Private tutoring

There has been a lot of debate in the press about private tutoring. I thought it might be an idea to make Sunningdale's position clear.

There is no doubt that over the last few years there has been a significant rise in the amount of  pupils receiving private tutoring. There has also been a significant increase in the cost of such tutoring.

Tutoring can be a very successful way of supporting a child who is struggling to grasp a particular topic or a particular subject. It certainly has its place and one to one tuition can make a difference.

The problem occurs when tutors are asked to hothouse pupils to get them in to certain schools. I don't see how this can be a good idea. What matters is that pupils attend the right schools for them, not the schools that certain parents feel have the right name. 

If a child can only get into a school with the help of a tutor then they will need the support of a tutor to remain at that school. If this is the case, they will miss out on so much of what the school has to offer. Children go to independent schools for more than just the academic side of life and if they are spending hours with tutors then there is little point in them being there in the first place.

So my thoughts are simple. Use tutoring wisely but overuse it at your child's peril.