You can find a tutor in a wide variety of disciplines at thetutorpages.com. The site, which is free, allows users to compare tutors in a particular postcode based on hourly rate, teaching experience and availability. It also provides lists of online tutors and suggested reading material, with prices from £20 an hour to £35 an hour for A-level French tuition.

It’s not a bad summary, and I like the fact that the author, James Charles, has emphasized that parents and students need to compare a variety of factors (not just price) when making a decision on which tutor to contact.

The Good Schools Guide only usually recommends tuition agencies, and so to feature in the Guide is a strong endorsement of the quality service we provide and our unique approach to private tuition.

So, how exactly do we differ to tuition agencies?

Simply put, The Tutor Pages is a high quality advertising platform where tutor profiles are manually checked before being posted on the site, and where students or parents are able to contact tutors free of charge. Unlike an agency, The Tutor Pages doesn’t perform background checks on the tutors listed, and it is the parent’s responsibility to do so.

Why do we work it this way? The result of this shift in responsibility is the potentially huge cost saving for both student and tutor. As our Safety Advice explains, working independently (i.e. without an agency) is ‘the method of choice for many well-qualified and experienced tutors. This way of working has always worked for private music tuition, and we’re simply extending the principle to academic and other types of tuition.’

What did The Good Schools Guide review have to say about The Tutor Pages, then?

For the full report, you’ll need to wait until the new year, but we can say that The Good Schools Guide is not known for mincing its words (it’s not for nothing that the TES reported how, ‘It is just as untroubled by the sensibilities of schools and as cavalier in the face of squawks from those it has offended.’).

The Tutor Pages did not come out of the assessment unscathed: for example, its coverage of the whole of the UK was described as ‘patchy’ and ‘wonderfully quirky’.

On the other hand, the review did state that ‘The Tutor Pages is impressive … a clear zealot for quality in this industry in which there are all too many free-loaders’. It went on to say, ‘The site is worth a visit, whether or not you want a tutor’ and that:

If you want a tutor and don’t want to employ a posh and expensive agency, take a look. Trust your judgement, interview potential tutors carefully and you could get a real bargain.

We’re certainly pleased with The Good Schools Guide assessment, since it reinforces our belief that The Tutor Pages is unique in the kind of service it provides. The positive endorsement from The Good Schools Guide cannot fail to be of benefit to all those who use our website.