Can you believe that we’re well into term 1! We hope this new school year is filled with a plethora of learning opportunities and academic progress! Our tutors are out in full swing attending sessions to assist their students with kick-starting their learning adventures for 2017.
We’ve also been busy visiting new students and their families to provide our in-house assessment sessions that enable our tutors to begin planning the best way forward in academically supporting your child. Parents often have questions about our assessment sessions so we’ve put together a list of the most popular FAQs for you:
What are APTUTORING assessments?
- In our assessments we use booklets designed by APTUTORING (year level and subject area specific). They focus on key learning areas within subjects and are completed within the session to the best of the students ability.
- Don’t worry, our assessment sessions are not meaningless tests and they won’t leave your child feeling disheartened about their academic potential!
- In addition to your child completing the assessment booklet, our assessor will also talk with you about how they learn, what his/her strengths are and what they would most like to gain from tuition.
- Assessment sessions are also about gathering all the necessary information. This can include relevant school reports or other educational assessments completed previously. We take all this information and use it to help us formulate an individualized tuition plan for your child which your tutor will be able to implement weekly.
- You should note that APTUTORING assessments are not diagnostic tests for learning disorders such as dyslexia or dyspraxia. They are also not psychological or neurological assessments for various disorders (eg. audio processing disorder).
- APTUTORING assessors will also run through the administration nitty-gritties, answer any questions you may have and collect important enrollment documents required to begin tuition.
Who conducts assessments for APTUTORING?
- Our assessors have all the skills of a teacher, organisational checks (such as a Working With Children Check) and friendly personality of our tutors plus the extra APTUTORING Assessor training to enable them to gather all the relevant information needed to put together a supportive tuition plan.
So, why do an assessment before beginning tuition sessions?
- Well, firstly, we want to be prepared. Time is valuable and we see the value in knowing exactly what each student needs before they get started with tuition. By the time your tutor arrives for their first session they know what your child is wanting to achieve, what gaps in knowledge they may have in the subject area and how best to support them to achieving their academic goals.
- Our assessors want to understand how your child approaches their school work and whether they require additional supports due to a learning difficulty so an assessment prior to beginning tuition helps us plan with these things in mind too.
- Assessors get a valuable opportunity to speak candidly with parents and students early on about any concerns they might have.
What happens to the information gathered during an assessment?
- All information relating to your child is kept confidential and is only used to formulate an individualised tuition plan for your child.
- Your assessor will gather all relevant information which is presented to your child’s tutor for lesson planning and curriculum support.
Can I obtain a copy of my child’s assessment?
- We understand that parents are keen to hear feedback about their child. Unfortunately, our assessors are not able to provide specific feedback about your child’s booklet during the assessment session.
- Once tuition commences, your child’s tutor will be able to provide an overview of the assessment booklet and discuss the individualised tuition plan with you and your child.
- APTUTORING assessments are internal documents but should you require a written report please contact our office to discuss your needs and request a written report (fee applicable).
How does the assessment inform ongoing tuition practice?
- We use our assessments as an academic reference to help keep your child on track so they can achieve their learning goals.
- Assessments help us provide the academic support your child needs as we know how they learn best and what they need from tuition.
- Tutors often refer back to our assessments to help your child to track their progress in key learning areas.
We hope these FAQs have helped you understand a little bit more about our assessments!
If you would like to book an assessment with one of our qualified assessors, please contact us.