BACKGROUND INFORMATION

This section focuses on the extra academic services that are available to you and your child outside of school hours. These range from tutors to revision courses. There are additional links to educational resources in our Qualifications & Examinations, Home Education and Homework sections.

TUTORS

If you wish to supplement your child’s education with extra tuition there are several online directories that can help you find a tutor. Some are Internet-based resources, others are long established tutoring agencies. You may choose to hire a tutor for any number of reasons, perhaps the most common being to give your child extra academic help before major exams. If you are trying to prepare your child for an entrance examination for an independent school it may be worth using a tutor, and some students benefit from extra tuition running up to the major GCSE/A-level exams.

We have listed some of the tutoring agencies with UK-wide databases and websites you can visit; it is not a comprehensive list, nor can we vouch for the agencies. It is also worth asking your school or Local Education Authority as they may have connections with local tutors who provide extra teaching. The majority of personal tutors available through agencies are qualified, experienced teachers and tutors are vetted to varying degrees depending on the agency, but tutors and agencies are not necessarily regulated by LEAs (or EAs in Scotland). It is always advisable to ask for and check out references.

Tutoring.co.uk is a UK tutoring portal site covering a variety of subjects. It provides advice on how to find tutors, the costs involved and what to do if you wish to complain about a tutor. It also contains an impressive directory of tutors, which can be accessed either by subject or region.

Personal Tutors provides tutors and home tuition services throughout the UK. They supply private tutors at all levels from primary and secondary through to GCSE and A-level in core subjects. You can input your details on this form and they will send you a list of tutors in your local area covering the subjects you specified in the form.

1-2-1 Tuition offer home tutors, short revision courses and business courses in every county in the UK. They offer tuition in all subjects at all levels. Fill out this form to search their database. Information and typical costs are set out on the site and they also provide an international service should you be planning to re-locate abroad.

The Tutors Group describes itself as “the premier source of academic tutors”. It provides the educational services you require tailored to your individual needs both in the UK or abroad, with an emphasis on independent school admissions They offer a residential service either for children not attending school or in addition to their basic education. They also carry out educational assessments. This is a written report suggesting schools for your child based on the results of an educational test your child will have sat and discussions with potential schools. Creative workshops in the school holidays ranging from visiting art and museums to theatre and cinema trips are organised in their Kids Group.

A+ Tutors is a website where local tutors can be found through a simple search mechanism. It answers questions such as why do I need a tutor, how do I find one and how much do they cost; they also offer a GCSE tips section. This is not a professional site but is included in this list as it does not charge for the service it provides, but rather requests a donation to keep the site running - perfect for someone on a budget looking for a tutor.

ONLINE TUITION

The Internet has spawned a huge variety of online educational resources, and tutorials have not been neglected. Online tutorials are sometimes interactive and for the most part constructed around a particular age group (and therefore exam or test). Some are free and some are subscription services.  As a starting point, have a look at the tutorial resources on the Good Schools Guide and Schoolzone sites.

Einstein Online provides educational support to primary school children (aged four to 11 yrs). It follows the National Curriculum in a friendly, fun and interactive style. It is now a subscription service but you can sign up for a free five day trial before committing.

REVISION/SUMMER SCHOOLS

If you are looking for summer schools focusing on sports, arts and leisure, please visit our Summer Schools & Sports Camps section.

If it is academic courses you are after, there are many revision/summer schools geared to the main examinations, from key stage tests and Common Entrance examinations to GCSEs and A-Levels. These schools provide revision courses designed to help consolidate the studying children need to do for upcoming examinations.

For the primary school age group, the Department for Education and Skills is keen on promoting out of school learning. This tackles some parents’ concerns that there is a great deal of scope for ‘learning loss’ in the 20-odd weeks when children are on holiday each year. The Department of Education Standards site addresses the question ‘Can summer schools contribute to higher standards?’ It explains the benefits of the national Summer Literacy Schools pilot scheme, set up in May 1997 to provide focused work in literacy for children who had not attained Level 4 in reading by the end of Key Stage 2.

A new initiative called the Children’s University is also aiming to improve the education resources accessible to children outside the school gates. It was started in 1993 and is now available in 13 LEAs (NB: it is best to check with your local one). It provides resources for distance learning and runs Saturday and holiday schools. See the National Primary Trust site for more information.

The Good Schools Guide has compiled a list of all the web-accessible spring and summer courses it has come across. The Independent Schools Information Service recommends further courses. You might also want to visit the Justin Craig education revision courses site. It’s definitely worth checking with your child’s school to get personal recommendations on local courses.

ISSUES

Do revision courses give pupils an unfair advantage? This is an article from the BBC's education site.