Word-of-mouth is the most effective and popular way to source good tutors. A lively local network, and simply knowing people, can enable you to find out who in your area is reliable, friendly and has good results. Parents whose children have just done the relevant exam, if that’s what you’re preparing for, are often the best source.
But remember a good tutor, especially in English, maths or science, is a local treasure and so their name may be guarded jealously by parents who are often less than keen for other people’s children to have the advantages they are buying for their own.
You should also be mindful that nerdy Nick might have worked a treat with your friend’s son, whereas your child will find him dull as dishwater. Meanwhile, gregarious Gail may be a huge hit with your offspring, but would develop no rapport with your neighbour’s child.
Plus, the best local tutors are usually very busy and may well have waiting lists. If you need someone who will be flexible on account of your son’s karate competitions or music lessons or the au pair’s English classes, you may well find yourself relegated to the bottom of a long waiting list.
If you are at work all day or new in an area and don’t know who to ask about good tutors, you could try talking to your child’s teachers, if they are prepared to discuss your concerns. Many teachers may be happy to help a little outside school or know of other people who tutor.
Tread carefully though, you don't want your child's teacher to feel you are being critical, suggesting it is their fault that your child may need some support to overcome the deficiencies of the school provision.
If you deal with a professional, painstaking agency which takes a pride in the tutor/tutee relationships it sets up, then you could find yourself with a choice of highly experienced, hand-picked and expert tutors, custom-built to meet your own child’s particular needs – rather than the local, all-purpose, tutor who takes on all-comers.
But employing a tutor from an agency has advantages and disadvantages. You are not getting a tutor recommended to you by someone you know. That said, you may well get a choice of tutors and can pick the one who seems most compatible – and if it doesn’t work out, you can switch. You may pay more – those agencies can take a hefty commission and some insist on a registration fee. On the other hand, some offer a free introductory lesson to see how you get on – we like this! And an agency tutor will almost certainly come to you, whereas experienced local tutors often prefer children to come to their houses – where they probably have stacks of material.
The best agencies take immense care over fitting as accurately as possible the tutor to the tutee. These agencies will select carefully, interview, vet and train their tutors and do careful follow-ups to make sure everyone is happy. Other, generally less expensive agencies, have a large list of tutors and who cover a wide geographical area. They are dedicated and hard-working and take enormous pride in the service they offer but do not provide the face-to-face relationship offered by the more exclusive agencies. They meticulously check references, DBS records, etc but, partly because of the size of their lists, conduct their interviews only over the telephone or – in some cases – don’t even interview.
Some agencies make both tutor and client sign an immense and scary-looking contract while others look bemused when you ask about contracts and then chortle helplessly. Whether you find this lack of regulation healthy and a refreshing change from the red tape which loops itself round every other area of normal life, or whether you consider it a scandal in this day and age, is up to you. Make sure to read The Good Schools Guide's reviews of tutor agencies and companies.
The best of the UK tutor websites – those which act like newsagents’ advertising boards – have their place. Generally, the arrangements made between parent and tutor will be cheaper than those provided by more personal agencies.
The parent can interview or chat to as many potential tutors as they like before agreeing to start tutoring.
Website agencies often list tutors all over the country, whereas most of the elite agencies, while often having access to tutors outside their core area, do tend to specialise in one part of the country – often the south-east. However, there is likely to be little support from website agencies if things go wrong. Such companies take little or no responsibility for the tutors they list and usually have not undertaken, for example, the police checks that all the reputable, more complex, agencies now do routinely. The risk, therefore – but also the potential success – inherent in this kind of tutor/tutee relationship is down to the parent.
A quick surf through websites calling themselves tutor agencies is salutary. No regulation or inspection of these websites exists. So anyone with an ulterior motive can advertise on them. Caveat emptor!
Verbal reviews from people you know of individual tutors can be invaluable. Otherwise, Google can help. You can also find testimonials and reviews on tutor websites but be warned you’ll only get the sugar-coated versions.
The Good Schools Guide has reviewed over 50 tutor agencies, providing in-depth reports based on detailed questionnaires to all the tutors and families they’ve worked with during the past 12 months (including follow ups with at least five of each). And in all cases, we’ve visited the agency itself and grilled the staff.
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Review snapshot: A highly branded, tech-savvy, energetic tutor agency run by bright young things who have come in and shaken up industry norms. A company with a clear edge and one we would particularly recommend for home schooling.
Review snapshot: ‘It’s on the more expensive side, particularly for more experienced tutors, but it’s absolutely my favourite. They’re honest, on the ball and have the best quality tutors,’ concluded another parent. read more
Review snapshot: "Founded in 2006 by Kate Shand who is committed, passionate, energetic and hugely likeable. Clearly on a mission to deliver a top quality service to her clients – and her tutors – Kate is eloquent on the personal nature of the tutor-client-agency relationship and has a positively moral take on what she sees as her job."
Review snapshot: Getting your child better grades is the raison d’être of this company, which they do through their bank of qualified teachers. So, while other tutor agencies might offer you a med student who teaches science on the side to make a bit of extra money, Capital employs actual teachers with classroom experience to… Areas covered: Around half the tutoring happens online – these pupils mainly live in the South East, with others living all over the UK and beyond into Africa, Singapore and Dubai. The other half is in-person tutoring at the pupil’s home – mainly in London…
Founded in 2014, this company cringes at the term ‘agency,’ preferring ‘network’ instead.