Establishing the credentials of a private tutor and assessing if he or she is the best tutor to help your child succeed.
There are a few questions to ask and certain conditions that you want to make sure are satisfied before you employ a private tutor to teach your child, especially if a teacher is being sent to you from an agency or you are choosing one from the advertisement the teacher has put out. If you have chosen a private tuition centre, please read our blog on this so that you know the questions to ask that centre.
First of all, it is strongly suggested that you ask the questions in the blog called: “Seven initial key questions you must ask before employing private tutor.” You can go back and read that blog if you have not already seen it.
| 1 | What are the teacher’s qualifications? Do they include a degree in either PGCE or QTS (a Bed. Degree covers both first degree and PGCE) |
| 2. | Where were the qualifications obtained – is it in the UK or abroad? The degree does not matter much but the teaching qualification (PGCSE or QTS) must be from a UK institution- CV should cover the above two questions |
| 3. | How many years of teaching experience does the teacher have in teaching the subject you are hiring them for at that level – GCSE or A-level. This is very important – for A-level, the |
| 4. | Examination board can also be very important. How familiar is the teacher with your child’s examination board’s specification? (syllabus) |
| 5. | Does the tutor come across as someone who is enthusiastic about the subject they teach or are they just trying to earn a bit of extra cash? |
| 6. | Does the teacher have a current CRB check? |
| 7. | Is the tutor able to set questions for your child, mark those questions and go through them with your son/daughter? |
| 8. | Are they a good time keeper and will they arrive on time? If they are not, they may disappoint you and mess up your family’s other plans too often. |
| 9. | Ask the teacher to tell you about the private tuition they have done before; the students, the level of teaching, the families of the students and the results obtained. |
| 10. | Do they speak in a manner that your child understands and are they able to explain concepts in a way that boost your child’s confidence? |
| 11 | Do you feel that the hourly rate that the private tutor is charging matches the quality of teaching you think they will deliver? It is not about the cheapest, neither is it the case that the most expensive teacher will deliver the highest quality. It is all about value for money. |
Just one quote on the issue of money: “Good teachers are expensive but bad teachers cost you more.” The next blog will be on the issue of cost of private tuition.
Please let us hear your views by making a comment below. We really do value your opinions and look forward to hearing your comments.
Our next blog is on Saturday and the title is: “Can I afford private tuition for my child”
If you have any questions relating to the topics raised in this post or education in general please let us know. If you would like to speak to a member of our advisory team about any education-related matter, please feel free to contact us through the following mediums: Tel 020 7112 4832; Email [email protected]; Web www.excelinkeysubjects.com