Private tutoring at transition points in the English education system: its nature, extent and purpose

the free school meals indicator was statistically controlled. Free school meals had a significant
effect (F1,3=14.4, p <.0001) and there was no significant difference between school years.

Parental education was also strongly associated with private tuition. The overall percentage of
students with tutors was 39% if fathers had been to university, 24% if fathers had vocational
qualifications and 21% if fathers had only school education, a statistically significant
difference (χ² = 73, df = 2, p <.001). A similar pattern was found for mother’s education but
for reasons of space these data are not supplied. The disparity was greatest in year 11 where
43% of students had received tutoring if their father had a university education, compared to
19% if fathers had only a school education (χ² = 45.0, df = 4, p<.001) (Table 6).

These analyses confirm that parents who have less formal education and are less affluent are
least likely to employ tutors for their children. There was a large disparity for the sample of
year 11 students who were preparing to take important GCSE examinations at the end of the
compulsory phase of education. These examinations are the gateway for progression to
Advanced level and thence to university education.

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