Compare 13 Plus Tutors

Start with the school’s current requirements, not a generic 13+ label. A Year 9 admissions journey may involve Common Entrance, an earlier ISEB Common Pre-Test, school-set assessments, interviews, reports or a scholarship assessment. The most useful tutor match therefore begins with the destination school, confirmed admissions process, subjects, paper levels and time available.

You can compare current profiles yourself or ask Latimer to suggest up to three possible matches based on the information you provide. A strong profile fit is more useful than the words “13 Plus tutor” alone: look for evidence that the tutor can address the learner’s actual subject, assessment and confidence needs.

There is no single national 13+ examination. ISEB Common Entrance at 13+ is normally taken in Year 8, but some schools begin selection earlier with the ISEB Common Pre-Tests and may also use reports, interviews, assessment days or their own papers. Scholarship assessment is another distinct pathway.

The destination school’s current published process should control preparation. School examples are useful because they show how much admissions sequences can differ, but one school’s stages or thresholds should never be treated as universal.

For ISEB Common Entrance at 13+, English, Mathematics and Science are compulsory. Other available papers include languages, humanities, Classics and Theology, Philosophy and Religion, but the senior school decides what each candidate must take. Some subjects use Foundation, Core or Additional options, so families should confirm the exact paper level before choosing a tutor.

The ISEB Common Pre-Tests are different: they assess English, Maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning through adaptive online multiple-choice tests. A tutor who suits Common Entrance Latin is not automatically the right person for Pre-Test reasoning, and a general 13+ label does not establish either form of experience.

Current profile rates should be the deciding price information. As broader platform guidance, Latimer currently says several student, graduate and tutor categories are usually £20–£30 per hour, while current or retired teachers, examiners and lecturers are usually £25–£50 per hour. These are not fixed 13+ rates, and individual tutors set the price shown on their profiles.

Latimer describes tuition as pay-as-you-go without a fixed long-term contract. Its current information also says a free introductory meeting is available before paid lessons. The FAQs presently say tutors generally use a 24-hour cancellation policy, with late changes handled at the tutor’s discretion, so families should read the current terms and agree practical arrangements with the tutor.

Latimer is online-first. Its current FAQs describe Microsoft Teams as the default platform, while allowing another method to be agreed between the tutor and family. Online tuition lets families compare relevant tutors nationally instead of being limited to whoever happens to live nearby.

In-person lessons may sometimes be possible when a tutor and learner are close enough and both agree, but local coverage is not guaranteed. The better comparison is not simply online versus local; it is which form of support solves the learner’s problem with the right level of individual attention.

Safeguarding is broader than a certificate. Families should review the current profile information, ask about relevant credentials and references, agree how communication and files will be handled, understand the lesson platform and keep checking how the child experiences the tutoring relationship.

For younger learners, an appropriate adult should know when and where lessons take place and remain available or nearby. Tutors we introduce to clients must meet our DBS requirements: an Enhanced DBS check with the Children’s Barred List, either registered on the DBS Update Service or issued within the last four years. A DBS check is one part of our assessment of suitability. Use the profile information and current safeguarding policy when comparing tutors.

There is no single correct year to start 13 Plus tuition and no universal number of lessons per week. The sensible plan depends on the school’s assessment sequence, the number of subjects, current attainment, time remaining, other workload and the learner’s stamina.

Common Entrance at 13+ is normally taken in Year 8. For the 2026–27 cycle, ISEB lists 2–6 November 2026, 25–29 January 2027, listening and speaking assessments on 17–22 May 2027, and written papers on 7–11 June 2027. Dates change by cycle, so current school and ISEB information should be used when setting the plan.

ISEB’s current Common Pre-Test guidance allows schools to consider adjustments including 25% extra time, a reader, supervised rest breaks or a separate room. Requests depend on evidence of need and the learner’s normal way of working, and the prospective senior school approves them before the test is scheduled.

A tutor can adapt ordinary teaching and practise appropriately with arrangements that have been approved. A tutor cannot approve or guarantee formal arrangements. ISEB also states that an arrangement for its Pre-Test does not automatically create the same entitlement for GCSE examinations.

Evidence on one-to-one tuition is most useful for the process lesson: support is more likely to help when it identifies real gaps, targets the right content, provides high-quality interaction and feedback, and connects with the learner’s normal work. That does not create a guaranteed 13+ result.

Paid tutoring is not automatically necessary. Official familiarisation tools, school support and self-study may be enough when the assessment requirements are clear, the learner knows what to practise and can review mistakes independently. One-to-one tuition adds most value where diagnosis, tailored explanation, feedback, accountability or clarification of the assessment process is genuinely needed.

Last reviewed 11 August 2026. ISEB examination dates, individual-school admissions processes, tutor availability, profile rates and safeguarding information can change. Use current official pages for assessment details and live Latimer profiles for tutor-specific information.

The links below bring the most useful official and Latimer information together without turning the page into a directory of sources.

Browse current profiles using the 13+ level filter, or ask Latimer to suggest tutors based on the confirmed admissions process, subjects, timing, schedule and budget. Availability and profile information are live, so the most useful next step is to compare what is current now.