Privacy Policy

Terms and Conditions (January 2024 Update)                 

Preparation for Lessons:

I like all students to have an A4 lever-arch folder, to be brought to every lesson. This helps students have a sense of ownership and responsibility for their work and it helps me keep track of your child’s progress from week to week. If you have been recommended workbooks, it is also helpful for me to see these on a weekly basis too. I will supply all the other equipment the student might need but you may bring a pencil case if you prefer to use your own.

Homework may be set at the end of the lesson, if it is appropriate and timely, to consolidate what we have completed in the session. I appreciate that school homework should take precedence and that students and parents will have differing homework expectations. These can be discussed as we move through the term.

I usually set younger students short spelling and reading challenges. I recommend that Year 5 students complete 30 minutes work, 3 times a week and read to an adult a minimum of 3 times a week. Year 10s and Year 11s should be completing a minimum of 1 hour of work, of one form or another every day.

Homework tasks are most effective if children have interest and support from an adult at home. This is particularly the case with reading and completing reading records.  

Bear in mind that tutoring is most effective when students are keen and motivated to improve in their school studies, homework and revision efforts. I encourage my students to work independently and take ownership of their success. Tutoring sessions will support, but not substitute, good working practices or revision at home.

After-school lessons start at 3:30pm with a few minutes between lessons for a change-over. KS2 lessons are 45 minutes long. KS3, KS4 and KS5 lessons are 55 minutes long. Please be on time, rather than early as I do not have a waiting area. If you would like feedback on your child’s progress, you are welcome and encouraged to come in at the end of the lesson for a chat.

Parking and Dropping Off and Keeping in touch:

Mill Road is a busy one around school closing time but there is usually somewhere to park along the road or on our drive. I am not able to see the road from my office, so send me a text if you know you will be late for pick-up.

Any potential traffic problems with roadworks, flooding, snow days or delays will be posted on my Facebook page – Prince Tutoring, in the first instance. I recommend following my page to keep up to date with notifications about urgent changes to lessons and any events that may be coming up. I value Google or Facebook reviews and offer a free lesson as a thank you.

Food & Drink:

Students may bring a bottle of drink to the lesson, but no food please. I can provide a biscuit and drink if the student has come straight from school.

Lesson Types:

I offer different styles of lessons to suit your budget and requirements.

Individual lessons are best suited for finding and targeting problem areas and building confidence.   

Group sessions tend to be more active, with a buzz of camaraderie and competitiveness. There are prizes and incentives to help students improve each week. Most face-to-face group sessions take place during the holidays and are a cost-effective way of helping your child prepare for exams. There are weekly, online group sessions for the Kent Test during term time.

Paired lessons are a good way to keep the cost of a lesson down, particularly if you have more than one child. I recommend paired lessons for GCSE or A-level school friends, or similar aged siblings. I will advise you after 1 or 2 sessions if I think the pairing is not working.

School Holidays:

I continue to teach throughout the school holidays, but I take the opportunity to do daytime appointments rather than evenings. I follow KCC holiday dates – Term dates – Kent County Council. Lessons can be booked on a first-come-first-served basis. The one-week cancellation policy still applies, so please check your availability before you commit to a time. I will be strict about late cancellations in the holidays because no-shows happen more often, and I give up my own holiday time to help your children succeed. A payment request will be sent by email and your holiday session will not be secure until the payment is made.

Continuing Students:

As with all academic institutions, September is by nature, a very dynamic time of the year; with students leaving, changing timetables and taking on new social commitments. My timetable is also likely to change in September. Please prompt me around May/June if you are considering continuing with tutoring into the following academic year and book your session early to avoid disappointment.

Fees, Absence and Cancellation Policy:

Most people like to book their lessons in advance and keep the same slot each week. With the busy schedules that children have these days, you can understand how difficult it is for me to reschedule appointments at short notice. Even students waiting for cancellations will rarely be able to come at short notice. For this reason, I ask for a booking and payment commitment for the full term. A refund can be issued for lessons you cannot attend providing a full 7 days’ notice are given. (There will be a 15% administration fee for refunds).

Absence or Sickness – If your child cannot attend the session for any reason the lesson fees are not refundable. However, please contact me as soon as you know that you will not be able to make a session and if I can be flexible and change the time, I will try to fit you in somewhere else, but this is not guaranteed.

3 late cancellations or missed appointments could result in termination of our agreement and your place being offered to another student.  

Payment – Customers are asked to book their lessons online, through a personal payment link. Your link should only allow you to book lessons for the times you have reserved. It also protects your sessions from being booked by another customer. Payments should be made at the end of each term for the next term. Late payments may result in you losing your reserved time. Your lesson times are not secured until payment has been made.

Late payments – your regular lesson time may be offered to someone else on a temporary or permanent basis if payment is not received to secure that term.

Book charges – younger students will be given a vocabulary book and a reading record. These books are given free of charge, but if a replacement is required, a charge will be requested.

Refunds – a refund can be requested if you decide to cancel future sessions, part way through the term, providing a full 7 days’ notice are given. I will refund or transfer any lessons that I am unable to attend due to unforeseen circumstances. Refunds are subject to a 15% transaction fee. Kent Test Club cancellations are also subject to an administration fee. It is always preferable to transfer a lesson to a later time, where possible.

Precautions and Procedures Against Extenuating or Unforeseeable Circumstances:

In the event of further restrictions brought about by government guidelines, lessons will be immediately and automatically transferred to online sessions.

If you prefer not to attend online lessons, you may request a refund for any remaining sessions outside of the 7-day notice period.

The wearing of face-coverings is not required during educational classes by either the teacher or the student. Communication, verbal and non-verbal, is key during tutoring sessions and face-coverings would impede teaching and learning. It is not possible to socially distance in the Prince Tutoring office.

I will continue to carry out procedures to protect students, as much as I can. The desk and stationery will be disinfected between students, hand sanitiser is strongly encouraged before and after the lesson, the office will be ventilated. 

I would ask that students go to the toilet before they come to the office wherever possible. A toilet is available, if required, but it is some distance from the office and wastes lesson time.

If you or anyone in your family are unwell, please do not come to your lesson. Let me know if you have a confirmed positive test for Covid 19 in your family. There are vulnerable people in the household. Please let me know if you have had contact with anyone with measles recently.

In the case of natural unforeseeable circumstances, such as flooding, snow and road closures that prevent access to the property, you will not be liable for the lesson fee, and I will make arrangements to reschedule sessions at a time that suits both parties.

Payment Methods:

All bookings are made through a dedicated booking link, which I will email to you. Bank transfers and cash will no longer be accepted. Your dedicated link will only allow you to book sessions at your reserved times. You will be asked to pay for the whole term of either 6 or 7 weeks. Please contact me if you would like help with your booking. I can take a card payment over the telephone outside of tutoring hours.