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T is for Tutor

Pronunciation [tue-tor] /ˈtjuːtə/ Noun.

A private teacher, typically one who teaches a single pupil or a very small group.

"Laura has an in-depth knowledge of special needs and appropriate techniques."

"Her reports are insightful and show a deep understanding of an individual child’s needs."

"She is also keen to work with other professionals and support families with educational issues."

Dr Claire Scott Consultant Developmental Paediatrician

We work with a very small team of tutors, all of whom are hand-picked university graduates or current university students.

Through a rigorous selection process we choose creative and engaging individuals to train as our tutors. Creating the right dynamic is vital - we’ll always match the right tutor to your child based on their personalities and shared interests.

All of our tutors are English native speakers, DBS checked and first-aid trained.

Building respect

Teachers are often seen as disciplinarians, with strict rules ensuring that the their pupils are passive learners. We don't believe this is the best dynamic to develop inquisitive minds.

Children need to feel safe in order to open up and explore ideas and concepts they struggle with. Our approach allows children and tutors to build mutual respect, with a child-led approach allowing the freedom to explore the world outside their learning plan. This reminds children of the real world applications of the concepts they are learning in their tutoring session.

During our sessions, the tutor and the pupil will share some food, such as a home baked snack or piece of fruit. Because we take this time to build relationships, we rarely suffer from pupils having a lack of focus and poor discipline.

We use the latest evidence-based teaching materials, such as Numicon to teach Maths and Think Write as part of our handwriting programme.

Peer tutors

As well as our regular tutors, we also work with peer tutors. These are former pupils of ours who have passed their 11+ and 13+ exams and have come back to work with our younger children.

This is particularly effective as our peer tutors have recently learned the topic themselves, meaning they can share their experiences and show empathy towards younger pupils who might be struggling with some elements.

This method is also great for the pupil - as for a small child, working with a ‘bigger kid’ can help them build their confidence and make a tough topic seem a little less scary.

Here is what one of our peer tutors had to say:

‘I had two tutors who helped me pass my 11+ at Wimbledon High School, and I have been a peer tutor to 3 year old twins who were getting ready to start at the same school. We all had a lot of fun, and they didn’t realise they were learning about Maths and English ready for their 4+, because we just seemed to be playing!’

‘I’ve also helped out at events. My favourite was when we went indoor climbing, and I helped some of the small girls to feel confident even though none of them had done any climbing before. We also had a party where I helped children who had autism - we played in the trees on Wimbledon Common and completed group challenges. It is always great fun.’

Katie, Peer-Tutor.

Here’s what a parent of one of our peer tutors had to say:

‘Lucas takes great pride in his ability to share his knowledge and experience with younger children. The interaction and response from his students have given him a strong sense of self-worth and been a great boost to his confidence.’

‘The teaching he does provides him with actual and personal rewards that contribute very positively to his own self image, work ethic and sense of responsibility.'

Maria-Luce, parent.