Investment in education and training is an investment for life with long-term benefits. If anything like us, you may still be undertaking training courses CPD opportunities yourself! So, as you consider employing our services, this cost and pricing guide will help you develop an initial budget and plan for your child's learning journey.

 

If you have done even a tiny bit of research, you will know the true cost of getting a tutor can vary depending on several factors such as:

- the tutor's experience and qualifications,

- the subject matter/specialist area

- the level of qualification,

- the duration of the sessions,

- the location,

- the type of 'program'

- the delivery method

- the frequency of the sessions.

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There are lot's of options when it comes to additional support, all with pro's and con's which depend on your own personal requirements and budget. Although a 1:1 tutor, who can provide personalised tuition and tailor a unique learning pathway is the preferred solution for most people, the costs can vary massively. Typically, qualified tutors usually charge between £30 - £90 (note I haven't put per hour as although most tutors do 1 hour sessions with the student, the price you pay also includes additional costs for example: time planning, preparing resources and travel where applicable)

So what are your options?

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- Tuition Companies: Personally matching vetted tutors with students, with you for the whole journey, providing support to parents, students and tutors to ensure continuous standards of provision and most effective use of time, Can sometimes be slightly more expensive due to the additional service and peace of mind that everything is taken care of for you. Many tutors choose to work through companies to streamline their services and have all the administration, marketing, legal obligations and payment processing taken care of. 

- Tuition Agencies: A directory of tutors, anyone can list themselves as a tutor and it's up to you to pick who you think is suitable and carry out checks to validate them. Many tutors offer a free trial lesson which can be a positive but could also waste valuable time if you need to have 5 or 6 unproductive free trials to find the right tutor. Tutors set their own rates which can be anything from £10 - £90 depending on their experience although this is up to you to verify. (remember, if something looks too cheap, there is often a reason for it). Agencies can charge tutors anything from 10% - 30% of their income through their sites.

- Study Guides, Revision Books: A very cost effective and convenient option. An excellent revision tool but provide only a superficial understanding of topics. They also require students to be very self-motivated and independent learners. Usually between £5 - £30, there is a wide selection to accommodate different exam boards, literary works and skills.  

- Local study centres: These vary greatly in type of provision and cost too. Some have qualified staff delivering high quality personalised tuition to small groups, others have unqualified staff overseeing students working through a computer program. The costs of these vary considerably between £30 and £400 per month (usually payable in advance and regardless of whether you can make the sessions or not) so please ensure you research them individually to make sure it's right for your child and that you can get them to the centre regularly. 

- Online courses / programs: Very convenient but often very costly and will cover the whole course, ideal if this is your only method of study as most come with online tutor support. Some may come with accreditation but any statutory exams will still need to be sat as an independent student in a registered centre. Not an effective use of time or money if you need to plug gaps in learning or need to know where your gaps in knowledge are, although some courses do allow you to flick back and forth to individual lessons, allowing you more control over your learning pathway. and rate of progress. There are so many variations and options, ensure you check that the provision is right for your child, if necessary, check with your child's teacher to ask for advice as to whether it's worth investing in. 

- Free online resources: They are FREE! (we all love free stuff right?) Lot's of the exam boards have some great resources and past papers on their websites now, however, unless you are very specific and know where your gaps in knowledge are a you can waste a lot of time and energy searching for internet for the right resources (many of which are very poor quality and not targeted to what you need). Do speak to your child's school as they may already be paying for systems which your child can access for free outside of school and in addition to homework (they may also be providing lunch, or after school clubs which your child has forgot to mention to you).

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Ultimately, your decision will depend on your child's individual needs, their learning style, your personal circumstances, time available to co-ordinate everything yourself, ability to travel, access to the internet, other commitments and your budget.

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The above options range from an investment of a few £'s to £1000's, so when thinking of the true cost of a tutor it is important to be clear about what you want so you can effectively use both time and money to maximise timely results.

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Here is a summarised comparison table which may help in your decision making.