Is one to one better for a shy child?
Often the opposite, which surprises people. In a batch a hesitant learner discovers that other students are also stuck, which turns being stuck from a judgement about them into a normal property of the work. Alone with a teacher it can feel like a continuous assessment. We have watched tentative children gain confidence in groups more reliably than in private sessions, so we would try the group first.
Can we get a weekday after-school slot if we pay for private?
No, and this is not a negotiating position. Our teachers are in India, nine and a half to ten and a half hours ahead of Nassau depending on the season, so four in the afternoon here is half past two in the morning there. No price makes that a good lesson. What private teaching does unlock is the weekday early morning, seven to eight Nassau time, which is half past five in the evening for the teacher.
How much does it cost?
One to one teaching is USD 150 a month for weekly ninety-minute sessions, against USD 100 a month for a group batch of five to eight students, both billed in US dollars. There is no enrolment fee, no annual contract, and the first class is free without a card whichever format you are considering.
Can we start one to one and move to a group later?
Yes, and it is a pattern we actively suggest. A term of private teaching to clear a specific blockage, then a move into a batch at the right level, is often the best value in our whole offer. There is no minimum term, so switching costs nothing beyond the month you are in.
My child is well ahead of their class at school. Does that mean private?
Possibly, and the free first class is how we find out rather than assuming. Being far ahead of a school year group does not automatically mean being far ahead of our intake, which is drawn on demonstrated ability from twenty-five countries. Quite often a student who is exceptional locally lands comfortably in a batch of peers, which is a much better experience than being exceptional alone.
Do private students get the same reporting?
Identical. Individual progress tracking, real projects, competitions used as deadlines, a public GitHub portfolio and a written update to the parent each month apply the same way. What changes with private teaching is the pace and the route through the material, not the things you are owed at the end of each month.
Is private teaching better for examination years?
For a fixed deadline in weeks rather than months, yes, because the whole session can be reordered around the date. For a whole examination year our honest advice is usually different: reduce the load or pause rather than intensify it. That argument is set out on the BJC and BGCSE page, and we give it even though pausing costs us the month.
Do adults usually take one to one?
Most do, and it is the right call for them. An adult arriving with a specific objective, typically automating something they currently do by hand, does not need a general curriculum and would slow a batch down while skipping most of it. Those goals usually finish inside a few months rather than running for a year.
Can two siblings share a private session?
If they are genuinely at a similar level, yes, and it is worth asking about on the free call. If they are not, it tends to produce a session that suits neither of them, and we would rather say so than take the booking. The free class can assess both children so the answer is based on what they can each do.
What happens after we send the form?
A mentor telephones you at a Bahamian hour to arrange the free session. Nothing is charged and no card is requested. On that call we will ask why you are considering private teaching, and if the honest answer is that a group would serve your child better, we will say so even though it is the smaller sale.
