Choosing to Tutor your child

Choosing to Tutor your child

Year five has been a big year for me as a primary school parent.

I have found myself constantly thinking about the twins education and what choices we will be making at the beginning of year six with regards to high school.

I want to make sure that they are confident in their core subjects when they move up to secondary school.

I personally think tutoring is a well worth expenditure. I was privately tutored in German when I was at high school. My parents were told by my German teacher that I would be lucky to scrape a D in my GCSE. My mum and dad decided that some of my problems might have been caused because the teacher and I had no chemistry whatsoever. So, I went to German tutor once a week for about 8 months before my GCSEs. I passed with an A*!

Seeing a tutor once a week give the boys a chance to ask questions that they don’t get a chance to ask at school (and dont even bother asking me). If there is something they cant grasp, they can cover it in more depth or by using a different method. The boys have gained so much from seeing a tutor.

I even decided that I would start having Charlie tutored, who is heading into year 4 in September, to give him a headstart.

I was lucky enough to find a tutor that the boys adore and that they can completly relate too.

All of the boys were ‘where they should be’ at Maths and English. I didnt start tutoring them because I was worried. I chose to invest in tutoring to help with their confidence, which all three boys were lacking in.

It has really paid off. Their school teachers have noticed a massive improvement and I can tell their confidence has definatly grown. I asked the boys how they feel about being tutored.

Mikey, 10 ‘I enjoy seeing Carla because she makes Maths and English fun and always comes up with new techniques to help us remember things.’

Harri, 10 ‘At first i didnt want a tutor but since i have been seeing Carla I feel much more confident at school and we have so much fun with her’

Charlie, 8 ‘I have always enjoyed maths at school, but when i see Carla its just really fun.’

I asked Carla if she would mind giving me her opinion on tutoring;

Many people ask me my opinion regarding private tutoring and it is hard to give an unbiased account when it is my main income. There are many aspects I love with 1-2-1 teaching. That light bulb moment, when a pupil realises they are not bad at maths, cannot be beaten. Or when they run into your house with their latest school report and it shows a big improvement. My main goal is to see children enjoy learning. Many parents are surprised that after a couple of weeks, their children want to complete homework- children love to show you what they can do and it doesn’t matter if it is maths or making a paper aeroplane – as long as they are proud they can do it, they will do it over and over. The key is to make learning as fun and accessible as getting to the next level on Mario Kart. I don’t do anything that a parent can’t – there are enough YouTube videos and resource books to help your own child. However, a lot of children do not trust their parents as teachers; children compartmentalise adults – parents parent and teachers teach. You may find you bang heads a lot when it comes do doing extra stuff out of the classroom. It makes sense to pay an expert. The most important thing is to find a tutor that suits your child. Firstly, why does your child need a tutor? For me the answer should fall into one of these categories: 1) Grammar/private school entry 10/11 plus exam practice 2) Confidence building 3) Special educational needs support 4) The child had a weak teacher/change of teacher in a certain year and needs catch up work Some tutors specialise and the most important factor is making sure your child is 100% comfortable with your child and they understand their style of learning. Make sure you are getting what you want out of your tutor. For confidence boosting, a 1-2-1 tutor is ideal. Yes there are cheaper options like Kumon and group work. However, personally, I do not think you can beat someone dedicating their full attention to your child. They are more likely to admit they do not fully understand something and ask questions when they are not comparing themselves to another child. It is equally important that they work at their own pace in the first instance. They will speed up as they grow in confidence. But what don’t I like? If I am brutally honest, parents who tell me their child is bad at maths, only to discover they do not know their tables. I cannot stress enough, what a hindrance this is to your child. It is like me asking you to win Great British Bake Off, without measuring any ingredients and not knowing what scales were! I am also not a fan of over tutoring a child. If they need four hours tuition every night after school and all day Saturday to pass the 11 +, the likelihood is that they will struggle at the school and will always feel anxious about learning. It is much better to be top of a good state school, than bottom of a grammar. Morale is important and something that will stay with your child for life. I personally do not offer a child more than 2 hours a week. Lastly, unrealistic expectations can be tricky to manage with parents. An hour is not very long and if your child was struggling before, it is unlikely that they will become Einstein with an extra hour support. Even training at the top football clubs, not every footballer can bend the ball like Beckham, nor will each child become the next Carole Vordeman or Shakespeare. At Carla’s Classroom, my motto is Loving Life Long Learning. I want children to be excited by education, strive to do better and believe they have no limitations. When I first talk to parents, many say, they didn’t enjoy school, or didn’t get maths – some still struggle now. They are often daunted by their children’s homework. Most people are surprised to find out, that for this very reason, I also offer tuition to parents. Many would love to support the teacher or tutor, but are left perplexed by the new methods, and vocabulary like chunking, partitioning, grid method in maths, or idioms, fronted adverbials and Hyperboles in English. And let’s be honest – if you are not a primary school teacher, how are you supposed to know how they do school work now? I’ve had so many conversations with parents who say they feel intimidated by their child’s teacher or that the homework does not make sense, that I saw a need to rectify this. It also cuts down on your tutoring bill – it allows parents to continue and support the work at home. A win for the pupil, parent, teacher and tutor! When children are phoning me themselves and asking for extra work, I know I have got the balance right, and that is when it is one of the best jobs in the world.’

I think ill be discussing with Carla tutoring for myself.

Then maybe I wont sweat a river when the kids walk towards me with their homework book! Take a look at my similar posts

High School Transition

High School Transition

Year 6 children were recieving their high school decisions last week and everyone of them and their nervous parents were in my thoughts. This time last year we were in that position. Waiting desperately to find out if we had been given a place at our first choice. When we received the email informing us both twins had been offered a place at Oxted School, the school we were hoping for, I thought that was the end of our stress.  A bottle of champagne and a nice dinner out marked the end of a stressful couple of years of reseach, opinions, school tours and Ofsted reports. About three weeks after we found out the boys had got into Oxted, a Facebook post appeared on my thead. ‘Latest Ofsted Report shows school is failing its pupils’. Our first choice school had recieved a ‘Requires Improvement ‘ grading from Ofsted. I looked through the report and managed to rationalise most of it. In fact, the report didn’t concern me half as much as some of the comments being made by parents and people from the community about the school on the facebook post. Comments were being made about ‘teachers turning a blind eye to bullying, knife threats, picturing a school that worries more about uniform that its student welfare. Pupils being assaulted and nothing being done’ it just sounded like every mums worst nightmare. It was too late to apply for another school so I turned for a brief moment to the thought of private education….for all of 10 minutes. I worked out it would cost about £850,000 to send all our children and that is before University costs! Everytime I popped into town and met someone with a child at the school I spent 15 minutes quizzing them. I spoke to ex pupils and current pupils and everyone gave me the same feedback. It is a large school (over 3000 pupils) and there will always be bad stories, unfortunately the good stories never tend to make it to social media, but overall the feedback was positive. I emailed the head teacher with my concerns and ten minutes later I recieved a reply inviting me to pop in and see her. She explained exactly where she felt the school was lacking and how she planned to tackle the issues Ofsted had raised. She assured me that the door was always open if we ever had any more concerns. Right. I was reassured. I could start looking forward to my twin sons new life adventure.September arrived but, unexpectedly, that first week was probably the hardest of my whole ‘mum life’. We were so excited, the boys had all their uniform, pe kit and lesson equipment ready and off they went. I had spent the previous two days watching all my other mum friends from primary school post what a great first day their kids had and I couldn’t wait to do the same. I spent all day with an excited knot in my stomach, waiting to pick them up and find out how their first day at high school had been. I couldn’t wait to hear about all the friends they had made and wonderful teachers that they had met. It was nothing like what I had expected. They hated it. They told me they had made no friends and they wanted to move to the school that all their old pals had gone to (they were the only ones from their primary school to go to Oxted). They were so upset, both of them, they were crying and begging us not to send them back. I was devestated, and even though Mike is much more laid back when it comes to schooling than me, he couldn’t hid his dissapointment too. I completly and irrationally thought back to the Facebook comments earlier in the year and decided, despite spending two years researching secondary schools, I had screwed up. My boys were not happy, and that was the one thing I wanted for them. I posted my feelings on Instagram. Negative posts is not something I usually share but a friend had told me, as a parent blogger, it is important to share the sad times of parenthood aswell as the funny. It really helped me and acted more as reach out for some support. I was shocked at how many other parents said their children were experiencing the exact same feelings. Even though I felt like crap, I didn’t let the boys know, I adopted my usual positive manner. ‘It is your first day, you didnt have any friends on your first day at primary school, look at you now.’ ‘It seems hard and strange now but give it a couple of weeks and you will feel differently’ ‘I felt exactly the same on my first day at High School’ They were not convinced so I made a deal with them. I told them if they threw everything into this half term, if they joined extra curricular activities (enrichment) as the school calls it, and If they tried their best with school and homework and by the October half term they still felt the same I would look into different options. I had no intention of moving them unless it was really effecting them but it was important for them and our relationship that they understood I was listening to them. After that I became a ‘pushy mum’. I found the list of the enrichment activities and went through all the various clubs with them. They offered everything from science, art, drama, dance, table tennis and all sorts of sports. We agreed on a few each and I insisted they try, even if it was just once. Harrison went to Football and Rugby after school, Mikey went to drama, trampolining and hockey. Mikey put himself forward for the Christmas play and had a great time at the school roller disco. Harrison joined cross country and was invited to a inter-school meet within his first three weeks at school.I honestly believe that the enrichment activities they have put thselves forward for has helped their transition in secondary school. Needless to say, by October they had completely changed their mind about leaving Oxted. I am hoping this might help other parents struggling with children moving into secondary school. Extra curricular activities not only helps new pupils create friendships with people with similar interests but representing your school also embeds a sense of pride in your child and their school. Within two weeks the boys were happy at school, within two months they were really enjoying going into school. Now, half way through their second term, they love school. They have made incredible friends, represented the school in various sports and drama. They enjoy their lessons and learning and respect their school and teachers. Their parents evening was fantastic and I am so complementary and over the moon with the school.The parent – teacher communication is spot on, the oppertunities are in abundance and the standards and expectations are high. The school is also wonderful at sharing and celebrating students achievements, whether they in school or out of school. here is what I have taken from my first experience as a mum moving from Primary to Secondary school. – Don’t stress to much about other peoples opinions. What suits others may not suit your children, just go with your gut instict. – Encourage them to embrace all the oppertunities that the school offer. If they resist, push them. It is nerve racking for them, but it is well worth it and a good life lesson for them to push outside their comfort zone. – Keep an eye out for newsletters and emails. My boys are not always great at relaying information from school and gone are the days a letter is popped in their book bag. – When you hear about kids fighting at a school, don’t panic straight away. The boys have witnessed a few fights in their seven months and I worried at first. Untill they explain that the ‘fights’ are basically a couple of pupils pushing eachother and getting their handbags out. – If you have any questions or concerns go straight to the school. Headship teams understand parents concerns and should be on hand to put your mind at rest. – Become part of the school community. I dont mean you have to join the PTA (everyone who knows me knows that is not me). However, offering to help at school events means you are helping support and becoming part of the schools community. – Speak to your children. The boys and I have a very open relationship. I ask about their day at school, friendships, teachers, schoolwork, social media and general life. When they speak to me I try to never judge. I dont want them to ever worry about telling me something. – Keep in touch with friends from primary school. It is important for them to still have the familiarity and safety their old friendships bring. – Have realistic expectations of teachers and the school. Educational bodies are under a huge amount of pressure and need your support. Oxted School has been, so far, the best decision we have ever made for our boys and I hope it continues. I absolutly thrive on watching them grow, the friendships they are making and the experiences they are having. I am not suggesting it is a perfect school, but after a year of analysing I have come to the conclusion that no school is. Please share or tag any friends you have that are going through this transition. I would love to hear what tips you have for making the transtion smoother for year seven pupils and parents. Prehaps my other post on choosing a high school might help I asked aome of my wonderful blogging community for their top tips on starting Secondary School and here is what they had to say. Sarah at www.kippersandcurtains.com If they are walking to school – do a few practise walks over the summer hols so that they get used to the time it takes and the route. Find out if the school has a club on during the hols so they can familiarise themselves with the building and won’t feel so daunted. Debbie at www.myboysclub.co.uk Practice the journey to school and getting ready including full uniform, packing a bag and leaving the house at a certain time – especially as if it is different. Our morning routine totally changed. Also keep giving them more responsibility for their own routine. https://www.myboysclub.co.uk/2018/08/preparing-your-child-for-secondary-school.html Claire at www.mymoneycottage.com My son started high school last September. Take every opportunity you can to visit the high school with them before they start so that they know their way round as much as possible before they start. Cherry at www.thenewbytribe.com There are a number of things that will really help! Firstly, make sure you accept any open days/evenings/holiday dates etc that the secondary school offers your child – they’ll often put on several things for up coming Year 7’s and if you can get your child to them all then it’s a great way for them to get to know the school and other children. Also, spend some time going through the new school’s website – look at the photos, check out the newsletter and the comings and goings a the school – it’ll help your child get to know what the school is up to, and will also give them a chance to know names and faces of teachers before they start. If they are starting somewhere they will have to walk to or bus to, do that trip a good few times before they start so that’s one less thing to worry about on the first morning. Also, most Primary schools will do lots and lots of transition – they’ll learn how to read timetables, how to read maps etc which always helps!

High School Transition

High School Transition

Year 6 children were recieving their high school decisions last week and everyone of them and their nervous parents were in my thoughts. This time last year we were in that position. Waiting desperately to find out if we had been given a place at our first choice. When we received the email informing us both twins had been offered a place at Oxted School, the school we were hoping for, I thought that was the end of our stress. A bottle of champagne and a nice dinner out marked the end of a stressful couple of years of reseach, opinions, school tours and Ofsted reports. About three weeks after we found out the boys had got into Oxted, a Facebook post appeared on my thead. ‘Latest Ofsted Report shows school is failing its pupils’. Our first choice school had recieved a ‘Requires Improvement ‘ grading from Ofsted. I looked through the report and managed to rationalise most of it. In fact, the report didn’t concern me half as much as some of the comments being made by parents and people from the community about the school on the facebook post. Comments were being made about ‘teachers turning a blind eye to bullying, knife threats, picturing a school that worries more about uniform that its student welfare. Pupils being assaulted and nothing being done’ it just sounded like every mums worst nightmare. It was too late to apply for another school so I turned for a brief moment to the thought of private education….for all of 10 minutes. I worked out it would cost about £850,000 to send all our children and that is before University costs! Everytime I popped into town and met someone with a child at the school I spent 15 minutes quizzing them. I spoke to ex pupils and current pupils and everyone gave me the same feedback. It is a large school (over 3000 pupils) and there will always be bad stories, unfortunately the good stories never tend to make it to social media, but overall the feedback was positive. I emailed the head teacher with my concerns and ten minutes later I recieved a reply inviting me to pop in and see her. She explained exactly where she felt the school was lacking and how she planned to tackle the issues Ofsted had raised. She assured me that the door was always open if we ever had any more concerns. Right. I was reassured. I could start looking forward to my twin sons new life adventure. September arrived but, unexpectedly, that first week was probably the hardest of my whole ‘mum life’. We were so excited, the boys had all their uniform, pe kit and lesson equipment ready and off they went. I had spent the previous two days watching all my other mum friends from primary school post what a great first day their kids had and I couldn’t wait to do the same. I spent all day with an excited knot in my stomach, waiting to pick them up and find out how their first day at high school had been. I couldn’t wait to hear about all the friends they had made and wonderful teachers that they had met. It was nothing like what I had expected. They hated it. They told me they had made no friends and they wanted to move to the school that all their old pals had gone to (they were the only ones from their primary school to go to Oxted). They were so upset, both of them, they were crying and begging us not to send them back. I was devestated, and even though Mike is much more laid back when it comes to schooling than me, he couldn’t hid his dissapointment too. I completly and irrationally thought back to the Facebook comments earlier in the year and decided, despite spending two years researching secondary schools, I had screwed up. My boys were not happy, and that was the one thing I wanted for them. I posted my feelings on Instagram. Negative posts is not something I usually share but a friend had told me, as a parent blogger, it is important to share the sad times of parenthood aswell as the funny. It really helped me and acted more as reach out for some support. I was shocked at how many other parents said their children were experiencing the exact same feelings. Even though I felt like crap, I didn’t let the boys know, I adopted my usual positive manner. ‘It is your first day, you didnt have any friends on your first day at primary school, look at you now.’ ‘It seems hard and strange now but give it a couple of weeks and you will feel differently’ ‘I felt exactly the same on my first day at High School’ They were not convinced so I made a deal with them. I told them if they threw everything into this half term, if they joined extra curricular activities (enrichment) as the school calls it, and If they tried their best with school and homework and by the October half term they still felt the same I would look into different options. I had no intention of moving them unless it was really effecting them but it was important for them and our relationship that they understood I was listening to them. After that I became a ‘pushy mum’. I found the list of the enrichment activities and went through all the various clubs with them. They offered everything from science, art, drama, dance, table tennis and all sorts of sports. We agreed on a few each and I insisted they try, even if it was just once. Harrison went to Football and Rugby after school, Mikey went to drama, trampolining and hockey. Mikey put himself forward for the Christmas play and had a great time at the school roller disco. Harrison joined cross country and was invited to a inter-school meet within his first three weeks at school. I honestly believe that the enrichment activities they have put thselves forward for has helped their transition in secondary school. Needless to say, by October they had completely changed their mind about leaving Oxted. I am hoping this might help other parents struggling with children moving into secondary school. Extra curricular activities not only helps new pupils create friendships with people with similar interests but representing your school also embeds a sense of pride in your child and their school. Within two weeks the boys were happy at school, within two months they were really enjoying going into school. Now, half way through their second term, they love school. They have made incredible friends, represented the school in various sports and drama. They enjoy their lessons and learning and respect their school and teachers. Their parents evening was fantastic and I am so complementary and over the moon with the school. The parent – teacher communication is spot on, the oppertunities are in abundance and the standards and expectations are high. The school is also wonderful at sharing and celebrating students achievements, whether they in school or out of school. So here is what I have taken from my first experience as a mum moving from Primary to Secondary school. – Don’t stress to much about other peoples opinions. What suits others may not suit your children, just go with your gut instict. – Encourage them to embrace all the oppertunities that the school offer. If they resist, push them. It is nerve racking for them, but it is well worth it and a good life lesson for them to push outside their comfort zone. – Keep an eye out for newsletters and emails. My boys are not always great at relaying information from school and gone are the days a letter is popped in their book bag. – When you hear about kids fighting at a school, don’t panic straight away. The boys have witnessed a few fights in their seven months and I worried at first. Untill they explain that the ‘fights’ are basically a couple of pupils pushing eachother and getting their handbags out. – If you have any questions or concerns go straight to the school. Headship teams understand parents concerns and should be on hand to put your mind at rest. – Become part of the school community. I dont mean you have to join the PTA (everyone who knows me knows that is not me). However, offering to help at school events means you are helping support and becoming part of the schools community. – Speak to your children. The boys and I have a very open relationship. I ask about their day at school, friendships, teachers, schoolwork, social media and general life. When they speak to me I try to never judge. I dont want them to ever worry about telling me something. – Keep in touch with friends from primary school. It is important for them to still have the familiarity and safety their old friendships bring. – Have realistic expectations of teachers and the school. Educational bodies are under a huge amount of pressure and need your support. Oxted School has been, so far, the best decision we have ever made for our boys and I hope it continues. I absolutly thrive on watching them grow, the friendships they are making and the experiences they are having. I am not suggesting it is a perfect school, but after a year of analysing I have come to the conclusion that no school is. Please share or tag any friends you have that are going through this transition. I would love to hear what tips you have for making the transtion smoother for year seven pupils and parents. Prehaps my other post on choosing a high school might help I asked aome of my wonderful blogging community for their top tips on starting Secondary School and here is what they had to say. Sarah at www.kippersandcurtains.com If they are walking to school – do a few practise walks over the summer hols so that they get used to the time it takes and the route. Find out if the school has a club on during the hols so they can familiarise themselves with the building and won’t feel so daunted. Debbie at www.myboysclub.co.uk Practice the journey to school and getting ready including full uniform, packing a bag and leaving the house at a certain time – especially as if it is different. Our morning routine totally changed. Also keep giving them more responsibility for their own routine. https://www.myboysclub.co.uk/2018/08/preparing-your-child-for-secondary-school.html Claire at www.mymoneycottage.com My son started high school last September. Take every opportunity you can to visit the high school with them before they start so that they know their way round as much as possible before they start. Cherry at www.thenewbytribe.com There are a number of things that will really help! Firstly, make sure you accept any open days/evenings/holiday dates etc that the secondary school offers your child – they’ll often put on several things for up coming Year 7’s and if you can get your child to them all then it’s a great way for them to get to know the school and other children. Also, spend some time going through the new school’s website – look at the photos, check out the newsletter and the comings and goings a the school – it’ll help your child get to know what the school is up to, and will also give them a chance to know names and faces of teachers before they start. If they are starting somewhere they will have to walk to or bus to, do that trip a good few times before they start so that’s one less thing to worry about on the first morning. Also, most Primary schools will do lots and lots of transition – they’ll learn how to read timetables, how to read maps etc which always helps!

Choosing to Tutor your child

Choosing to Tutor your child

Year five has been a big year for me as a primary school parent.

I have found myself constantly thinking about the twins education and what choices we will be making at the beginning of year six with regards to high school.

I want to make sure that they are confident in their core subjects when they move up to secondary school.

I personally think tutoring is a well worth expenditure. I was privately tutored in German when I was at high school. My parents were told by my German teacher that I would be lucky to scrape a D in my GCSE. My mum and dad decided that some of my problems might have been caused because the teacher and I had no chemistry whatsoever. So, I went to German tutor once a week for about 8 months before my GCSEs. I passed with an A*!

Seeing a tutor once a week give the boys a chance to ask questions that they don’t get a chance to ask at school (and dont even bother asking me). If there is something they cant grasp, they can cover it in more depth or by using a different method. The boys have gained so much from seeing a tutor.

I even decided that I would start having Charlie tutored, who is heading into year 4 in September, to give him a headstart.

I was lucky enough to find a tutor that the boys adore and that they can completly relate too.

All of the boys were ‘where they should be’ at Maths and English. I didnt start tutoring them because I was worried. I chose to invest in tutoring to help with their confidence, which all three boys were lacking in.

It has really paid off. Their school teachers have noticed a massive improvement and I can tell their confidence has definatly grown. I asked the boys how they feel about being tutored.

Mikey, 10 ‘I enjoy seeing Carla because she makes Maths and English fun and always comes up with new techniques to help us remember things.’

Harri, 10 ‘At first i didnt want a tutor but since i have been seeing Carla I feel much more confident at school and we have so much fun with her’

Charlie, 8 ‘I have always enjoyed maths at school, but when i see Carla its just really fun.’

I asked Carla if she would mind giving me her opinion on tutoring;

Many people ask me my opinion regarding private tutoring and it is hard to give an unbiased account when it is my main income. There are many aspects I love with 1-2-1 teaching. That light bulb moment, when a pupil realises they are not bad at maths, cannot be beaten. Or when they run into your house with their latest school report and it shows a big improvement. My main goal is to see children enjoy learning. Many parents are surprised that after a couple of weeks, their children want to complete homework- children love to show you what they can do and it doesn’t matter if it is maths or making a paper aeroplane – as long as they are proud they can do it, they will do it over and over. The key is to make learning as fun and accessible as getting to the next level on Mario Kart. I don’t do anything that a parent can’t – there are enough YouTube videos and resource books to help your own child. However, a lot of children do not trust their parents as teachers; children compartmentalise adults – parents parent and teachers teach. You may find you bang heads a lot when it comes do doing extra stuff out of the classroom. It makes sense to pay an expert. The most important thing is to find a tutor that suits your child. Firstly, why does your child need a tutor? For me the answer should fall into one of these categories: 1) Grammar/private school entry 10/11 plus exam practice 2) Confidence building 3) Special educational needs support 4) The child had a weak teacher/change of teacher in a certain year and needs catch up work Some tutors specialise and the most important factor is making sure your child is 100% comfortable with your child and they understand their style of learning. Make sure you are getting what you want out of your tutor. For confidence boosting, a 1-2-1 tutor is ideal. Yes there are cheaper options like Kumon and group work. However, personally, I do not think you can beat someone dedicating their full attention to your child. They are more likely to admit they do not fully understand something and ask questions when they are not comparing themselves to another child. It is equally important that they work at their own pace in the first instance. They will speed up as they grow in confidence. But what don’t I like? If I am brutally honest, parents who tell me their child is bad at maths, only to discover they do not know their tables. I cannot stress enough, what a hindrance this is to your child. It is like me asking you to win Great British Bake Off, without measuring any ingredients and not knowing what scales were! I am also not a fan of over tutoring a child. If they need four hours tuition every night after school and all day Saturday to pass the 11 +, the likelihood is that they will struggle at the school and will always feel anxious about learning. It is much better to be top of a good state school, than bottom of a grammar. Morale is important and something that will stay with your child for life. I personally do not offer a child more than 2 hours a week. Lastly, unrealistic expectations can be tricky to manage with parents. An hour is not very long and if your child was struggling before, it is unlikely that they will become Einstein with an extra hour support. Even training at the top football clubs, not every footballer can bend the ball like Beckham, nor will each child become the next Carole Vordeman or Shakespeare. At Carla’s Classroom, my motto is Loving Life Long Learning. I want children to be excited by education, strive to do better and believe they have no limitations. When I first talk to parents, many say, they didn’t enjoy school, or didn’t get maths – some still struggle now. They are often daunted by their children’s homework. Most people are surprised to find out, that for this very reason, I also offer tuition to parents. Many would love to support the teacher or tutor, but are left perplexed by the new methods, and vocabulary like chunking, partitioning, grid method in maths, or idioms, fronted adverbials and Hyperboles in English. And let’s be honest – if you are not a primary school teacher, how are you supposed to know how they do school work now? I’ve had so many conversations with parents who say they feel intimidated by their child’s teacher or that the homework does not make sense, that I saw a need to rectify this. It also cuts down on your tutoring bill – it allows parents to continue and support the work at home. A win for the pupil, parent, teacher and tutor! When children are phoning me themselves and asking for extra work, I know I have got the balance right, and that is when it is one of the best jobs in the world.’

I think ill be discussing with Carla tutoring for myself.

Then maybe I wont sweat a river when the kids walk towards me with their homework book!

Take a look at my similar posts