Looking for a GCSE English tutor

[whataboutbob]

14 yo DS has asked me to find him a tutor for his English GCSE. I have asked his teacher but she just advised me to google. Which I did, and there are a plethora of websites. However it strikes me as a bit random, so if anyone has a recommendations on finding someone who is competent, qualified and of course safe that would be great. Thank you.

Where are you?

We used the tutorhunt website, and struck lucky.

You can email back and forward with a potential tutor as much as you want first, then pay a finders fee and the web site releases the actual contact details.

Sorry should have said. We are in Merton, south London .

Try Tutorfair. The verified tutors have shown the paperwork supporting their credentials to the agency in person. All tutors (verified or not) have had a basic ID check. You can see feedback from previous clients about specific tutors. There's a range of people and prices.

You can also book online tutors through the platform, if your son prefers that option.

Thanks everyone. Has anyone tried notices in the public library/ newsagents ( not being facetious there!) ? I guess at least you can check their spelling test that way. No joking, I’ve seen some of said notices with several spelling mistakes on them!

Just a question: what would be good questions to ask the tutor prior to hiring? I would assume good knowledge of the curriculum, ability to help with essay planning and writing, check their usual tutoring session structure. Anything else?

I think to start with you need to know what you want.
General help or something specific?
Aiming for a pass or an 8/9?
Language and literature, or just one of them?
Ongoing until the exam or just for a term/year

Do you want a trained teacher?
Do you want an active teacher?
Do you want an exam marker?
Do you need exam-board specific knowledge?

What 'character' do you need. Gentle and coaxing, or straight forward no nonsense.

Are they coming to you, or would you go to them.

Yes teens you are right. I was really fairly ignorant but some internet search reveals there’s an English lit and an English language gcse. DS sometimes talks as if it’s just one subject, some PPs have mentioned kids can get taught the 2 subjects in the same lessons .
I think DS needs help with essay writing technique, and with the set texts. He is fairly resilient so doesn’t need particularly gentle coaxing. He could travel to the tutors ho eindependently if it’s not too far. Ideally of course I’d like him to get a good grade. He’d probably get a pass anyway, but with focused help could get a good grade. An active teacher who knows the exam board would be ideal.

So now you know what to ask for:

Experienced teacher who can help with Lang and Lit. Aiming to solidify expected pass and turn it into a good pass. Help understanding and analysing the set texts for Lit and for crafting appropriate essays. Additionally help with considering and including sentences needed for higher mark ranges for English Lang. An active teacher who knows exam board X preferred if possible.

It's hilarious that the OP didn't feel it necessary to say where they are. They just had to be in London

I didn't see the question as location specific.

Teen- thank you for helping me clarify my ideas and get them down into a concise format! Are you by any chance an English teacher? !

what No! (maths degree which helps logical thinking)

But last term I found my DD2 and English tutor. I wanted to avoid the massive panic we had for DD1 in y11, when we found out only at mocks that she couldn't actually do the written papers (having been getting As for her controlled assessments).

an English tutor

Hats off, if you have a maths degree you are very smart! And thanks again for all your good advice. Hope your DDs tutor is working out well.

Looking for a GCSE English tutor for my DS please can you recommend a very good teacher

thanks

Where are you? (Going on the rest of the thread, most people woukd assume 'London'😀).

Presumably your DS's school doesn't provide 'clinic' type help for English? If his teacher(s) don't seem to have noticed that he is struggling with some aspects of the course(s), has he tried telling them that he feels that he is?

The Uk is your oyster now - most tutors teach online. My dc has had an English tutor from the North and we're in the South. Good advice earlier in the thread. You need to look for a tutor familiar with your exam boards.

I used Tutor Hunt years ago for older son. He passed his exams then she started tutoring younger son. He is just going through GCSES now. She was brilliant during lockdown too.

Please can you give me the details of the tutor I would be very grateful
thank you

Hi Secretsquirrel11!

I have sent you a Private Message.