ABOUT ME

Why we set up:

Tutoring has never been more popular - but the sector is a little bit like the wild west! In most cases the tutor you get is luck-of-the-draw. Some are very good, some not so good - but there is little in the way of proper quality assurance. Some directories will check qualifications, and in a few cases there is a DBS check; better than nothing! What was missing was a serious attempt to monitor and develop the quality of tutoring. In many cases tutors receive no training at all, even if they have no prior experience in education.

We are on a mission to change this industry by bringing evidence-based practice into the sector. The principles have become widely known in the teaching world, but have yet to filter through to private tutoring. Research indicates huge impacts for these methods - meaning your child learns much more effectively in the lessons.

Why do parents choose Tellucate Tutors?

Motivations for signing up vary, but often include improved exam results and increased confidence in school. When you sign up with us, we sit down with you individually to discuss your goals for your child’s learning, their current strengths and weaknesses, and how they work best. From this initial discussion we put together an individual plan towards those objectives, which allows us to track progress together.

Evidence-based education methods - how we’re different:

Tellucate Tutors are different because we use evidence-based methods. There has been an evidence revolution in education over the last 10 years - and therefore a whole world of evidence based practice now exists. The following six methods have the highest impact on students:

1. Share the goal.

2. Engineer success.

3. Slow down to speed up.

4. Check check check.

5. Fight the forgetting curve.

6. Believe in your student.

For a detailed explanation of these methods, and how our tutors apply them, click here.

We use a structured curriculum, where each lesson and unit builds logically on the last, so knowledge and skills compound and students feel success. We deliver this in small groups (between 3-7). This kind of group opens up space for students to learn from each other’s answers, as well as friendly, no-stakes competition. We avoid groups of more than 7, as then the tutor starts to lose the ability to give precise, individual feedback, as we see with school classes of 32.

Every tutor who works with us is trained and assessed extensively in evidence-led tutoring methods. This includes giving them intensive coaching, 1:1 development, and observation. We provide them with feedback directly, as well as guiding them to benefit from student and parent feedback. Our processes here ensure they can deliver excellent lessons and help all students achieve their academic goals.

Who are we?

Our lead tutor, Alex Richardson, is an Assistant Principal at a large UK secondary school, a teacher-trainer, and has been published widely in the evidence-based education space. 

His lessons have been published nationally by The Times Educational Supplement and Quizlet - one of the country’s leading revision websites. His peer reviews and student feedback have both been consistently exceptional. His writing on education has been shared widely by sector leaders such as Tom Sherrington and Multi-Academy Trust CEOs. He has a masters' degree in History and a post-graduate qualification in Leading Teacher Development.

He has been a tutor for more than 10 years.

You can read more about our founding team here.

Vetting:

Every single tutor we work with goes through an enhanced DBS check. We take references and we verify their qualifications. This is part of our commitment to high standards and is designed to give you peace of mind.

Providing a safe space to grow:

Our tutors are a friendly, positive influence in our students’ lives. We are all passionate about providing a safe space for students to grow in confidence alongside their academic development.