FAQ's

Why private tuition?

Parents tend to opt for private tuition for their children when they have temporarily fallen behind in a subject, when they feel that the child would benefit from learning in a different environment in addition to school, or when they just want to boost their child’s performance, perhaps with the prospect of exams on the horizon.
Tutoring can improve performance levels of children not only through the extra hours of learning, but also due to the fact that the teaching is coming from a different, fresher perspective that may strike more of a chord with the child. This is particularly pertinent in the case of a student tutor. Also, the child may feel stifled in a classroom environment, possibly due to other unruly pupils or other factors, and may therefore benefit more from 1-on-1 learning.

Why online tuition?

Online tutoring is the new phenomenon that has taken over the US, and has now started spreading over the UK. Through technological advances, we can now re-create a classroom environment over the internet, where the only difference is lack of physical proximity. All other effects are the same, and the method is just as effective. It simply saves the hassle, cost and time of travel from one place to another.

Are you just a service for school children?

No, not at all! Whatever your background, if you are looking for any sort of tuition at any level, for any purpose, at low cost, then we are the people for you.

How is payment done?

Payment happens through purchasing minutes before the class, which are then subtracted from your account as and when you receive tutoring. You can purchase as many or as few minutes as you like, all at the rate of £15/hour. So if, for example, you want to purchase 15 minutes of tutoring, this will cost you £3.75 : if you want to buy £15 hours, this will cost you £150. All purchases happen through PayPal, the worlds most trusted online payment provider. Any credits you don’t use can be refunded whenever within 6 months of the payment being made, minus the 5% that PayPal.

Is payment secure?

When you get asked to enter your payment details, you will be transferred to a secure page, provided to us by PayPal. At the bottom of the page, on the right hand side, you will notice a small padlock, which is a standard e-commerce indicator that nobody can intrude and view the details you are entering. This is because the details are encrypted and are sent through a secure server to Barclaycard. In addition to this, if you look at your address bar on the top of your screen when you enter your details, you will notice that the http has changed to https. The extra “s” stands for “secure”, and comes from an SSL certificate. This is a further standard indicator of security of payment.

How long should each session be?

This depends on the age and characteristics of your child. We would recommend:
- Primary school level: 1 hour maximum.
- Secondary school level: 1 to 1 ½ hours, depending on the student and the situation
- A Level: 1 hour minimum, more depending on proximity to exams

How do I know that the Tutor is actually from the university he/she claims to be from?

Each tutor is only able to register with their university email address, which they have to validate, thus identifying them unmistakably as a university student

How can I choose the right tutor for me?

You should read the narratives that the tutors have written about themselves very carefully. Although it is important to have students with good qualifications and backgrounds in their subject, the narratives give you the best indication as to the character of the tutor, and if he/she will go well with you child.
Additionally, you may want to use some of our filters which will help sort you results if they are too numerous. For instance, if you only want to view only female tutors, or perhaps only tutors who are available at certain times, then you should use the filters, under our “advanced options” tab on the search page to help you do this.
Make sure that the HomeTeacher will be able to tutor your child for the length of time that is necessary for you. For instance if you want a HomeTeacher from November until June, make sure that the HomeTeacher is aware of this, and will be able to stay the course.
Do note that you have full freedom to change tutor, or experiment with different ones, as and when you choose.

I have tried to contact the tutor, but have not heard anything from him/her

If this happens, please contact HomeTeach Online. You may also wish to contact other tutors on the site.

What do I do about cancellations?

Either you or the tutor can cancel a session without notice or liability. As stated before, if it gets to a stage where you are unhappy with your tutor for whatever reason, you can change at any time.

What if I am having technical difficulties?

For all technical support queries, contact online support here.

Can I see other families’ reviews of tutors?

Yes, all HomeTeachers will have any testimonials submitted about them listed on their profile.

I need a tutor for a subject not listed- can you help?

Contact us, and we will do all we can to help you.

How do I give feedback?

There will be a link on your profile page to give testimonials on your HomeTeacher(s). Moreover, if you have any feedback on HomeTeach’s service in general, please do contact us!