TUTOR QUALIFICATIONS
Tutors introduced by Science with Hazel Tuition (Henceforth “SwH Tuition”) are highly qualified with university degrees, teaching certificates, professional qualifications or a combination thereof. Although mostly from a school teaching background, Tutors also come from other walks of life including training establishments. This allows tuition to be offered in business, commercial and technical subjects too.
The SwH Tuition selection process includes taking up professional references in respect of Tutors and checks with the CRB. To enable us to provide a fully professional service we would be very grateful to hear from you if a Tutor provided by us falls short of your expectations in any way.
THE TUITION COURSE
Different Tutors have different teaching methods and styles. One of the primary benefits of private tuition is that the Tutor can tailor his/or her method to the needs of the individual student in a way that cannot be achieved in the larger group classroom setting. There is no set pattern or material for private tuition. Every student is an individual, and student and Tutor need to find their best approach together. The background information given before starting is of great help and the Tutor will ask for any additional information needed.
Please ensure that tuition can be conducted in a quiet atmosphere conducive to concentration on the tuition involved. Provision of exercise books and textbooks is usually the responsibility of the client.
Tuition normally consists of one-hour sessions. Shorter or longer sessions should be agreed in advance between client and Tutor.
At the start, it can be difficult to determine how much tuition a student requires. SwH Tuition tries to be as flexible as possible as it is important to get the balance right for you or your child. Some parents use private tuition as a year round supplement to their child’s education. For others, just a few sessions may be required as a top-up and confidence builder prior to an exam. All parents and students would like to see private tuition as a quick fix, in reality it is not. It can take time for trust and rapport to be built between Tutor and child. SwH Tuition will endeavour to find a suitable match between the Client and Tutor taking into account the Tutors available to SwH Tuition, and your individual requirements, which you communicated to us prior to our assignment to you of a Tutor. However, sometimes a Tutor’s teaching method or personality may not suit the student involved. If this is the case, please contact us straight away, and we will do our best to find a replacement as soon as possible.
RESPONSIBILITIES
A Tutor cannot be held responsible for chaperoning minors, nor guarding a house and household effects while Tutoring. Please ensure that a responsible adult is on the premises at all times.
ATTENDANCE
The minimum charge for the attendance of a Tutor at a session is your hourly rate of charge for that Tutor. Please note that there can be considerable preparation involved before each session of tuition, in addition to travel time and cost to the Tutor.
ILLNESS, HOLIDAYS & CANCELLED LESSONS
Please contact your Tutor directly over such matters, especially during the usual holiday periods, giving a minimum of 48 hours’ notice (except in unforeseeable situations). Cancellations without due notice will be charged at the one-hour rate for the agreed lesson length.
TUITION STOPPED – BY TUTOR
If a Tutor, for any reason, has to stop tuition mid-course, SwH Tuition will endeavour to replace that Tutor as soon as possible, subject to availability, in order to minimise disruption to the student’s progress.
TUITION STOPPED – BY CLIENT
Please give at least a week’s notice of end of tuition in writing both to your Tutor and to SwH Tuition, so that your Tutor may conclude his/her work with the student and plan his/her work with the student and plan his/her own commitments. This cancellation provision applies after tuition has commenced. You may either e-mail or post your notice to the address on this leaflet. The notice will be deemed to have been received by SwH Tuition the second working day after the notice was posted.
PAYMENT FOR TUITION: WEEKLY TUTORS
Payment will be requested monthly, with invoices sent to you early in the month to cover tuition in the preceding month. For example, tuition received by a client during the month of February will normally be invoiced to the client early in March. Invoices thus rendered cover monies receivable for and on behalf of the Tutor together with fees due to SwH Tuition and any VAT, thereon. Please ensure that payment for all invoices is received within 14 days of the date of the invoice.
In some cases, namely when tuition is being requested by international students (meaning located outside of the United Kingdom), SwH Tuition may require pre-payment for an agreed number of lessons. This will be requested by invoice, sent out before the first lesson is due to commence.
ONLINE TUITION
Online tuition is when the lesson is carried out using the Internet. This is the default lesson approach for all SwH Tuition Tutors. Online tuition can also be used to supplement face-to-face sessions. Tutor and student using a combination of online video platforms such as Skype/Zoom, combined with email and/or messaging services which enables them to hear and/or see one another as well as use an interactive white board. It is up to the student and tutor to decide which media or combinations of media best suits their preferences and achieves the student’s goals. All terms and conditions relating to face-face-tuition apply with online.
RESIDENTIAL TUITION
Residential tuition (tutors living with a family) is available upon request. Please contact SwH Tuition for further details and payment plans.
CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIP
SwH Tuition acts as agent of the Tutor by providing introductions of Tutors to clients and vice versa. It also collects fees from the client on behalf of the Tutor together with its own fee in respect of its administration commission, which is included within the hourly rate quoted for a particular Tutor and which is payable solely by the client. VAT is applied where appropriate.
These Guidelines form a part of the client’s contract with SwH Tuition and with the Tutor. For further contractual details please see Terms and Conditions of Business (Clients) below.
DATA PROTECTION ACT
SwH Tuition is registered under the Data Protection Act to hold and use client data for the purposes of the services that it provides. Clients providing personal data to SwH Tuition are consenting to the use of that data by SwH Tuition for the purpose of effecting introductions to Tutors, for billing and fee collecting purposes and to enable SwH Tuition Tutors to contact the client and/or student from time to time. Where required for legitimate purposes in connection with SwH Tuition Tutors’ business and subject to suitable safeguards that data may be transferred to others.
POLICIES
Any opinion expressed by a Tutor is not necessarily an expression of the opinion of SwH Tuition.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS (CLIENTS)
- These terms and conditions of business (“Terms of Business”) are between SwH Tuition (acting for itself and as agent on behalf of the Tutor supplied by SwH Tuition (“the Tutor”)) and the client and are deemed to be accepted by the client when the client arranges a session of tuition by the Tutor introduced to them by SwH Tuition.
- A Tutor will be deemed to have been introduced by the client by SwH Tuition in the event that either the name of the Tutor is provided by the client by SwH Tuition following the request for a Tutor by the client, or SwH Tuition arranges for a Tutor to contact the client following such request for a Tutor provided by the client to SwH Tuition.
- The Tutor is responsible for co-ordinating the tuition and will request the necessary background information from the Client and/or student nominated by the Client (“the Student”) from time to time. Provision of exercise and textbooks is the responsibility of, and will as required be supplied by the Client. Tuition is normally held at the online, or at the Student’s home if agreed by both the Client and the Tutor.
- The Tutor is engaged by the Client only to provide tuition and is not responsible for the safety, welfare, well being and care of minor Students or for the protection of any person’s property. In the case of Students under the age of 18 years, a responsible adult (other than the Tutor) must be present at the premises at all times during which the Tutor attends for tuition.
- As agent contracting on behalf of the Tutor, SwH Tuition will not be liable to the Client or any third party for any act, omission or error (whether wilful, negligent or otherwise) of the Tutor.
- Clients are not permitted to make private arrangements for tuition with Tutors introduced by SwH Tuition which includes payment of fees for such sessions otherwise than to SwH Tuition in accordance with its Terms of Business. In the event that the Tutor pursuant to such a private arrangement provides such tuition or the client introduces the Tutor to other people who then make such arrangements bypassing SwH Tuition, the Client will be responsible to pay the commission that SwH Tuition has thus lost.
- Fees will be agreed with the Client in advance by SwH Tuition and will conclude the commission that the Client agrees to pay SwH Tuition in respect of SwH Tuition’s services.
- The client will normally be invoiced at the beginning of each month in respect of tuition received during the preceding month. VAT will be included within fees as appropriate.
- Invoices are due and payable no later than 14 days from the date of the invoice. SwH Tuition may charge interest on the outstanding at a rate of 8% per annum above the base-lending rate set by the bank of England from time to time from the due date to the date that the outstanding sum is paid, and whether or not a Court order for payment has been obtained.
- If any sums remain unpaid for 14 days, SwH Tuition will initially send the Client reminder letters until such sums (including interest thereon and other reasonable costs) are paid. A charge of £15 per letter will be made (which sum will be added to the overdue sum and interest charged thereon) to cover SwH Tuition’s administration costs. (This is to avoid the costs of collection increasing tuition costs generally and affecting all Clients.)
- If the client wishes to terminate the tuition mid-course, the Client must give at least one week’s notice (Termination Notice) to the Tutor and to SwH Tuition.
We hope these Guidelines help to clarify how private tuition operates with SwH Tuition.
If you have any further queries or comments please contact us by e-mail so that you are provided with the highest possible level of service.
Science with Hazel Ltd
Email: hello@sciencewithhazel.co.uk