Over the last few years la Academia has offered tuition in GCSE Maths and English, as well as in languages. This is in response to demand from Stockport and Manchester parents who are finding that their school is not able to get the best out of their child.
One GCSE English student is Cameron*, a Year 11 pupil in a Stockport school, who started High School with a level 5 in English, but who achieved only an “E” grade in the Year 10 exams. “We were shocked at his grade” said his dad, Andy*. “Cameron has always been bright, but we suddenly realised that his school were not pushing him, and that he didn’t know key skills like how to time an exam and how to plan a piece of writing.” Worse, Cameron no longer enjoyed learning English, seeing it just as a chore, and his parents did not know how to help him get back on track.
The consequences of failing English or Maths GCSE are serious – not only are students who fail likely to miss out on a preferred 6th Form place, but they now have to re-take the GCSE exam.
Cameron’s parents decided to look for a tutor. They knew la Academia’s Spanish club at their local primary school, and that they offer GCSE tuition, so they rang for some advice. La Academia matched Cameron with one of their tutors, Claire*, and Cameron started studying over the holidays.
Claire got Cameron started by planning and writing a piece about rugby, which he loves, and has got him reading a variety of texts, including newspapers, which he had never previously read. Cameron has learned to think about who texts are written for, and what their purpose is, in order to analyse the effectiveness of each text.
“We’re delighted with Cameron’s progress” says Andy. “Claire is so enthusiastic! She has jogged him out of his feelings of disliking English, and we are already seeing the improvement, not just in English but also in History. He’s even applied the planning techniques that Claire taught him to a piece of French coursework! Most importantly, Claire has boosted his confidence, and we are confident of a pass and even a good grade in his GCSE English next summer”.
If you are considering a Maths or English tutor for your child, speak to la Academia on 0161 491 1444 or email us at info@laacademia.co.uk – we will help you find the right person to bring out the best in your child.
*Names have been changed, but Cameron’s parents are happy to recommend their son’s tutor to parents who enquire.