Tutor Talk
Welcome to our Primary to GCSE Tutoring Blog...
A Dickensian Christmasā¦
(GCSE revision doesnāt have to be arduous).
December is here and Christmas preparations are underway. From gifts, to playing games, roast turkey and spreading Christmas joy to family, friends and loved ones- and of course, there will be snow!
The fundamentals of a traditional Dickensian Christmas, without the snow sadly, the Victorianās had a mini ice age at the time Charles Dickens wrote a Christmas Carol, hence the association with snow and Christmas.
At this point in the academic calendar, there are around 18 teaching weeks left until the GCSEs begin. So, for anyone sitting their exams in 2025, it is sensible to have this in mind.
Our Tutoring Team have put together some Top Tips for revision and study:
Try to find enjoyment in revision and family members- get involved too!
Picture the scene: a cosy room, a roaring log fire and plenty of snacksā¦ family members young and old gather to watchā¦ A Christmas Carol (If this is the set text of course!). Family discussions can be thrashed out about any of the GCSE texts as they are chosen specifically so candidates are able to present an array of different judgements and opinions.
Revision doesnāt have to be done independently- forming a study group with friends to share/ exchange knowledge and quiz each other.
Set realistic revision goals also, a little and often approach is better.
Read feedback from marked work, any hints, tips and suggestions given are gold dust, so try to see it as useful rather than negative.
āA Merry Christmas to everybody! A Happy New Year to all the world!ā Dickens- A Christmas Carol.
Emma and the Primary to GCSE Tutoring Team.
If you have any queries about English, Maths or Science tutoring, pleaseĀ contact us.
How are tutors trained, developed and motivated to deliver improved standards of care to parents and students?
Customer care is so important to Primary to GCSE Tutoring, without this, our learners would not achieve the best possible results. Tutoring is a very personal relationship between teacher/tutor and learners. We do not have any sign-up fees, contract or notice of leave with our parents and students. We will only continue to provide our service if the student/ parent feels like the tuition is working. Our tutors are carefully selected for the role as I know they have to have certain attributes to connect with our learners. They need to be good role models, have achieved themselves, have a growth and positive mindset and inspire our young learners. This is the first stage of ensuring excellent customer service.
The second stage is the maintenance, I observe lessons regularly and offer feedback to tutors. We also peer observe each otherās recorded lessons, these are especially useful for new tutor training. We have a Whatsapp group, collectively, there’s around 30+ years of teaching experience in our team. We stand for a culture of support and growth as this is what we insist upon for our learners so any tutor can message/ call and someone is always on hand to give/advice or help.
We also have an ‘open door’ policy, parents are encouraged to drop into lessons to see how their money is being spent. We want parents involved as this becomes and unbeatable triangle of success between student, tutor and parent.
I am always available to listen to students and parents, we also like to build a connection with schools. Sometimes it’s useful to liaise with school teachers and team teach topics so the student has more support as our tutors are flexible enough to follow the school curriculum or create our own, depending on the student and parentās wishes. Flexibility is key, we will always try to accommodate our staff and learners in our timetabling. We want our parents/ students to be happy, so we work around family meals/ extra-curricular activities as we encourage and uphold the well-being of the individual.
Parents/ students are regularly given the opportunity to feedback to us on lessons and tutors, whatever is mentioned we listen.
The way our customers pay is also flexible to accommodate the range of families that use us. Parents can choose a pay as you go (weekly) payment via bank transfer. Or they can pay via an automated direct debit which can be set monthly or termly.
In addition to this, our lessons fees are designed to be inclusive of varying budgets, small group classes are affordable, and we also offer 1-1 classes. We are completely student focused and committed to helping our learners succeed. We also offer a discount for students with siblings or students who study multiple subjects.
Ultimately, we are customer facing and focused, we are judged on our professionalism and results, this is why our offering is so varied and broad as it is designed to accommodate all.
As I said previously, the role of a tutor is incredibly personal, and certain attributes are essential. For example, being able to champion and inspire young people. Fortunately, the type of staff that apply to me are already teachers/ people that want to make a difference, so they are used to working with young people and enjoy it! In addition to the termly progress meetings we also meet annually for a staff meeting/ team building and lunch day in late July usually. We celebrate the year just gone, address what went well, and discuss the challenges and obstacles we faced. Due to the business changing/ growing year on year we have very much grown together, and tutors have become pivotal in voicing their ideas and opinions the these are these are collectively agreed for the benefit of our learners. I rely on their expertise, skills and experience in voicing their suggestions to further improve the service we offer and the provision as a whole. This in turn creates a sense of purpose and accountability, there would be no business without my team- it cannot be done alone. The staff of Primary to GCSE Tutoring are valued and respected. I believe that this sense of belonging, and value is infectious, and this is paid forward to our learners and as a result, they are nurtured and championed to be the best they can be.
Training and staff development occurs through lesson observations and progress meetings through the year. We have clear documents for tracking and monitoring that are designed to be quick and useful. All tutors must have a DBS, and they are supported in refresher training for Safeguarding and Child Protection.
From what I have seen since starting this business, the need for tutors is greater than ever and for a variety of wide-ranging reasons.
Sometimes, tutors are a long-term resource used over a few years leading up to an important exam such as the 11+, SATs or the GCSEs. In this scenario, we will take a skills-based approach initially and then work up to mock papers and give regular feedback until the final exams.
One of the benefits to hiring a tutor is that tutors give weekly feedback, which is impossible in a school with classes of 30 plus students. We believe that regular feedback is vitally important to the studentās learning, providing motivation in the form of evident weekly improvement. It also keeps each assignment fresh in the student’s mind, making it easier for students to remember the work they do and the successes they achieve. After all, even the best student would forget an assignment set a fortnight ago.
Tutors can provide a rapid turn around of feedback, as each tutor is assigned to that student; we donāt have supply teachers, so as a small team we can offer continuity and consistency. We also allow for time to go back and revisit- a luxury a school does not have.
This year has been a difficult year in terms of consistency in education, with schools seeing frequent closures due to teacher strikes. In this absence, parents asked us to tutor on those days or set extra homework, so their child did not fall behind. We were happy to oblige and meet the requirements of those parents, and will continue to do so to ensure the best quality of education is afforded to each student, even in times of disturbance.
The primary benefit of tuition is the ability to work 1-1 with individual students or in small groups that avoid the low-level disruptions that are commonplace is some classrooms. Tutoring sessions are just the tutor and the student, so the pace is dictated by the student and their needs. If they want to work ahead and start looking at the next grade in maths- no problem. If we need to go back and work on some missed areas- no problem. Itās a completely personalised programme of study designed for the student in meeting their fullest potential.
As such, we encourage our students to take ownership of their learning as we think this is an important skill for young people to practice. Some students like tuition to follow the curriculum of their school; if they are currently covering Pythagoras in school, theyād also like extra in the tutoring lessons. Some also like to have extra questions set in preparation for an upcoming assessment. This flexibility and fluidity can only be offered in the form of tutoring.
Tuition is an invaluable bolt-on to a mainstream education, something the schools themselves recognise. I have contact with teachers and Heads of Departments that are happy to share their schemes of work for our tutors to follow. This is so positive and it ensures the best possible outcomes for our learners.
Our students come from all different types of schools: state schools, independent schools, and grammar schools, we truly could not have a more diverse range of students.
Regardless of ability, age or socio-economic backgrounds, tuition supports this diverse group – which suggests to me that our education system has significant gaps that our tutors are fixing when the school day ends.
We have such a vast array of students working towards different goals. We have students in the lower primary years working on their phonics, older primary children working towards their SATs or 11+/ common entrance exams, and students in the secondary years working towards their GCSEs.
In addition to all of these, most recently, we have helped a young person move from their Independent School to attaining a place at their local grammar school – which involved tuition for sitting a CAT 4 test (Iām pleased to say she passed and begins Y9 in September) – and only today, I have received the superb news that our English graduate who needed to sit an equivalency test in Maths to begin her PGCEā¦ has passed! For us, our results speak louder than words: if you or your child has a goal, and they need a little support in getting thereā¦ tutoring with us will always be a worthwhile experience.
Tutors have the same status as teachers- we pride ourselves on our commitment to our students and our professionalism.
I find this online statement about tutoring as a profession deeply disconcerting: āno formal qualifications are needed to become a tutorā. Rest assured, this is not the case with us! We have two qualified English Lecturers on the team and the rest of our team are subject specialists, meaning that they all have achieved (in the subject they tutor) no less than a grade 8 at GCSE and an A at A-level as a minimumĀ requirement.Ā Ā Ā
Not only do they have excellent subject knowledge, but they are also incredibly nice people – very patient, understanding, and encouraging.Ā
No question is a silly question!
Whatever the need, whatever the goal, our team of specialists are ready to help.Ā
Despite the tutors being everything I have mentioned above, they do not have magic wands. Tuition requires the same amount of commitment and dedication from the student and the fusion of both creates astounding results!
There have been so many examples of this combined effort by tutor and student, as we have a strong record of exemplary results. We have seen that it is possible to improve by 2, 3, 4 evenĀ 5Ā grades at GCSE! The tutors can get you there, but the student has to work for it too.Ā
If you have anything youād like any advice on regarding your childās learning, please contact Emma to discuss any worries or concerns you may have.