Home Schooling: Private Tuition as a Temporary Alternative to School
When Polly* developed severe anxiety brought on by an eating disorder, her concerned parents faced a dilemma about how to keep her studies on track. They wanted their daughter at home to recover, but at the same time, they needed a stable arrangement, such as private tuition, to ensure her education was uninterrupted as she prepared for her GCSEs.
The solution was home schooling with private tuition.
Polly is one of a growing number of children benefitting from private tuition as an alternative to mainstream school, rather than an addition to it. Recent figures compiled by the BBC reveal a massive rise in the number of home schooled children. Across the UK 48,000 children were being home-educated in 2016-17, up from about 34,000 in 2014-15.
In some circumstances, parents take on the role of being their child’s main educator. But this solution is not for everyone.
Benefits of Home Schooling with Private Tuition
Families with the resources are instead using tutoring companies to put in place a structured learning programme delivered at home by experienced private tutors, who are subject experts and have the time and patience to make a real difference to the day-to-day lives of children.
In Polly’s case, a closely monitored, term-long programme in seven academic subjects was put together by an experienced Fleet Tutors consultant. The timetable was flexible and adaptable to the changing needs and progress of the teenager. By the end of the summer, Polly had gone from feeling at a very low ebb to excelling in her GCSE exams, achieving a string of A and B grades, and is back in school, preparing for her A levels.
For Mylène Curtis, MD of Fleet Tutors, the transition back into mainstream education is the piece that ties it all in when a home schooling programme has been successfully delivered and completed;
‘We aim to help young people transition back into school and will work with schools wherever possible to support this transition.’
The motivation to investigate alternatives to school can be born out of anxiety about illness, bullying or school phobia. It may be that parents are worried that their child’s special needs or unique talents are not being fully recognised or supported in the classroom, where one-to-one attention is rare, even in small classes. For others, home schooling with tutors is an essential stop-gap while their child waits for a school place following a house or school move.
Personalised Education Programmes Delivered at Home by Private Tutors
When Alexander*, a capable Year 9 student was expelled from school, it was vital to find a solution that would keep him motivated in his studies while a new school was found.
Within a week of being contacted by his anxious parents, Fleet Tutors had put together an educational programme in seven academic subjects. It was so successful that Alexander found he was enjoying subjects he had previously dismissed as uninteresting. ‘Working with Fleet Tutors has really helped us through this difficult period,’ said his parents. ‘The tutors were absolutely great.’
Home schooling programmes, tailored to the particular circumstance of child and family, are proving to be a lifeline, one that minimises parental anxiety and maximises the student’s best chance at success. For some families, it really is the best solution. As Polly’s parents said, ‘We really couldn’t have achieved this without the support of the whole team at Fleet Tutors.’
To discuss your home schooling requirement with an experienced consultant, call 0333 920 2545.
(*Names have been changed)