Hello and welcome, my name is Jacqueline Ackerman and I am the CEO of Ackerman Home Learning. As you are reading this you must be considering whether to arrange tutoring for your child and wondering if and how it will help them. I can assure you that whatever level your child is currently working at, having a tutor will certainly enable them to make progress. I could start by telling you that in this summer’s results my students achieved collectively, a 100% pass rate. Most people would think that I should be shouting this fact from the rooftops – “Go with Ackerman Home Learning they have a 100% pass rate!” But that’s not my main achievement. Of course, I was thrilled that everyone passed! (I may have even shed a tear). But my main goal is more than that; the thing that I want to shout from the rooftops is far more important than getting the best grade in the class. My main goal for your child is a simple one. I can promise to you, with absolute certainty, that your child will make progress with the right guidance and tuition. It is a non-negotiable for all of those I tutor, no matter the age or ability they possess. Tutoring may not always be about getting your child the best grade in the class, it may be that they are anxious and struggle to focus in a classroom setting. For some, it may be an inability to settle in to school – victims to peer pressure and the social life that can sometimes occur within a school hierarchy. And for some they simply just need that one-to-one support to enable them to achieve the top grades they are capable of. All students are unique and have different needs so after their initial session with me I develop a personalised learning plan that will ensure they make clear, defined progress. We will begin a journey together, one with a clear outcome in sight!
I tutor children with many different educational backgrounds, whether that is home schooling or the local comprehensive and all are at various levels and abilities. Not all of my students are looking to study at university or become rocket scientists, but what they all have in common is that after tutoring they all make clear progress. The most important part of this is the focus on progress – I know I have already mentioned it several times, but it is the key to why a tutor is important for your child. At Ackerman Home Learning, we believe the most important part of learning is for the student to take ownership of their potential – what will they do to ensure their own success?
A few years ago, I was concerned about a GCSE class I was teaching, many of them just coasting along, content with grades that I knew were beneath their abilities. I know that if they aimed just that little bit higher, their grades would definitely improve. So, I decided to challenge them to take responsibility and I asked them to think about their target grades for the end of year 11. What did they really want to achieve? So, to get them really thinking, I asked them to reach their hands into the air, as high as they possibly could. I would then ask them to stretch their arms a bit higher again, reaching above where they did before, to a point they thought was unattainable the last time. To my surprise, one of the students, Marcos stood on top of his desk and touched his hands to the ceiling. He understood what I was trying to teach them, and its actually Marcos who was the inspiration for my motto – Aim Higher! You try it – put your hand in the air as high as you can. Now reach a bit higher and consider this – why could you not reach that height in the first place?
To aim higher can have a different meaning depending on the age and ability of the pupil. An A Level student may come to me looking for specific subject guidance with the goal of passing that elusive end of course exam. If their aim is to go to university, they will need to have a target grade in mind to achieve moving forward. Likewise, a GCSE student will have a plan for life after Year 11 and whether it be 6th Form, an apprenticeship, college or a full-time job, they will want to plan on achieving their maximum potential so their applications and interviews are the best they can be. KS3 students will want to ensure that they are well prepared to start their GCSE courses and similarly primary school students will want to establish good practices within multiple subjects to make sure they get put in the classes best suited to their abilities moving into secondary school. But the key to aiming higher for all children is to understand – what prevents them from progressing? And that is exactly what Ackerman Home Learning specialises in.