Primary Tuition: One-to-one
Primary, One-to-one Lessons
Our Testimonials
Plymouth Private Tutors
- Established in 2013, we are a small group of personally selected, professional and qualified tutors dedicated to helping children and adults of all ages and abilities.
- With experience of tutoring students from 3 to 72 years old, we have seen them enjoy and excel at the subjects they were once having difficulty with.
- We specialise in finding the individual solution to the student’s needs, whether this means going over old topics or covering new ground. We take care to be attentive to the student in front of us, and to therefore present and relay the subject to the student in a way that they can accept, understand and relate to.
- Plymouth Private Tutors are all personally selected based upon: Would I be happy for this tutor to tutor my child? The selection process involves consideration of qualifications and experience, suitable reference check, personally meeting the tutor and the tutor demonstrating a lesson. The predominant factors in their selection are qualifications and experience; demonstrated competence in communicating and helping another understand; their knowledge of the subject and applicable curriculum requirements; and finally, their sincerity and genuine friendliness.
Therefore, not all of our tutors are qualified teachers, but great care is taken to ensure that they can do their job as a tutor, and that they do it well. Qualifications and experience of all tutors are available upon request and can also be seen in our Tutors & Testimonials page. All tutors hold an enhanced DBS check.
- If you wish to see the tutor’s DBS document, please ask them and they will provide this. You can also contact Plymouth Private Tutors directly to see a copy of the tutor’s DBS document.
- Applied Scholastics International is a non-profit educational organization founded in 1972 by a body of educators.
It is dedicated to the worldwide implementation of educational methods called Study Technology which were researched and developed over decades by author and educator L. Ron Hubbard. This system of learning has been used, tested and proven successful in all educational settings with students of all ages and cultures.
The organization provides training and materials on Study Technology to teachers, tutors, educators, parents and students. More information can be found at www.appliedscholastics.org.
Plymouth Private Tutors was founded by a licensed and certified Applied Scholastics tutor and encourages the use of Study Technology and Applied Scholastics training and materials. Some of Plymouth Private Tutors are certified Applied Scholastics tutors, however not all. If you specifically require this, then please let us know.
- Yes. You can arrange an informal meeting with the tutor before deciding whether to go ahead with tuition. This is often helpful if the student is in any way apprehensive about the idea of tuition. Contact us by phone/email/website to arrange this.
- A phone call/zoom meeting can also be arranged.
Lessons
- We provide one-to-one lessons, and we also offer small group lessons.
- Shared lessons can sometimes be arranged.
- A small group can make tuition cost-effective, and a small group of like-minded students can add to the enjoyment and boost motivation.
- We offer face-to-face and online, for one-to-one and for group lessons.
- In most cases, face-to-face lessons are preferred and recommended. In the event of any restrictions on face-to-face lessons, we follow government guidelines and use online platforms such as Zoom.
One-to-one
- Some tutors can visit the student’s home; however, tutoring usually takes place at the tutor’s own home.
- For Vivienne Lowe and Clare Taylor, tutoring takes place at their homes in the Hyde Park area of Plymouth. Each are family homes which have spacious designated tutoring rooms. In some cases, these rooms can also be used for lessons with other Plymouth Private Tutors.
- Parents are welcome to be present for the lessons or to return at the end. Often a student works better without their parents there, but a parent/family member being present at the initial lesson can sometimes be reassuring.
Groups
- All group lessons take place at the above addresses.
- Yes.
One-to-one
- Yes, in most cases tuition continues with some allowance for holidays: 1 week off at Christmas, 1 week off at Easter and 2 weeks off in the summer. If this is not workable for a student and their family, a personalised agreement is worked out.
Groups
- Primary and GCSE Groups: Yes, but their format may change which may affect duration, time and cost. The group tutor will inform students and parents nearer to the time of proposed plans for these breaks.
- The 11+ Group: Yes. The schedule has been created to allow some time off in the holidays; however, the summer holidays particularly are a crucial time as the 11+ exam is in mid-September. Please see The 11+ Group Schedule for more details.
- At the beginning and end of lessons it can be difficult to discuss a student’s progress, so it is better to communicate by email or to arrange a call with the tutor, or an in-person meeting can be arranged.
Prices
One-to-one
- One-to-one lessons are usually £25-£30 per hour. Students usually do well with one lesson a week. If three or more lessons per week are regularly required, a discount can sometimes be arranged.
- For one-to-one lessons: monthly, online payments are preferred. Payments to be made in advance at the beginning of each month.
Primary and GCSE Groups
- Groups lessons are £20 per 90-minute lesson/£15 per 60-minute lesson.
- Group prices are based on 4+ in a group. Charges increase slightly for groups of 3 and 2.
- For group lessons: online payments are preferred. Payments to be made in advance at the beginning of each half-term, plus a fee of £5 to cover materials for each half-term.
The 11+ Group
- The 11+ Group lessons are £20 per 90-minute lesson.
- For The 11+ Group lessons: online payments are preferred. Payments to be made in advance at the beginning of each half-term, plus a one-off fee of £20 to cover a comprehensive binder of materials which the programme is based upon. Various 11+ books are also needed along the way which parents will be informed about at the beginning of the programme and as they are needed throughout the year. Approximately, these 11+ materials come to a total of £50, spread throughout the year.
One-to-one
- Cancelling a lesson: we understand life can be unpredictable; we request that as much notice can be given as possible and we will always aim to re-schedule any cancelled lessons.
- Ceasing tuition: we request a minimum of 4 weeks’ notice. If you are unsure as to whether it is the right thing to do to start with, you can always book a few sessions as a trial.
Groups
- Understandably a student may need to miss a lesson on occasion. Each student is granted one lesson to miss per term, which means that that missed lesson fee will roll over to the next half-term/be refunded at the end of the term.
- Yes. If a parent/student is uncertain about tutoring or whether they will like the tutor, a (paid) one-off trial can be arranged or an informal meeting. There is no obligation to continue.
How do I Start?
- Contact us to ask any further questions or to arrange lessons. You can also call 07727106363. Please leave a message or send a text if there is no answer. You can also email viviennelowetutor@live.co.uk .
Procedure
- You will be asked to supply contact details and details of your requirements.
- Once a tutor is found for you, you can either: book and start immediately/at a set date arrange an informal meeting arrange a (paid) trial lesson
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- You will then receive 3 emails:
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- A confirmation of your booking/meeting/trial and tutor details will then be emailed to you.
- Contract
- Payment request and details
- The tutor will then contact you to discuss further details and arrange the first lesson.
- Primary and GCSE groups: places are finalized at the beginning of each half-term. If there are spaces available, a student may be permitted to join mid-term, but it is recommended that a place be booked prior to the half-term’s start as this is more consistent for the group and more beneficial for the group’s progress.
- The 11+ Group: places are aimed to be finalized at the beginning of the summer holidays. However, we are used to the last-minute bookings so please feel free to contact us in the summer and we will do our best to find a place for you.
Primary Tuition: Groups
Our Response...
Since 2020…
“Since 2020, Plymouth Private Tutors has experienced a dramatic increase in parents contacting us with concerns about their child’s educational progress, confidence and well-being. Our response has been to expand our activities by taking on more tutors, and by setting up groups to be able to help meet these many important needs.
Our Primary Groups are a new service devised to make learning fun and effective.”
Primary Catch Up
- This group is suitable for primary school children who are struggling with maths. Perhaps they have got behind, perhaps they never really got going, but they are now in a situation where they are not getting it, they’re not enjoying it, they don’t feel very confident, and they may even be building up a resistance to doing it. All this, and their class is moving on. The child wants to feel happy about it and the parent wants to help.
- The above describes who this group is suitable for rather than the student’s age or year group. Effort will be made to embrace and respect these age differences rather than to make any focus or issue out of them.
- The purpose of the group is to help strengthen the basics and bring the fun back.
- We want to see the children enjoying maths, rehabilitating their esteem from knocks to their confidence and we want to see them well on the road to building up their competence.
- At the beginning of each session, a relevant and carefully selected area of maths will be taught: it will be communicated with plenty of visual, and physical where possible, aids and with simple and concise language. Time will be taken to resolve fundamental confusions and to clarify key terminology to ensure a sound understanding has been established. This will then be reinforced with games, short tasks, repetition and practice questions.
- A lot of these areas will take more than one session.
- Homework set to reinforce is recommended but optional.
Primary Strengthen
- This group is suitable for primary school children who are doing “kind of ok” with maths: they are not excelling, they are not particularly struggling, they’re becoming a bit indifferent to maths, showing signs of possibly getting behind or lessening enthusiasm but it is no huge issue at present. The child is happy to improve and strengthen their skills; the parent, may be feeling concerned of nationwide/personal educational interruptions and wants to provide some encouragement, a little push. Or perhaps, the parent wants to act fast on the signs that their child is not doing as well as they were, in order to catch it now and prevent future bigger issues.
- The above describes who this group is suitable for rather than the student’s age or year group. Effort will be made to embrace and respect these age differences rather than to make any focus or issue out of them.
- The purpose of this group is to ensure the student is kept winning in maths, and to be enjoying the process.
- We want to see the children resolving more recent or current topics that may have caused a slowing of progress or enthusiasm – we want to catch these confusions now so that they do not impede the child’s future progress.
- Through strengthening and enhancing these more current topics we want to help the students feel brighter and better-equipped to make steady and positive forward progress.
- At the beginning of each session, a relevant and carefully selected area of maths will be taught: it will be communicated with plenty of visual, and physical where possible, aids and with simple and concise language. Time will be taken to resolve fundamental confusions and to clarify key terminology to ensure a sound understanding has been established. This will then be reinforced with games, short tasks, repetition and practice questions. A lot of these areas will take more than one session.
- Homework set to reinforce is recommended but optional.
Primary Creative Writing
- This group is suitable for primary school children who are struggling with creative writing or who enjoy creative writing and would like to improve their abilities in this field. Often children have great ideas but struggle to get these down on paper. Sometimes the terms and techniques can seem difficult and confusing. Very often the fun and pride of creating written work is missing.
- This group is well-suited for boys who are working towards the 11+ entrance exam to prepare them for the school’s set written paper.
- The above describes who this group is suitable for rather than the student’s age or year group. Effort will be made to embrace and respect these age differences rather than to make any focus or issue out of them.
- This group is suitable for primary school children who are struggling with creative writing or who enjoy creative writing and would like to improve their abilities in this field. Often children have great ideas but struggle to get these down on paper. Sometimes the terms and techniques can seem difficult and confusing. Very often the fun and pride of creating written work is missing.
- This grop is well-suited for boys who are working towards the 11+ entrance exam to prepare them for the school’s set written paper.
- The above describes who this group is suitable for rather than the student’s age or year group. Effort will be made to embrace and respect these age differences rather than to make any focus or issue out of them.
- The art of creative writing is broken down into individual skills which are taught clearly, with plenty of examples, and in an interactive style. Independent and assisted tasks are set regularly to provide the practice of applying these skills, starting with focusing on just one skill, and then gradually building competency up to be able to use a number of skills simultaneously.
An important part of how this group is run is that it involves group discussion. This, as well as generating feedback to help students refine their skills, bestows to the students the responsibility of being a group member and encourages confidence in voicing their ideas.
Homework to practice and to reinforce is required