the educator mag May 24 (1) - Flipbook - Page 50
Unlocking
potential:
the art of choosing
a tuition partner that
transforms lives.
In an ever-evolving educational
landscape, schools continue to seek
external tuition partners to
complement classroom learning
and offer personalised support.
Supplemental support from an expert like
Tutor Doctor can help schools with already
strong frameworks to mitigate the issue of
increasingly limited resources. Whether the
goal is to ensure that students keep pace
with curricular demands and thrive
academically, are supported whilst waiting
to access a specialist setting or are re-engaged with life-skills, confidence and a
positive mindset, selecting the right partner
is essential.
Here are five considerations to help you
make the best choice for your institution.
1.Requirements vs capabilities.
Begin with an internal assessment to determine what you need in a partner. It’s highly
likely that your requirements span capabilities and experience. It could be that you are
looking for support for SEND students and
intervention programmes as well extending
learning opportunities for high achievers.
A partner able to offer multi-disciplinary
support is by far the most efficient solution,
financially and operationally.
It’s important to seek out tangible markers
such as the number of schools the provider
has partnered with, the number of students
supported and how many tutors are available, across what subjects and specialisms.
You can also request anecdotal evidence of
success in the form of testimonials and case
studies from existing partners.
Here at Tutor Doctor, we’ve proudly partnered with 570 schools, provided tailored
support to over 200,000 students and work
with a network of almost 8,000 exceptional
tutors. In the last academic year, we delivered
66,969 hours of tuition for schools.
2.Safeguarding.
Scrutinise the safeguarding policies and
procedures of any potential tuition
partner – to breaking point! By way of
example and to use as a benchmark during
your due diligence, each of our 56 local
offices adheres to a comprehensive
Safeguarding Policy and Safer Recruitment
Policy. Both were created in collaboration
with the NSPCC and validated by the DfE.
Suitability and up-to-date DBS checks are
mandatory for staff and tutors, and every
office has clearly defined safeguarding
training routes, protocols and a DSL.
3.The power of personal.
A standout partner will have ‘boots on the
ground’ for when you need them most.
Be wary of ‘big corporate’ energy where
communication is limited and points of
contact constantly change.
and circumstance to interests, hobbies and
education goals. After an in-depth
consultation, our skilled teams guide clients
– be they families or schools – through a
seamless onboarding process which gathers
a ‘whole-student’ profile rather than simply
academic. This same level of attention is
applied during our tutor recruitment process
to ensure we can match tutors and students
based on learning style, ability and
personality - with an incredibly high
success rate!
Be sure to ask what will happen if a
tutor-student match doesn’t work out –
you can learn a lot about a potential partner
this way! In the rare case that a match
doesn’t work out as anticipated, our Tutor
Match Guarantee ensures we work swiftly
and professionally to rematch both parties
with minimum disruption.
Choosing a partner with a local team
guarantees that you can speak to someone
you know and trust when, as inevitably
happens from time to time, things go awry,
you have an emergency or need a flexible
solution, fast. Our 56 hyper-local offices are
run by teams who truly care about their
communities with a vested interest in successful outcomes.
5.Feedback and results.
4.Assess the quality of tutors and the
matching process.
Regular, clear communication and detailed
reporting on student progress are essential.
Key indicators such as attendance,
progress against outcomes and student
sentiment should all be demonstrated.
This transparency ensures that you can
monitor the impact of the tuition and make
informed decisions about your partnership.
The best tuition partner brings more than
just subject expertise. Tutors should be
personable, have a passion for what they
do and be capable of building rapport with
students. Ask to see firm evidence from any
potential partner of their vetting
processes, including DBS checks which
should be non-negotiable.
At Tutor Doctor, we believe our matching
process is unparalleled; underpinned by
our core value that thinking caps come in
all shapes and sizes. We understand no two
students are the same from experience
Remember, feedback shouldn’t just be
gathered; it should be actioned. With every
tutoring hour, insights are gathered and
learnings applied. Tutor Doctor understands
that schools know their students best, so
we work hand-in-hand with educators,
constantly refining our approach to stay
aligned with each school’s evolving goals.
The ultimate goal is to find a tuition partner
that not only delivers results but becomes a
valued and integral part of your educational
community. Tutor Doctor believes in building
a relationship that goes beyond the
transactional and becomes truly
transformational.
