Read what Mumsnet users have to say about Explore Learning’s tuition centres - £300 voucher to be won for feedback

[EllieMumsnet]

This is the feedback thread for the Mumsnet users to who tested the Explore Learning tuition centres and their service. This service test was open at all UK MNers who had a child aged 5-14 who were interested in maths & English tuition for their child.

Here is what the testers received:

• 4 free sessions in maths and english
• The first session was an initial chat with both the parent and child to establish the child’s levels.
• The next 3 sessions were held on a drop in basis over the the course of a 4 week period (maximum 2 per week).

Here’s what Explore Learning have to say: “Since 2001 Explore Learning has helped over 200,000 children have excelled academically, reached their potential and achieved the best possible results. Our national network of 140 maths and English tuition centres support children in progressing academically, but more than that we inspire fearless learners: children who are brave, determined and excited for their next steps. Whether it’s getting ready to start a new school, meet a new teacher or make friends - we ensure children have the confidence and self-belief to tackle anything.”

Testers please answer the following questions:

• Which centre did you attend?
• Overall how satisfied were you with the tuition centre and service?
• What did you like most about the service/centres?
• How did your child find the centres? Do you think it helped them?
• Is there anything you feel could be improved?
• Would you recommend Explore Learning tuition centres to a friend or family member?

All testers who leave their feedback will be entered into a prize draw where one winner will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

[SammyF1976]

This is based on 2 sessions; we are due to go again in the week.
-Which centre did you attend? Ashford, Kent

• Overall how satisfied were you with the tuition centre and service? The tuition centre was fairly spacious with lots of work stations. The service was good and attentive. It was a little noisy at points although the children do wear headphones when learning so don't get distracted.
• What did you like most about the service/centres? The atmosphere was very friendly and encouraging with the tutors providing good feedback at the end of each session.
• How did your child find the centres? Do you think it helped them? My daughter really enjoyed it and it gave her confidence as they are so praising. It's difficult to say over this course (as not that long) whether it has helped her long term but overall she has enjoyed the experience which is the main thing as this has boosted her confidence.
• Is there anything you feel could be improved? In the centre we went to I did sometimes find the tutors a little overbearing (towards the adults). I almost felt a bit like a child at points, this isn't a criticism as such just that maybe they need to tone down when talking to parents as I definitely don't need 'encouraging' in the same way my daughter does. I feel a little bad for saying this I just sometimes found it a bit 'too' much. Also the pricing is quite expensive. It wouldn't be something I would sign up to long-term purely due to the affordability.
• Would you recommend Explore Learning tuition centres to a friend or family member? Potentially yes. I think they are good for boosting confidence in children and the extra tuition outside of school I can see would be a help if a child was struggling in any particular areas. However, cost wise I would find it hard to recommend to anyone as I do think it is overpriced.

[Cataline]

Which centre did you attend? Tynemouth which was very convenient as it’s only 5-10 minutes from our house.

-Overall how satisfied were you with the tuition centre and service? The centre was bright and busy. It had a positive vibe and everyone seemed to be fairly happy- both staff and children. The manager was extremely positive and gave lots of relevant information in the initial phone call. The initial visit went well despite my son insisting he did not want to go! The information we discussed in our phone call was recalled and used to engage my son in activities. Praise was plentiful but relevant and specific.
The following sessions all seemed to go well according to my son and the staff we spoke to. Activities were tailored to my child and feedback given at the end of each session was specific and useful. It’s hard to judge the service fully as the trial involved an assessment period only but this was certainly positive.

• What did you like most about the service/centres? The most impressive thing about the centre was the use of the FOUR system and Lizard cards to motivate the children.
  

I was particularly interested to see how a service such as that provided by Explore could help my son to improve his behaviour for learning and motivation. Although it was only for a short period of time, I could see how a more sustained experience of this system could help him to be more aware of his behaviours for learning and help him to develop them and become more confident in using them at school.

• How did your child find the centres? Do you think it helped them? Despite a lot of resistance to the idea initially, my son actually really enjoyed the sessions. I think thecperiod of time was too short to see any improvements but I could see how these could be made with a longer period of attendance. I was surprised that my child seemed to enjoy the sessions so they were clearly doing something right!
  

• Is there anything you feel could be improved? I’d have liked to have seen more work off the computers although I understand that the sessions my son attended were more tailored to initial assessments so screen use was inevitable. I understand that future sessions might have been more flexible, for example by being able to set writing tasks which I’d have liked to have seen.
  

• Would you recommend Explore Learning tuition centres to a friend or family member? I would definitely recommend the service to others. We’re considering signing up for membership as we were so impressed.

[Ilovefood1]

• Which centre did you attend?

Handsworth, Birmingham

• Overall how satisfied were you with the tuition centre and service?

I think it had a good atmosphere the first few times we went in there. It was quite busy as well, but the staff were very friendly and welcoming.

• What did you like most about the service/centres? The way the staff talked to and interacted with the children was great.

• How did your child find the centres? Do you think it helped them?

My daughter enjoyed it, but I think this is mainly because if she did well, she could collect these cards with which you could win a prize. However, she found the work/games too easy and found they were quite similar to games we had found ourselves on the internet, so after the second visit she said it was a bit boring. She only wanted to go back to get more cards. Not only that but she couldn't even really remember what she had done in that hour.
Also, she said she didn't actually like being in a group of 6 with one member of staff between them, as she said it took a long time for someone to help her.

• Is there anything you feel could be improved?

It could be cheaper for a start! Also maybe more members of staff per children, as I think if someone is really struggling, they won't be able to get the one-on-one help they need.
However, this is only what I've noticed!

• Would you recommend Explore Learning tuition centres to a friend or family member?

I would say if you really had the money to spare then give it a go. But I think if your child was really struggling, you may be better going to a normal tutor. If your child only needs a little bit of extra help, like my daughter, I don't think its really worth it as it's mainly just playing computer games.

[lynnheath50716]

• Which centre did you attend?

Birmingham Oldbury

• Overall how satisfied were you with the tuition centre and service?

Overall I was very satisfied with the tuition centre and the service. I found the centre to be busy, but we always got a space straight away and every member of staff that I spoke to, or even just saw on our way in or out was very friendly and welcoming.

• What did you like most about the service/centres?

I liked that the programme was tailored to my sons needs, giving him the most help in his weakest areas but also providing additional tuition in maths. I also appreciated the online maths course that my son could practise in his own time at home.
I also liked the drop in nature of the centres, as it allowed us to be more flexible and I wasn't worried about being late, or if my son wasn't feeling well we could just attend another day.

• How did your child find the centres? Do you think it helped them?

My son enjoyed going to the centre and I think that in the long term it would definitely help him become more confident in his work. We have taken the fearless learner tagline and used this at home too, as sometimes my son is to proud, or worried about what other people (peers) will think of him to ask for help when he doesn't understand something. So rather than help he would just ignore it and then not learn effectively. My son also loved collecting the lizard cards and he kept asking how many more until he could get a treat!!!!

• Is there anything you feel could be improved?

I would like there to be more written work, perhaps a booklet to go alongside the online element, I also think that the commitment of a direct debit £124 price per month may put people off, If there was a pay as you go option rather than committing to a monthly direct debit I would be very keen to keep my son attending.

• Would you recommend Explore Learning tuition centres to a friend or family member? All of our experiences were positive so I would definitely recommend the centres to friends and family.

[poopoopoo]

- Which centre did you attend?
Bracknell

- Overall how satisfied were you with the tuition centre and service?
I was very happy. The centre was easy to find and fairly convenient to get to. There is a lift if you have a push chair or wheelchair; as it on the first floor. It was clean and tidy and well laid out. There were hand sanitisers on the desks and toilet facilities within the centre. The tuition centre was well staffed and the staff were very helpful and knowledgeable. The staff were friendly and kind towards the children. Feedback was targeted and useful. Staff explained how the system works and my children were happy participating. My children felt they had learnt something after each session and feedback was verbal and written.

- What did you like most about the service/centres?
The friendly and attentive nature of the staff; the staff were able to discuss areas that my children found difficult and help them work through the problem.

- How did your child find the centres? Do you think it helped them?
I do think it helped them, they enjoyed it and that is most of the battle when trying to get my son to sit down and do some constructive learning. My children liked it and could tell me what they had worked on and how they improved. My kids liked the cards and look forward to them as a reward. They would also like the prizes !

- Is there anything you feel could be improved?
If they offered a cheaper price for less sessions each month I would be seriously interested.

- Would you recommend Explore Learning tuition centres to a friend or family member?
Yes, I would recommend Explore learning to anyone who feels they want to support their children with learning.

[Bluetinkerbell]

Which centre did you attend? Ashford

• Overall how satisfied were you with the tuition centre and service? It was OK. Friendly and accommodating staff.
• What did you like most about the service/centres? They're Ofsted registered, so can leave child behind in their care.
• How did your child find the centres? Do you think it helped them? She liked it.
• Is there anything you feel could be improved? Expensive for low income families.
• Would you recommend Explore Learning tuition centres to a friend or family member? Depends on their situation.

[colejc]

• Which centre did you attend? - Sheffield, Hillsborough
• Overall how satisfied were you with the tuition centre and service? - Very Satisfied!
• What did you like most about the service/centres? - The staff were so friendly, for the initial call to set up our first appointment they made a real effort to learn all about our daughter; how she's getting on at school, what she's good at, what she finds difficult etc. I was worried about leaving our daughter but they when through their safeguarding policies etc. When we arrived they talked to our daughter in a very grown-up approach and she was very keen on the level of independence and taking responsibility for herself.
• How did your child find the centres? Do you think it helped them? Our daughter absolutely loved it, she was so happy to go in each time. In just the four weeks we could see an improvement in our daughter and it was nice she was so excited to share with us the things she'd learnt. Feedback from the staff each week was fantastic, so we could go through with her what she'd been doing.
• Is there anything you feel could be improved? The negative for us was that the nearest location was an hour away, so, unfortunately, we couldn't fit this in on a regular basis and be able to visit the centre multiple times a week. Without visiting multiple times a week I think she wouldn't get the full benefit and it would be financially viable either.
• Would you recommend Explore Learning tuition centres to a friend or family member? Absolutely - if you were close enough to be able to visit often enough. We will rethink trying to fit this in when it comes to exams, as I can definitely see how this tailored learning would really push her on further. It's also Ofsted Registered which gives peace of mind for the safety of the children and also it was evident that they were learning in line with the national curriculum.

[Doobedo]

• Which centre did you attend? Sheffield, Ecclesall Road.
  
• Overall how satisfied were you with the tuition centre and service? Impressed and very satisfied. I’ve signed DS up to continue attending, even though we have to drive a fair way to get there. The online format and the lizard cards have proven to be very appealing to my son and he is happy to attend.
  
• What did you like most about the service/centres? A great manager, deputy and team of staff and the PC learning format. We aim for quieter sessions as my DS is easily overwhelmed in noisy/busy environments. The staff have been fantastic so far, and I can’t praise Alex, the second in command there enough, as she looked after us so well. I found staff to be approachable and to be considerate of DS’s needs. At the initial session, the appropriate learning level was decided and I was told that the PC program can adjust to my child’s level from between 2 years back to a year ahead.
  

Feedback has been excellent after each session, as was the parents meeting.

• How did your child find the centres? Do you think it helped them? Yes, it definitely helped my DS, who is currently unable to attend school. The quieter sessions are accessible so we go at these times. He loved the lizard cards and has had excellent, detailed feedback after each session so far.
  

The pricing seems fair to me - around £130 for up to 9 sessions per month. That’s pretty good when you consider the cost of a tutor. Of course you pay for 1 to 1 with a tutor but it’s good for my child to go into different social groups too. I really like the fact that the group is culturally diverse, and I think the young staff make the whole centre feel approachable for children.
Is there anything you feel could be improved? We attended on a session that was more busy than previously seen. I found that I had to hang around and support my DS for 5 minutes as the staff were too busy to give him the extra support he needed. More staff at busy times?

• Would you recommend Explore Learning tuition centres to a friend or family member? Yes I would recommend it for any child who learns best visually and needs flexibility around learning.
  

Thank you for the opportunity to test Explore Learning. It has been a great experience so far.

[19angel77]

We used the centre in wolverhampton. We only managed 1 session due to personal circumstances but the session was good and we learned a lot about where our child is academically and what we need to work on. Unfortunately for us the monthly fee is to much

[RK2017]

We attended the Explore Learning Centre in Wolverhampton. I am very satisfied with the overall tuition and services they provide. They offer one to one tuition that benefits the individual pupil in understanding and mastering the areas they are struggling with at school. They work alongside the national curriculum and support your child with the help they need. The staff are very caring, friendly and welcoming. Their professional approach is reassuring to both parent and child. My child enjoyed the experience and found the tuition very helpful. As a suggestion maybe support also in other subjects could be made available too. The centre has a lovely atmosphere and upto date computer technology. I definetly recommend Explore Learning tuition centres to all my friends, family members, acquaintances and to every parent who's child needs that extra support.

[LackBladder]

• Which centre did you attend? Colliers Wood
  

• Overall how satisfied were you with the tuition centre and service? Very satisfied. We had to delay starting as I have been unwell, but they accommodated us accordingly, and with no problem.
  

• What did you like most about the service/centres? Very efficient, friendly and really listened to my individual concerns re my DD, who is severely dyslexic.
  

• How did your child find the centres? Do you think it helped them? She LOVED it. Was engaged the moment we walked in. Definitely helped her.
  

• Is there anything you feel could be improved? No, I don’t think so. DD bounced out after her initial session, and was itching to get back. That’s praise enough imo.
  

• Would you recommend Explore Learning tuition centres to a friend or family member? Yes, absolutely, and I already have. We have also signed up for twice weekly sessions. Tutor costs in London are ridiculous, but I am happy to pay for this as I definitely feel that we are getting excellent value for money.
  

Thank you MN and Explore Learning. I’m so pleased we have been able to trial this, and it’s led to a really positive response from and for DD.

[LackBladder]

Sorry, I said Colliers Wood, but now see it’s listed under Merton.

[BlooperReel]

• Which centre did you attend?

Romford

• Overall how satisfied were you with the tuition centre and service?

Great service, the centre itself is in a good location too.

• What did you like most about the service/centres?

The management team are lovely and welcoming and very enthusiastic.

• How did your child find the centres? Do you think it helped them?

Both adore it there and were keen to go again.

• Is there anything you feel could be improved?

In all honesty the price, £125 per month per child, when realistically no more than 2 sessions a week we would be able to get to, is just too expensive to justify. As someone else said, similar software can be obtained elsewhere to do the same sort of work. Some of the classes offered are very good and my daughter particular liked one of them, if they had a pay as you go option, we would be there most weeks, its a shame its a high monthly subscription only.

• Would you recommend Explore Learning tuition centres to a friend or family member?

At that price i'm afraid not, but if there were a pay as you go option or you could purchase say 5 sessions for a set price on a non subscription basis and top them up as needed, I'd be much more likely to recommend.

[hanliying]

• Which centre did you attend? Sheen
  
• Overall how satisfied were you with the tuition centre and service? Very satisfied
  
• What did you like most about the service/centres? Personal touch. The site manager gave us a tour and customised the lesson based on my children’s level
  
• How did your child find the centres? Do you think it helped them? They like the level up program. I think it helped build their confidence in an entertaining way
  
• Is there anything you feel could be Improved? No
  
• Would you recommend Explore Learning tuition centres to a friend or family member?
  

Yes definitely

[Gumgardener321]

Which centre did you attend?
Bradford

Overall how satisfied were you with the tuition centre and service?
Friendly staff. Very helpful. Occasionally I felt it was a lot to do with getting a sale. I liked how keen they are to involve parents & listened to my thoughts& tailored the learning to my sons learning style. Perhaps aimed more at older children.

What did you like most about the service/centres? How it was a drop in centre the rather than having to book. Good tutor to child ratio
The staff seemed to know all the children v well

How did your child find the centres? Do you think it helped them?
My son liked the chill out/ play zone afterwards zone. He said he didn’t like the lessons but likes the playing after. I did see him enjoying some of the maths exercises though. I don’t think it has helped him as he wasn’t really struggling. Have not completed all the sessions yet though but I don’t think this wil change.

Is there anything you feel could be improved?
They reward with lizard cards- get so many get a prize. You have to get loads of cards to get very small prizes so maybe something better& lower the number of cards needed to get the prize? It’s hard for younger children to see the end rewards when it will take them ages to get to it so they may struggle to keep motivation.

Instead of yearly membership maybe do smaller blocks. I feel this would be more popular
The cost could be improved. To make it beneficial you are able to go 6 times a month but I would find this quite hard to do, hence why still haven’t completed all the sessions

Would you recommend Explore Learning tuition centres to a friend or family member?
I would for children that are struggling and are a bit older. Maybe to the run up to exams or just needing extra support for a bit Though more likely to recommend if you could pay for blocks rather than a year. It’s wuite a commitment to go up to 6 times a month & with the cost you would want to do that. As my son is only 6 years old I often find he is just too tired after school to do another hour of work so would struggle to take him during the week & can eat into your weekend a bit

[NK7fb9bc34X124929cfdc5]

• Which centre did you attend? Birmingham Harborne
  

• Overall how satisfied were you with the tuition centre and service? Very. The staff were attentive and professional
  

• What did you like most about the service/centres? That you can drop in whenever suits you - the flexibility is very welcome
  

• How did your child find the centres? Do you think it helped them? She enjoyed it.
  

• Is there anything you feel could be improved? The pricing model is very rigid, and if we became members we would struggle to be able to attend twice a week - between work and clubs/activities, it is not realistic to fit in 2 x 75 minute sessions on top of everything else.
  

• Would you recommend Explore Learning tuition centres to a friend or family member?
  

Yes, in principle

[annibee]

Testers please answer the following questions:

• Which centre did you attend? Chelmsford

• Overall how satisfied were you with the tuition centre and service? Really pleased! I was surprised at how homely it felt considering it is part of a large chain and situated in a supermarket. I had expected it to be almost robotic however all the staff were really friendly and seemed to know all of the children enough to talk to as and when they came in. All the staff that we met in each session were really lovely and you could see their enthusiasm for their job which was niceto see.

• What did you like most about the service/centres? The friendliness of the tutors and managers, they really made myself, and my son, feel welcome from the offset. I also liked the layout of the space with the pods of computers and space for the tutor and the whiteboard. The space was clean and tidy and it was a calm and pleasant atmosphere in there. We also love the idea of the 15 minute breakout time at the end, it is such a good way to end the learning.

• How did your child find the centres? Do you think it helped them? My son has really enjoyed it. At first when I told him we were going there he was not happy, told me he didn't need tutoring. By the last session he was asking when he could go again! He really bought into the way they run it and has enjoyed his time. I can also tell that already he has grown in his confidence and I think that this is because of the excellent feedback that the centre provides after each session. It has a really good system with the FOUR system and my son has enjoyed collecting the cards (he has had 4 of the same one though that he found frustrating).

• Is there anything you feel could be improved? At the moment there is no recommendations, however we have only had three sessions plus the introduction so it is hard to form any suggestions at this time. However, I would say that so far I have very positive feelings towards explore and everything they do and everything we have seen so far has been brilliant!

• Would you recommend Explore Learning tuition centres to a friend or family member? Definitely! We will be purchasing a membership for my eldest son (the one who is part of the trial) and I am sure if we feel we need it in the future for my younger two we would also consider Explore learning straight away. I think it provides good value for money - 9 sessions a month works out at about £14 per session which for an hour and a half is brilliant! It also helps that as they are OFSTED registered you can claim tax credits/tax free childcare for them.

[PurpleCrazyHorse]

Adding to my feedback above now I've had my parent's meeting...

Which centre did you attend? Coventry

The parents meeting was very informative with a good use of stock examples as obviously DD had only done two sessions so the system isn't really set up for feedback so soon after starting. The lady who did it was nice.

The only comment would be that there's no where private (or even semi private) to chat. I think I would want to at least have the option of being able to discuss any concerns out of ear shot of other children. Unfortunately the centre is limited in size and I didn't see anywhere obvious where this could be, so difficult to solve, but maybe a consideration for future centres.

[ZaiZai]

• Which centre did you attend?
  

Merton

• Overall how satisfied were you with the tuition centre and service?
  

Very satisfied

• What did you like most about the service/centres?
  

The flexibility of not having to pre-book, the staff were friendly, feedback at the end of each session and child-friendly computer programs.

• How did your child find the centres? Do you think it helped them?
  

My daughter really enjoyed attending. I cannot comment if it was academically beneficial in 4 sessions but is definitely great for encouraging learning and making it fun and interactive. The online maths portal you can access from home is a useful addition to the service offered.

• Is there anything you feel could be improved?
  

Perhaps a lower tutor:child ratio for 4-5yr olds who are less independent at learning. Perhaps adding an English/phonics online learning programme to the online portal you can access at home.

• Would you recommend Explore Learning tuition centres to a friend or family member?
  

I probably would. If my daughter had attended sessions twice weekly for half a term for example I feel I would be able to have a better insight in to how beneficial the service the is and say for sure if Inwould recommend or not but at this stage, I was very happy with Explore Learning Merton but cannot comment on academically how beneficial it is.

[PurpleChai]

Which centre did you attend?
Leeds Crown Point

• Overall how satisfied were you with the tuition centre and service?
  

Fairy satisfied

• What did you like most about the service/centres?
  

They were very welcoming, and also the fact they were open every day including Sundays was a big draw for us considering we live a fair drivable distance away from the centre.

• How did your child find the centres? Do you think it helped them?
  

My daughter really enjoyed the sessions, she responded well to receiving lizard cards and getting to use a computer for her sessions.

• Is there anything you feel could be improved?
  

I would prefer there to be different membership tiers, as the cost of monthly membership as it stands is cost prohibitive for us to justify it.

• Would you recommend Explore Learning tuition centres to a friend or family member?
  

I’d say yes as my daughter enjoyed it, however the sheer cost of the sessions compared to a private tutor plus the locations of the centres means I would advise people to try it out first.

[smallchanceofrain]

Which centre did you attend?
York

Overall how satisfied were you with the tuition centre and service? Disappointed. We had an initial chat but they didn't contact us again.

What did you like most about the service/centres?
They seemed friendly and enthusiastic. Shame they didn't get back in touch.

How did your child find the centres? Do you think it helped them?
We didn't get to attend.

Is there anything you feel could be improved?
Communication and it not being in a busy supermarket.

Would you recommend Explore Learning tuition centres to a friend or family member?
No. Even without experiencing it, by looking at what they do I think their pricing is excessive for the the service offered. A local tutor (qualified teacher) is more cost effective and a better fit for my child's needs.

[jenzebra]

• Which centre did you attend?
  

Northampton (Sainsburys)

• Overall how satisfied were you with the tuition centre and service?
  

I have been genuinely surprised by how much the experience at Explore learning has changed my views. There was a perception of it just being used as a creche, but actually it's nothing like that. Michael was shaking and mega nervous to start with, but at the end of each session he is excited and positive. His understanding of topics seems improved as well as using a computer. The staff at the Northampton branch were so kind, positive and patient. The interaction with the manager was so extremely positive I would say the company is underutilising how good their staff are. I've taught secondary for 10 years and I would say these staff are 100% dedicated and making positive differences in young people's lives.

• What did you like most about the service/centres?
  

the staff were positive and friendly, they were patient when giving out help
I was surprised by how much interaction there is between staff and students, lots of great teaching and feedback
Positive system for encouraging learning, my little boy loved the cards which you can collect for points but there is immediate feedback on how well they do and everything is celebrated
Like the learning areas, divided into island of 6 students to one tutor and this works great for focus and getting help when needed. Everywhere was clean, bright and well organised
Like that each student has a folder and a place to keep it
Felt safe, students sign in/ out and buzzed in and out, also that there was a toilet inside the area, all staff CRB
All the Students were focused and the one time one wasn't a tutor was working hard to engage him. When that didn't work another tutor helped and got back on task. Northampton centre had a really lovely team feel and the manager and deputy manager were super positive towards staff and students
Liked the resources and the programmes they offer, divided into 15 min sections which help vary what they are doing plus you can focus on specific topics
Liked that there are regular parent meetings and that you can get more feedback if you are worried. Like the short feedback from each session and the targeted goals that they work towards. You get lots of information about how well your child is doing and areas for development

• How did your child find the centres? Do you think it helped them?
  

It was lovely to see him grow in confidence and really shine.

• Is there anything you feel could be improved?
  

• £50 registration fee; I find this off putting I would prefer the fees are hidden in the monthly charge. I'm always surprised and disappointed when companies do this.
  
• The major issue I would change is the structure of payment and sessions. My little one is 5 years old and 9 sessions a month is a lot. It would be great to offer a shorter program to younger children. Michael is extremely tired after each session and trying to make 9 a month is impossible between other commitments. Ideally, I would like a 4 sessions a month, because I'm not looking for super fast progression but more about developing his confidence and skills.
  
• My other worry is that you can't book a specific session as I have normally a toddler in tow. We don't live super close to the centre and I'd be worried that it would be full at peak times.
  

What I would change;

• underutilising staff, you have some natural teachers with great passion. I would love and pay for one off sessions that teach specific areas. So on our induction session, the manager was brilliant at teaching double phonics and it suddenly made a lot more sense to both of us.
  

• Would you recommend Explore Learning tuition centres to a friend or family member?
  

Yes totally!

[Backhometothenorth]

Which centre did you attend? Altrincham

• Overall how satisfied were you with the tuition centre and service? It was absolutely great- far exceeded my expectations in every way and my daughter genuinely really enjoyed it to the point that she was asking when she could go back several times a week.
  
• What did you like most about the service/centres? I found the manager Emma and all the tutors very helpful and committed and my daughter felt comfortable and motivated almost immediately. I really liked the way you can direct the focus of the learning sessions and found the detailed feedback really interesting.
  
• How did your child find the centres? Do you think it helped them? My daughter really enjoyed this experience and is keen to carry on, which we will after Christmas. It is not something I can imagine doing over the summer months but membership can be frozen and it’s a useful activity when the weather is bad. DD6 is very bright but can lack confidence in sharing her ideas and we have focussed on this and on taking positives from mistakes. Really great service- thanks to all at the centre.
  
• Is there anything you feel could be improved? I would prefer a fee structure based on 5 or 6 monthly visits.
  
• Would you recommend Explore Learning tuition centres to a friend or family member? Yes absolutely for this centre, which is also about to be refurbished which is great!

[paddler78]

Which centre did you attend?
Bristol - Emersons Green

Overall how satisfied were you with the tuition centre and service?
The centre was well laid out and the tutors we saw were all lovely, very welcoming, friendly and encouraging.

What did you like most about the service/centres?
Drop in nature, no need to prebook so you could attend when you had some spare time.

How did your child find the centres? Do you think it helped them?
My DD liked the centre and the staff but felt that the primarely computer based learning wasn't for her.

Is there anything you feel could be improved?
Montly cost would be prohibitive for most parents, especially if you have more than one child - maybe have the option of a smaller monthly fee and pay as you go. Additional methods of learning would also be helpful as would different options for rewards - lizard cards don't really work that well for KS3 age children even if they can save up for a gift voucher - you can only earn a maximum of 4 cards per session and so it would take a long time to save up even if you are attending the full 9 sessions a month.

Would you recommend Explore Learning tuition centres to a friend or family member?
Yes I would recommend that they give it a try, if they are fairly local to a centre and can take advantage of the full 9 sessions per month then the cost is more justifiable but if you can only attend once a week it works out to be expensive. Also depending on how a child likes to learn but they proably won't know if computer based learning is for them unless they give it a try.

[user1480256140]

We used the North Cheam Centre.
We were very satisfied with the centre. The staff are enthusiastic and the centre is well resourced. The written feedback was useful to chart progress and identify areas of need.
The centre is conveniently positioned, and I liked the flexibility of session times which meant we could choose times convenient for the family.
My son has enjoyed attending. He has enjoyed the rewards and has had fun, as well as growing in confidence. He has enjoyed the friendliness and enthusiasm of the staff who have made it not feel like school work.
The only criticisms I have are of the ‘hard sell’ approach (constant repetition of the way it works in the introduction phonecall plus all the follow-up calls) and the committment to quite high cost provision which are off-putting. My own financial situation means that I cannot commit to the minimum they ask. This is a shame as I feel a more flexible approach would keep people using the service as it is very good. I would attempt to keep up one weekly class on a pay as you go basis for instance. The actual centre and method work well.
Yes. For children struggling with concepts and confidence it is a fun environment for them to learn more. For those already coping well, it gives them the space to hone and develop knowledge and skills.