FAQs

Classes begin early October before the tests in the following September. (So, when your child is in year 5.) Some people suggest working towards the test from Year 4 onwards, but I believe this is too early. There is a balance between the child being familiar with the techniques and question types and being so heavily tutored that they are unable to keep up with the speed of the curriculum and are unhappy throughout their time in secondary school. Tutoring throughout Year 5 allows plenty of time to get to know the different styles of questions, practice the timings of the tests while allowing for time off for holidays and other important family events.

It can take a couple of weeks for some children to get into the swing of this kind of questions. Some are naturals at Verbal Reasoning, while others prefer the patterns in the Non-Verbal Reasoning and Spatial Reasoning tests. It is important to give a little time to both elements before deciding that the test is not for them. However, the child’s happiness must be the paramount deciding factor, as is their ongoing happiness throughout Secondary School. At Harding Tutorials, we offer feedback to parents on a regular basis and will have the difficult conversations if we feel the test would be too much for an individual child. As raising confidence is at the forefront of our aims, sensitivity is mandatory. Ultimately, it is the parents’ decision and we will advise and support the whole family through the process.

As you can appreciate, the tutors are not paid a salary and consequently are not paid for holidays and sickness. When your child is ill, the resources are still available and generally the ‘catch-up’ is integrated into the lesson on a 121 basis, while the rest of the group is focused on another task. This evens out through the homework tasks and students rarely fall behind. It is also important that children are not forced to attend when they are genuinely sick as both tutors and other children are at risk. To this end, a tutor MAY offer a discretionary waver of fees, the first time a child misses a lesson, but otherwise, all lessons booked must be paid for.

The simple answer is, because we have found groups work better for all. Children feel more confident when working in small groups; they enjoy the camaraderie and gentle competition this offers; they like having faces they recognise when they take the tests and when the start secondary school and they create their own working atmosphere. It works socially and academically, and it allows for work to be chunked into sections and moved through. If at any point someone is struggling with a small topic area, we return to it 121 during holiday time. (We offer ‘catch-up sessions during non-term. By then, they have relaxed, thought about it and often pick it up straight away the next time around.

If there is a subject not specified here, please call and make the enquiry. We have contacts to many subject specialists and will endeavour to put you in contact with someone who can help.