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| Summer of tutoring 'awaiting many pupils' | Summer of tutoring 'awaiting many pupils' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| School may be out for summer, but a survey suggests many parents are unwilling to let their children have a holiday from studying at all. | School may be out for summer, but a survey suggests many parents are unwilling to let their children have a holiday from studying at all. |
| More than a quarter plan to hire tutors to help prevent the so-called "summer slide" in academic ability, the poll of 1,000 primary school parents suggests. | More than a quarter plan to hire tutors to help prevent the so-called "summer slide" in academic ability, the poll of 1,000 primary school parents suggests. |
| A fifth hire tutors so their child can be "the best in the class", the survey for a maths tutoring website adds. | A fifth hire tutors so their child can be "the best in the class", the survey for a maths tutoring website adds. |
| Research has long shown pupils' grades slip back over the summer break. | Research has long shown pupils' grades slip back over the summer break. |
| This is especially the case if they do not engage in educational activities. | This is especially the case if they do not engage in educational activities. |
| 'Slipping back' | 'Slipping back' |
| Students typically do less well in tests set at the end of the summer holiday than they do in the same tests at the beginning. | Students typically do less well in tests set at the end of the summer holiday than they do in the same tests at the beginning. |
| And some say much of the achievement gap between lower- and higher-income pupils can be explained by unequal access to summer learning opportunities. | And some say much of the achievement gap between lower- and higher-income pupils can be explained by unequal access to summer learning opportunities. |
| But the independent survey carried out for www.themathsfactor.com, which offers online tutoring courses, suggests more than a third of parents are unaware that their child's learning may slip back during the holidays. | But the independent survey carried out for www.themathsfactor.com, which offers online tutoring courses, suggests more than a third of parents are unaware that their child's learning may slip back during the holidays. |
| However, most of the parents were planning to undertake some low-cost learning activity with their children over the six-week break. | However, most of the parents were planning to undertake some low-cost learning activity with their children over the six-week break. |
| These included reading books (29%), tapping into the latest literacy and numeracy mobile apps (14%), Sats revision (8%) and online courses to keep children's minds active (7%), according to the online poll. | These included reading books (29%), tapping into the latest literacy and numeracy mobile apps (14%), Sats revision (8%) and online courses to keep children's minds active (7%), according to the online poll. |
| The finding that 27% were planning to hire tutors for their primary-age children, surprised the firm that commissioned the poll, but is in line with earlier estimates of pre-GCSE tutoring. | The finding that 27% were planning to hire tutors for their primary-age children, surprised the firm that commissioned the poll, but is in line with earlier estimates of pre-GCSE tutoring. |
| Research from London University's Institute of Education has suggested more than a quarter of students have private tuition before their exams. | Research from London University's Institute of Education has suggested more than a quarter of students have private tuition before their exams. |
| Many schools do not set much, if any, homework over the summer. However, it is a time when many, especially working parents, have more time to help their children with it. | Many schools do not set much, if any, homework over the summer. However, it is a time when many, especially working parents, have more time to help their children with it. |
| 'Time to play' | 'Time to play' |
| Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said "kids should be allowed to be kids" during the holidays. | Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said "kids should be allowed to be kids" during the holidays. |
| "Children need a break from learning pressure and time to play - which is itself educational." | "Children need a break from learning pressure and time to play - which is itself educational." |
| She added that the minority of parents who did not let their offspring relax during holidays should not feel obliged to pay for what she described as "unnecessary services". | She added that the minority of parents who did not let their offspring relax during holidays should not feel obliged to pay for what she described as "unnecessary services". |
| Tuition company Explore Learning said the summer holiday was one of its busiest times. | Tuition company Explore Learning said the summer holiday was one of its busiest times. |
| Heather Garrick, the firm's marketing director, said: "July is by far our busiest sign up month. Last year for example, we had 2,600 new members sign up in July compared with 988 in June 2012. As a result we have longer opening hours throughout the summer to deal with this increased demand." | Heather Garrick, the firm's marketing director, said: "July is by far our busiest sign up month. Last year for example, we had 2,600 new members sign up in July compared with 988 in June 2012. As a result we have longer opening hours throughout the summer to deal with this increased demand." |
| William Stadlen, founder and director of Holland Park Tuition and Education Consultants, said he had seen an increase in parents with younger children seeking tuition at this time of year. | |
| "It's a very good opportunity to do some catch-up work because the parents have more time and the children are not at school. | "It's a very good opportunity to do some catch-up work because the parents have more time and the children are not at school. |
| "If there are a couple of issues that just need to be ironed out, you can go through it in a stress-free way rather than spending five hours struggling. | "If there are a couple of issues that just need to be ironed out, you can go through it in a stress-free way rather than spending five hours struggling. |
| "The idea of tuition is to take the stress out of a child's life - then they can go off and play football or whatever else they would much prefer to be doing." | "The idea of tuition is to take the stress out of a child's life - then they can go off and play football or whatever else they would much prefer to be doing." |