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Best tutors in Berkshire

The demand for private tuition in the latter years of primary school and onwards is as strong in Berkshire as anywhere else in the country. Tutors are seen as an essential service for secondary school entrance preparation, whether that’s for the county’s six grammars or its plethora of private schools.
A view of Kintbury Lock, Newbury

The usefulness of tutors in Berkshire depends largely on the type of school you are aiming for: grammar school entrance (more or less essential), independent school entrance (frequent) or all the rest (occasional).

As we say in our review of Reading School, ‘When we asked boys what per cent of pupils were tutored for admissions tests, they replied, “one hundred”.’ Ditto Kendrick. A few parents will provide this themselves, using workbooks and online material, but most will pay an external firm or local expert. Making matters more complicated, Reading and Kendrick have devised fiendishly different exams. Reading has three papers: maths, English and creative writing. Kendrick has four: verbal and non-verbal reasoning, English and maths. 

Tutoring is also de rigeur for those applying to Sir William Borlase’sacross the border in Bucks. And the Slough Grammars aren’t far behind. If a parent tells you they did not use a tutor, they may have a unique definition of the word ‘use’. Families often keep contact details close to their chests – after all, grammar school entrance is a zero sum game. Schools will blithely tell you they discourage tutoring while consistently accepting children who are the products thereof. Exam technique takes a bit of practice and is something a normal state school (and indeed many preps) simply won’t be covering. 

Tutors are also used by children preparing for admission to independent schools, especially those of the super-academic hoity-toity ilk – think Eton, Wellington and St Mary’s Ascot. It’s seldom necessary for entry to preps but can come in handy nonetheless. Berkshire is blessed with an array of non-selective, or at least not-very-selective, independent schools, where tutoring plays no role in admissions, but might help children in specific subjects along the way. Indeed, it can be useful at any school for the odd GCSE struggle, particularly in maths. 

The Good Schools Guide reviews more than 50 tutor companies. Among those we review, Tutor Train stretches out to Berkshire and SENsational Tutors can provide SEN related tutors. Some companies and some ‘local treasures’ also provide group tutoring and/or revision courses to suit tighter budgets, and you could also consider one of the 15+ locations across the county for Kumon maths and English or one of the 4+ locations for Explore Learning maths and English. And if you’re opting for online tutoring, you could use most of the 50+ tutoring agencies we review, the majority of which are based in London and the south east. Make sure to read our article on finding a tutor for further tips.