Primary maths tutors

Bring a piece of schoolwork that went well and one that was difficult. A correct answer is useful, but hearing how your child reached it helps identify the next teaching step. Choose a starting point with the tutor rather than assuming that every topic in a year group needs revisiting.

These constructed examples show the kind of thinking to look for in tuition. They are possible teaching tasks, not accounts of a particular child’s lessons. Choose an example that fits what your child is learning.

Early addition: make ten before counting on

For 8 + 5, a child may lose track while counting five more. Put out eight counters, then split five extra counters into two and three. Move two across to make ten: 8 + 2 + 3 = 10 + 3 = 13. The useful explanation is, ‘Eight needs two to make ten, so three are left to add.’ Try 9 + 4 next: split four into one and three, so 9 + 1 + 3 = 13. Look for your child choosing the split, rather than copying the previous one.

Fractions: a bigger denominator does not mean a bigger piece

A child might say 1/8 is greater than 1/6 because eight is bigger than six. Draw two bars of the same length. Divide one into eight equal parts and the other into six equal parts, then shade one part of each. The denominator, the bottom number, tells us how many equal parts make the whole. Splitting the same whole into more equal parts makes each part smaller, so 1/8 is less than 1/6. A better explanation is, ‘One sixth is bigger because the same whole is divided into fewer equal pieces.’ Then compare 1/3 and 1/4 using equal-length bars: one third is bigger.

Word problems: identify the groups before choosing an operation

‘Sam has three packs of six pencils and gives five pencils away. How many are left?’ Adding every number, 3 + 6 − 5, gives four but misses the three equal groups. Draw three groups of six: 3 × 6 = 18 pencils. Cross out five, leaving 18 − 5 = 13. The answer is 13 pencils, and it makes sense that there are fewer than 18 after giving some away. For a follow-up, use four packs of six and give seven away: 4 × 6 − 7 = 17 pencils. Ask your child to explain why multiplication comes first in this story.

England’s primary mathematics programme develops fluency, reasoning and problem-solving. The areas below are a guide to possible lesson goals across primary school, not a checklist for every year. Use your child’s school curriculum to agree the right depth and order.

Agree a goal small enough to notice, such as ‘explain why one sixth is bigger than one eighth’. A useful review looks at what your child can do with less help, including on a new question.

If your child is reluctant to begin, suggest starting with something familiar and allowing time to think aloud without a timer. Describe what helps them take part: moving counters, drawing, hearing a question read aloud or having one instruction at a time. Discuss these preferences before booking.

For a child learning English, separate the mathematical idea from unfamiliar wording. In the pencil problem, explain that ‘a pack of six’ means a group containing six pencils, then let the child show the groups in a drawing. You can see whether the difficulty is the language, the calculation or both.

If your child has additional learning needs, share relevant school strategies and ask about the tutor’s experience adapting maths teaching for those needs. Agree how tuition will fit alongside school support; keep concerns about persistent difficulties in the conversation with the school.

Latimer offers a free introductory meeting to discuss goals, teaching approach and arrangements. Bring a recent question and your child’s method so the discussion is specific. Ask how the tutor would connect a picture or practical activity to the written maths, and whether they can work with the method used at school.

Check experience with your child’s year group and curriculum, as well as any particular learning need. Give your child a chance to say whether they could follow the explanation and felt able to ask a question. Agree when you will review progress and how the tutor will share feedback with you.

Tutors set their own rates, and lessons are billed pay as you go. Check the current profile rate, proposed lesson length and arrangements for missed or rearranged lessons before booking. Compare the cost of the agreed lesson pattern with your budget, including what practice or feedback is included. The introductory meeting is for discussing fit and arrangements; it is not a full free lesson.

Latimer’s one-to-one service is online first. Microsoft Teams is the default lesson platform, with alternatives by agreement. Before the first lesson, check that your child can hear the tutor, see the shared work and show their own drawing or calculation. Have paper, a pencil and any agreed counters or other simple materials ready.

For a younger child, agree how you will help them get started and when to let them answer independently. Choose a lesson length with the tutor that allows active work and suits your child’s attention. Searching for a tutor near you? In-person lessons require an individual arrangement with the tutor, including location and any travel cost.