Keystone Tutors has a 7-point approach to private tuition.
Here is the framework; please see underneath for further information.
- The Mission
- Assessment (optional)
- Conversation with the school (optional)
- Selection of a tutor
- Immediate feedback
- Regular feedback throughout the course
- Always available
1. The Mission
We make sure that the “tutoring mission” is well established before the programme starts. Popular missions are: a particular grade in an exam; entry to a particular school; improvement of self-esteem.
2. Assessment (optional).
If required, we arrange for the student to be academically assessed. This is usually done by Keystone’s resident assessor, Viral Gandhi. You can read more about Viral on the Assessments page. He helps parents set realistic goals for the tuition, and passes a thorough report to the tutor detailing areas that need the most work.
3. Conversation with the school (optional).
Keystone Tutors’ preferred approach - and what works best in our experience - is to have the school on side throughout the process. Will worked as a prep school teacher himself; teachers often know the strengths and weaknesses of a student as well as anyone and can advise on the approach.
Keystone Tutors have designed a super-simple way for teachers and tutors to communicate on particular students.
4. Selection of a tutor
We choose a tutor with experience and training in completing the particular mission.
5. Immediate feedback
We make contact with both the parent and/or student, and tutor, after the first lesson to discuss the reactions of both, and to see whether the stated mission is realistic or needs adjusting.
6. Regular feedback throughout the course
Each tutor is required to submit a monthly report detailing the work done in the month; the successes and areas to work on; and the work for the coming month. For an example of a Keystone report, please have a look here.
After a warm up game which kick-started Kier's focus, and some time spent establishing what exactly he felt he needed help with, I split our session into three sections: Concentration strategies, study technique, and revision practice.
Kier noted a list of five key concentration bullet points (water, tidiness, highlighting, personal reward scheme, and written aims) which we then talked through, discussing why each was so integral to an appropriate mental attitude.
We then moved onto to specific study techniques. Again we worked through five key areas which will improve his academic technique dramatically. We talked about the upmost importance of planning, planning his revision, his prep and each specific essay question. The ability to plan will enable Kier to achieve the grades he is capable of through the addition of a clear structure. We then looked at the importance of time allocation. I explained the importance to Kier of initially working through an exam, or his prep, noting how much time he has for each answer. This will ensure that he allocates each question the correct amount of time. We talked about the necessity of a highlighter, and practiced highlighting key words, in questions and comprehensions, and key marks, so that his mind is kept working and focussed. Highlighting text can change reading from quite a passive activity into an active one, thus ensuring optimal levels of performance and ability. Next we looked at the importance of understanding the mark scheme, and of expanding his answers appropriately. We talked about the constant presence of the word 'because', of needing to always give a reason for his answer within his answer, and of writing in full sentences. We then discussed his vocabulary, and worked out techniques to try and get him to push his vocabulary to its boundaries. We played a game that requires you to out-do your opponent in degrees of an adjective. For example, 'tepid' to 'warm' to 'hot' to 'boiling' to 'flaming'. This helped Kier to use his imagination with his language, moving away from a 'safe' set of standard words. He must not feeling nervous to use language that he is not overly familiar with. The use of original and advanced vocabulary will set Kier's work apart from the rest.
We then tackled our third section, revision practice. Kier and I discussed the three golden questions of revision: HOW long will you revise for? I explained to Kier that short sharp bursts are best for revision sessions, and that 25 minutes is a recommended time-frame before a short break. WHERE can you work? We discussed the importance of working away from distractions, in a quite calm tidy area where he will be able to focus one hundred per cent on the task in hand. WHAT are you going to revise? We then talked about the importance of choosing your material carefully, only Kier knows what he is best at and what he finds most challenging. I explained that he must fine-tune his ability to make the most out of his revision session by plugging the gaps in his knowledge.
We moved on to think about key strategies of revision such as reading through notes aloud so that you are utilising more than one sense. We worked through the idea of pin-pointing main headings, and highlighting key words and sections. I then showed Kier how to present these headings and key words in a mind map. This ensures that he tests his knowledge by representing it in a different, visual, form. I explained to Kier the idea and importance of repetition. Repetition is the simplest, but most effective, form of learning.
I gave Kier a revision box with index cards and talked him through the appropriate way to use them. We then practiced this skill by noting down, in the concise 'revision box style', everything we had been through in our lesson.
Kier is a very bright, very polite, and very willing pupil. He responded extremely well to all the methods and techniques that we discussed, and demonstrated a real desire to improve his set of study skills. I have no question in my mind that if he utilises these skills in his every day academic practice he will be able to once more gain top grades. Next time I see Kier I would want to use specific pieces of his work, taking him through the practice of applying the skill set to his actual work. I would like to see him before his internal exams to do any 'trouble shooting' with him, and to help him with the efficiency of his revision.
7. Always available
Beyond that, Keystone commits itself to calling each parent at regular intervals to discuss the progress of the tuition. Parents are encouraged to call Will, or the office, as often as they like; keeping personally abreast of each tutoring mission is a core philosophy of the company.
Have a read of our approach, meet our tutors, hear what they say, or read about our learning support tuition and super-curricular courses.