Tuition for children in Edinburgh

Updated 27/09/2016

All parents want the best for their children and to embrace educational opportunities. Some children struggle to grasp the fundamentals and find themselves in a “catch-up” situation or a child may have a special educational need. What help is at hand to help bridge the gap? One in four young people in the UK are likely to receive extra tuition at some point during their education……

 

There’s “No One Size Fits All” Approach

Parents don’t want to train a child to be an exam machine, but to help them recognise that they are capable. The more positive pupils feel in their learning and academic grounding, the more confident a child will become in their social grounding. Private tutoring is a booming British industry and agencies are sprouting in the hope of benefiting from this boom. Whilst a variety of tutoring methods are on the rise, the Tutor’s Association is in place to regulate the burgeoning tuition industry. So, whilst parents have tuition delivery choices, parents can be comforted that all tutors are qualified and background-checked.

 

Achieving for All

The Scottish government wants all children to be able to get the most from the learning opportunities available – achieving is at the heart of the Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC) and Curriculum for Excellence but with increasing numbers of Additional Support Need (ASN) children, mainstream teachers and Additional Support Learning (ASL) assistants are under pressure. For more information on ASL visit: www.educationscotland.gov.uk

 

Private Tuition

Private tutoring comes at a price and Edinburgh is one of the nation’s most expensive cities with an hour’s tuition costing parents an average of £22.03 per hour. The number of Edinburgh pupils attending a private education continues to hold steady and admissions tutoring is highly sought after. 4.4% of pupils in Scotland (9% in the whole of the UK) attend an independent school, but in Edinburgh the figure rises to 25%.

There is also a general rise in parental involvement in a child’s education and parents are reacting quicker to act when there’s a feeling a child needs additional support on an individual basis beyond the classroom offerings. Some parents use tutoring to build a child’s confidence and trade on any insecurities so that a child is more comfortable with classroom learning activities, more motivated and this all leads to an overall improvement in assessments and life opportunities.

 

The Jury could be Out on Cost!

There are a host of private tuition companies in and around Edinburgh and The Lothians offering a tailored approach and it’s a growing industry but, not all families can afford it. Some high schools offer Out of School Learning Help (OSHL) but what about primary school aged children?

One local Edinburgh charity, Positive Help offers a volunteer-led free study buddy-type service to children affected by HIV/Hepatitis C or to those who have a family member affected. If you are a group or a charity who would like to see more of this type of service offered more widely to help make a “free” difference to the lives of children and young people requiring some additional support, Positive Help is happy to share some amazing case studies and work with you to share their learning and service model. Contact Emma at: studybuddies@positivehelpedinburgh.co.uk or call 0131 225 4766

 

Tutors at Your Fingertips

 

So far the spotlight has been on traditional face-to-face tuition Of course, there are benefits to improving education by traditional means but for some, the benefits of online education outweigh traditional methods for convenience, cost savings and children engaging more with learning if it’s tech-based. Online education offers the convenience of learning at the click of a mouse or tap on a tablet and the app industry is satisfying the emerging and increasing demand for online tuition.

Online learning still means you have to work as it takes just as much effort for someone over the internet as it does face-to-face. But, you can choose when to put the effort in around all the family activities and reduce the screen time log by using it educationally thanks to the advent of virtual tuition! Tutoring online can open so many doors for tutors and for students. Another big plus, is that children can often play back their online experience to reinforce their learning.

 

Extra-Curricular Tuition

The intense demands of school work may cause you to hesitate when it comes to after-school time. Many afterschool tuition activities can enhance component skills and lead to variety as well as an opportunity to explore talents beyond the school offerings. It doesn’t all have to be academic!

 

Lamp House Music - Music Lessons

Lamp House Music – East Lothian’s leading Music School, Haddington - offers fantastic music lessons for all the family. Children and adults can learn a wide variety of instruments, including guitar, vocals, drums, ukulele, piano, woodwind, strings and brass in group or one to one lessons. Tutors are professional musicians, experienced and incredibly enthusiastic – ensuring that pupils’ learning experience is an enjoyable one, and a friendly busy little hub of music for all. For more information or to book a first lesson: lamphousemusic.co.uk or call 01620 825630

 

Stringbabies

Stringbabies is a method designed for teaching young children to play a stringed instrument. It is a gentle and fun approach with each lesson involving songs and games. The approach starts with four toys, one for each string on the instrument, and quickly moves onto shapes, eventually leading to standard notation. Teaching is also available for older children and adults. To contact Sheena Ferguson email sheena.m.ferguson@gmail.com or call 07722 831224

 

Looking for additional help for your child?

Raviv Scotland aims to enable all students to unlock their hidden potential by helping children learn to learn. Help is available to overcome difficulties associated with reading, handwriting, numeracy, short-term memory, fine and gross motor skills, auditory processing, Asperger’s Syndrome, Autistic Spectrum and ADHD/ADD.

Raviv offers effective, focused, in-person, individually tailored one-to-one weekly sessions, to help correct learning and attention difficulties. Fast ForWord, an online programme to help build language and cognitive skills for effective learning. For further details please contact Karen on 07711 623 605 or email k.wexelstein@btinternet.com or visit: www.learningdifficulties-raviv.co.uk

 

Merchiston School

Merchiston is the only boys’ independent boarding and day school in Scotland offering the English curriculum, and has a global, outward-looking dimension. Specialising in the education of boys and preparing them for the world, Merchiston provides a wonderfully caring and nurturing family environment, where boys will learn to like learning more.

With an ethos based on traditional values, Merchiston encourages self-reliance and independence, as well as respect and tolerance for others. The School also benefits from strong links with a local girls’ schools for drama and musical performances, other cultural events and social gatherings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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