11+ tutoring costs vary a lot, but here are the usual ranges. One-to-one tutoring in the UK typically runs from about £30 to £80 or more per hour, depending on where you live and how experienced the tutor is. Group tuition costs less per child, and online platforms or apps cost far less again, sometimes nothing. The headline rate matters less than the total, because weekly sessions over a year or two add up quickly.
- One-to-one 11+ tutoring is typically about £30 to £80+ an hour in the UK.
- Group tuition costs less per child; online platforms and apps cost far less again.
- Price depends on location, the tutor's experience and board expertise.
- Think in totals, not per-hour: weekly sessions over a year or two add up.
What 11+ tutoring costs
For one-to-one tutoring, expect somewhere around £30 to £80 or more per hour. The lower end tends to be newer tutors or lower-cost areas; the higher end is experienced specialists, often in and around London.
Group tuition is cheaper per child because the cost is shared, and online platforms or practice apps sit lower still. Each option buys something different, so the right one depends on what your child actually needs, which is really the question of whether your child needs a tutor at all.
What drives the price
Three things move the number most. Location is the biggest, with rates highest in expensive areas. Experience is next, as established tutors with a track record charge more.
The third is format expertise. A tutor who knows your target school's exam board well can be more efficient, which is part of why it pays to understand the difference between GL and CEM before you book anyone.
An hour at £45 sounds manageable, but a weekly session for a school year is roughly £1,800, and many families tutor for longer. Multiply the rate by the number of sessions you actually plan before you commit.
The cost over time
The per-hour figure hides the real spend. Tutoring usually runs weekly across many months, sometimes more than a year, so the totals climb into four figures.
That is not always wrong, especially where a tutor is solving a real problem. But it is worth being clear-eyed about the commitment, and about how much of the work is practice your child could do between sessions rather than during them.
Lower-cost alternatives
Plenty of effective preparation costs little or nothing. Free familiarisation materials, practice books and group sessions all reduce the bill, and adaptive apps deliver daily practice for a fraction of tutoring fees.
An app like Pip covers everyday practice across maths, English and reasoning for free, which can replace a chunk of what families pay for, or simply make each tutor hour go further. Many parents also handle the teaching themselves, which our guide to tutoring your child yourself walks through.
Getting value for money
If you do hire a tutor, make every session count. Use the tutor for diagnosis and tricky concepts, and keep the routine practice for the days in between.
Pair sessions with a steady home habit, sized sensibly to how much your child should study, and consider whether group or one-to-one gives you the better return for your situation.