The UK’s only virtual tutor, SchoolExams.co.uk has commissioned a poll to understand parents’ needs when it comes to helping their children attain exam success.

The OnePoll survey of 1,000 parents of 10 – 16 year olds across the country found a staggering 45% believe paying for extra tuition is crucial to guarantee success in exams.

What’s more, British parents are making huge financial sacrifices to pay for private tutors for their children as a quarter of those we polled don’t believe they are being taught properly at school. As a result, many parents are prepared to remortgage their homes, borrow cash, and give up on family holidays to pay for private tuition.

With the new exam season fast approaching, our poll found one in eight parents (12.9 per cent) polled had borrowed money to pay for an academic tutor, while one in ten (10.6 per cent) had given up on a family holiday in order to fund additional tuition.

One in 20 (5.7 per cent) have considered re-mortgaging their homes to boost their child’s chances of success.

Families in London are the most prepared to make sacrifices for their child’s education, with one in five admitting they had borrowed money to pay for extra help, and 17 per cent in the West Midlands. Those in the North West were least likely to do so (5.4 per cent).

The survey comes amid an escalating row over funding for education, with schools required to make £3billion of savings over the next three years.
Find out more in the Financial Sustainability of Schools report from the National Audit Office.

A study by the Education Policy Institute (The Implications of the National Funding Forumula or Schools) published in March, 2017 warned every school in England faces real terms cut in funding per pupil during this time frame. This will be equivalent to £74,000 for primary schools and £291,000 for secondary schools.

MPs on the Public Accounts Committee say the funding shortages – the biggest since the 1990s – will affect education standards (Read more on the BBC News Education Website – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-39419136)

Our poll suggests parents already believe the standard of education is dropping with younger parents under the age of 34 more likely to have borrowed money for a tutor (24 per cent, compared to around 10 per cent for older age groups).

The same age group (25-34) are also more likely to give up a family holiday for their child’s education.

The UK’s only virtual tutor, SchoolExams.co.uk was created by Eddy Chan, a father of three from Surrey, and aims to make private tutors available to all parents and children – without the hefty price tag.

Academic tuition up to the age of 14 costs around £30 per hour, £32.50 per hour for GSCE level tuition (Source: https://www.journalism.co.uk/press-releases/private-tuition-fees-new-data-on-uk-tutor-rates/s66/a604769/). But because of a loophole, the sector is unregulated, with self-employed tutors not required to undergo DBS checks.

However, SchoolExams.co.uk makes a range of online exam papers available from £2.99 to £4.99, along with online tutorials, so children can forgo tutors but learn and revise in their own homes.

The website contains mock and past exam papers for Key Stage 2, SATs, 11+ and GCSE Maths and English – including new sample 2017 GCSE papers. The method for answering each question has been broken down and filmed, with computer animation to encourage children to engage more easily.

Online tutorials are provided by leading Maths and English teachers who mark and set the exams. All of the papers can be viewed and downloaded to smart phones, tablets or laptops.

Mr Chan said: ‘SchoolExams.co.uk will level the playing field for everyone. With one in 4 children in the country now having a home tutor (More info at Telegraph – Education seciton ], I felt totally vindicated to create SchoolExams.co.uk in order to make tutoring affordable to everyone and not just the elite.

‘Our poll states that over 58 per cent of London parents believe that extra exam tuition is important for exam success with an astonishing 48 per cent in the South East. This tells us that parents believe their child needs additional assistance outside of school. SchoolExams.co.uk enables some of the pressure and exam stress to become alleviated without the need to spend and source a private tutor.

‘Past papers consistently feature in most students’ revision programmes, so the logical step was to provide video solutions to every single question on particular past papers, with computer animation making the teaching more engaging. In essence, to replicate the home tutor experience as closely as possible, with all the pros and none of the cons. Even the English books cut to the chase and explain what exactly is being assessed and outline the skills required to maximise exam scores.

‘If SchoolExams.co.uk can help redress the balance where financial status no longer influences academic success so strongly, then all the work on the site will have been worthwhile. Here’s hoping.’

Find out more about SchoolExams.co.uk expert solutions to help your child achieve greatness. [LINK: http://live.schoolexams.co.uk/about.php ]