Make sure the tutor knows the school(s) you are interested in. You want your child to go into the exam as prepared as possible, eg will go in, work to time and not be fazed if they don't finish, or if some questions are unexpectedly hard. A good tutor will have a stack of previous papers, know which questions come up and which ones can be tricky.
General VR and non-VR can be bought and used. The Galore Park English book has lots of good essay and comprehension practice, so it can be done on your own. However previous papers are hard to get (you might spot parents with older kids handing of piles of photocopied papers on the school run to another parent, a highly valued gift) and a good tutor will have them all.
An experienced local tutor should know local schools well enough to tell you whether you are aiming "too high" or "too low", and perhaps even suggest some fall back options.
The price seems about right.
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