Why do parents turn to tutoring?

Today, more and more people are turning to tutoring.

It is no longer the case that an Oxbridge graduate, with arm patches on tweed jacket, assists with the correct use of a semi-colon or ‘classical’ grammar during the spring pre-examination panic.  Instead, tutoring in its modern form is more likely to take on the role of the ‘educational mentor’ member of the family.

Tutors have become much more ‘professional’ during the last two decades. Agencies are both highly selective about whom they recruit - many have post-graduate degrees or have impressive track records in the fields of business, law, finance etc. Prospective tutors are presented with rigorous, and yet bespoke training programmes (based on a skeleton of the more restrained PGCE formulas), which are designed to be ‘adaptive’ rather than ‘prescriptive’. Those who work within the industry are keen to assert themselves not so much as a ‘replacement’ but rather as an ‘additional extra’ to a child’s education. 

William Petty of Bonas MacFarlane Education, nominated as London’s leading educational agency, Evening Standard, 2010, says:

“Tutors inherently know when  to be ‘passive’ and ‘receptive’ to the demands of the individual: the very best tutors have a firm idea of what they want to do but also have  such a breadth in their subjects that one family can engage one tutor for all subjects. This is especially important where a family might wish a tutor to join them for a set period of time in their family home, often living-in for the required tutorial term, in the family’s countryside residence.”

Malachy Guiness, co-founder of Bright Young Things, another London tutoring agency says: “Often we’ll be given 24 hours notice to get a tutor to a certain family in the Hamptons, or to Dubai and not just whoever is available – the parents will often have a whole list of specs for us to fulfil.”

The process is, of course, two-way and motivation is key to the experience. Once the tutor opens up the channels of communication with the ‘right’ messages, enthusiasm for the subject can follow, the child’s mind can become more receptive to information, and this is then channelled into results. Petty explains that the aim is for a child to be self-motivating about learning: “Ideally after a few initial visits you would like the young person to be sitting up ready for the tutor’s arrival, keen to go ahead and learn more… then we know we have achieved one of our goals.”

In the past, the tutoring industry has not been particularly popular with schools; there was the sense of an accusation, either directly or indirectly, that the schools themselves were not providing a proper service. Petty, however, believes this perceived ‘threat’ is no longer relevant.  There is a greater relationship between schools and tutors today, with both working to resolve, improve and foster the right environment to support and achieve the best possible results to suit each individual’s needs and capabilities. Whilst a tutor can dedicate their time entirely to one pupil the environment of a classroom does not necessary allow a schoolteacher to accord the same amount of attention to each student.  Bonas MacFarlane Education perceives communicating with schools as a paramount role. Tutors and school staff share online reports and work closely, when necessary, to produce the best possible results.  Today there is a new generation of head teacher/principals, with greater trust and a willingness to recognise tutoring as sometimes a highly supportive and necessary part of the educational process.

So today, the modern tutor is much more than just a ‘teacher’. Experience within the industry has led many of the established agencies to offer education consultancy.  Petty writes, “You don’t buy a house without getting a surveyor’s report” and yet too few parents seek professional advice on selecting schools. This is increasingly important given the level of domestic and international demand for the high standard of UK independent schools. William Petty commented: “if a secondary school with a USP was to open in London, it would be full overnight”.

UK independent schools are a big investment in a child’s education and life and this does come at a cost. Winchester has recently become the first public school to break through the symbolic £30,000 a year mark and if other well-known schools follow suit, a full private education could total as much as £350,000 (Petty). This is a vast amount and yet there are still many parents that cater to bespoke educational requirements for their young from the age of kindergarten through to university education. Perhaps they are able to think of the cost in terms of termly increments rather than as an overall expenditure. Many of Bonas MacFarlane’s clients turn to the private system when their child is 8 years old and many seem to be satisfied that they were able to have independent advice about navigating the unfamiliar channels of the private system. Tutoring agencies can create a simpler choice drawing on the depth of their experience, and offer a clearer and alternative picture of a school’s compatibility whilst the official feedback might only be ‘positive’.

 Tutors can assist at any stage of a child or young person’s life. Sometimes it can just be one or two days or a week of support prior to an important exam that can make the difference in a pass or fail mark or even help with that foreboding subject: mathematics. A condensed revision session, the extra knowledge, given at the right time, in the right environment can often change one’s future path entirely. Alternatively tutors might live with a family for an entire summer and aid the child in general knowledge or foreign languages. Tutors assist with learning difficulties such as Dyslexia, SATs, GCSEs, A-Levels, C.E (Common Entrance), University Applications and, if required, they can tutor University Level students too. Tutors are for more than just guidance and tuition; they can provide a child with an additional role model.