ideal. “This makes it a more relaxed process,” says Stephen Spriggs, managing director of William Clarence Education. “It means we have time to cement good learning habits.” As a minimum, tutoring should start no less than six months before the 11+ exams. T
HOW DO I FIND A TOP-NOTCH TUTOR? alk to people who have been through T the process. Interview owners of several top agencies. Question the agencies’
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“Everyone needs tuition because the schools system is so competitive” safeguarding protocols. Can you trust them with your child’s education? Ask for parent references and follow them up. Talk money. And meet the tutor without your child.
HOW DO I KNOW THE TUTOR WILL BE UP TO SCRATCH? n agency is as only as good as its O tutors. Some will have a small number of professional tutors, others a vast database of contacts, from jobbing graduates to career tutors.
HOW WILL THEY ASSESS MY CHILD? A
ll good agencies will want to meet you and your child. They will want to get
WHAT ABOUT ONLINE TUITION? nline tuition is a booming business and companies vary hugely. There is a big difference between reputable agencies relying on Skype for overseas students and tuition agencies that only exist online. Many are good, some not so; it is a largely unregulated market. The obvious bonus is that it’s much cheaper. Lucy Cawkwell says: “You can’t beat one-toone teaching but our specialist tutors who teach via Skype are able to engage with the pupil and create that relationship virtually.” O
BE REALISTIC on’t push your child towards a school where they won’t make the academic standard. Take advice from your agency. Don’t be attracted by only the starriest schools. “There are so many fantastic ones that are less well-known,” says Charles Bonas. Stephen Spriggs cautions: “Getting your child into a particular school is one thing, them staying there and being happy is another.” D
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11/02/2016 09:05