Assessments

What Are The Reasons for An Assessment?

In some cases (e.g. at Higher level) a tutor is immediately put in place and (s)he will carry out an initial assessment (usually one and a half hours) at the first meeting.

However, our assessment process, which is normally carried out by our Director, has been approved and appreciated by many parents, who consider that this saves time and money (yours!) in the long-term. Not only do we establish the areas of individual strength and especially weakness, but we are able to pinpoint what needs to be put in place, and therefore prepare both a suitable individual programme and also select the most appropriate tutor for this task. We base such a decision not just on the expertise of a tutor, but having ascertained needs, interests and personality traits of the client, we try to match these by selecting the tutor we feel would best suit the client.

At S3 and S4 stages, this assessment tends to take the form of an academic counselling session, centring on looking at the various chosen subjects and how the youngster is preparing a study plan and weekly programme, areas with which many teenagers have difficulty.

Where, When And How Does An Assessment Take Place?

As stated, a client can be tutored at home, but for the initial assessment the prospective client usually chooses to travel to visit our Director who carries out the assessment in his study in the Dunfermline Area. For directions click here. Assessments can sometimes be done in other places, and especially in the centres in which we are now operating, eg Murrayfield in Edinburgh.

We prefer to see school-aged clients during the day when they are fresher rather than after school when they may not be at their most alert, but this is a matter for discussion between client and Director. Holidays, half-terms, in-service days and certain weekends are all used for assessment purposes. You need to allow a minimum of one and half hours for the assessment, the first part involving (a) parent(s) of the client, the client and our Director. After helping to settle the client and getting written information to read, the parent departs while the Director starts to get to know the client and begins to examine the client orally and in written form.

The parent returns to be given a full and frank assessment and recommendations, which can then be considered by the family at their leisure.

What Happens Next?

While at the end of the assessment or subsequently, clients are under no obligation to proceed, many parents do like to have a tutor allocated as soon as possible. We therefore always aim to have the appropriate tutor in place within 24 hours. We find that it is good practice to have the first session between client and tutor within a few days of the assessment itself.

A client is asked to provide an accurate email address to the tutor at the first meeting in order that this can be given to STEP AHEAD, who will then email a CLIENT DETAIL FORM which the client completes and returns on-line.