Summer private tuition for 11+ / Grammar school exam pupils

Here’s my thoughts on a recent BBC education news story about the growth of private tuition for 11+ / grammar school entry exams….

This reflects the trend we have seen here at Kensington and Chelsea Tutors. Although in the past eleven years we have consistently provided tutors not only for grammar schools but also for selective private and state schools, in the past five years or so there has been a marked increase. I think this is partly because tutoring has moved from being a secret weapon to a mainstream activity. Tutors are out there and parents are increasingly using them to boost students’ prospects at all levels.

It defeats me why Barry Sindall, chief executive of the Grammar School Heads Association (GHSA) says that, “The issue for GSHA is not how do you stop coaching but rather how do you stop coaching making an impact.”

Coaching of any kind is always going to have an impact and that surely is a good thing. Don’t sports professionals train hard to make themselves more proficient in their fields? We (thankfully) live an an open democracy and have freedom of choice – if tutors are out there, why not use them?

Tutoring seems to get criticised almost daily and generally the thrust is one of elitism. The increasingly expensive and exclusive private school system in this country, from Eton on down, seems to be conveniently glossed over. At least tutoring allows help to be given to students whose parents’ wildest dreams don’t even feature the cheapest private schools.

If the argument is that this is unfair then it is something the government needs to look at.

#schools #school #parent #11 #grammar #parents #exam #exams