Private Tuition Cost - North London

[Claudia001]

How much do people pay for private tuition in London?

I had experiences with agencies charging up to 80 pounds an hour and I am now paying 40 pounds per hour. Is this a fair price?

Claudia

If the tutor is well qualified and get
Has a good track record then yes, it's a fair price. Many people charge more.

£40 in North London is a very fair price. Remember that the price doesn't just cover the time the tutor is with your child, it also covers preparation time which can be significant and, travel time (if they are coming to you). The price is often also determined by the age of the student, I.e. GCSE if often less than A'level because there are fewer tutors around for A'level than for GCSE, so you're paying for a rarer skill set.

Tutors working for agencies are often younger and less experienced and the agency will take often take a huge cut of the fee paid (remember, agencies must pay VAT too which increases their rates, individual tutors don't pay VAT). I know some tutors in London where agencies are charging £100/hr for the tutor's services, but the tutor is still seeing £40/hr or less from that fee. Look for an experienced tutor who knows the curriculum/exam being tutored for, has a track record of success, ask if the tutor could provide you with contact details for a couple of previous recent students and follow them up, also check they have a valid DBS (and ask to see the certificate) and ask about their qualifications (degree, yes or no? Expect to pay significantly less for a student) and experience.

Out of nosiness, how old is your child and what are they being tutored in? The cost of the tutor depends on both of these.

Thanks everyone for your responses!

Felix is soon turning 12, and this tutor prepared him for City, Kew and Mill Hill, all of which he got accepted into (after always getting Cs and Ds in maths). So initially we hired him for Maths but he now teaches my son guitar and piano as well.

Only problem is that he is moving to Cambridge to do his Masters and he may stop doing tuition in London, so I'm panicking as I really can't imagine through the process of finding a new tutor again. :(

If he's already got into the schools you wanted why do you still need a tutor?

A friend of mine in Finsbury Park is a tutor, specialising in maths and science (although he is part of an overall tutor network which also offers English, languages, humanities). I think he gets quite booked up though so it may be worth getting in touch reasonably early.

You might want to ask MN to remove the name of your son from your post

CruCru, I know him too

I didn't think you were allowed to advertise for free on MN discussion boards. Also, if a tutor has to advertise, they can't be that good IME. The best ones never advertise. They don't need to.

The tutor mentioned is also running an agency, rather than part of an "overall tutor network."

I have reported that post as it's a bit fishy- free advertising and all that.

We are in London and pay £40ph for our son's tutor - she is brilliant and that seemed to be the going rate when I was looking.

Well, the OP may be looking for a tutor and I know a tutor. I'm sure I've seen other people recommend tutors by name on MN before.

I also know a fantastic London based tutor who does maths, science and guitar tuition. I don't know if he's in your area of London though. PM me if you want details (it's not me, even though I'm a tutor too, but in another area of the country)

The prices seem to really vary!
Some advertise for up to £80/hour for GCSE students. Is this normal or extortionate these days?

If your son is into his senior school then he shouldn't need a tutor - if you're planning to continue tutoring all the way through then he's in the wrong school. Or is this for entrance exams for a younger one?