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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Would you hire this private tutor?

66 replies

LuluFlower · 21/06/2019 12:30

We are looking at getting a private tutor for DS9, who is due to do his 11+ next year. We live in the South West and there is a very well established and recommended tutor that gets fantastic results. For example, all of his students have passed their 11+ and all of his GCSE students (including ones that came to him only achieving a level 1) have passed with a minimum of a 6. We have reservations because he is on the pricier side for a tutor and...

He is not a qualified teacher and doesn’t have a degree. On his website it says that he has been tutoring for over 10 years, and was in the top 1% for both GCSE and A Levels. He was head hunted to teach maths at an independent school at age 20, despite not having gone to university or being a qualified teacher. Obviously his results are amazing, I’m just not sure how I feel about paying for a tutor who doesn’t have formal qualifications?! When I spoke to him over the phone about his national curriculum knowledge, he said that a qualified teacher who hasn’t taught in a school for ‘x’ number of years would rely on paperwork/exam boards/government education websites/books to stay up to date, which is what he does.

I would love any input from teachers or people who pay for private tutors. We’ve never had a tutor before so want to make sure we are getting it right!

OP posts:

Gamble66 · 21/06/2019 12:34

"For example, all of his students have passed their 11+ and all of his GCSE students (including ones that came to him only achieving a level 1) have passed with a minimum of a 6. "
If this is verifieable you should book him NOW

Original poster

LuluFlower · 21/06/2019 12:36

Yes this is verifiable. I have spoken to lots of other parents who have sent their children to him. He has loads of testimonials too. I am just concerned that he has no formal teaching qualifications, and the difference this potentially makes?!

OP posts:

silvercuckoo · 21/06/2019 12:37

I would not mind a teacher without formal teaching qualifications, but this one is strange:
He was head hunted to teach maths at an independent school at age 20, despite not having gone to university or being a qualified teacher.
I know a few child geniuses like this (IMO gold medal winner level), but they are usually headhunted by Mathematics departments of well-known universities, not independent schools. Some of them went staight for doctorates and tenureships/professorships without having a degree.

AllStar14 · 21/06/2019 12:38

What difference does it make? He gets results, isn't that the point and all that matters?

stayathomegardener · 21/06/2019 12:39

I'm amazed you value qualifications so highly including over impeccable results.

No being goady genuinely amazed.

thethethethethe · 21/06/2019 12:39

I don't understand your concern - are you suggesting that you should get a discount because the tutor isn't formally qualified? If he gets results and has a good relationship with his students, why on earth does that matter? Snap him up before someone else does, and drop the snobbery.

Original poster

LuluFlower · 21/06/2019 12:40

It says on his website that he has been tutoring since he left school at 18, and his private tuition led to him being head hunted for the independent school. I do know this to be true as he was on the schools website up until recently.

OP posts:

pepperpot99 · 21/06/2019 12:40

Is he DBS cleared?

Nofilter101 · 21/06/2019 12:41

Wow. Formal qualifications don't necessarily equal knowledge and knowhow. I think you are silly to even question his formal qualifications tbh.

mbosnz · 21/06/2019 12:41

I'd hire him like a flipping shot. What matters to you most, his qualifications, or your child's results? He charges what the market will bear - and in his case, based on his verifiable results, I'd say it would bear quite a lot!

Original poster

LuluFlower · 21/06/2019 12:42

Yes he is DBS cleared. I’m not a snob, he does get amazing results and the other parents do rate him highly! He’s very popular so only has one slot available at the moment which we are considering for DS.

We’ve just never had a private tutor before so didn’t know if most were ex tutors, had qualifications or not.

OP posts:

moreismore · 21/06/2019 12:42

You’re overthinking this. If being a qualified teacher was all that was needed you wouldn’t be paying a tutor. He is clearly excellent at getting results which is what you’re after. Just book him before someone else does!

Xiaoxiong · 21/06/2019 12:42

Not unusual for teachers in independent schools not to have PGCEs. I think in a one on one situation you shouldn't worry about qualifications - there will be no class management element and you will quickly find out if they are engaging your child since they're on their own.

I'd book the tutor and assess after a couple of sessions how your kid is feeling about it and if concepts are starting to click for them.

Original poster

LuluFlower · 21/06/2019 12:43

Sorry, that should read ex-teachers!

OP posts:

Bluerussian · 21/06/2019 12:45

Let his results speak for him. He sounds good! I know someone who is not a teacher by profession who tutors and gets very high results, she is clever and has a talent for it.

silvercuckoo · 21/06/2019 12:47

It says on his website that he has been tutoring since he left school at 18, and his private tuition led to him being head hunted for the independent school
I still find it very unusual (because successful 1-to-1 subject tutoring and classroom teaching are quite different skills sets), but I won't have an issue with respect to him not having formal teaching qualifications.

silvercuckoo · 21/06/2019 12:48

Not unusual for teachers in independent schools not to have PGCEs.
It is quite unusual for them to not have any degree at all though.

0DimSumMum0 · 21/06/2019 12:49

I have had tutors for my son and I can say that usually the most important thing is the rapport they have with the children. Just because they are qualified doesn't mean they can teach well. This tutor obviously is really good at what he does and is very likeable.

EugenesAxe · 21/06/2019 12:49

I think you’re being a bit tick-box about the idea of no degree or teaching qualification. A-Levels are tough exams and although you would go into greater depth in subjects at degree level, I don’t think the latter necessarily requires more brain power, or would have any useful application for someone tutoring children to pass exams like the 11+ or the exams that he came in the top 1% for.

I expect a lot of a teaching qualification is about planning, safeguarding, rules, controlling a class etc etc. which bar safeguarding, isn’t really that relevant when working 1:1.

I think his answer about looking up the syllabus and example papers is perfectly reasonable in terms of ensuring he teaches the right concepts.

Original poster

LuluFlower · 21/06/2019 12:54

He is clearly very intelligent. I need to make a decision by this evening. He has a long waiting list and said he will have to offer the place to someone else if we don’t make a commitment.

OP posts:

silvercuckoo · 21/06/2019 13:03

I see now what makes me feel a bit uneasy.
Someone who has only school-level maths knowledge, even being in the top 1% of school leavers, is not likely to understand the wider picture behind the narrow curriculum, and therefore is not able to give a solid foundation for future studies in mathematics. He still can probably teach brilliantly to the exam, if that is the ambition you have.

tobypercy · 21/06/2019 13:08

I'm going against the flow here. And I could be completely wrong as I've never hired a tutor (although I was one for a while).

"all his students got xxx results" sounds like flim flam to me. There will always be kids who aren't going to get grades that good. Either he is selective about which students he takes, or he could be lying. If all the parents you've spoken to speak highly of him then maybe I'm over-cynical... but it sounds too good to be true to me.

I suppose I could advertise like this. All my students improved their grades. All my GCSE students got a C or higher (this was a while ago) even the ones with a predicted grade of E. Ok there was only 1 GCSE student but it's still true.

tobypercy · 21/06/2019 13:11

He is clearly very intelligent. I need to make a decision by this evening. He has a long waiting list and said he will have to offer the place to someone else if we don’t make a commitment.

Pressure selling too. I would be uncomfortable with this.
What is the "commitment" he is asking you to sign up to? A particular number of hours? Or is he going to say he'll tell you how many hours it will take once he's identified your child's needs and you have to take his word for it?

Sorry this is triggering all my scam sensors. But if you actually know multiple parents who have used him and been happy then that's more important than vague feelings on an internet forum!

Puzzledandpissedoff · 21/06/2019 13:12

The lack of qualifications wouldn't worry me in principle, but unless the claimed results can be absolutely proved I'd suggest there are a few red flags here. As silvercuckoo said, it would be surprising for a indy school to accept someone without even a degree, it's unusual for someone to have tutored from 18, and why is it always "only one place left" which has to be grabbed instantly?

Testimonials can be made up and it wouldn't be the first time that other parents, egged on by each other, have bought into something that may not be all it seems

It's also possible that he's entirely legit of course, but why not call the indy school and see what they've got to say?

hazell42 · 21/06/2019 13:15

You've already got a qualified teacher for your child. And yet you need a tutor

So why would you go for the same thing again. You need no qualifications to be a tutor.

If you are confident his results are as advertised, thank your lucky stars and get your credit card out pronto

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