Q&a

1. Can you describe a typical private GCSE level lesson?

I mainly tutor mathematics and science at GCSE level. As there never really is a typical lesson the structure of the lesson however is similar from lesson to lesson especially during the pre-exam period or the learning phase . I like my lessons to be designed by the student since at the end of the day I as the tutor am just a knowledge centre. I feel through allowing the tutee to design their own lessons through communicating which areas/topics they need help in or do not understand I can then better target the misunderstandings and troubleshoot. This approach I strongly feel raises the student s confidence and gets them interested in the subject too.

We will go through topics which they find difficult in class and then we will read through the set text in their text books. After this we will talk through the key areas and finally finish off by doing several questions again slowly building confidence. We will then move on to another topic. Over a 2 hour lesson we will end up doing 1 hour learning 1 hour reinforcing. This is typical in science. In mathematics however the best way to learn is through doing practice questions. The student will identify a topic they are struggling with i.e. quadratic equations and we will then go through lots of quadratic equations questions, starting off with easier ones and then building up to more difficult (A*) questions. I also demonstrate to the student how to write the perfect exam answer through showing clear workings.

2. What do students normally seek help with? i.e. course homework, exam preparation, understanding course topics etc.

Generally it is exam preparation and understanding of course topics. Unfortunately under the new GCSE system there is no longer a coursework element however they have introduced a controlled assessment in science which is quite trivial to my knowledge.

3. How much time does a student need on average for private lessons prior to their GCSE`s?

You cannot but a number on the number of lessons as every student is different. There are many variables including the level of their understanding. However, I can say over the years most of my students for GCSE are in Year 11 and they typically start to need help after they have got their mock results back so approx. 3-4 months before the real exams.

4. How do you assess pupil`s progress?

I think it is important for a pupil to see their progress and so I try to make their progress as tangible as possible. I do this by making sure the student keeps a separate book for our lessons and then after a handful of lesson we can reflect together and see how far they have come in their development. I think this Is very important as it raises their confidence in the subject and once they feel confident they start to enjoy solving problems. We have a big problem with young people not understanding mathematics and thus being put off by it and so it is important for society to spread the message of the importance of maths and science to young people since every career path will involve using the skills gained from studying maths and science. I also track progress through looking at the teachers reports/commendations the student gets in school. They do always improve after I have seen them and this is the power of a tutor!

5. How many students can a tutor successfully teach over the same time period?

This depends on how free you are and if you re a full time tutor or a part-time tutor. It also depends on if you do group lessons or one-to-one. I focus on one-to-one lessons.

6. What is the average cost of a private lesson for GCSE preparation?

Depends on the area in question and the level of demand, but in London I would say £50 per hour is reasonable for an experienced high-level tutor/educator.