A new breed of “super-tutors” are earning salaries of up to £50,000, more than they would receive as schoolteachers, as the pressure for places in top schools and universities leads families to spend heavily on private tuition.
Zoe Stephens, 31, a Hull University graduate and former state-school teacher, is full-time tutor to a 12-year-old girl and her 14-year-old brother at the end of their school day.
The parents, who work in the art world in London, have employed Stephens to teach the pair five days a week from 3pm until bedtime, topping up their private education.
As well as providing lessons in a range of subjects, she teaches millinery to the girl and has accompanied the family on trips to New York and skiing in Switzerland. She earns almost £50,000.
The use of full-time tutors such as Stephens, who is employed by the agency Tutors International, is seen by some well-off families as an integral part of private education, ensuring that children do not fall behind during their spare time and minimising the risk that they will not gain a place at a leading school or university.
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Another tutor from north London, who declined to be named, said he had earned £48,000 in the past year working for one family.
Tutoring has boomed through the recession because of a widening gap between good and poor schools.
Kate Shand, the managing director of Enjoy Education, said full-time tutors retained by one or two families were an important area of the tuition industry.
“For a lot of talented graduates, tutoring is not a casual, temporary job they do while looking for permanent employment, it has become a well paid profession that they follow out of choice.”
Will Orr-Ewing, founder of Keystone Tutors in south London, said he provided about six tutors on summer holiday placements each year with families paying £900 a week.
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One child spent much of last year’s summer break studying the history of Islam and gave a PowerPoint presentation on the subject to the family at the end of the holiday.