Tutors International, global provider of full-time private tutoring, today reported that it has recorded a rise in the number of enquiries for full-time tutoring for under-7s.
Adam Caller, who founded Tutors International in 1999, today reported that the organisation, which is the leading international provider of full-time private tuition, has seen an increase in the number of enquiries from parents of under-7s.
Mr Caller comments, “I’m often asked, What is the best age to start private tuition? The answer is that it varies hugely from situation to situation. A number of factors are called into play – the nature of the child, their academic ability, whether they have siblings and whether they are being home-schooled, how much tuition is required… The list is almost endless, and therefore when considering a young student for private tuition we must evaluate each request carefully and uniquely.”
The UK could be facing a shift towards younger pupils in private tuition. A recent article in the Independent reports that children as young as three are now being placed with private tutors.
When asked if Tutors International has ever placed a tutor with a three-year-old child, Mr Caller replied, “Only once, and in that instance, the child had older siblings who were being home-schooled, so the youngest also received some time with the tutor each week. We have been asked to tutor a child of two-and-a-half, but we politely declined.”
Mr Caller believes that the sort of things a child of two or three should be learning do not require the services of a private tutor. There may, of course, be some exceptions, such as particularly severe educational needs, but on the whole, Mr Caller recommends that the youngest a child should be when starting full-time home tutoring is about six years old.
Mr Caller continues, “I think that around the ages of six or seven a child settles in well with home-schooling. Any earlier, and it’s better for the child to be mixing with other children. Under-7s learn an enormous amount from watching and copying other children, and the increased isolation with home-schooling may not be beneficial – unless, of course, there are multiple children being taught together.”
Tutors International are receiving more requests for tutoring for the under-7s, perhaps, according to Mr Caller, due to the increase in demand for places at good schools. “I believe that good schools everywhere are facing a massive increase in applications. Therefore parents are seeking an edge for their child even at prep-school level.”
The other reason, Mr Caller opines, is that some schools that cater for 4-18-year-olds are in no rush to prepare their pupils for the 7+ exams, as they assume that the majority will continue their education at that school. Thus if parents wish to send their child to a different school for 7+ some degree of extra tuition is going to be necessary to bring the child up to the level of the new school.
For more information about private tuition for primary school-aged children, please visit www.tutors-international.com.
