T - Tutors. Teachers’ friend or foe? (A to Z Tips)

In June 2019, Laura Tsabet wrote in the tes that it can feel like a slap in the face to find out a student is receiving private tuition.

Whatever your feeling is, a parent’s choice to use private tutors to top up a perceived learning gap resulting from lockdown and remote teaching is likely to escalate as soon as schools reopen and our advice to you is to take charge now.

Whether pupils are receiving one-to-one support in a subject they are struggling with, support in all aspects of their education, or are being guided to excel further in a subject they already succeeding in, a tutor can boost performance and confidence.

For some teachers, the additional support can be a real benefit: it can be a relief to know that a pupil who is struggling, for whatever reason, is receiving support at home. Tutors can take on some of the burden of revising key knowledge and skills with a pupil who is struggling. This, in turn, can ease the teacher's workload.

Some pupils thrive on:

• One-on-one attention

• Tailored lessons and activities

• Focusing on work and study habits

• An individual learning experience, pupils can be auditory, kinetic or visual learners

• Learning at a different speed

• A classroom free of distractions

• Additional encouragement and praise

• Being able to ask questions without feeling self-conscious

The benefits of tutoring can strengthen subject comprehension and lead to important learning skills, improved academic performance, improved attitude towards learning and school, and improved self-esteem and confidence.

It is reported that tutoring can help children to become better communicators, form better relationships with peers, and make more positive social and behavioural adjustments.

However, apart from the obvious cost disadvantages, tuition can also be disruptive to learning and it can be an added stress for pupils already feeling anxious or under pressure. Tutor time eats into rest time and can prove to be physically and mentally draining for some, who miss the benefits of additional down time of time spent with siblings and parents. There is also evidence that showing a child how to do something each time they say, “I can’t do it. Can you show me?” deprives the child of the opportunity to show himself or herself that they can do it.

Tutors should reinforce school learning and support pupils in their understanding. There have been cases where tutors are negative about teachers or their teaching methods. For additional support to be of real benefit, it is important that the tutor does not undermine the work of the teacher or that of the school. Ideally, a working relationship should be developed, with contact between the tutor and class teacher.

In summary, tuition offers numerous benefits but like most things in life, comes at a cost and does not suit every child. What is important is that tutors are employed with the pupils best interests at the heart of their work, not simply the wishes of the parents, and that they work in tandem with the pupil’s teachers to ensure the best possible outcome. We recommend that you contact parents now, before school fully returns, and set about giving parents clear direction and advice on how you would like private tutors to work alongside your team and ensure that there is a clear channel of communication between the two.