How much do sessions cost and what is your cancellation policy?

Individual tuition sessions are £30. For the majority of students, I recommend weekly one-to-one sessions of half an hour as I have found these to be the most effective. Shorter sessions are highly productive and therefore the best value for you, especially online. If you would really like your child to have an hour per week, splitting this into two sessions will mean a great deal more for your money.
 

I ask for payment prior to each session via bacs transfer, but it is entirely up to you whether you want to pay for more than one session up front or pay as you go.

The above rates are for individual one-to-one tuition. I do occasionally get requests for group sessions, which can work well in certain circumstances. Rates for tutoring two or a maximum of three children together are £20 per child per session. Generally speaking, I remain committed to the one-to-one model as I believe it is by far and away the best way to help a young person who requires intervention.

If your child is ill or you have a genuine emergency, I understand that cancelling with notice may be difficult and am always willing to be flexible for regular clients. However, I do ask for at least 24 hours' notice if at all possible. With more advance notice than that, it may be possible to re-schedule a session that your child cannot make due to other planned commitments; however, my calendar is very full, so I'm afraid I can never guarantee that an alternative slot will be available to suit you as I will be relying on cancellations by other clients. If you simply forget about a session that we have arranged, my usual policy is to expect payment for that.

How does online tutoring work? 

I use Zoom. As a platform I find it the most stable, the most reliable and the simplest for everyone. All you need is a reliable internet connection at a decent speed, a microphone and speakers; integrated is usually fine, although a headset can help with focus. You must also ensure that your child has a quiet space, with minimal noise intereference; if you're cooking or chatting in the background - this carries through your child's mic and is quite remarkably loud at my end, so it really is important that your child is in a quiet space. You should also consider what else your child has access to during the session, both on the device that they are using and on their phone, as the temptation for them to be looking at other things can sometimes be too great for them. For more on how I manage online safely, please see the section on safeguarding.

How long am I committed for?

Most students find that tutoring makes such a difference to their performance in the subject, they're only too keen to stick with it. However, there are of course exceptions to that general rule. It is entirely up to you and your child whether you wish to continue and how many sessions you'd like to have: you're not in a contract. Likewise, if I feel that your child is not engaging with the sessions in a way that will ensure that they will see the benefits, I may advise you to discontinue.