This week’s education column comes from the founder of Chesham-based company Flying Start Tuition, Sian Goodspeed:

As an ex-teacher, I know Eleven Plus tutoring gets a lot of bad press every year, but I believe it could change the lives of children forever.

Head teachers often complain that tutoring is a ‘waste of money’ and that desperate parents are being duped by tutoring companies who get them to spend a fortune on tutoring, with little other effect than to fatten our pockets.

The new Eleven Plus exam introduced in 2013 was heralded by some as an attempt to make the Eleven Plus exam “tutor-proof” and to give children from disadvantaged families, who could not afford tutoring, a chance to compete on an equal playing field with children from wealthier families.

However, this is not the whole story. As an ex-teacher who understands the challenges of over-sized classes and limited resources in state schools, I know that it is simply not possible for teachers to give children the individual attention they need.

It is also not possible to adapt your teaching to suit every child’s individual way of learning, which could make a huge difference to a child’s performance.

The hard fact is that our education system is not in a position to give every child a fair chance of achieving his or her full potential, whether we like it or not. This is where tutoring can make all the difference.

By focusing on the individual child’s weaknesses, helping them to overcome them in a supportive, friendly environment, tutoring can work magic.

Effective tutoring is not about learning a set of exam questions, but focuses on developing self-confidence, independent learning and creative problem solving skills, which boost their chances of succeeding, both in the exam and in life.

It’s true that not everyone who needs tuition can afford it, an anti-tuition argument often espoused by our critics.

However, there are already several schemes in place to support families who cannot afford to pay for extra lessons and we – for one – offer a tuition bursary for lower income families.

I believe, instead of demonising tuition, the focus should be on schools and tutors working together to support disadvantaged pupils.

For more information about Flying Start Tuition visit www.flyingstarttuition.co.uk or email hello@flyingstarttuition.co.uk.