Why Parents Are Booking September Tutors Now

Increasingly, it can seem like there are more and more demands being placed on young people today, particularly with regard to their academic performance, and it is easy to feel pressure of your own about what can be done to ease this. This is why many parents are booking September tutors now, well before the term starts.

For many young people, academic pressure can begin as early as Primary School, particularly around exams like SATs, 7+ and 11+, when the sets and schools that students are subsequently placed in can determine their level of learning for the next few years. It then becomes a complex line to tread about how much additional pressure would be placed on them in wanting to help them excel in their studies and ensure the best possible outcomes for determining grades and future success. You may be thinking about getting a tutor for this very reason but worried about the potential impact on your child’s mental wellbeing or adding to an already demanding workload, but one solution is to start work with a tutor early on.

Building Rapport in a Low-Stakes Environment

Beginning work with a tutor early on, even before a new academic year has started, means that work can begin in a relatively low-stakes environment that focuses on play, developing and building connections between tutor and student and making learning feel like an enjoyable extracurricular activity. Depending on the student’s required area of learning, tutors are able to tailor each lesson accordingly and to meet each individual student’s needs in a way that may not be a possibility in today’s busy classroom environments, and potentially identify areas for early intervention.

This is particularly helpful for younger students who may be at the beginning of their academic journey and need to develop their own techniques and methods of learning, or even students who are struggling in school and have not yet been able to find a workable solution to make studying easier. By getting a tutor in place over the summer, not only is a rapport able to be established in a more relaxed way, but this style of working may be the key to uncovering how best to work through any challenges that the student may be facing.

Traditional methods of learning don’t work for all students, and due to the pressures teachers are facing in schools there often isn’t time or resources to try different approaches to identify those problem areas. However, getting a tutor in place at this stage in the year, and one who has the time and resources to get to the root of any problems means that, come September, any issues can be raised with teachers at the start of the term, and different tools and methods can then be put in place at school to accommodate accordingly.

Easing the Transition to a New School

For students who have moved schools, or perhaps even moved countries, beginning work with a tutor before the new term starts can be a great help to ease the transition period and alleviate any worry and anxiety that may come with not knowing the curriculum or understanding the expectations a new school can bring. For some students, it may be that they need additional support with English as a second language before beginning school, and having lessons in this before September gives the student an opportunity to immerse themselves in the language in a low pressure environment, so that things like communicating with teachers and prospective new friends can take priority once the new term begins.

If a student has moved to a new school with a different curriculum than they are used to, it may be worth working with a tutor who is familiar with that curriculum so that there are no surprises or uncomfortable periods of adjustment to acclimatise to a new structure or way of working. This can be for both older learners who have perhaps changed exam boards at GCSE/Year 9 level, or younger learners who are making the change to a new school system. Easing the transition over the summer makes it easier for all parties, particularly if the lessons are undertaken, again, in a way that prioritises playful learning to minimise any feeling of stress even whilst having lessons over the summer break. This means that the new school and new way of learning will be associated with enjoyment and something to look forward to.

Maintaining Academic Momentum

This can also be applicable to students who are performing well in school and may not have any problem areas to focus on, but in fact the opposite! Students who are attaining good grades and have continually worked to a high level during the course of the year may look to tuition before September to keep up momentum in their learning. It might be getting ahead of the new topics that will be covered when they go back to school, refreshing their knowledge from the previous academic year, or even extracurricular study, but having the option to continue being taught over the summer can be very beneficial for many. For some students, it could also be that the momentum is needed to keep concentration levels, or work on improving their grades, as the long break can sometimes be detrimental to students who need a more focused style of learning.

Ready to get ahead for September? Book a tutor early and start your tuition journey today.

Whilst pressure for students is at an all-time high, there are many ways of minimising this even through additional learning, and beginning tuition earlier than you might think could be a great solution for all parties! If you would like to speak to someone about the options surrounding getting a tutor, please feel free to contact our friendly team and we would be happy to get your child’s tuition journey started.

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Blog Post Crafted by Cicely

Cicely works on our Admin Team, and also tutors extensively.

In 2020, Cicely discovered her love of teaching, and has been tutoring English Literature and Drama ever since, as well as running a drama school audition help service with her friend and fellow actor to help prospective drama school students with their audition speeches.

Cicely has had her poetry published in anthologies and online, and in her free time is an avid reader. She loves living by the sea, a good podcast, and taking long walks in the countryside.