With the recent decrease in the number of students receiving the top two grades for their A Level results this year (i.e. A* or A), there’s a clear indication that Ofqual are beginning to tackle the “overly generous” marking employed during the Pandemic. With plans to bring marking back in line with standards seen pre-2019, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to secure top grades in many subjects.
Teachers were aware changes were on the horizon, and will already be preparing for their next batch of A Level and GCSE students, who will need to raise the bar on their academic abilities. However, is it possible for teachers to handle this challenge alone? More and more students, and their parents, are turning to private A Level Tutors, as well as GCSE tutors to help them secure the grades they need to be able to progress with their future plans.
Here at Tutorspot we specialise in providing private tutors, whether that be online science tuition, a further maths tutor or anything in between. All of our tutors work remotely, and in our experience this trend to move tuition online is increasing year on year. That’s why we think online tuition is the future for education. Keep reading to find out why this approach to learning may be hugely beneficial to you, or your child.
One of the biggest benefits of online tuition is how flexible it can be. If you’re looking for chemistry tutors, but find there’s no one in your immediate area who’s available on the days you require, then it doesn’t matter. You could find a suitably qualified tutor in Brighton, Darwen or York. All you need is access to the internet, and there are no other barriers to starting a session.
Another benefit is that online tuition has far less of an impact on your time than attending face to face sessions might. Traditionally, you may have had to drive to your tutor’s place of work (often a building in the middle of the town centre), find a parking space, walk to the session, attend the session and then travel home. This could easily add an extra 30-45 minutes on to the whole session time.
Now, other than logging on a few minutes before your session is due to start, to ensure you are entirely prepared and ready to go, there are no other pre-session time constraints. This means you can fit in a tuition session between finishing school and having a dinner, or after football practice, or any other time that’s convenient.
Historically, hiring someone to provide Chemistry GCSE tuition or for tutoring Biology for example, or any other subject, has been regarded as a bit of a luxury, reserved for the few rather than the many. However, with the rise in popularity of online tuition more and more people are available to become tutors and offer support. This means you can now choose between teachers who are currently working or those who have recently retired. You can also select tutors who are studying themselves, often at degree level, or those who are working within a relevant industry who can provide subject support as well as real-world knowledge.
As a result of this diversity within the tutoring pool, there is far more supply to meet demand. In turn, this means that the costs of hiring a private tutor have decreased over the years, making it far more affordable for the majority of people.
On top of this, online tutors who are able to work from home, connecting with their students via Zoom or Skype, have far fewer overheads associated with their tutoring income. This means they no longer have to hire premises or a room, worry about fuel or travelling costs, or panic about parking fees. The removal of the need to travel between online tutoring sessions also means they are able to help more students, thus increase their own personal income without passing additional fees on to their students.
It doesn’t matter how amazing your class teacher is, there is always going to be a limitation as to how much can be achieved with traditional education. One teacher, trying to get 20-30 students to engage with, understand and utilise the information they’re providing is a near impossible task.
No two students have precisely the same ability, levels of concentration, foundation knowledge or even drive to understand. For those who maybe feel a bit lost or are struggling, there’s a significant risk they will get left behind as lessons move at a pre-destined pace, based purely on how much content has to be delivered each term. Fear of being singled out, or made to look foolish, often prohibits many students from raising their hands and asking either clarifying questions or supplemental ones to gain further knowledge.
Thankfully, this couldn’t be further from the case when it comes to private tuition online. The relationship between an online tutor and their student in this scenario is far more personal, providing a one to one learning environment. The tutor is able to tailor each session to the specific needs and abilities of the student, with a keen focus on their ultimate learning goals and outcomes. If a student is struggling with a particular concept or topic, then there is always time to go back, revise, or approach the subject in a different manner.
Building a strong rapport with their personal tutor also encourages students to ask questions, and build their confidence as they realise there’s nothing wrong with needing more time to fully understand what they’re being taught. Our tutors welcome questions from their students as it shows they’re invested in their own learning, and want to succeed.
If you’re ready to take more control over your studies, or you want to find a way to support your child in achieving the best GCSE or A Level grades possible, then get in touch with us today. You can use our search tool to find a subject tutor that works for you.
