To think this is a bit cheeky?

[Myboilerisbroken456]

I do private tutoring and charge £20 an hour. I'm a qualified teacher and have about 12 years of experience.
I've recently got a new pupil, her and her family speak English as an additional language, and her Mum asked me if I would offer conversation classes for herself and what the rate would be.

I said it would be £20 and she said that's far too expensive, can you do it for £10? £10 is below minimum wage!
I understand she thinks it's just conversation classes, but it still involves some prep.
What rate do you think I should charge?

That would be nice of you, OP.

£20 is really cheap

Could she be from a culture where haggling is standard? She may not have meant it to sound cheeky.

^

Maybe....

I'm in the North West and not in a particularly wealthy area, maybe rates are cheaper outside of London?

I don’t think so OP, I think you’re underselling yourself. We are NW too and it’s £30-£40p/h here for private tutoring.
But yea, the parent is a CF

I wouldn't drop your price, very cheeky of her to ask. I would keep the current price for your existing students but advise that your rates will be increasing and give them plenty of notice, say 6 weeks. Any new students start at your new rates. £20 is way too cheap for a qualified teacher.

A friend pays £40 per hour for English conversation lessons for her son. That's absolutely standard round here (Midlands). £20 is very, very cheap. £10 is ridiculous!

Oh wow. Is that just conversation or elocution / pronunciation too?

@Choccyscofffy It’s conversation and English GCSE preparation. The student speaks English as an additional language.

If she already speaks some English why not suggest she joins a club? Our walking group (which is very social) had a Turkish member for a few months who wanted to improve their English.

£20 an hour is far too low. She is really really cheeky expecting you to do it for £10.

It’s more than just having a bit of a chat! On that basis you could slip a fiver to the woman who runs the launderette and tell her to talk while you wait for the end of the spin cycle, or tell some old man in the pub that there’s a pint in it for him.

This woman has approached OP specifically - and it doesn’t take a great leap to assume that it’s because she’s a tutor. If you want skill, you pay for it.

I think you should rethink your approach and attitude to the value of your time.

You are an education professional charging £20 for private tuition. An earlier poster suggested this meant you were earning £38k pa, which might be true if you were able to work all through the day, all through the year, but of course it doesn't work like that.

That £20 an hour covers your prep, but also values your experience and understanding of how to relate to pupils, child psychology, learning styles etc. Charging £10 an hour would both devalue this professional knowledge and prevent you from selling that hour of your time at your higher rate.

You are selling your time and knowledge. Value it.

She is being cheeky requesting £10! Even if she thinks it involves less direct teaching, it's ultimately still time that you could otherwise have spent earning £20 from another pupil. The going rate for your time is therefore £20!

There’s talking to just someone in their mother tongue and there’s talking to an educated professional in their mother tongue. There is a wide spectrum of ability there. 3000 words is considered enough to get by but frankly I wouldn’t want to pay someone who had that level of mother tongue skills. I would want to pay someone who was educated. You only need to stand at a bus stop for a while to see a wide spectrum of language abilities all „mother tongue.“ It is disingenuous of you to suggest otherwise. £20 an hour for an educated professional is not much.

Most teachers salaries are around £35-45k so £20 an hour for talking and no planning, marking and politics sounds fine!

I know COL has increased but we need to keep SOME common sense when it comes to pricing people’s time.

Cheeky cow.

I paid £30 8 years ago and that was the going rate.

She’s haggling, which is normal for her and not for you. Just say no it’s a fixed price.

I charge £30 an hour for online tutoring and wouldn’t do it for a penny less. The mum is a cf. Tell her £20 is your rate regardless of what type of lesson it is. And then going forward you should put your rate up to at least £25/£30 an hour, say from the new tax year, 6th April onwards.

What level is it? Either way £20 is cheap even for the North West.
I teach GCSE amd I would be charging £30, which is the norm here.

By underselling yourself at £20 per hour you've left yourself open to people thinking you don't rate yourself... so they push for lower... just say no and put your fees up! I pay more than double what you charge for my DDs tutors.

I think she is saying £20/hour is expensive for language practice because that is the same price as your tutoring. The fact is your tutor fees are very low.

Agree. I would definitely rethink your fees.

£20 is taking the piss!

DC1 charges £30 and even that is on the low side!