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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

GCSE tutor

39 replies

byjimminey · 22/05/2016 17:45

I've had a GCSE tutor for a few months now for my child. Exam is in a couple of days so I had arranged that the tutor would come later today for revision. She was going to confirm the exact time but didn't so sent her a text this morning. Turns out she isn't coming as she has gone away.

AIBU to think that isn't fair and if you are going away you tell your tutee instead of leaving them thinking you are coming? This is a qualified teacher so I assumed she would get the importance of it all.

OP posts:

Original poster

byjimminey · 22/05/2016 18:15

anyone?

OP posts:

LIZS · 22/05/2016 18:16

How had you arranged the extra session?

BertrandRussell · 22/05/2016 18:17

Had you actually made a firm arrangement with her? Definitely today- just not the exact time?

Original poster

byjimminey · 22/05/2016 18:18

we arranged it when she was here last. she said she could def do today and would let me know the exact time later.

OP posts:

LIZS · 22/05/2016 18:20

When was that?

ilovesooty · 22/05/2016 18:25

If she didn't confirm the time and you've found out today that she's gone away I'm wondering whether she has been called away due to family illness or something similar.

Original poster

byjimminey · 22/05/2016 18:26

5 days ago.

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LIZS · 22/05/2016 18:28

Had you contacted her before today? Maybe she got delayed or called away?

Original poster

byjimminey · 22/05/2016 18:30

Maybe Sooty but she says she is back tomorrow so i imagine it was just a last minute decision to go away for the weekend. My experience with tutors is that they don't take it seriously and just cancel/rearrange/forget to tell you they aren't coming. It surprises me as they often charge a fair bit of money per hour.

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ilovesooty · 22/05/2016 18:38

She would have to be back tomorrow if she has to go to work I suppose. It sounded to me as I'd she'd gone away in a hurry. I'm surprised tutors in your experience are so unreliable. I know a fair few people who tutor and they tell me parents cancel last minute quite a lot. I told them to put a 24hr cancellation policy in place.

Original poster

byjimminey · 22/05/2016 18:56

Oh strange. I've never cancelled. I have rearranged a couple of times with a weeks notice but I've had quite a lot of lateness/cancellations etc with tutors!

OP posts:

purplebud · 22/05/2016 19:02

I tutor and I would always let a student know if I couldn't turn up. I've only once had to cancel on the day- due to a flat car battery. I don't have a cancellation policy and have never had an issue with tutees. I think your tutor is not taking it seriously - I've made special arrangements with one of mine for a session the night before their exam.

ILoveAGoodBrusselSprout · 22/05/2016 19:05

I tutor and that's not ok. Tutors rely on word of mouth, good recommendations, etc. If I heard about a tutor doing this, I wouldn't employ her.
What tutor goes away pre or during exam season?!

Original poster

byjimminey · 22/05/2016 19:09

Thanks. Its really disappointing when you want some consistency and are willing to pay good money for the tutoring. The tutor very much has the ball in their court as it isn't possible to go out and find a new person in the run up to exams. Yes, it surprises me that they would go away during exam time too!

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PurpleDaisies · 22/05/2016 19:09

My experience with tutors is that they don't take it seriously and just cancel/rearrange/forget to tell you they aren't coming. It surprises me as they often charge a fair bit of money per hour.

You're using the wrong tutors. I'm a private tutor and I've only ever cancelled on the day if I'm ill. I've always let people know with plenty of notice if I'm going to be away. Don't think everyone is like this. Don't use them again and don't recommend them.

Original poster

byjimminey · 22/05/2016 19:13

its a shame Purpledaisies as she's a really good tutor when she's here!

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fascicle · 22/05/2016 19:19

Unprofessional. But, with a couple of days to go, presumably it would have been consolidating, rather than doing something new. Can you help your child with testing/going through areas of the syllabus?

monkeysox · 22/05/2016 19:37

Does the tutor have their own dc? If she's a full time teacher to boot you're lucky she's fit you in at all.
Good luck with your dc exam. Is it maths?

Original poster

byjimminey · 22/05/2016 19:55

No, she doesn't have any children. I don't see why I am lucky that she is managing to fit me in at all. She offered a service and I took it up. I didn't go and beg her to please help me out! And no, it isn't maths!

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Original poster

byjimminey · 22/05/2016 19:58

Yes, its consolidating learning but that isn't really the point. The fact is that she let us down and didn't even bother to let me know she wasn't coming. If I hadn't sent a text this morning I think she wouldn't have bothered to let me know. I wasn't waiting for confirmation of whether she was coming or not, I was waiting for confirmation of whether she was coming late afternoon or early evening.

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mangocoveredlamb · 22/05/2016 20:05

She doesn't sound very serious about it!

I live in constant fear of upsetting my Tutees and loosing my good reputation. (Maybe not fear but...)

fascicle · 22/05/2016 20:18

Yes, its consolidating learning but that isn't really the point.

That comment wasn't related to the tutor letting you down, it was about the practicalities of helping your child in the absence of the tutor. The important thing is that your child's confidence isn't undermined by the tutor's absence and that he/she feels prepared for the exam.

BG2015 · 22/05/2016 20:34

Wow, serious tutors would be using this time now to up their income as soon it will be the holidays and work will be scarce until September.

It's a strange time to be going away when GCSE's and A Levels are in full swing!

monkeysox · 22/05/2016 20:34

You are lucky as she will be working 60 hours per week as a teacher.
Tutoring is a nice way to make extra money but unfortunately you will be bottom of the list of priorities.

Original poster

byjimminey · 22/05/2016 20:42

Firstly monkeysox, I don't think she is working 60 hours a week as she is pretty much always able to leave school at 4pm and seems to go away quite a lot at the weekend.

Secondly, I think its pretty bad to take on students to tutor, tell them that you will be available close to the exams and then change your mind. Don't advertise as a tutor if you aren't going to be consistent or at least make it clear in your advert that you only want to offer some form of casual laid back tutoring.

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