There are many reasons why you may want to consider private tuition for your child. Whether you want to help prepare them for an exam, catch up on missed schoolwork or simply increase their confidence, private tutors can offer an effective, engaging and personalised service that can help students fulfil their potential and rediscover their love of learning. 

Many parents may assume that private tuition is one-to-one, but there are many important benefits to small group tuition to consider.

1. Small group tuition develops children’s social skills

Due to school closures and self-isolation, many students this year have missed out on developing friendships and key social skills. Small group tuition offers children a safe way to interact with other students and meet new people, as well as develop key skills such as taking turns, sharing and listening to others. 

Working in small groups can also provide a confidence boost for shyer, more introverted pupils, who may be overlooked in large class environments but may also find one-to-one tuition too intimidating. One-to-one tuition can be difficult for younger students, as it requires them to concentrate intensely for a long period of time and can inadvertently be quite stressful as there is a lot of pressure on that student.

Group tuition develops social skills – fundamental for help with maths

Group tuition, on the other hand, is ideal for KS1 and KS2 pupils. As our courses are streamed by year and ability, pupils will be paired with students with similar needs, competencies and experiences, which will help them to feel more comfortable and confident when approaching new challenges. 

2. Small group tuition offers more learning opportunities

One-to-one tuition can be limiting in terms of lesson style because there are no opportunities for collaboration, whereas there are many more possibilities with small group tuition. As the focus of the lesson will never solely be on one child, this gives them more time to digest information, as well as hear other people’s opinions and listen to questions they may not have thought of themselves.

Many students as well thrive when working with others; friendly competition, group discussion and team exercises are all excellent ways of motivating and engaging pupils. Small group tuition offers a livelier, more stimulating, more varied environment – all of which will make learning more enjoyable and interesting.

3. Small group tuition encourages independence

One potential downside to one-to-one tuition is that it is incredibly easy for pupils to become overly reliant on their tutor; there is a risk that they become used to being ‘spoon-fed’ their learning because they always have someone to prompt and guide them through tasks. They may think they are making progress in the short-term, but in the long-term, they will not be able to think for themselves.

Small group tuition can help to mitigate this risk in two main ways. Firstly, students will learn from each other as much as from the tutor, and so they are not always relying on the same person. Secondly, they are exposed to different arguments and ways of thinking, which stops them from being close-minded and helps them to develop critical thinking skills rather than just ‘parroting’ the tutor. 

Fostering independence helps primary schoolers with maths

All of our tutors are extremely well-qualified – many are qualified teachers with years of experience – and so know how to support students whilst fostering independence. Our rigorous selection process means that we only hire tutors with excellent track records who can help pupils to grow holistically, rather than just giving them the right answer.

4. Small group tuition is proven to be effective

Studies have shown that private tuition is an investment that pays off in dividends. In 2014 a small group intervention called Switch-On-Reading made an additional three months’ progress in literacy levels of Year 6 and Year 7 pupils. A similar intensive coaching programme that involved one to one and small group tuition also had an average impact of five additional months progress with Year 7 pupils. A 2011 evaluation of Every Child Counts also found that Maths interventions were most effective when delivered on a one to one basis or with groups or two or three, with all group sizes making similar amounts of progress. 

Our parents’ testimonials are also overwhelmingly positive. Parents have praised how there is “lots of interaction”, “lots of recaps to consolidate learning”,  and “lots of activities that go beyond what is being learnt in school” which give students “the chance to learn lots of new topics.”

5. Small group tuition is cheaper and more convenient – the new way to help with maths at home

Many parents are put off by the high costs of one-to-one tuition, but small group tuition can offer an affordable alternative. Our Spring courses cost between £72 and £96 for 12 sessions, which works out at just £6-8 per lesson! According to prospects.ac.uk, the average hourly rate for a private tutor is between £30-60 an hour dependent on experience, which means one-to-one tuition can be up to ten times more expensive.

The growing popularity of online group tuition, proven for helping with maths at school

Online tuition also offers greater flexibility: there is no need to travel; you are not limited to certain tutors or courses because of your location; plus it offers safe, socially-distanced learning during the ongoing pandemic. Students can meet new people, develop their IT skills and receive timely feedback and support all from the comfort of their own home. Students can develop a sense of camaraderie and community whilst still receiving plenty of individual attention and personalised feedback; it really is the best of both worlds.

Use CODE:  247HYP7In5 to redeem £12.00 off Think Academy’s January 2021 maths courses! Enter your code at the checkout here! Give your child a confidence boost in maths and help them to prepare for the 11+ exam, SATs, or simply catch up and make progress in maths!

Perfect for Covid catch-up, KS2 SATs or 11 Plus exam preparation, Think Academy is offering affordable online maths tuition for children at £6.00 (KS1) or £8.00 (KS2) per class. New classes are available for January 2021. Easy-to-use, minimal supervision required.

Read more:

11+ Maths Exam: How to Help Your Child Pass in 2021

School Closures: – FREE Online Learning Resources to Help Your Child During the Christmas Holidays

11+ Exam Preparation: A Guide to Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning Tests