Read what Mumsnet users thought of GoStudent’s online tutoring platform

[BellaMumsnet]

This is the feedback thread for the Mumsnet users with a child aged 8-16 who tested GoStudent’s online tutoring platform. Selected testers received 4 private tutoring sessions in their chosen subject, used over the course of 4 weeks.

You can find out more about GoStudent here. Here’s what GoStudent has to say:

“The digital learning platform GoStudent was founded in order to tackle a fundamental problem in education: access to top teachers at an affordable price. Our mission is to build the number 1 global school by connecting students with their ideal teachers, enabling children worldwide to unlock their full potential. GoStudent offers individual tutoring classes via online video chat to children and students aged 6-18 in all school subjects. Focusing on sustainable learning successes, GoStudent offers memberships between 6 and 24 months, and currently provides over 350,000 one-to-one tutoring lessons per month."

Testers, please give your feedback by answering the following questions as well as sharing any other thoughts you have and completing the short survey we’ve emailed you. Testers of GoStudent were invited to start taking part in different weeks. Please wait until we email you to ask for feedback before answering the below questions.

1. What did you like most about GoStudent?

1. How easy did you and your child find the tutoring platform to use?

1. Which subject did your child have tutoring in? Did they feel more confident in the subject after using GoStudent?

1. Would you recommend GoStudent to a friend and why?

All testers who give the required feedback will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £100 voucher for the store of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Insight Terms and Conditions apply

[welshmardymum]

We (my daughter and I) both really liked GoStudent. In addition the interaction between the rep from the company was great, well informed, warm and really friendly.

1. What did you like most about GoStudent?

I felt they really listened to what we wanted to get out of the sessions - my daughter was ok at the subject we chose for tutoring and I wanted her to have a boost in the subject and feel reengaged after missing so much school rather than needing a push to understand the subject.
The tutor she was matched with was lovely, really easy to get on with, she listened to my daughter and gave her room to think around the questions she was asked and the points she made were great. My daughter is now missing the sessions!

1. How easy did you and your child find the tutoring platform to use?

Very easy

1. Which subject did your child have tutoring in? Did they feel more confident in the subject after using GoStudent?

We chose English and yes she definitely has more tools at her disposal, and these were evident after just one session. She was fully engaged and motivated - she chose herself to take notes and it has advanced her skills in the subject.

1. Would you recommend GoStudent to a friend and why?

Yes - but maybe to an older age group than my daughter due to the price. We loved it and if i could afford it i would have her signed up for a once a week session but she is not yet at exam stage and i would find it hard to find the money. If you have the money and your child is at an average state comp with big classes and all the distractions that provides in the classroom and you want to give your child a boost then go for it!

[FoxyBadger]

1. The Tutor ( Michael) was very friendly and put DS at ease immediately. He offered several different ways to tackle maths problems DS was struggling with and made sure that he understood before he moved on.
2. We had some issues each time with getting a link to join the tutor and I did have to chase up for initial contact but once we had the links, it was easy to use and DS ( who is tech savvy) had no issues.
3. Tutoring was in maths. Over the sessions the tutor covered topics DS had struggled with over Y9 and end result is much more confidence.
4. I would recommend it if you're matched with the right tutor (and I did feel that they listened and tried to do this for us). I will be signing up, it was exactly what DS needed after so much online learning over last 18 months which has dented his confidence in maths. If these sessions are anything to go by, it will be money well spent.

[starlingsintheslipstream]

1. What did you like most about GoStudent?

I liked the initial contact. I thought the rep listened to what I wanted and had a good idea of which tutor they thought would be a good fit.

1. How easy did you and your child find the tutoring platform to use?

Ds has found it straightforward enough but his involvement is simply to join the sessions. I've found it a bit of a pain. They seem to be utilising text messages, WhatsApp, phone calls and now a website. To me it's too many sources of information. I'd like the information by email because I don't always look at my phone. There's also been some confusion along the way. For instance I was told ds would have a male tutor but then he ended up with a female one - not a problem at all but just seemed a bit disorganised. Likewise there's been confusion over times of sessions etc. Again not an issue at the moment as we don't have so many ongoing commitments since Covid.

1. Which subject did your child have tutoring in? Did they feel more confident in the subject after using GoStudent?

We opted for English as ds has been struggling. I think it's too early to say if he feels more confident yet . We've had our 4 free sessions and are now signed up for a year so time will tell. I'm hoping it will prove a good investment.

1. Would you recommend GoStudent to a friend and why?

Yes, possibly. I mean we are giving it a go so I'd hardly not recommend it. I think we feel a bit failed by school so this is aiming to fill that gap. The tutor seems great, very competent. I'm confident ds will benefit if he keeps engaged but I think on balance he would probably rather not do it. I know he needs extra help however and don't feel equipped to do that myself.

Cost is an issue, though I appreciate it is probably reasonably competitive rates. The rep tried to suggest 2 sessions a week which I felt was too much - both cost wise and commitment for ds who is only 13. We've gone with 1 session a week which is just over £90 for a 4 week period. You have to sign up for minimum of a year. Again I was conflicted with this but can see why they do it. The rep explained that you could switch subjects, tutors or even children (if you have others requiring tutoring) during that year.

Sessions are 50 minutes sharp, with contact currently over WhatsApp with the tutor. They seem to be starting to channel it through the website now so I'm hoping it will be smooth going forward. Homework was offered but I declined that initially. At present they're working on comprehension which I knew was ds's weak point. I think come term time they may be able to bring in some of ds's schoolwork to the sessions but at the moment we're very much relying on the tutor to guide us with the resources.

The rep seemed to make a big deal of being able to record the sessions, for reference later but, as far as I'm aware, ds has not been prompted to and it's not a feature I'm interested in anyway so haven't pursued it.

Currently we're trying to organise sessions around our week holiday and the tutor's holiday which involves us having 2 sessions in a week to make up for the ones we'll be missing. You can't seem to simply roll sessions over indefinitely. And we don't yet have a regular slot for term time which could prove more difficult I expect as there is less time to fit one in.

All in all I would recommend if you can afford it and have a child who you feel will engage with the tutor. And if you don't mind the year long commitment. It's not anything I ever imagined us doing, if I'm honest, but I don't think Covid has been easy on students like ds and he just needs something extra.

[sebanna]

1. What did you like most about GoStudent? Our tutor was very nice and engaged DS well. There was flexibility in subjects and you could swap between children.

1. How easy did you and your child find the tutoring platform to use? I struggled a bit to log onto the sessions but I am not used to zoom. One lesson I tried to use the website to log on, and found it difficult as it was setting up a profile. There was some issues typing information and reading it.

1. Which subject did your child have tutoring in? Did they feel more confident in the subject after using GoStudent? English. He found the sessions helpful.

1. Would you recommend GoStudent to a friend and why? I was going to sign up for lessons until I realised I would be committed for a year. I felt this was a bit much, as a year is a long time in a life of a child and its a lot of money. After cancelling I found DS a local tutor, with lots of primary school teaching experience, the tutor was really good. My son has trouble with his handwriting and the tutor is going to work with him face to face she also thinks he may have additional learning needs which she is going to assess. Therefore I feel continuing with GoStudent would not have been right for my child because the tutor couldn't work with him face to face and didn't spend as much time assessing his individual learning needs.

[Breeding4years]

1. What did you like most about GoStudent?

The initial contact was good and they took the time to understand what I wanted to achieve from the sessions as a parent, but also what my son strengths and areas for development were.

1. How easy did you and your child find the tutoring platform to use?

It was a session on Zoom, it was fine.

1. Which subject did your child have tutoring in? Did they feel more confident in the subject after using GoStudent?

We had mixed sessions. One on English, one on Science and the last 2 focused on the 11+

1. Would you recommend GoStudent to a friend and why?

Mostly positive. the tutors were friendly and engaged well with my child. The person overseeing the sessions was also very good. I do think that my son learnt from the sessions and also enjoyed them.
The only downside was a few technical issues with the booking - for example one day I received 10 text messages relating to one session and the timing was not always accurate - one session was only 40 mins including feedback.

[ninnynonny]

1. What did you like most about GoStudent?

The initial contach was good. Carly asked a lot of really appropraite questions about my dughter and ascertained what she would need from the sessions

1. How easy did you and your child find the tutoring platform to use?

Had a couple of blips logging on but after that, no issues

1. Which subject did your child have tutoring in? Did they feel more confident in the subject after using GoStudent?

Chemistry. After the very first sessions, she reported: 'wow, I get it now!! ' And it went on in this vein throughout. She is certainly more prepared for next years exams

1. Would you recommend GoStudent to a friend and why?

I would. We as above, would have liked to have continued but, despite the relatively low cost, it's still a little out of reach at the moment. If we are able to over the next year, I would certainly like to use it again

[MummyFever]

1. What did you like most about GoStudent?

Both myself and my daughter liked the fact that so much progress was made in a short space of time. She identified 4 areas of maths she found the most difficult and worked on one each lesson. By the end of each lesson she was confident in all of these.

1. How easy did you and your child find the tutoring platform to use?

We were not given access to this, just sent a zoom link to click.

1. Which subject did your child have tutoring in? Did they feel more confident in the subject after using GoStudent? Maths - yes so much more confident. we were both so pleased and my daughter really felt this helped her. The tutor made things she had previously found hard really easy for her.

1. Would you recommend GoStudent to a friend and why? 100% - the tutor was fantastic and the progress made was undeniable.

[BecauseMyRingBurnsSheila]

1. What did you like most about GoStudent?

The contact over WhatsApp was convenient. Michael was very calm and patient when explaining things. He never got flustered when DD was panicking. He took things slowly so it didn't feel rushed but not so slowly it dragged. He explained things well. He had a clear voice.

1. How easy did you and your child find the tutoring platform to use?

Easy enough. It's neither the easiest nor the hardest web platform I've encountered.

1. Which subject did your child have tutoring in? Maths

Did they feel more confident in the subject after using GoStudent? A little bit yes. It's hard to say though because none of the sessions (we were only offered 3 rather than 4 before being encouraged to pay for the next block booking) had any discussion about goals, objectives, learning styles etc. There was little chit chat at the start, even on the first session. It was as if I was supposed to have explained everything to DD but I didn't know how things would be done etc. That was never made clear so it was hard to assess DD's progress, especially towards the goal of being 11+ ready. Michael didn't explain how the sessions would get us there. So yes she felt more confident than at the start but I'm not sure what she might have achieved if we'd continued (unable to due to big bills coming in).

1. Would you recommend GoStudent to a friend and why? Possibly as I do think Michael was a good tutor but it's hard to assess value for money when you're not sure where you're heading. It's hard to budget for how many tutoring sessions she might need when there's no assessment of ability or comparison versus where she would need to be. He was very calm with her which helped but perhaps I'd only recommend it to people who don't have the time or patience themselves!

Avani was very friendly but the WhatsApp messages felt a bit formulaic. Like we'd joined a system rather than a personalised conversation. The phone calls were personalised but I didn't feel listened to when I explained she was lacking in confidence in maths but Avani was suggesting tutoring in other subjects. Like she had tutors with those skills to match, rather than a student (DD) to find the best tutor for. I didn't feel I knew how much it was going to take to get DD to where she needed to be as the first lesson of going through the book (assessing her levels apparently) felt the same as the subsequent ones.

I did think the technology to switch between Michael's face and the book was very good as you could clearly read the book/his workings which meant no technical frustrations.

[catskidschaos]

1. What did you like most about GoStudent? Super organised and very on the ball and good range of subject tutors available. Also able to work around our schedule which is great. They provided lessons based on what we were working on and covered areas that we wanted some building on or catching up with.
   

1. How easy did you and your child find the tutoring platform to use? Very easy, both adult and child friendly.
   

1. Which subject did your child have tutoring in? Did they feel more confident in the subject after using GoStudent? Maths and yes, it helped boost confidence and also helped me to see where we were going target wise
   

1. Would you recommend GoStudent to a friend and why? Yes, very reasonable fees, very organised and the tutors and staff are lovely. We will be using them for year 7 homeschool supplemental support

[thesoupdragon44]

1. What did you like most about GoStudent?

I like that you can pick the subject and the level of learning for your child.

1. How easy did you and your child find the tutoring platform to use?

We found it easy to use once you have decided on the tutor. We used the online zoom function and it was easy to log on. I dont think my son used the online platform as we were using screen share for the lessons.

1. Which subject did your child have tutoring in? Did they feel more confident in the subject after using GoStudent?

My son had GCSE Higher level paper Biology. He found it very helpful as the tutor was able to give him specific points to look at and strengthen in this subject as well as GCSE papers in general.

1. Would you recommend GoStudent to a friend and why?

I found the system easy to use. I am not sure I would recommend them. I didn't like the hard sell, and I felt they were a little bit expensive based on the length of time you have to sign up to. If I was able to buy credits as and when they are needed I would defiantly consider the platform, as I feel my son enjoyed the one to one lessons as they were tailored just for him.

[ally1982]

1. What did you like most about GoStudent?

I love the interaction she had with my child. It was a very smooth process from start to finish

1. How easy did you and your child find the tutoring platform to use?

Very easy

1. Which subject did your child have tutoring in? Did they feel more confident in the subject after using GoStudent?

Maths and english. My son was definitely more confident after the sessions

1. Would you recommend GoStudent to a friend and why?

Yes i think its very good, the way they listen and spoke to my son was perfect.

[DownRightAmazing]

We had some initial delays due to communication failure so we have only just had our first session - it was very good! So I am just checking in and will be back with a full review in a few weeks.

[Cocopogo]

1. What did you like most about GoStudent?
   

Friendly tutors who kept my child motivated to learn (which is no easy task!)

1. How easy did you and your child find the tutoring platform to use?
   

Ok once it went to website and the link to zoom was easier on there.

1. Which subject did your child have tutoring in? Did they feel more confident in the subject after using GoStudent?
   

We opted for maths and apart from one lesson where they felt more confused then yes definite improvements.

1. Would you recommend GoStudent to a friend and why?
   

Yes I would recommend. Unfortunately we won’t be continuing as it’s a minimum term contact and I would prefer rolling lessons as my daughter struggles with motivation.

[stephj25]

1. What did you like most about GoStudent? I like that they ask questions about what your child is interested in and passes this info on to the tutor so that it's tailored to suit the student. My daughter did biology and I explained that she likes nature and bugs. She was so engrossed in the lessons, she absolutely loved them.

1. How easy did you and your child find the tutoring platform to use? very easy

1. Which subject did your child have tutoring in? Did they feel more confident in the subject after using GoStudent? Biology and yes because she absolutely loved the lessons and the 121 with the tutor. My daughter learns more if she is the focus of attention.

1. Would you recommend GoStudent to a friend and why? yes because of all of the reasons above. However; I find that the lessons are a little bit on the pricey side for me.

[DragonmotherKhaleesi]

Can anyone tell me what the actual fees are please?

[starlingsintheslipstream]

@DragonmotherKhaleesi

Can anyone tell me what the actual fees are please?

I think it will vary depending on the tutor, perhaps also the subject. £22.90 for a 50 minute session is what I was quoted for a year. Think this may include a Mumsnet discount. Also it may be cheaper if you commit to 2 years.

[tigerbear]

Thank you for selecting us to take part!

1 - what I liked best was that ultimately, the process broke down my daughter’s fear of having a tutor. Over the last few months, I’d spoken to my daughter about the possibility of getting a tutor, and she was massively resistant to it. I think she felt that it would mean she was being punished in some way or that she’d failed us, or that the experience would be scary. When I first told her we’d been selected to have the tutoring, she cried and was very upset.
However, after the first session, she’d completely changed her opinion, and actually loved it! This was due to the fact that Verity, our tutor, was extremely friendly and approachable, and quite young, so my DD wasn’t scared of her at all.
As soon as the first session was done, my daughter actually asked when she could do it again!

2 - we found it very easy to use the platform! I am not tech focused in the slightest, so had been a bit worried about this aspect, but it was just like logging into a normal video call. Usability once on the call was fine, and my daughter had no problem completing the work on it. It was good that no additional equipment, books, pens or paper was needed to complete the work, as everything was online.

1. We chose maths, as my daughter struggles a bit with this. When it comes to helping her with this subject, I’m no use at all, as it was also my least favourite subject when at school.
   

My daughter definitely felt more confident after each session, and we realised that she actually knew more than she gave herself credit for. She really flourished with the one to one guidance.

4 / I would definitely recommend GoStudent to a friend, and would be interested in signing up for more sessions.

[WhenTheRollIsCalledUpYonder]

1. What did you like most about GoStudent?

Professional and results-oriented from the get-go. It came across that their main intention was for my daughter to excel in her studies and get to the university of her choice. They were respectful, attentive and remembered details about our particular needs. Punctual and thorough. A* on customer-orientation.

1. How easy did you and your child find the tutoring platform to use?

Very straightforward, helped by frequent support and queries that we understood everything. Advice was just a text away.

1. Which subject did your child have tutoring in? Did they feel more confident in the subject after using GoStudent?

Maths for A-level prep, to hopefully pursue medicine at university. She felt miles more confident even after the first lesson and insisted on sitting me down and explaining everything she had learnt. She was amazed that what she had found so difficult in school was actually so simple when her GoStudent tutor, Armin, had explained it to her.

1. Would you recommend GoStudent to a friend and why?

Unreservedly, as I know anyone would be delighted to have their children's education in the hands of this excellent company. Prices are super-reasonable compared to some cut-throat "high-end" tutor agencies. Thank you, Armin, and thank you, GoStudent!

[WhenTheRollIsCalledUpYonder]

PS: Wanted to add that we have already signed up for ongoing lessons and will continue with GoStudent for the next two years. A huge thank-you to Mumsnet for this wonderful opportunity. x

[sillysauages]

1. What did you like most about GoStudent?

Online, no need to travel to the tutor. So time saver

1. How easy did you and your child find the tutoring platform to use?

Very easy to use , Both of us are quite techie.

1. Which subject did your child have tutoring in? Did they feel more confident in the subject after using GoStudent?

Maths

1. Would you recommend GoStudent to a friend and why?

Maybe i don't think it was for us as I lthink a face to face tutor is better, however those who like online learning would enjoy

[sillysauages]

Did they feel more confident?
yes she did feel a bit more confident in the topics reviewed.

[Mummyadventure]

I used the Go Student tutoring service with my nine year old who was just finishing year 5. We live in an area that still has the 11+ and so I was keen to give him any advantage he can have going into the test which is next week and he really enjoyed his four sessions with Megan from Go Student

1. What did you like most about GoStudent?

That they were willing to tailor it completely to what we wanted. His tutor understood the demands of the test and whilst it wasn't tutoring for the test, she could help him on areas that would be relevent. She was able to adapt the lessons to fit with my son's capabilities too.

1. How easy did you and your child find the tutoring platform to use?

Apart from being useless at knowing how to turn the camera on with my own computer, it was really easy. Everything was organised through a whatsapp chat so I could check in on what was agreed at any time and I was able to change things if needed. The lesson was via zoom which worked well for him.

1. Which subject did your child have tutoring in? Did they feel more confident in the subject after using GoStudent?

We went with maths which he enjoys and he really got a lot from the tutoring. He has told me how it helped him in school as he felt like he understood the concepts better and in more detail than was being explained in school.

1. Would you recommend GoStudent to a friend and why?

Yes, it is very flexible and easy to use and you can be matched with different tutors to find one that is the right fit for your child - something I think is really important as all children learn differently.

[geelee]

1. What did you like most about GoStudent?
   

The initial chat I had with Go student was very informative . My daughter found it easy to interact and enjoyed the lessons - it probably helped that, due to COVID, she was quite comfortable with on line lessons.

1. How easy did you and your child find the tutoring platform to use?
   

My daughter found it easy to use platform, as the norm now to do online lessons, although daughter chose to have camera switched off, I don’t think it was an issue for the tutor. Only a couple of hiccups when she wasn’t sure which link to use, but all went smoothly.

1. Which subject did your child have tutoring in? Did they feel more confident in the subject after using GoStudent?
   

My daughter chose to have some assistance with GCSE Chemistry, daughter specified areas she was weak in and required some help and the tutor taught what was asked. Daughter gained understanding of areas and was really happy with the outcome .

1. Would you recommend GoStudent to a friend and why?
   

Yes, easy to arrange. Very professional but also friendly and helpful. Nice friendly experienced tutor . Will contact again for further assistance, when we know what areas of A levels we need help with.

[Testingprof]

1. What did you like most about GoStudent?
The initial contact was good and I felt they really listened to the concerns/issues I wanted addressed.

2. How easy did you and your child find the tutoring platform to use? it was very easy to use although getting the link in a text isn’t always easiest when wanting to connect on a separate device. There was an issue with receiving the incorrect link to connect to a session.

3. Which subject did your child have tutoring in? Did they feel more confident in the subject after using GoStudent? English and 11+ with a emphasis on English. He didn’t really feel more confident after the session but he did enjoy his time.

4. Would you recommend GoStudent to a friend and why?
No, I don’t think he would gain much from the sessions but it would depend on the reason for the friend asking for a recommendation. I don’t like the minimum term length, 6 months to a year is too long especially with some of the teething problems we had.

They should think about offering a summer holidays package to combat the summer slump.

[LillethCrane]

1. What did you like most about GoStudent?
   

I liked that the sessions were organised over WhatsApp- that made things easy. Also, that the tutor was very flexible in terms of when he could offer sessions, including evenings and weekends.

1. How easy did you and your child find the tutoring platform to use?
   

I didn’t need to get involved- I forwarded the link to my daughter and she did the rest. Homework was forwarded via WhatsApp which I printed off for her.

1. Which subject did your child have tutoring in? Did they feel more confident in the subject after using GoStudent?
   

Physics. My dd wasn’t confident before, but the tutor said she wasn’t struggling and was tackling tricky concepts. At the end of the tutoring my dd still said she wasn’t confident, but agreed she had enjoyed the revision and appreciated the positive feedback.

1. Would you recommend GoStudent to a friend and why?
   

Yes if a friend was looking for a flexible tutor, and wanted the option of trying different tutors. My dd really liked Ali and so wouldn’t have wanted to try another tutor if offered.