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Tutors to support School Work and Homework

NAS84656

My son is 11 years old and in year 6.  Due to go to high school in Sept.  I am exploring options of a tutor to help him with some of his homework and to help me understand new ways to support his learning.  He is on the autistic spectrum and was assessed last year. His difficulties are often quite subtle so he seems to fall through gaps in the school system.  I am working closely with school as much as possible.  Does anyone have any experience of using a tutor to support their child at home to complement school work?  Any tips on  how I go about looking at options of a tutor to help me with his homework / costs or anything general to share about that. School seem to think this might not be a good idea however I really feel the homework set is too challenging for him and it is also very tricky for me to teach him at times as I don't always fully understand the current teaching methods they use at school.  Am not sure suitable for him either and how he seems to process info. Wondered if anyone has experience of accessing a tutor for help with their child that perhaps they could share?

Parents

  • Hi, I'm not a parent, but I am an experienced tutor

    I'm slightly confused on why your school thinks it might not be a good idea as there is mountains of quantitative evidence on the benefits of tutoring on pupils progress, but moving on from that.

    You have a few options for tutoring, especially as he's quite young, experience and qualifications tends to = more money so it's about finding the balance that suits you.

    First option, in person vs online. If in person, at your house or theirs. As he's 11, I'd recommend staying close, but the tutor/your son may not want you in the same room. 

    Second option, experience. Particularly experience with primary school students (will be less common than GCSE for example) and experience with autistic or at least differences in learning students. They don't need a qualification, but at least some students or personal experience is a good thing. This is the thing you should ask about, when in initial communication. 

    Third options, qualifications. I mean, they should really have the basic school ones. A teaching qualification PCGE I think, isn't necessary, DBS checks are good, especially with a young and potentially additionally vulnerable child.  Don't be afraid to ask. They may have had other training, I also did volunteer tutoring which gave me a lot of training for primary aged children including ones with additional learning needs such as dyscalculia. 

    So yeah there are the basic options, now the slightly more difficult bit, how you get one

    There are a number of tutoring advertisement sites, don't be afraid to get them from other places though, one of my clients was the daughter of the paramedic who checked my medical history when I had my first COVID vaccine. MyTutor is a good one, MyPocketSkill has young people but keeps track of experience well. There will also be local organisations and websites that are worth sorting out.

    I always always set up a zoom call before we did anything in person or had a proper lesson, just to discuss the aims of tutoring, the deal on both sides (I do not set homework, some tutors will). You are allowed, at this or any other point to go 'I don't think this is working I want to stop'. As is your son. He should be involved with choosing any tutors, the call about the tutors, and how often he wants the tutoring. For both your son and the tutor's sake, please please don't make him do tutoring if he doesn't want to, it sucks to try and teach a child that really doesn't want to be there. 

    Price, probably 20-50 pounds an hour depending on the tutor? I wouldn't go lower than that, it means it's a very inexperienced tutor, but unless the person is a qualified teacher I wouldn't go higher either. This is a primary aged student, you need less prep time and knowledge to teach them compared than say, an A-level student. 

    What the sessions involve is typically for you and your tutor to decide.

    If it's the homework that you're worried about, they might either work through it with your son, (some will do it for him, watch out for that, that's not effective help) or they might go back a few steps, and work through some work that leads up to the homework and some questions that are like the homework to help him to be able to do it on his own

    Hope that helps, let me know if you have any more questions :)

Reply

  • Hi, I'm not a parent, but I am an experienced tutor

    I'm slightly confused on why your school thinks it might not be a good idea as there is mountains of quantitative evidence on the benefits of tutoring on pupils progress, but moving on from that.

    You have a few options for tutoring, especially as he's quite young, experience and qualifications tends to = more money so it's about finding the balance that suits you.

    First option, in person vs online. If in person, at your house or theirs. As he's 11, I'd recommend staying close, but the tutor/your son may not want you in the same room. 

    Second option, experience. Particularly experience with primary school students (will be less common than GCSE for example) and experience with autistic or at least differences in learning students. They don't need a qualification, but at least some students or personal experience is a good thing. This is the thing you should ask about, when in initial communication. 

    Third options, qualifications. I mean, they should really have the basic school ones. A teaching qualification PCGE I think, isn't necessary, DBS checks are good, especially with a young and potentially additionally vulnerable child.  Don't be afraid to ask. They may have had other training, I also did volunteer tutoring which gave me a lot of training for primary aged children including ones with additional learning needs such as dyscalculia. 

    So yeah there are the basic options, now the slightly more difficult bit, how you get one

    There are a number of tutoring advertisement sites, don't be afraid to get them from other places though, one of my clients was the daughter of the paramedic who checked my medical history when I had my first COVID vaccine. MyTutor is a good one, MyPocketSkill has young people but keeps track of experience well. There will also be local organisations and websites that are worth sorting out.

    I always always set up a zoom call before we did anything in person or had a proper lesson, just to discuss the aims of tutoring, the deal on both sides (I do not set homework, some tutors will). You are allowed, at this or any other point to go 'I don't think this is working I want to stop'. As is your son. He should be involved with choosing any tutors, the call about the tutors, and how often he wants the tutoring. For both your son and the tutor's sake, please please don't make him do tutoring if he doesn't want to, it sucks to try and teach a child that really doesn't want to be there. 

    Price, probably 20-50 pounds an hour depending on the tutor? I wouldn't go lower than that, it means it's a very inexperienced tutor, but unless the person is a qualified teacher I wouldn't go higher either. This is a primary aged student, you need less prep time and knowledge to teach them compared than say, an A-level student. 

    What the sessions involve is typically for you and your tutor to decide.

    If it's the homework that you're worried about, they might either work through it with your son, (some will do it for him, watch out for that, that's not effective help) or they might go back a few steps, and work through some work that leads up to the homework and some questions that are like the homework to help him to be able to do it on his own

    Hope that helps, let me know if you have any more questions :)

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