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What is primary tutoring?

As children enter primary school they are suddenly exposed to a number of stresses and pressures never experienced before. Be it homework, making friends, a tighter schedule of after-school activities or extrinsic stresses that can occur within a family, young children have a lot to cope with. It’s easy to jump to the conclusion that after school tutoring can just be one more thing to add to children’s’ already busy lives, but it’s often the opposite. Tutors offer the time to get homework and studying done in a set timeframe: rather than allowing a student to struggle over spellings or maths problems for hours, tutors can explain complex theories to children in a language they understand, away from their parents or classmates, so that they can learn fast and have more time to spend with their families or on their hobbies and sports.

How can a school tutor help?

Many children often feel afraid or embarrassed to put their hands up in class and ask for help if they don’t understand something, a primary school tutor can work with the student, their class teacher and their parents to identify any areas a child needs help in and make sure they don’t fall behind.

For very intelligent children, their lessons aren’t challenging or stimulating enough, rather than allowing this to lead to bad behaviour or boredom, it means that they can be pushed by a tutor to try harder maths problems, learn higher-level writing skills and grow in confidence to push themselves further.

​Acquiring good learning habits at a primary school means students carry these forward to secondary school and higher education institutions where discipline and challenging oneself are expected.

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Key stages

Education in the UK is divided into five keys stages, taking a student up to the age of 18. A Primary school offer the first of these stages: Early Years (ages 3-5), Infant School (age 5-7) and Junior School (ages 7-11).

Early Years

Early years are divided into two years, of which only the second is compulsory. Children aged 3 to 5 are in preschool (often called the Early Years Foundation Stage). The focus at preschool is on the development of communication skills, physical, personal, social and emotional development as well as the basics of literacy and mathematics. A child in the UK must attend their first year of proper school, called Reception, the first September after they turn 4. Hiring a tutor for this age of student is a great way to introduce them to learning one-on-one and to make sure they have all the basics for when their full-time education begins. ​

Infant School

At the end of Key Stage 1, children take SAT (standard attainment tests), in which they are assessed on their English (grammar, punctuation and spelling, reading and understanding texts) and Mathematics (basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division). Private tutors for 5-year-olds are therefore a great way to ensure that your child is on track to ace the SATs. Tutors will work by introducing them to texts and independent reading, maths puzzles and tips and tricks to understanding exam questions quickly. ​

Junior School

Children aged 7-11 move into their junior school years, during these years they are preparing for the second set of SATs, taken in Year 6, the last year of primary school. This is also the time in which parents must decide a secondary school for their children. Families who are planning to send their child to an independent secondary school will also be preparing for their child to take the ISEB and/or the 11+ exam. Tutors who specialise in primary age are a wonderful addition to any child’s study schedule, many tutors are teachers currently working with the national curriculum and hold a degree in primary education or they’re retired teachers who have years of experience with the challenges that come with KS2. For those applying to independent schools, a tutor can work with children to improve their cognitive ability as well as maths and English.

Can I find primary school tutors near me?

Wherever you are in the world, Tutor Around can help you find the right local tutor for your primary students. Most tutors prefer to work with students face-to-face, at least initially, as it helps build a rapport and help young students feel comfortable around a new teacher. In terms of concentration, many tutors find that one-to-one lessons are best. If you’re facing restrictions, tutors can mix it up and offer a mix of in-person sessions and online lessons to ensure families have full academic support year-round.   
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How can Tutor Around help me find online primary school tutoring?

Through Tutor Around’s app, prospective parents and students can search through the list of local tutors. Using the various filters you can search from specific subjects and specify whether you want at-home or online tutoring. The app will then list the available tutors, their prices and availability. Through our Tutor Profiles, you can see the kind of experience a tutor has: if they’re a former school teacher, have experience with online primary school tutoring, online maths, or helping students pass the independent school exams. 

Can’t find what you’re looking for on the app? Send us a message and we’ll do some research to help you find the perfect match. You can talk, or have an interview with, any prospective tutor. Primary years tuition works at its best when student and tutor can build a good rapport.

A school tutor needs to have experience in education in some capacity, whether that’s experience with early years, teaching experience in a school or a bachelor's degree in a related field, depends on the kind of tutor a family needs. Many tutors are current or retired teachers or students pursuing a degree in early childhood education: tutors with these skills not only demonstrate a passion to work with children, but they also have access to the most up-to-date curriculums and teaching methods. 

If families require full immersion tuition, they might consider finding an au pair or a ‘nanny educator’ who can focus their time with young children on key skills and language learning. Additionally, employing an au pair who can provide academic support and home tuition as part of their work is often a more cost-effective way of ensuring your child has more support and means they can learn with someone they see in their home on a regular basis.

How do parents select tutors for their children?

How should you choose a tutor for your kids? The first element to consider when hiring a tutor is how well your child will get on with their chosen tutor: patience, understanding, a sense of humour are essential traits of a good tutor. Someone with teaching experience and a degree in primary education is a plus, as this means that they will have access to the curriculum and be fully briefed on what students should be focusing on each year. That being said, many English tutors tend to be graduates in other fields, but will still be more than capable of online primary school tutoring or local tutoring as they have a great understanding of how to gain skills in English, maths, science. 

Hiring a young tutor who has recently taken exams means they will be well briefed on the latest ways schools assess students. In general, primary school children love to be taught by young, energetic tutors meaning they will want to work with them and challenge themselves during the lessons. Building this relationship with a tutor is as crucial a part of tutoring as finding someone who has a lot of experience.
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Primary school tutoring rates

Generally, primary school tutoring rates are lower than those at secondary or higher education levels. Most tutors start at €20 (around £15) an hour to around €40 for top-level tutors. Private tutors in London start at £40 an hour for a private lesson at home with some charging up to £80 for specialist lessons. ​

What sorts of topics can a primary age range child learn with Tutor Around?

While it may seem to many parents to be a waste of time to hire a tutor before secondary school, students in the primary age range working with a tutor have the benefit of learning key skills immediately and correctly. Primary school children learn faster than their older counterparts and this includes soft skills like concentration, determination and organisation. If a child starts their education with the right support they will acquire the necessary learning skills early enough to set them on a successful path throughout their education.

Maths Tuition in Primary School

A primary school maths tutor will introduce very young children to numbers, times tables and basic additions, as they move through Key Stage 1 and 2, teaching maths comprises introducing children to arithmetic and reasoning in preparation for the SATs.

English language acquisition for 5 year olds and beyond

A private tutor for 5-year-olds will specialise in introducing the many aspects of language acquisition, beginning with alphabet word games and basic grammar. As students improve, tutors can help them with aspects of English they’re struggling with or challenge them to work on at a higher level. Many students can struggle early on with reading and, for busy parents, or those whose first language is English, it can be a challenge to ensure children reach a good level of literacy and cultivate an interest in books and reading. A literacy tutor can work on reading skills and creative writing early on, ensuring students stand a greater chance of being put in a set once they start secondary school. Learn more about how an English tutor can help children and adults of all ages improve their language skills. 

School Tutor for the Arts

A lot of families look for tutors to help their students develop in other ways, not just in maths and English. Whether it’s for music, art, sports or dance a tutor can help your child progress with their hobbies and extra-curricular activities. Children who can explore their interests away from the classroom often end up becoming the most organised and balanced from a young age as they understand the importance and pleasure in cultivating a wide array of interests.

How to find primary tutoring jobs near me or online with Tutor Around

Tutor Around can help you find primary school tutoring jobs both locally and online. If you’re passionate about working with young children, have the drive to help a child get the best start to their education and succeed, then sign up to become a Tutor Around Tutor on our app. If you’re unsure how to sell yourself, then follow our guide for how to make a Tutor CV. 

As schools face more restrictions and online schooling becomes the norm, many parents are looking for private academic tuition to balance out students online and offline learning. If you live in a remote location, there are a multitude of families who need an online primary school tutor. For how much to charge for tutoring primary school see our tutor pricing blog. 

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