Online tutoring?

[123bumblebee123]

Choosing a GCSE Maths tutor and have the choice between an in person one at £40 ph and an online one at £30 ph. Not sure that online is as good as in person? What are your experiences with online tutoring?

Hey OP I tutor (not maths!!) so perhaps not quite the intel you need but anyway.

I think online tutoring has been an amazing thing as it has opened up avenues for students studying niche subjects or those in far-flung countries. There is no doubt that you have to plan more carefully for an online lesson, and it can be challenging to retain student interest. Face to face is probably better for the student in a general way.

I tend to charge more for f-f simply bc an hour's lesson will take longer if I have to get there and home again. Also petrol money. Or are you going to the tutor's house?

£30 even for online is pretty good value if they are good, plenty of ppl charge more than that.

If I were you I would have a trial with each one (any decent tutor should offer that for free or a reduced fee) and see which one your DC gets on better with. Online tutoring is just fine if that's the better/more engaging tutor for sure.

We did online and my daughter was predicted a 3 but passed with a 4.
Much easier and less stressful than having someone in the house or going somewhere

Interesting re stress - yes I agree, that's one reason I prefer it. No one has to tidy up! (not that they have to anyway, even if I go there, obvs). But I have worked with students who got on much better face to face. Often ND students tbh.

@123bumblebee123

Both my children were tutored online and to be honest it depends on the child and the tutor.

Both preferred it since they can be in their comfy clothes in the their house with their hot drinks.

Also it saves time chauffeuring them around- if you get a good one, which we did- I often texted the tutor privately to ask how they are getting on and if their is any homework - and have had quick responses and honest feedback.

Take your time to trial a couple of tutors online - since they have to gel and you may not get it the right one first time. Good luck!

I think it depends partly on the child. My son had online tutoring and is fine with it, and it’s so much more convenient that having to take him to a tutor’s house perhaps the other side of town. But some kids may really need face to face.

My son does tutoring in our kitchen - we’re lucky to have a big kitchen and I can get on with laundry etc out of the way while keeping half an ear on what he’s doing. This is another big advantage of online - I can hear what the tutor is covering, have a feel for how my son is getting on and overall be happy that the tutor is doing a good job.

A friend used to drop her son at a tutor’s house and had no insight into what the tutor was up to - it turned out she was pretty rubbish but this didn’t become clear for some weeks.

£30 p/h is cheap!

We pay £15 ph and it is with the somebody who is taking A levels this year. She passed her GCSE with flying marks ( mostly 9 and two 8)

For English it works very well. My son had a tutor for £45 and she was't as patient and as good as that girl is

Yeh my dd did this in sixth form and charged similar. A trained teacher is usually more expensive.

We used MyTutor for both kids and every single tutor was great - they are generally uni students and were universally both great at their jobs and lovely to deal with. The kind of young adults that you hope your own kids will grow up to be! They updated after every session and you can text them directly through the site with any queries.

Avoiding the hassle and time-waste of travelling to and from tutors' houses, or prepping for a home visit, was priceless. The kids really benefitted from the stress-free, can do in your tracksuit and be back in bed two minutes after the end of the session-ness of it all. All kids are used to online lessons now since Covid so I honestly don't consider there to be much difference between online and face-to-face - would be interesting to hear from a tutor though!

Depends on the child, my DS gets loads more from f2f sessions, online doesn't work for him at all. So I'd pay more for the f2f option.

Hi, £30 an hour is a good price. Normally they cost between 40 to 50.
I have used I Tutor Club to find tutors for my children. They charge a bit more because all the tutors are qualified teachers, but for me it is well worth it

I charge more for F2F tuition.

A 1hr session can quickly become almost 2hrs with travelling time. Plus there is petrol to consider.

Personally, there is no difference in the quality of tutoring I offer, although methods might vary slightly.

Yes, I Tutor Club only provide online lessons which is usually a more convenient.