We hope this FAQ answers any questions you have. However, If you can’t find what you’re looking for please Contact us.
A: The minimum lesson length is usually 1 hour although private tutors may teach for shorter periods online; GCSE and A level students often have lessons of 1.5/2 hours, especially over half-terms and holidays.
A: Most regular lessons happen once a week – although if there is a lot of ground to cover or a deadline is close, the frequency will increase.
Over the holiday periods, students often have intensive lessons, perhaps 3/4/5 per week to maximise the time they are not at school.
A: Your tutor requires at least 48 hours’ notice if you wish to cancel or reschedule a lesson. Anything cancelled within 48 hours will be charged for.
A: No, you can stop lessons whenever you want. We just require that you give us/your tutor at least 48 hours’ notice.
A: No, you can have as many or as few lessons as you like.
A: For face to face tuition up to A level, it’s typically £60 to £100 an hour, depending on the level of experience of the tutor. For online tuition, it’s typically £55 to £95 an hour.
However, there are some circumstances where the fees would be higher such as for home schooling, residential work or specialist subjects such as SAT and GMAT. Please contact us for more information.
A: Endorsed Tutors: Whilst most of them have been with us for some years now, others have been recruited recently. What unites them is their passion for tutoring on the side of other activities such as writing, studying, acting or working because they have a talent for their subject and find tutoring a rewarding experience.
Nearly every tutor we take on now has some tutoring experience already so we are very comfortable recommending them to you.
A: Career Tutors: A concept we introduced in 2012 and we now have 85 of them on our books. These are private tutors who have been with OC for more than three years (though half of them have been with us for much longer than this, some since 2000!), receive constant outstanding feedback and most importantly have decided to commit to tutoring for the foreseeable future.
Some of them tutor full time while others tutor alongside studying or working, but what unites them is their experience and excellent reputation combined with their dedication to teaching and supporting students in the long term.
A: Yes, for families new to Osborne Cawkwell Tuition we charge a £95 Registration Fee. This one-off fee covers all of your tutor requests. For more information, look at our Fees.
A: If you ask to replace a tutor because you are not happy with them, you will not be charged. No subsequent Introduction Fees apply if additional tutors are requested.
A: Unfortunately, we are unable to offer a discount for block booking. The tutor’s rate is fixed so we don’t have the flexibility to lower that fee and we have purposefully kept our commission low to already offer great value.
A: We certainly do! Please see Residential and Home Schooling for more information.
A: There is some level of preparation prior to a lesson that a tutor is expected to do and this time is not charged for. However, if you ask the tutor to mark an essay, or set an exam and mark it, the tutor will ask for their time to be paid for. The tutor will inform you if this is the case prior to undertaking the work, so that there are no hidden costs.
A: Lessons can take place either at your home or online. If the student is over 16 and would prefer lessons at a location that is mutually beneficial for them and the tutor e.g. a quiet café or local library, we can also accommodate this.
A: No, but tutors can recommend books to be purchased, or they can source them for you. Please note that if a tutor purchases the books for you, this will appear as an expense on your invoice.
A: We have an online system called OCiS that we use for processing payments. Once tuition has been confirmed, we will automatically create an account for you and send you your login details.
We invoice retrospectively (unless you live abroad), so for example if tuition took place in May, you will be invoiced for these lessons in the first week of June. To pay the invoice, log into OCiS and click “Pay Invoice” using your preferred method of payment.
A: Tutors teach a wide variety of subjects across all levels from primary to university. For a full list of subjects and levels, please see our Subjects.
A: Yes, tutors will be up to date with the latest syllabus in whatever exam board the student is studying.
A: We have a range of tutors from a variety of different backgrounds. Some are currently teachers in school who tutor on the evenings and weekends. Some have previously been teachers and are now full or part time tutors. Others tutor alongside careers in other areas of industry.
A: We hand-pick our tutors from hundreds of applicants and then carry out a recruitment process involving an online interview followed by an in-person Induction with 3 other tutors.
We obtain two references and ask that they have a valid Enhanced DBS dated within the past 12 months (they can apply for an updated one through us, if needed).
A: There are currently no qualifications you need to be a tutor. Most of our tutors will have a degree in the subject they are teaching along with experience teaching and working with children.
We ask that tutors are 21 or finished their second year of university before they apply to us.
A: We require all tutors on our books to have an Enhanced DBS certificate dated within the past 12 months or to be on the DBS Update Service.
A: We cater for all ages from primary school right the way through to adults.
A: For face to face tuition, 5 is certainly not too young. We have specialist tutors who are highly experienced with this age group. However, it may be too young for online tuition. It depends on individual factors such as their ability to concentrate online for a minimum of 1 hour.
A: That’s no problem at all. Depending on availability of the tutor(s), we will always attempt to meet your requirements.
A: Yes, we have a wonderful team of advisors in both Mental Health and Learning Differences who will be able to connect you with the right tutor for your specific needs.
All tutors on our books have basic training in Mental Health and Learning Differences. Some have even had further training, such as Mental Health First Aid training or they hold a dyslexia qualification.
