Affordable lessons: cut the cost of a private tutor

Many families want to supplement what their kids learn at school with a one-to-one tutor. Can you do it without spending a fortune?

Teaching is harder than it looks, as many of us have found out of late having had to try our hand as homeschooling teachers due to the various Covid-19 related lockdowns.

As a result, there will be some parents who feel that their children perhaps need an extra helping hand with their education, outside of the regular classroom. 

Even outside of pandemics, there have always been occasions when parents turned to private tutors to bolster their child’s learning.

But what do tutors cost? And how can you reduce the amount you spend, without compromising on the quality of the teaching?

Tutoring doesn’t always come cheap

Clearly, the amount that you spend on a tutor for your child can vary significantly, based on a host of different factors such as the subjects covered, your location, and whether the sessions will be in person or online.

But in some cases, the amounts spent can be frankly incredible, with reports in The Times last year suggesting that some parents were shelling out up to £1,500 a week on tutors during the peak of the pandemic.  

Shop around

It applies to pretty much every area of life that involves spending money, but shopping around really is a worthwhile endeavour. 

You might get a flyer through the door advertising a local tutor, and it seems like a good deal, but until you do a little research on what other tutors with similar qualifications offer ‒ and what they charge ‒ then you won’t really have any idea of how attractive the offer is.

Getting an idea of what you can get for your money puts you in a far more informed position.

Online vs offline

One of the positives of the pandemic has been the way that it has opened our eyes to the possibility of carrying out tasks online rather than in person.

And that includes delivering tutoring to children, with a host of tutoring agencies and individuals offering their services remotely over video conferencing software like Zoom or Microsoft Teams.

What’s more, while that might have been something of a daunting prospect a couple of years ago, many of us are now pretty comfortable with how such software works, and the best locations within our homes for using them.

Online tutors may work out cheaper, since they don’t have to worry about the associated costs of getting to your home for a tutoring session.

They may hold sessions with multiple children at once too, which can also mean that the cost for you is lower than an in-person session.

The cost isn’t the only potential benefit here ‒ online tutoring means that you don’t have to invite what is effectively a stranger into your home, or provide a space for them to work with your child.

It won’t be an appealing option for everyone though. Some children will get far more from the experience ‒ meaning you get better value for the money you’re spending ‒ from in-person tutoring rather than doing it all remotely.

There may be certain subjects where it’s more appropriate to learn in person than online too.

Small scale vs large scale

There can be some comfort in making use of a large tutoring agency.

They are professionals, they have some credibility and you should have a decent idea from the outset of what it will cost, what’s included, and what credentials the tutors have. This can be really useful if you’re looking for tutoring in a specialist subject.

These services can prove pricy though.

By contrast, asking around at your child’s school for recommendations may mean you find a capable and qualified tutor, who doesn’t offer their services through one of the large agencies, who can not only do the job but will prove a most cost-effective option to boot.

There’s no right or wrong answer here ‒ ultimately it comes down to your own preferences.

Get what you pay for

It’s always a really good idea to do your homework on precisely where the tutors are coming from, and what their credentials are.

Realistically, you may feel comfortable spending a little more with one tutor firm if you know that your child will benefit from lessons with an expert in that subject, rather than paying a little less for lessons from someone not that well acquainted with the subject.

Ultimately, if you’re going to the trouble of arranging tutoring to help your child’s education, then you are going to want to see your child benefitting from the money you’re spending.

Cutting corners because it’s the cheap option may save you a few quid, but it could also mean your child doesn’t make the progress you’re hoping for.

Free tuition

It’s worth remembering that extra help is available for free.

Online resources are getting better and better with more interactive features to engage your child in extra learning outside of school. For example, there’s BBC Bitesize, while Topmarks is an educational search engine to find more free resources.

Elsewhere there may be after-school clubs, breakfast clubs and summer schools that can supplement your child’s education for free run by their school or another organisation in your area.

Alternatively, you could try doing it yourself. Freshen up on your knowledge using something like BBC Skillwise and help your child to learn with one-to-one time set aside when you can.

What do you think?

Have you ever paid for private tuition? Was it worth it? Let us know in the comment boxes below.