Primary Private Tuition

At Dulwich Tutors, there are a number of benefits for a primary age student who regularly receives tuition.

Many students who start off in a local nursery or state sector primary school need help developing the elementary skills that provide a basis for future learning. Because some may already be heading towards independent school entrance examinations, they need their literacy and numeracy to be as strong as possible, or to be introduced to ‘year-end’ curriculum knowledge. This is because the entrance tests are allowed to include exercises that test anything that is covered in the curriculum for the year of entry, and therefore student knowledge may need to be in advance of where it might otherwise be.

Schools either create bespoke papers for these entrance tests or use ISEB Common Entrance papers. Alternatively, they may assess candidates using one of the algorithm-driven assessment websites, such as ATOM or BOFA. It is similarly important that applicants have developed their interpersonal skills, ability to work cooperatively and achieve progress in areas in which they are especially interested or have a talent for, so that their unique strengths start to become apparent. Some schools have an interpersonal curriculum which runs alongside the standard academic benchmarks of the National Curriculum.

In terms of academic subjects, SATs or CAT scores may reveal challenges a student faces in English, Maths and reasoning. Some primary age students have support in order to be confident and ready for these internal tests, or to keep pace with sometimes busy classroom learning.

Unlike Standard Assessment Tests (SATs), RBA or CAT assessments, entrance exams are competitive, with very limited places available even at primary age entry points. For this reason, Dulwich Tutors takes a holistic approach to preparation- a love of learning, development of subject interest and the general knowledge that tuition fosters will support long-term educational progress and personal development, above and beyond the result of any one specific school examination.

For students staying in the state sector, some secondary schools use VR and NVR reasoning tests to stream students ahead of their first year, and some primary age students will have tuition to familiarise themselves with these beforehand.

While educational studies show that students benefit equally from online or in person tuition, students of this age may have behavioural needs that could be addressed through home tuition. Similarly, some Dulwich Tutors primary age students are beginning to show signs of having a specific support need, but may yet to encounter a formal assessment or statement to identify it by name. We represent Educational Psychologists who can perform formal assessments, as well as assessors who provide consultations on whether a student has the aptitude for independent school entrance, or advice on which school to go for. 

Most of our tutors have experience of helping primary age children with a wide range of support needs, including ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia. One-to-one tuition enables learning approaches and resources to be adapted to the student’s specific learning style or support need. 

Dulwich Tutors are familiar with the entry requirements of schools across the country and can help overseas primary students become familiar with the literature, customs, and historical knowledge that are often key ingredients of the admissions process. Dual nationality or bi-lingual students often have primary tuition to widen functional vocabulary to a more expressive and figurative one.

Look for testimonials on the tutor profiles below to hear success stories from former Dulwich Tutors clients and students.