Tutor agencies, which one?

[Akiko]

I have been looking to find a 11+ tutor for my y4 Dd and it appears that I am late as the ones that have been recomended by word of mouth are fully booked for years in advance.
I am now looking at the option of finding a tutor throught an agency and spent all day reading and researching the list of agents in the Good Schools Guide and on the internet.
To make the choice easier, the GSGuide compares the service some agents provide to a lunch in Dorchester and others to a Marks&Spencer or an Asda meal.
The prices these tutors charge start from £25 and goes up to £40, £45 for an hour.
The "Asda" tutors are not been checked by the agency, they just list their services on the website. And then there are the "Dorchester" tutors that have all the relevant qualifications, track record, experience and references checked.The agents also assess, tailor your child's needs and monitor the progress.
Some of you may have used agents and may be able to give me advise. How far have you gone in order to help prepare your child for those exams?
Is it madness to spend £45 ph on a tutor?

Tutora have changed their name and are now known as tutorful have checked and they take quite a large cut in commission compared to other agencies.
Other ones to look at that have lower commission rates:
mathsmadeeasy.
thetutorwebsite

I have used London Home Tutors for both my DCs. We used them first for DS who was struggling with maths and they were excellent. The tutor was very patient. We used them again for GCSE and he was predicted a D and he got a B.

I'm definitely struggling to find an agency in which the tutors respond. I've sent messages to loads of tutors and not one response so far for a science tutor in the nw London area?
if anyone knows of a good agency please let me know!
kind regards

I had found it really difficult to find real quality tuition for my 11 year old son. There have been a lot of different views on this thread and I figured I'd throw my hat in the ring and say that from what I've seen in terms of development, Explore learning has helped my son come on leaps and bounds and the second my little girl is old enough I'll be sending her there too. He absolutely loves the environment and to be honest it works out a lot cheaper for me. I'm paying around £15 an hour for the time of qualified tutors, mapping their tuition towards the curriculum and my son always comes out BEAMING! Plus they're open seven days a week so I'm not stressed for time.

Well, there's a lot of chat here about which agencies to use, but on the first page of google I found two useful lists- at least these aren't directly recommending a specific agency... We're still deciding about who to use.

www.goodschoolsguide.co.uk/tutors/which-tutor-agency
and
www.schoolreportonline.com/tuition-courses-london/top-12-tuition-agencies/

Personally, I've had a great experience with First Rate Tutors--very responsive and attentive. They offer 1:1 private tuition for many levels and subjects. You can read more about their services and contact them here: www.firstratetutors.com/. Good luck!

I used Clarity Tuition for my daughter, they were very personable and prompt. Would definitely recommend them. I think the key with Private Tuition is being able to adjust and give open feedback which some of these big online companies don't do. It takes 2 or 3 different Tutors to find the right one, but its worth it when you do.

Try TutorExtra.co.uk

It isn't inherently mad to spend that much on a tutor. There are tutors who could be in another highly paid career but choose to teach, and charge accordingly. Sometimes they are worth the money.

Equally, there are plenty of tutors who charge a lot in order to seem "elite", but wouldn't be worth £20.

My main advice is not to choose on price, but to have trial lessons with perhaps three tutors in your price range, then choose the one who best relates to your child, and whom you believe you could have a good relationship with yourself.

Also, it is not necessary to go through agencies. They usually take a large cut, so you always pay over the odds, or for a less experienced tutor. Take their claims about quality or about "finding the perfect tutor for your child" with a pinch of salt. Gumtree is a very good place to start.

Finally, as others have mentioned, don't dismiss the possibility of helping your child yourself. This is often the best way, and people too readily rule it out.

Take a look on TutorExtra.co.uk to find your tutor. They are not an agency, it is free for tutors, teachers, personal trainers, coaches etc and more to list their services.

Have you tried Tutor Hunt? You can look online at possible tutors (in your area) and view their credentials, etc. I'm a tutor with them and have been for the last three years. They only charge an initial fee of around £24, which is only paid once the tutor has been chosen. After that, you pay the actual tutor the amount that they charge. I ask for £20 per hour and I travel to all my students. It will vary, depending on where you live.

What do you want from a tutor? I tutor my children myself using worksheets, textbooks and exam papers I find online and print. It’s cheaper. That way I can bond with my family. But it’s about what works best for your family.

Dear Akiko,

I have used Bright Young Things tuition agency for all three of my children throughout their time at independent schools. All of their tutors have years of experience and are all DBS checked, so you don't need to worry about their track record!!!! The staff in the head office are also very friendly and I recommend them to everyone! They are slightly on the pricey side, but you really get what you pay for! All three of my boys got into their first choice schools at 11+ and my eldest George got through the 16+ to Dulwich College with help from one of the tutors!

I really cannot recommend them enough!!!!