The most common reason given for requesting extra support was general assistance with core schoolwork. More than a third said they had tutoring to help with a specific GCSE exam and nearly a fifth were seeking better results for a grammar school entrance exam. The most popular subjects are, in order, maths, English, chemistry, physics, biology, Spanish and French.
Sir Peter Lampl, chair of the Sutton Trust, said that with costs of at least £25 per session, many parents could not afford the benefits of specialist teaching outside school hours.
“No one wants to limit parents doing their best for their children but we need to ensure that extra tuition is as widely available as possible,” he said. “Otherwise, it will continue to widen the attainment gap.”