Diss Maths Tutor has now been rebranded as Discovery Tutors. Please use this link to visit our new website. https://www.discoverytutors.co.uk
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do you have a CRB /DBS check? The CRB check has now been replaced with a DBS check. I have an enhanced DBS check, which I am more than happy to show you. I also insist that my assistant tutors have a DBS check.
Where does tuition take place? I teach most students in my own home where I have the resources I need, to hand. I no longer offer tuition in your own home (other than for home educated students taking lessons during the day on weekdays) but I can tutor online. Please see my online tuition page for more details. The assistant tutors also work online or in person.
PLEASE BE AWARE THAT ALL TUITION, INCLUDING THAT TAKEN WITH MY ASSISTANTS, IS CURRENTLY TAKING PLACE ONLINE DUE TO THE COVID-19 SITUATION. IN-PERSON TUITION IS UNLIKELY TO RESUME UNTIL APRIL 2021 AT THE EARLIEST.
When does tuition take place?
Depending upon which tutor you decide to work with, tuition can take place Monday-Saturday, during the day or after school and early evenings.
Do you tutor home educated students?
Absolutely! I am very aware that there are many different approaches to home education, so please do contact me to discuss your individual requirements.
Alternatively, if you would like me to tutor a small group of students, then I am more than happy to discuss your needs. Pricing will, of course, depend on what kind of activities you would like me to organise and how long you want the sessions to be, as there is scope for home ed groups to have longer sessions if necessary. There is also the possibility that home ed sessions could take place at another venue.
How long does a tuition last?
In person 1-2-1 sessions are 50 minutes in duration.
Online 1-2-1 sessions are 50 minutes in duration
Saturday classes (2-3 students) are one hour long.
If attending in person, please ensure that you arrive on time when delivering and collecting your child.
It is the clients responsibility to be set up for online lessons on time. Lessons cannot be extended to cater for tardiness.
Home educated students taking lessons during the day, may have longer sessions subject to individual requirements.
How much does tuition cost? Please see the current tuition rates in the table below.
Payment Students' lessons are booked, invoiced and paid for in advance at the beginning of each term. There are options to pay half-termly. If I cancel a lesson, then you will be credited for this session.
What are your term dates? Term dates vary from year to year and are generally based on the Norfolk & Suffolk academic year term-dates. However, as well as straddling two counties, many academies no longer follow these as closely, so to avoid confusion, I have to set my own term dates. For the current academic year these are as follows:-
Autumn Term 2020: Monday 7th September - Friday 18th December inclusive.
Autumn Half Term holiday: Mon 24th - Sun 1st November
Spring Term 2021: Mon 4th January (TBC) - Friday 26th March inclusive
Spring Half Term holiday: Sun 14th - Sun 21st February
Summer Term 2021: Monday 12th April - Friday 23rd July inclusive.
Summer Half Term holiday: Sat 29th May - Sun 6th June
There will be no tuition on Saturday 15th May or 22nd May.
What happens if I cancel a lesson? Please see my terms and conditions page for details of my cancellation policy.
Do you offer discounts on tuition? I do not offer discounts as there is such a high demand for my service. However, if you need to make tuition more affordable you might want to consider opting for a place in the Saturday classes, having a shared lesson (you will need to find your own 'study buddy') or having tuition with Rupert or Jack (see the fee table above). Both of them are sixth form students who work under my supervision and have access to all of my resources.
Do you offer shared sessions? Two students may be able to share a lesson (subject to parental agreement). In this case, you will be charged the shared lesson rate for the students' age range (see the fee table above). Shared lessons are really only suitable for children of the same age. Please be aware if the share 'partner' terminates their lessons in accordance with my termination policy, the remaining student will be charged for one-to-one lessons until a new 'partner' can be found. This option is only available on tuition sessions with me, and not my assistants.
I have two children, can they each have half a lesson, one-to-one? I do not offer this option. You may book a 'shared' session - if the students have similar needs - or two separate full sessions.
Can I book fortnightly lessons? I discourage fortnightly lessons as the benefits of tuition are vastly reduced, and therefore prove to be a false economy. If you need to make the tuition more affordable, then you may find that your son/daughter has a friend who may be interested in being a 'study buddy' for a shared lesson. However, if one of the 'study buddies' pulls out of tuition, then the other is liable for the weekly session until a new 'study buddy' can be found. In some cases, I have siblings who alternate their sessions, so this could be a solution.
Do you tutor during the school holidays? I am able to offer tuition during the Summer and Easter holidays, as well as during Half Term holidays. Please contact me to check my availability. These sessions are likely to be during the day, rather than the evenings. Tuition during the summer holidays is particularly beneficial to prevent 'Summer Learning Loss' (also known as the 'Summer Slide'). Summer holiday tuition, supported with homework exercises, is highly effective for children who have 'fallen behind'.
Do you offer GCSE tuition? Yes. To ensure that your student is sufficiently prepared, I would strongly recommend that earlier intervention is better. Please inform me of the exam board they are working with and whether they are likely to be taking the Foundation or Higher papers. It is also important for the student to understand that one lesson of tuition per week can support their learning and revision, but this should not be the only maths they are doing outside of school hours. Maths really does reward people who 'work at it'.
Do you offer 11+ and entrance exam tuition? Yes. Please be aware that if you are planning for your child to take the 11+ and/or entrance exams, it is a good idea to start preparation at the beginning of Year 5 at the latest in order to reap the greatest benefit from the tuition. For optimum benefit Y4 is an appropriate time to start 11+ and entrance exam tuition.
Do you tutor adults? I am more than happy to tutor adults who wish to improve their basic skills, are working on functional skills qualifications, GCSEs or work related professional skills tests.
My child has dyscalculia; Can you help? Yes. I have attended training sessions with Professor Steve Chinn, a leading expert in this area of SEN. www.stevechinn.co.uk
Much of what experts in dyscalculia recommend is excellent mathematics teaching practice. Ensuring that students have concrete experience (using manipulatives) before moving onto pictorial or visual representations of mathematics, and then moving onto abstract concepts and I have many maths resources which enable me to do this. Many students with dyscalculia require lots of repetition of skills - I ensure that those students have time to practise and consolidate their skills.
What do we need to provide?
Students in Key Stage 2 should bring with them:-
Students in Key Stage 3 or above should ensure that they bring the following to each lesson:-
Do you have a waiting list? Yes, but as most people who enquire are keen to commence tuition immediately, you will be offered the opportunity to work with one of the available tutors. If you would prefer to wait for a particular tutor, then you can be added to a waiting list and I will contact you when I have a vacancy with that particular tutor. Please be aware that some days and times are very popular, so you may need to be a little flexible with your preferred timings, if you are serious about booking regular sessions.
Which schools do your students attend? As my students range from aged 7 to GCSE and adult learners, they attend a variety of schools. I have created a page which lists all of the schools that my past and present students attend. I also tutor home educated students, who may or may not be in the local area. As online tuition grows in popularity I am finding that my services attract students from further afield. Click here to see a list of schools.
What feedback do you provide? For students attending face-to-face lessons I give verbal feedback when the parent collects the student. For those who have online lessons, parents are asked to join the video call prior to the lesson end time in order to receive feedback. We do not provide written school-style reports.
Do you set homework? If you wish your child to have homework, then I am happy to set it. However, where homework is requested and set, I do expect it to be done and returned completed by the following lesson. If your child does not complete the homework given, then I will not set any further homework until this is attempted or completed. Some parents request homework during the long school summer holiday. I am happy to provide this at no extra charge, providing that you have booked a block of lessons (minimum of 4 lessons) during this period. If you wish to have summer homework set, but do not book 4 or more lessons, then I will charge the cost of one lesson to account for the time taken to set and, subsequently, mark the homework. Most homework will be placed in your child's personalised Dropbox folder so that you can print it at home. You will need to have Dropbox installed on your computer/device. If you don't already have it you can download it, for free, here https://db.tt/zH2iLdAe
How do I find out more?
For more information, or to arrange a consultation to discuss your child's individual needs, please contact me as stated below. If you leave a message on the answerphone, I will endeavour to respond within 48 hours (Please allow longer during school holidays and around bank holidays).
What are your term dates? Term dates vary from year to year and are generally based on the Norfolk & Suffolk academic year term-dates. However, as well as straddling two counties, many academies no longer follow these as closely, so to avoid confusion, I have to set my own term dates. For the current academic year these are as follows:-
Autumn Term 2020: Monday 7th September - Friday 18th December inclusive.
Autumn Half Term holiday: Mon 24th - Sun 1st November
Spring Term 2021: Mon 4th January (TBC) - Friday 26th March inclusive
Spring Half Term holiday: Sun 14th - Sun 21st February
Summer Term 2021: Monday 12th April - Friday 23rd July inclusive.
Summer Half Term holiday: Sat 29th May - Sun 6th June
There will be no tuition on Saturday 15th May or 22nd May.
What happens if I cancel a lesson? Please see my terms and conditions page for details of my cancellation policy.
Do you offer discounts on tuition? I do not offer discounts as there is such a high demand for my service. However, if you need to make tuition more affordable you might want to consider opting for a place in the Saturday classes, having a shared lesson (you will need to find your own 'study buddy') or having tuition with Rupert or Jack (see the fee table above). Both of them are sixth form students who work under my supervision and have access to all of my resources.
Do you offer shared sessions? Two students may be able to share a lesson (subject to parental agreement). In this case, you will be charged the shared lesson rate for the students' age range (see the fee table above). Shared lessons are really only suitable for children of the same age. Please be aware if the share 'partner' terminates their lessons in accordance with my termination policy, the remaining student will be charged for one-to-one lessons until a new 'partner' can be found. This option is only available on tuition sessions with me, and not my assistants.
I have two children, can they each have half a lesson, one-to-one? I do not offer this option. You may book a 'shared' session - if the students have similar needs - or two separate full sessions.
Can I book fortnightly lessons? I discourage fortnightly lessons as the benefits of tuition are vastly reduced, and therefore prove to be a false economy. If you need to make the tuition more affordable, then you may find that your son/daughter has a friend who may be interested in being a 'study buddy' for a shared lesson. However, if one of the 'study buddies' pulls out of tuition, then the other is liable for the weekly session until a new 'study buddy' can be found. In some cases, I have siblings who alternate their sessions, so this could be a solution.
Do you tutor during the school holidays? I am able to offer tuition during the Summer and Easter holidays, as well as during Half Term holidays. Please contact me to check my availability. These sessions are likely to be during the day, rather than the evenings. Tuition during the summer holidays is particularly beneficial to prevent 'Summer Learning Loss' (also known as the 'Summer Slide'). Summer holiday tuition, supported with homework exercises, is highly effective for children who have 'fallen behind'.
Do you offer GCSE tuition? Yes. To ensure that your student is sufficiently prepared, I would strongly recommend that earlier intervention is better. Please inform me of the exam board they are working with and whether they are likely to be taking the Foundation or Higher papers. It is also important for the student to understand that one lesson of tuition per week can support their learning and revision, but this should not be the only maths they are doing outside of school hours. Maths really does reward people who 'work at it'.
Do you offer 11+ and entrance exam tuition? Yes. Please be aware that if you are planning for your child to take the 11+ and/or entrance exams, it is a good idea to start preparation at the beginning of Year 5 at the latest in order to reap the greatest benefit from the tuition. For optimum benefit Y4 is an appropriate time to start 11+ and entrance exam tuition.
Do you tutor adults? I am more than happy to tutor adults who wish to improve their basic skills, are working on functional skills qualifications, GCSEs or work related professional skills tests.
My child has dyscalculia; Can you help? Yes. I have attended training sessions with Professor Steve Chinn, a leading expert in this area of SEN. www.stevechinn.co.uk
Much of what experts in dyscalculia recommend is excellent mathematics teaching practice. Ensuring that students have concrete experience (using manipulatives) before moving onto pictorial or visual representations of mathematics, and then moving onto abstract concepts and I have many maths resources which enable me to do this. Many students with dyscalculia require lots of repetition of skills - I ensure that those students have time to practise and consolidate their skills.
What do we need to provide?
Students in Key Stage 2 should bring with them:-
- an HB pencil
- a clear ruler (15cm or 30cm)
- any specialised equipment required to meet their special needs (eg. a particular colour of exercise paper, overlays, special hand grips etc).
Students in Key Stage 3 or above should ensure that they bring the following to each lesson:-
- a pad of 5mm squared paper
- a clear 30cm ruler
- an HB pencil
- a blue or black pen
- a protractor
- scientific calculator
- A4 folder in which to keep their work.
Do you have a waiting list? Yes, but as most people who enquire are keen to commence tuition immediately, you will be offered the opportunity to work with one of the available tutors. If you would prefer to wait for a particular tutor, then you can be added to a waiting list and I will contact you when I have a vacancy with that particular tutor. Please be aware that some days and times are very popular, so you may need to be a little flexible with your preferred timings, if you are serious about booking regular sessions.
Which schools do your students attend? As my students range from aged 7 to GCSE and adult learners, they attend a variety of schools. I have created a page which lists all of the schools that my past and present students attend. I also tutor home educated students, who may or may not be in the local area. As online tuition grows in popularity I am finding that my services attract students from further afield. Click here to see a list of schools.
What feedback do you provide? For students attending face-to-face lessons I give verbal feedback when the parent collects the student. For those who have online lessons, parents are asked to join the video call prior to the lesson end time in order to receive feedback. We do not provide written school-style reports.
Do you set homework? If you wish your child to have homework, then I am happy to set it. However, where homework is requested and set, I do expect it to be done and returned completed by the following lesson. If your child does not complete the homework given, then I will not set any further homework until this is attempted or completed. Some parents request homework during the long school summer holiday. I am happy to provide this at no extra charge, providing that you have booked a block of lessons (minimum of 4 lessons) during this period. If you wish to have summer homework set, but do not book 4 or more lessons, then I will charge the cost of one lesson to account for the time taken to set and, subsequently, mark the homework. Most homework will be placed in your child's personalised Dropbox folder so that you can print it at home. You will need to have Dropbox installed on your computer/device. If you don't already have it you can download it, for free, here https://db.tt/zH2iLdAe
How do I find out more?
For more information, or to arrange a consultation to discuss your child's individual needs, please contact me as stated below. If you leave a message on the answerphone, I will endeavour to respond within 48 hours (Please allow longer during school holidays and around bank holidays).
Contact me
Please telephone me on 01379 650984 to discuss your requirements or to book a session.
Telephone: 01379 650984
Please telephone me on 01379 650984 to discuss your requirements or to book a session.
Telephone: 01379 650984