Market Research With Primary School Parents Reveals Uptake of Holiday Tutoring: New market research with primary school parents has discovered that more than a quarter (27%) intend to provide their children with tutors over the summer holidays in order to prevent against a ‘summer-slide’ in academic ability. The survey, which considered the views of 1000 parents with children in primary schools, found that a fifth of respondents planned to hire tutors so that their child could be the best student in their class.

Market Research With Primary School Parents Reveals Uptake of Holiday Tutoring

Research has, for a long time, suggested that children’s academic ability drops off over the summer break from school – and this is particularly the case if they are not engaging in learning and skills development during the period. For instance, pupils typically do worse in tests at the end of the summer break than they do in the same tests at the beginning of the holiday period. The survey, carried out by www.themathsfactor.com (a maths tutoring website), suggests around a third of parents are unaware of this trend.

Still, most parents were planning to undertake some form of learning activity with their children over the summer holiday period – including reading books (29%), utilising literacy and numeracy apps (14%), revision for SATS (8%) and online courses to aid mental activity (7%).

However, Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary for the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) stated:

‘Children need a break from learning pressure and time to play – which is itself educational.

In reference to tutoring, she said that parents should not feel they need to utilise ‘unnecessary services.’