20th August 2013 9:00
By Blue Tutors
A recent study by the Institute of Education (IOE) has shown that 7 out of 10 of those pupils gaining a grammar school place do so after receiving private tuition. Reported on the Ed Excel website, the findings probably won’t shock many people, and it appears as though only the students achieving a grammar school place were surveyed.
It was found that most students have a regular tutor for between one and three terms, with a small number continuing for longer than a year. However, only 6% continue with private tuition into the first year of their new grammar school, which gives a significant indication that the lessons are purely so that students can perform well in the Common Entrance exams. As expected, the majority of the lessons were for Verbal and Non-verbal reasoning, and also Maths and English. Of the students who were tutored, 78% said that they felt the private lessons helped them to do well in the tests.
Judith Ireson, professor of psychology at the IOE said that the results show that applications to grammar schools is not a level playing field, with many students having a significant amount of coaching to help them succeed. However, with the survey only encompassing those students who were successful, it is difficult to draw too many conclusions about the level of private tuition among all Common Entrance students, and the effectiveness that a private tutor has on a student’s chances of success.