Online tutoring company teaching in Falkirk

Does your child need help with studying after the pandemic break?

GSS Tutoring is a new branch of the international School Is Easy programme, and franchise owner Neil Gough is looking forward to helping local children who have been deprived of their studies over the last 18 months.

“What we can see is that there is a 10 to 24 per cent knowledge gap thanks to everything that’s happened with Covid,” Neil explains, “and that the gap will increase significantly again.

“The biggest impact is going to be on National 5 students, because they have their big exams at the end of the year, but other areas in which we’re seeing concern is with transition students. That includes those who’d moved into high school, but actually didn’t spend much time there due to the pandemic, and now they’re going into their second year. It also affects those who are moving into high school this year, really without having had their final year in primary school.”

Studies show that face-to-face teaching is much more effective in a student’s learning than having them complete homework-style tasks alone. This is where GSS Tutoring can help after the hardship of lockdowns.

“We have a small band of tutors that cover most of the school subjects, both for secondary and primary school. The vast majority of them work in education at the moment, and we’re registered with Disclosure Scotland, because naturally that’s very important.

“If there’s a unique request for a subject, we have the ability to recruit someone. We actually have a highly qualified Mandarin tutor on our books, which is not something that you are likely to find locally.”

While GSS Tutoring can provide tutors to visit your home, the vast majority of its requests are for online tutoring. This is both due to the ongoing circumstances with Covid-19, and another less obvious factor.

“With online tutoring, you can get the best tutor for the best circumstance,” says Neil. “While in-home tutoring might be some people’s first preference, that limits you to the tutors who are in your area. With online tutoring, there could be someone who is a better fit for your child while being hundreds of miles away.”

The cost of tutoring is a factor that will be important to many people requiring its services, but GSS Tutoring is set up with flexibility in mind.

“We tailor payments to what suits the budget. We do packages, but each session can also be paid for individually. It doesn’t have to be weekly; it could be every two or three weeks, and there’s no upper or lower limit on the number of sessions.

“A great thing is also that the price is charged per hour, not per child. So your child and a friend could also get together for it at no extra cost.”

As our children get back into full-time education as we knew it, Neil maintains that it’s important to realise they might need help dealing with the gap in their learning, through no fault of their own.

“One teacher I have spoken to says she believes that 60 per cent of pupils in her school are now taking advantage of tutoring. It’s not a case of the children struggling; it’s just to support the learning in the school.

“This is not a reflection on the child’s ability; it’s just about making it easier for the child.

“After all, that’s something we do every day for our children.”

Find out more at http://schooliseasy.com/