Rainham Tuition Centre has been founded to support children working towards the grammar school selection tests in either Medway or Kent. The tuition your child receives when attending our courses will support them in their preparation for this very important series of exams.
Tuition is given in the four areas tested namely:
· English
· Mathematics
· Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning
Testing is currently carried out in the first month of your child starting their final year of primary school.
Grammar school selection tests are not compulsory, but are based on parental choice with advice and guidance from your child’s school as to whether your child would be considered ‘suitable’ for a Grammar school education. As the selection tests are not mandatory it is not included as part of the schools learning curriculum and as a result many children enter the tests without sufficient preparation on exam technique and subject knowledge.
Rainham Tuition Centre has been set up to bridge this gap as we recognise that many children have the potential to do well in these tests but lack the skills and knowledge needed to approach the exams with confidence. It is worth saying now that the centre is not a replacement for the education your child receives in their school. We cannot hope to cover the extensive curriculum offered in schools but we supplement their school learning in Maths, English and introduce the subjects of Verbal and Non Verbal Reasoning so that they are fully conversant with all aspects of the tests. In addition to subject learning we cover exam techniques, time management and memory skills.
It is recommended that children start preparing for the tests a year before so starting your child when they enter year 5 is an ideal time. However, with the test date being so early in year 6 many parents may feel that their year 4 child will benefit from an earlier introduction, particularly reasoning skills. We therefore have classes that support this year group too. Early introduction also gives us at the centre the opportunity to strengthen any areas of school learning that need additional support.
Classes are scheduled to fit in with the school term dates. In addition to these, review lessons and assessments are scheduled during holiday time to assess progress. As the test dates near we offer practice paper sessions, so that the children are fully aware of the test environment.
All learning resources are provided by the centre and homework is set on a weekly basis. The homework is an extension of that sessions learning and is marked and worked through at the next session to ensure the pupil understands their errors. In this respect we ask for parents support to ensure that the homework is completed by their child so we can truly see their understanding.
Many of you will be aware of the controversy concerning the 11+ tests and some will voice concern that children who receive extra tuition to pass the exams will struggle at grammar school. At Rainham Tuition Centre we believe that if the child passes, this achievement should never be taken away from them and a place in grammar school is well deserved. In our experience once children are achieving at this level, it is very unlikely they will struggle but instead will rise to the challenges a new school holds for them. However, we also feel that in order to achieve their full potential children must feel comfortable and safe in school and for this reason we ask you to be honest with yourself and ensure that your reasons for choosing to work towards a grammar school place are the right one’s for your child. We in turn will be honest with you and if we feel our classes do not suit your child or feel they are unhappy to spend time with us we will contact you to discuss the options.
Parents have many choices and some choose to employ a tutor on a one-to-one basis and in some circumstances these are recommended by us if we assess that your child has key development needs that require more intense tuition. However in our experience many children prefer to work in small groups where they can communicate and support each other and not feel under the constant scrutiny of a tutor.
At Rainham Tuition Centre we take a maximum of 10 children in each session supported by two personnel giving a ratio of 1:5. By keeping the class sizes small we are able to devote time to your child but still allow them the opportunity to work independently. Small groups also allow us to pair learning and many aspects of our classes allow your child to work with another to solve problems, this aids their social and communication skills as well as making the session fun and interesting.
There is lots to be said on this subject and we could go on for pages but if you have got this far you are obviously keen to know more about us and what we do so please call us for more details, we are always happy to help!
Deborah Martin (Cert Ed)
