As specialist providers of private tuition, we know how arduous it can be to find a professional private tutor for your child. We know how difficult selecting a tutor can be, and even more so when looking for a tutor that fits your child’s personal academic needs.
This article has been written to help you with making an informed decision when selecting a private tutor for your child. Every step is essential when searching for a tutor that will help your child attain his or her potential.
1. Start early. You will probably need tuition for 6 months to a year before the examination. We therefore recommend that you start your search for a tutor, at least two months before.
2. Ask for recommendations. You can find a private tutor on the Internet and there are a wealth of private tuition agencies but recommendations are still the most powerful search tool.
3. Pay attention to reviews. Yes, we know that there are lots of fake reviews out there but it may be worth looking for an agency that can provide reviews about the tutor rather than about the agency. After all, it is the tutor that will be working with your child not the agency. WISE Tutors shows a high interest in these reviews, that you can find here.
4. Ask questions. Interview the tutors where possible. Ask questions about their qualifications, experience and their motivations for tutoring. Check that the tutor is DBS cleared and where possible, do some background checks for references.
5. Set clear goals and expectations. Most tutors will conduct an initial assessment at the start of tuition and this will usually set the standard for the rest of the tuition period. This is a good opportunity for you to discuss your tuition needs and goals with the tutor and check that the tutor understands your priorities.
Remember that communication doesn’t end at Step 5. If you find that the tuition isn’t going in the direction that you had hoped it would, discuss this with the tutor.
Not every tutor is suited to working with every child and sometimes it can take a while to find the right fit. With some private tutors, you will know straight away if they are the right fit and with others you may need to wait for a couple of sessions.
As a general rule of thumb, after three or four tuition sessions, you should feel confident that you are working with the right tutor.