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Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of people are the tutors?

Many tutors are teachers.

Some tutors are retired teachers.

Some tutors qualified as teachers but did not enjoy working in schools and now work in other professional jobs while providing tuition in the evening.

Some tutors have professional training experience.

We do not register students who are still at school or on undergraduate university courses.

 

What tutor checks does the Agency do?

Each new tutor registered with Chelmsford Tutors is checked in the following manner:

  • Disclosure and Barring Service (Enhanced) to ensure that the tutor can work with children. The DBS has replaced the CRB and ISA
  • Identity checking of a photographic ID
  • Academic qualifications certificates are seen
  • Two written references are obtained. These are usually from professional sources such as schools

Do I have to book a course of lessons?

No.

The tuition time needed, frequency and number of lessons is agreed with the tutor. Most commonly this is usually one hour a week.

 

How much does tuition cost?

Each tutor is self employed and can set his/her own fees. Currently tuition charges generally fall within the following fee scale.

From Summer 2023

AS/A level £35 to £45 per hour
GCSE£30 to £40 per hour
Lower secondary£30 to £40 per hour
11+
£35 to £40 per hour
Primary£33 to £38 per hour

If the tutor is travelling to the student after school, he/she may charge a petrol fee. This is usually between £1 and £4 depending on the distance and time taken to drive in rush hour traffic. Although the Ultimately it is for the client to agree the fee with the tutor. To minimise travelling and expense, we try to fit the best qualified and nearest tutor to meet the client’s needs. If a qualified tutor lives a long way from the client they will try to find a sensible, mutually agreed arrangement e.g. tutor or student visits for a longer session when required.

LEVELS:

Primary

Preparation for 11+

Preparation for private school entrance

Lower secondary

GCSE

AS/A levels and IB

Undergraduate

BASED IN CHELMSFORD BUT COVERING:

Chelmsford

Brentwood

Billericay

Woodham Ferrers

Witham

Braintree

Great Baddow

Ongar

Maldon

THE TUTORS ASSOCIATION

Chelmsford Tutors submitted documentation and information for inspection and was accepted as a Corporate Member.

This means that Chelmsford Tutors abides by The Tutors Association rules for tuition agencies, that tutors have been recruited following correct procedures and that the Agency and tutors work in a professional manner.

Find Out More About The Tutors Association
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Many tutors are retired teachers.

 

Some tutors are still working as teachers.

 

Some tutors qualified as teachers but did not enjoy working in schools and now work in other professional jobs while providing tuition in the evening.

 

Some tutors have professional training experience.

 

We do not register students who are still at school or on undergraduate university courses.

Each new tutor registered with Chelmsford Tutors is checked in the following manner:

 

  • Identity checking of a photographic ID
  • Right to work in the UK (Passport, NI number)
  • Disclosure and Barring Service (Enhanced) to ensure that the tutor can work with children. The DBS has replaced the CRB and ISA
  • Academic qualifications certificates are seen as all our current tutors have at least one university degree
  • Two written references are obtained. These are usually from professional sources such as schools

No.

 

The tuition time needed, frequency and number of lessons is agreed with the tutor.

 

Up to GCSE this is usually one hour a week. For A level it is often a longer session once a fortnight.

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INFORMATION FOR PARENTS AND STUDENTS:

Tutoring differs from teaching in a school because the skills and approach needed are:

  • one-to-one personal interaction
  • flexibility in teaching style to fit each student
  • tutoring at a pace to fit each student
  • often tutoring topics which were not understood in school
  • practising learning and exam techniques

A good relationship tends to develop between tutor and student so that the association is one of friend and mentor.

We usually have three kinds of tutoring arrangements:

 

Weekly tuition: This regular one-hour tuition is a supplement to a student’s schooling and ensures that the student understands and learns the subject week by week as he/she attends school. It can compensate for insufficient individual attention due to large class size, difficulty in grasping concepts or poor motivation.

 

Catch-up sessions: These are useful to review the student’s grasp of a concept. They allow the student to “catch up” and to thoroughly understand a topic which was causing problems.

 

Exam preparation: This is useful before internal exams, mocks or formal exams. The tuition required will depend on the level such as GCSE or A level. Extra tuition is useful to reduce feelings of panic and loss of confidence. Exam techniques can be practised.

 

Tuition is not a quick-fix solution. The amount of tuition required will depend on the needs, aptitude and effort of each student.

Many students have dyslexia and this is usually no problem in one-to-one tutoring. If the student has special needs, these should be discussed to see if we can help.

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