What are parents looking for?

[mand1982]

Dear Mumsnetters!

I am hoping for a bit of help with ideas... I am a private tutor with over ten years of teaching experience in schools and nine years of being self-employed and teaching pupils privately, one-to-one. Before kids, I had 2 or 3 pupils every day of the week but of course lost quite a few pupils during the early years of parenting. Those pupils have of course moved on and I have a handful of new pupils. I have a 2 year old and a 4 year old who are just about getting more independent now, so nursery and alternative childcare are possible!!

Time for me to regain some yoga time for me and boost work hours!

So, what do parents look for in tutoring? I keep seeing group tuition posts from others at cheap cheap prices, but I prefer to work one-to-one and teach each pupil exactly what THEY need: Support in basic maths or a boost for 11+ exams. Rather than teach a set curriculum, I prefer to see what each child's strengths and weaknesses are so that I help them with targeted lessons.

Has anyone had this kind of teaching experience and what would be the best way to promote myself? I'm not selling resources or a set plan, I am selling my time and energy given specifically to each pupil.

Also, how do other business mums find time to "promote".

Thanks for reading! Looking forward to some ideas!

We have 11+ tutor and I wouldn't be happy with your approach. I literally just need it all to be aligned to the specific exam she will sit. I need you to work out her strengths and weaknesses in relation to this exam specifically.

After the 11+ exam I'd be happy for a broader approach. Encouraging critical thinking skills, creativity, making learning fun, catching areas she's bluffed through and pretended she knew. But generally would want this linked to the curriculum.

We look at the tutor's education and background for being a tutor of course.

We look at the tutor's ability to deliver a reasonable piece of work and that the tutor has a good collaboration with the child.

We look at our say on the teaching. Tutor needs to work with our thoughts. Is it daily support to child's curriculum or help for example with specific exams?

We look at the tutor's availability in relation to our schedule.

We look at the price. We have learned that (high) price and quality are not always related.

Before I retired I taught privately as a personal tutor, on a one to one basis.
I only taught A level but I found that pupils and their parents wanted lessons consolidating knowledge where they were a bit shakey. I told them every lesson that I was there for them to ask me over and over if they didn't understand something and there's always a different way to explain something.
Lots of preparation is important (I know you'll know this!) and patience is vital.
I registered with an agency, yes they took a fee, but they were very good at promotion and advertising and I had to turn away lots of prospective pupils every year.
I loved it, it was a very rewarding job, I only stopped because of lockdown then I decided to retire.

I have engaged tutors via Tutorful.co.uk where tutors set their rates and time availability - so no faffing about trying to work out when we're both mutually free. I just book as needed plus prices are transparent.

I have tended to engage around specific topics and challenges. Exactly what they need is often working to a set curriculum for a specific exam but I think I get what you're saying.

I have preferred tutors who build up my child's self-esteem/confidence in their capability, engage with their strengths, are realistic about what they can get to, have entertaining / engaging ways to bring subjects alive. I'm a psychologist and not a tiger mother. This won't appeal to some parents who want their kids hot-housed for a specific exam.

I once used a tutor who was just punitive, into comparisons around what got you into elite schools etc, and told me how my child would never get anywhere if she didn't make more effort (rather than appreciate that my child had been through a lot and needed building up). I never used her again but I imagine some parents will fawn over her.

As a parent, I’ve been on the lookout for activities that actually hold my child’s interest and teach something meaningful. What worked for us recently was trying out an online Robotics and Python course. It surprised me how much it boosted my son’s logical thinking and creativity.

If you’re exploring ideas, something like this could be worth looking into — especially if your child is curious about how things work or likes building stuff. We started with a free demo to see if it clicked, and it turned out to be a great fit.

An increase in exam grade is what they ultimately want. I'm always completely transparent about what is achievable.

It's always personalised to the student and to the exam board. I use exam board mark schemes to assess although will also give my own opinion about where they've improved and what they need to work on.

I've got a specific style that doesn't suit all parents. I'm friendly and a listening ear. Being approachable makes it easier for me to lead (force) reluctant learners through something they ultimately don't want to do. I'm also upfront about my style, and am happy for parents to go elsewhere if they don't find me effect. Although I have to say, my students improvement rate is pretty impressive.

At the much younger end of the scale (primary - not that I teach it, but have friends that do) it is definitely more about consolidating basic skills. Phonics, number bonds, handwriting, beginning to filter in key elements of the SATs.

As another poster has said, word of mouth is where I get most applications from, although I do also work for a couple of agencies. I tutor full-time and have already more or less got a full timetable for next year. My USP is that I'm an examiner for quite a few exams over a couple of exam boards. It puts me head and shoulders above other tutor/teachers, so although the extra work (examining) is a real slog, it pays for itself twice over (wages and also added value with parents). Since you're at primary level, you could apply to mark SATs in your subject.