Following are guidelines for how tuition sessions conducted. Please read through and get back with any further questions.
Note:
- Customer here refers to a parent, a guardian, other adult with responsibility for the student, or the person paying for tuition. This applies when the student is under 18 year of age or is not paying for the tuition. If the student is 18 or over and paying for tuition, then customer and student are the same person.
- Skype and Zoom are the only video conferencing facilities used at time of writing. Other software, i.e. FaceTime, are either not available or not yet tested.
Security & Safeguarding:
- all on-line sessions can be terminated by either party at any point.
- all on-line sessions involving anyone under the age of 18 years must be supervised by the customer.
- all on-line sessions for tutoring or other meeting associated with Michael Andrew Smith Tutoring will be recorded. It is in the interests of the customer to also record the session.
- Offensive and inappropriate materials will be reported the relevant authorities.
- a DBS can be seen on request.
- See terms & conditions for further details.
- See privacy statement for further details.
Before the Session:
- All customers & students will have had at least one face-to-face session before being offered any online session.
- Tuition is generally available from nine in the morning until nine at night, Monday to Saturday. Early morning sessions are by prior arrangement and at 25% above the normal hourly rate for any whole or part hours before nine in the morning. Sunday sessions are by prior arrangement and at twice the normal hourly rate for any hour. There's limited availability on Mondays and Saturday obviously due to Bank Holidays and for meetings. Days become fully booked once at least 4 students have booked that day.
- Please ensure all textbooks, pdf’s (Adobe Reader pdf viewer downloader) and other electronic documents are available to both parties. It is the responsibility of the customer to ensure the tutor knows which textbooks you propose to you. If the customer or student has material which we will be working from (prep, worksheets, classroom notes) then these must be shared the on-line session starts. The tutor will similarly share relevant materials.
- All electronic materials can be sent via email or WhatsApp. Paperwork can be scanned in using a scanner, via Office Lens (see below) or clear photographs and then shared via email or WhatsApp.
Starting the Video Call:
- Customer or student can call up to ten minutes before the nominal start time.
- Once the call is established the caller should start recording the session (See How do I record my skype calls?). The tutor will start recording if not started by the caller and record the entire session. This will aid understanding by enabling the student to review the session again. Recordings may also be used by tutors for security and training purposes.
- Please ensure you call within 15 minutes after the nominal start time otherwise the session will be canceled and a cancellation fees may apply.
During the Call:
- Begin and end will be face-to-face, but for most of the call the student will see either the tutor's workings or a relevant document.
- OpenBoard,
Microsoft OneNote, or
Microsoft Whiteboard will be used by the tutor to share handwritten information.
If a graphics tablet is available to the student, they too can share via these means.
- Further documents will be shared via email, WhatsApp or other messaging service within the session copying in the customer where possible.
End of Call:
- Ensure any following session times are confirmed along with any prep to be completed.
After the Session:
- The tutor will send at least one email with a copy of the tutor's workings made during the session, and a confirmation of prep and next the next session.
- Any payment will be invoiced at the end of the calendar month via email with bank details unless arranged otherwise.
SOFTWARE DOWNLOADS:
- Get Skype here for most operating systems & mobile phones.
- Download Zoom
- Getting started with Microsoft Office Lens
- Microsoft Office Lens for Android.
- Microsoft Office Lens for iOS
Last updated 13th April 2022. These guidelines are updated ad hoc & without notice.