As the Year 6s, 11s and 13s come closer to finishing their end-of-year assessments the spotlight is starting to turn onto the Year 5s, 10s and 12s. Already, teaching unions are urging the government to come up with a workable plan for their exams next year. Meanwhile, gaps in their learning need to be addressed.
A recent BBC report stated that “Weekly sessions could help a student make three to six months of academic progress, with particularly large gains in literacy and numeracy among primary-school pupils, according to four recent UK studies.” Other reports (eg Sutton Trust and Education week) concluded that students see an increase of at least half a grade. With over 25% of students now receiving weekly after-school tutoring it is no surprise that many tutors are seeing an upturn in their student numbers.
There is also an increase in schools (especially primary schools) recommending parents find private tutors to help their children make up for lost learning time. With hourly rates starting at £25 it is far more affordable than parents realise. Some tutors also offer small group sessions at a reduced hourly rate per student. Many tutors are also offering sessions over the Summer holidays, to ensure that students start back in September on target and, in many cases, achieving higher than predicted grades.
With so many tutors already reporting that they are full from September, it would definitely be a good idea to start working with a tutor sooner rather than later.