FAQs
Do your tutors have DBS certificates?
Yes, all our tutors have valid DBS certificates (enhanced level). Some have existing certificates that have been requested by another organisation, which we then carefully check for validity and suitability as part of our recruitment process. Others have certificates that we’ve requested ourselves via a UK government approved provider.
What happens during the trial lessons?
We provide two or three trial lessons for all new students, usually one per week. It’s very important that your child gets on well with their tutor, and trial lessons are the best way of testing this.
The lessons will contain a mixture of assessment and teaching. It’s important to have two or three lessons so that your tutor can assess how well your child retains information between the lessons, and also how they get on with their homework/practice tasks. This isn’t possible with just a single trial lesson, which is why two is the minimum number of lessons you can book. Your tutor will provide feedback from the assessment when the trial period is complete, and share their recommendations for the most suitable frequency and length of lessons going forward.
Where do the lessons take place?
You can choose from any of the following locations…
- the tutor’s home
- the student’s home
- online
However, not all subjects are available in all locations. For example, one of our piano tutors only teaches in their students’ homes, and one of our 11+ tutors only teaches online.
The more flexible you are in your location preferences, the more chance there is of finding a suitable time with a suitable tutor.
Do you provide online tutoring?
Yes we do! We have developed our own bespoke system for delivering highly effective one-to-one tutoring. Our primary goal was to replicate the features of face-to-face tutoring as closely as possible.
All tutors and students receive personalised training when they get started with online tutoring. And we optimise our system on a regular basis to ensure our tutors and students are getting the best experience possible.
Book a free online tutoring demo to see for yourself how efficient and simple our system is.
Can a tutor travel to our home?
Some of our tutors are able to travel to your home, and there will be a travel charge to cover their expenses. Please contact us to get a quote for travel charges.
What do I need before I can start online tutoring?
The requirements for online tutoring aren’t as complicated as you might think. Let’s have a look at the essential requirements, and then the additional items that are nice to have…
Essential
– An internet connection (either Wi-Fi or mobile data)
– A device with a large screen, such as a computer, laptop or tablet.
– For piano lessons, a mobile phone and a phone clamp
Nice to have
– A second device with a built-in camera, such as a mobile phone (if your large screen device doesn’t already a camera).
That’s it!
If you’re not sure whether the devices you have are suitable, or whether your internet connection is fast enough, we’re happy to schedule a free online tutoring demo with you. We’ll carry out some checks, and if necessary, recommend some purchases or upgrades you can make to meet all the requirements for seamless online tutoring.
How does your online tutoring work?
Our online tutoring works by allowing our tutors and students to see and hear everything they normally would during a face-to-face lesson.
Book a free online tutoring demo to see for yourself how efficient and simple our system is.
In the demo, you’ll see how our specialised system combines the best software and hardware in order to replicate face-to-face tutoring as closely as possible. You’ll also meet a member of our highly skilled technical team, who also provide training to our tutors and students, as well as conducting the demos.
A free setup session is conducted by someone on this team before each new student starts online lessons with us. This allows all technical issues to be resolved before tutoring begins, and ensures the first lesson goes as smoothly as possible. Having effective systems, training and setup sessions allows our tutors and students to focus on what they do best – teach and learn!
Can I book fortnightly lessons instead of weekly?
We’re very happy to schedule fortnightly lessons, and we’ll strive to keep these going for as long as we can. You just need to be aware that at some point in the future, we might need to give preference to a weekly student. This means that if someone wants a weekly time, and the only option that works for them is your fortnightly time, we’ll need to contact you to discuss your options.
If this happens, your options will be:
a) move your fortnightly lessons to a different day/time (if available)
b) switch from fortnightly lessons to weekly
c) switch from regular lessons in the term time to condensed lessons in the school holidays (only suitable for academic students)
If none of these options are suitable for you, then regrettably we’d have to give you 4 weeks’ notice and give your regular time to the weekly student. However, if we can find a suitable fortnightly time for you with another tutor on our team, we can explore this option as well.
We hope you understand that our tutors need to keep their schedules full. Please be assured that giving notice to stop fortnightly lessons will only be done as a very last resort.
What payment methods do you accept?
After the trial lessons are complete, how do regular lessons work?
Regular lessons are payable in advance, one month at a time. They are normally once a week, 60 minutes long for academic students, and anywhere from 20 to 60 minutes long for music students (depending on their age and level).
However, our tutors will always give their professional opinion if they see that longer or more frequent lessons would be beneficial for the student. Whether you accept their recommendation is of course entirely up to you.
Are there any contracts or commitments?
There are no long-term contracts or commitments when you start tutoring with us. Every new booking involves committing to two or three trial lessons, which are paid for in advance.
Once you’ve completed the trial lessons and decide to continue with regular lessons, you simply pay in advance for one month at a time, and we ask for 4 weeks’ notice in writing if you’d like to stop the regular lessons.
Do you teach during the school holidays?
Yes, most of our tutors will be able to offer both trial lessons and regular weekly lessons during the school holidays. These tutors will also be able to offer condensed tuition during the holidays if there’s no suitable weekly time for a particular student.
Although term-time lessons are compulsory, lessons during the school holidays are optional. For students with an upcoming exam, we always recommend that they continue lessons in order to keep the momentum going.
What is "Meet The Tutor"
Meet The Tutor is an informal appointment that we provide free of charge as part of the trial lessons. Once payment has been received for the trial lessons, your tutor will invite you and your child to attend a 10-15 minute appointment, usually a few days before the first lesson. Rapport is a key ingredient in effective tutoring, so Meet The Tutor provides the perfect opportunity for your child to start building rapport with their tutor.
You and your child can also ask any questions you may have about the lessons. We know from experience that your child will feel much more relaxed at their first lesson if they have already met their tutor, and have started to build a good rapport.
How do I ask a new question?
Simply scroll down and fill in the form at the bottom of this page. Or give us a call on 020 8859 2900.
Alison was an excellent tutor, she made my boys feel at ease and got to know them so quickly. She made the sessions enjoyable but still managed to help them improve their skills.
Sarah is a very good tutor, she keeps the lesson very entertaining and catches my daughter’s attention through the hour despite being online lessons. I strongly recommend her as a tutor!
Ask a new question
Fill in the form below and we’ll be in touch as soon as humanly possible!