So many students begin to lose confidence early in secondary school as the work gets harder and the number of subjects increases.
The typical experience of year 7 students is that the Maths will be a big step up at first after a long summer of no Maths. Many primary schools teach very little Algebra and other hard topics so it really can be a massive leap into year 7 – especially for students who performed well in SATs and are now in the top set which means the class is moving extra fast.
They may struggle the first few weeks and don’t ask for help like 99% of students. After this, their grades will drop in topic tests and eventually the school will simply move them down a set, but this DOES NOT address the root cause of the problem.
It drops confidence even more! And I should know because the exact same thing happened to me…
I was moved down from top set at the end of year 7 and convinced myself that I was simply no good at Maths. I could never have guessed at the time that I would end up helping children just like me become confident high achievers.
Maths is usually the first subject where confidence drops and also the hardest to recover from. Unlike most subjects where knowledge is separate, Maths is more like a game of Jenga! If just one important building block of understanding and knowledge is missing then performance in Maths collapses.
One of the most important things that a tutor will do for your child is identify missing blocks of early understanding and focus on building them, until in no time they are getting higher grades in tests and come home with a smile on their face to tell you about it!
As an experienced Tutor I have seen this story play out over and over again. It continues to amaze me the effect that I have on my students in the one hour a week we spend together. I see them grow more and more confident, until they are always on top of the work in school and we actually begin pushing ahead and aiming towards the very top grade at GCSE – the coveted level 9!
As well as the effect on the student I see the relief of their parents, relaxed in the knowledge that they are on the path to academic success and are starting to learn more independently.
If you think your child could benefit from this experience please feel free to book a consultation with me (Mike Johnston – owner of PiTutor) below. We will spend about 15-20 minutes discussing your goals and I will work out exactly how to best help your child. After this I will match them with the best Tutor for their needs.
