Frequently Asked Questions

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Lesson Planning & Schedules

 

Q: How many sessions a week does my child need?

A: It varies vastly depending on your goals. One full academic year of tuition works out to approximately 36 sessions (unless you choose to book extra lessons during the holidays). If your child just needs some reassurance and a confidence boost, once a week is usually perfectly fine. However, if there are significant knowledge gaps and you want to rapidly increase their final grade, more than once a week per subject might be advisable. Your tutor will be able to advise you on the best path forward after their initial assessment.

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Q: Are sessions term-time only?

A: Standard sessions are only automatically scheduled during term-time. Please note that Birchwood Education's term dates may differ slightly from your child's local school. Because holiday schedules change, any lessons during school holidays are not automatic and can be arranged directly with your tutor.

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The Lessons & Homework

 

Q: Do you offer face-to-face tuition or is it all online?

A: We offer both! Personal, face-to-face 1-to-1 tuition is delivered from our dedicated home-tutoring space in Hullbridge, making us ideally located for families in Rayleigh, Hockley, Wickford, and Rochford. We also provide highly interactive online lessons nationwide via our specialised virtual classroom.

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Q: How long are the sessions?

A: Our standard 1-to-1 sessions are 55 minutes long. For our CSSE 11+ students, we also offer an extended session-and-a-half (85 minutes), which is highly recommended for tackling rigorous exam papers and building stamina.

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Q: Do you provide resources and set homework?

A: Yes, but only with purpose. Every 1-to-1 program is entirely bespoke. We provide targeted resources during the lesson, but homework is only set when your tutor believes it will be genuinely beneficial to the student's progress—never just for the sake of it.

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Our Team & Safeguarding

 

Q: Why are there different price tiers for your tutors?

A: Our standard rates apply to our brilliant Associate Tutors. Lessons booked directly with our founders (Joe and Danielle) or with Julia are priced slightly higher at the GCSE and A-Level tiers to reflect their extensive specialist experience and fully qualified teacher status.

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Q: Are your tutors background-checked and safe?

A: Absolutely. The safety and well-being of our students is our absolute priority. Every single tutor on our team holds an up-to-date, Enhanced DBS check which is renewed annually. Furthermore, all of our tutors undergo rigorous safeguarding training every year. You can view our full Safeguarding Policy here

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Payments & The Parent Portal

 

Q: Do I pay weekly?

A: No. You will only pay for the very first session upfront. Once that initial lesson has taken place, we will check in with you to ensure your tutor is a fantastic fit for your child. If you are happy to continue, you will then be billed monthly moving forward.

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Q: Where do I see our bills?

A: You will be invited to register on our secure online student portal. Once logged in, you will be able to view and manage all of your invoices in one place.

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Q: What else is the portal used for?

A: Both parents and students can have their own secure logins. The portal holds all your essential session details, including dates, times, and online classroom links. After each lesson, tutors leave detailed feedback notes here so you can track progress and view any homework set. It also features a secure messaging system where parents and students can chat directly with their tutor (parents can oversee all student-tutor conversations if they wish).

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Cancellations & Illness

 

Q: Can I cancel or skip a session?

A: Through the portal, you can log dates when you will be unavailable. To keep things fair for our tutors' schedules, you are allowed to miss one session per half-term without being billed. If you are unavailable for more than one session in a single half-term, only the first cancellation is free; you will forfeit any subsequent sessions and they will be billed as normal.

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Q: What if my child is unwell or has a parent's evening?

A: If a session cannot go ahead, please give us at least 48 hours' notice. We will always do our best to find an alternative day or time, or arrange a cover tutor for you. If less than 48 hours' notice is given, the session is forfeited and the full fee applies.