New Startup Reduces Tutoring Cost

Jan. 5, 2013 - PRLog -- A new startup from an Edinburgh based web developer and a geography teacher now directly connects tutors and tutees - without agency fees!

Tutlings is a web based startup allowing tutors to create a detailed profile enabling parents or those seeking tuition to directly find a tutor to match their needs. Their Tutlings account enables tutors to manage their profile, rates per hour, their tutees, their timetable and helps them keep track of payments. A built in feedback/message system enables direct communication between tutor and tutee, and tutors can leave notes to themselves about each session and future sessions.

The site encourages parents to leave reviews about tutors they have connected with.  

Kyle Whittington (29 years old) and Hannah Cockburn (25 years old) combined their experience of development and tutoring to create Tutlings. “I was frustrated with the huge cut tutoring agencies took from me”, commented Hannah. “That, with my disgust at how commercially elitist additional tuition could be gave me the idea for Tutlings”.

“We looked over all sites which currently offer a similar service and found them to be lacking in design as well as function.” said Kyle. “We also wanted to differentiate ourselves with a unique management platform, affordable tuition, and a name you’ll remember. We used to call our pupils ‘tutlings’ back at university, hence the name.”

Parents can now directly choose private tutors in their area through the Tutlings website (www.tutlings.com) from less than £7/hour. With class sizes growing and university places becoming increasingly competitive, extra private tuition can make a huge difference to pupils - and now far more families may be able to afford it. Tuition through an agency can cost £40/hour or even £60/hour in London. A survey commissioned by EdPlace found parents spend £6 billion a year on private tuition - and 54% of parents can’t afford private tuition.

“A lot of that goes to agencies,” said Hannah. “It doesn’t need to - now that parents can find an affordable tutor directly!”

Within a few weeks of launching, over 600 users have signed up to Tutlings.