Why experience matters in tutoring, especially for GCSE, A-Level and exam success

Many parents come to tutoring wanting to “try it out”, often when their child needs support with GCSEs, A-Levels, 11+ or other key exams.

They compare an experienced teacher with a student tutor offering a lower hourly rate and understandably wonder what the real difference is. In the first lesson or two, the answer can feel unclear. Both may be knowledgeable. Both may be engaging. Both may help a student understand a topic.

But tutoring success isn’t decided in week one. It reveals itself over time – through consistency, judgement, and follow-through.

Knowledge is only the starting point in effective tutoring

Most tutors, whether students or professionals, have strong subject knowledge. That’s the baseline.

What makes tutoring effective, however, is not simply knowing the content — it’s knowing how to adapt it to a specific learner, spot patterns in misunderstanding, and adjust approach as progress unfolds.

Research consistently supports this, particularly in GCSE tutoring, A-Level tutoring and exam preparation. The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) shows that high-quality tutoring can deliver the equivalent of +4 to +5 months of additional progress, but only when it is structured, regular, and sustained over time.

In other words, tutoring works best when it is not just clever — but planned and paced.

Where experience really shows in tutoring – after the first few lessons

The difference between tutors rarely shows up in the first session. It appears once tutoring settles into a rhythm.

Over several consecutive lessons, experienced tutors begin to form a diagnostic view of the student: where they truly are academically, how they respond to challenge, what misconceptions keep recurring, and what pace is realistic.

These judgements cannot be made reliably in a single lesson. They emerge as patterns form — across multiple sessions — when learning behaviour, confidence, and consistency become visible.

This is where experience matters most. Not in delivering impressive explanations, but in knowing what to prioritise next, and what outcomes are genuinely achievable with consistent support.

Reliability and consistency are critical in tutoring success

One of the most underestimated factors in tutoring success is reliability.

Student tutors often juggle university timetables and exams, coursework deadlines, placements or part-time work, and an active social life that naturally competes for evenings and weekends. None of this is unreasonable. But when tutoring is not someone’s primary professional responsibility, it is inevitably more vulnerable to disruption.

Educational research consistently shows that regular attendance and continuity are among the strongest predictors of progress in private tutoring and online tutoring. Experienced tutors are far more likely to protect lesson time, plan across weeks rather than sessions, and maintain structure during busy periods.

That reliability is not a luxury. It compounds progress.

What parents often notice when tutoring lacks structure

Parents rarely describe problems in dramatic terms. Instead, they say things like:

• “The explanations were good, but progress felt uneven”
• “They were approachable and built quick rapport, but without enough structure or rigour to sustain progress”
• “We didn’t have a clear sense of where this was heading”

This is reflected in behaviour, not opinion. Families working with qualified and experienced tutors are significantly more likely to stay the course, while those starting with graduate or student tutors are more likely to switch once momentum falters.

Experience brings perspective – not promises

Manfred, founder of LessonWise and a professional tutor for many years, puts it simply:

“The biggest mistake parents make is judging tutoring on the first lesson. That lesson tells you very little. It’s only after several sessions that you can properly diagnose where a student really is, what’s holding them back, and what they are realistically capable of achieving. That judgement comes from experience.”

How to choose the right tutor for your child

There are situations where many tutoring options can work — particularly when stakes are low or support is short-term.

But when exams, confidence, SEN needs, or multiple subjects are involved, experience stops being optional. The real question is not: “Can this tutor explain the topic?”

It is: “Can this tutor reliably assess, guide, and sustain progress over time?”

When results matter, experience makes the difference.

Sources & further reading

Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) — Evidence on the impact of structured, sustained tutoring.

Sutton Trust — Research into private tutoring and consistency of support.

This article is also informed by informal conversations with LessonWise parents, reflecting lived experience alongside the academic research referenced above.

‍