London 11+ tutoring question

This sounds less like tutoring and more like the Freemasons!

Having been through the 11+ process, I've never heard of anything like this (and we were in the frenzied London 11+ where pretty much every type of tutoring imaginable is available).

Reputable tutors & tutoring companies will be transparent because they want clients. I would be very dubious (/run a hundred miles from) a tutor claiming to be so exclusive that you can only get a personalised introduction.

sounds like ridiculous marketing but what is probably true is that some established tutors are fully booked (especially this late into the process) and don't need to be out there, they will just add the occasional student by word of mouth. I don't think it is anything fancier or more exclusive than this.

Sounds silly to me. I would just look around for 11+ tutors and go with someone that has experience in schools you are interested in.

Hi OP

Where are you based? I ask because I have heard of certain tutors who specialise in getting children into certain schools - they are hard to get a slot with and I think just get business from word of mouth. BUT that is unusual.

A couple of things come to mind. One is that this person wants to make out that they are doing you a special favour by recommending you to the tutor. Or that the tutor makes out that they are so amazing that you need a special recommendation. Neither of these sound great.

The headmaster at our old prep school wrote to parents about tutors a couple of times. One of the things he said was that we should be aware that there are tutors who operate “at the grubby end of the market” (claiming they are special / the prep school doesn’t get any children into good senior schools / the child is so behind they need intensive tutoring). He also said that there is a safeguarding issue - be aware of who you are giving access to your children. It’s difficult to check references if this person only takes you on by recommendation.

IMO, hiring a tutor with high expectations (such as a high pass rate for a specific school) can be a double-edged sword: parents may end up deeply angry or disappointed if things don't go as planned.