London’s science market by tier
The London science tuition map breaks into roughly four tiers, and being honest about which one you’re in saves money.
Tier one: 11+ science prep for the consortium schools — Westminster Under, KCS Wimbledon, Latymer Upper, Highgate, City of London Boys. The science element is small but the questions are reasoning-heavy. Tutors who specialise in this earn £55-£80/hr and you’ll find them clustered in Hampstead, Highgate, Wandsworth and Wimbledon.
Tier two: GCSE combined science across the AQA-dominant state secondaries. Most pupils want a generalist who can move between the three sciences. Rates £40-£55/hr, plenty of supply, easy to fill within a week.
Tier three: GCSE triple science aiming at grade 8-9, often pupils at Henrietta Barnett, Tiffin, Sutton Grammar, Habs Boys/Girls or independents like Latymer Upper, where the school’s already pushing hard but parents want the safety net. Specialist single-subject tutors at £55-£75/hr work best.
Tier four: A-level biology, chemistry or physics for medicine, dentistry, vet, engineering or natural sciences applicants. Imperial, UCL and KCL PhDs dominate this end. £60-£90/hr is standard, and the tutor’s own academic background matters more here than at GCSE.
What’s listed on profiles
Each tutor profile shows exam boards taught (AQA dominates state, Edexcel the independents, OCR Gateway and OCR A in pockets), levels covered, current and past schools/employers, hourly rate and review history. Filter by postcode if you want in-person, or by “online” if location doesn’t matter. Pay attention to the “subjects” tag — a profile listing “Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, English” usually means a generalist primary tutor, not a triple-science specialist. For A-level, look for tutors who specifically name the spec (AQA 7401/7402 for biology, AQA 7404/7405 for chemistry, OCR H556 for physics).
Where parents go wrong
Three repeat mistakes from London families. First, booking on commute convenience rather than fit — the tutor at Pimlico station who fits your route home is no good if she only teaches Edexcel and your daughter sits AQA. Second, paying premium for an Imperial PhD when the pupil needs exam-technique drilling, not advanced content. A current secondary teacher at £45 outperforms a PhD at £80 for a grade 6 pupil chasing grade 7. Third, switching tutors every six weeks because of one bad session. Science progress shows up in mock exam grades, not in how comfortable the Tuesday hour feels — give a tutor a full half-term before judging.
Costs, the trial call, and how booking works
Search by subject, level and postcode. Open three or four profiles, message the tutor with what you actually need (“Year 11 daughter, AQA triple, current grade 6, target 8, weak on chemistry energetics and physics waves”). The good ones reply with specifics; the templated ones get filtered. Use the free 20-minute intro to test rapport and ask a content question. Once you’re booked, lessons run through our scheduler with payment held until 24 hours after each session. We charge the tutor 5% — so a £60/hr session puts £57 in their pocket versus £45 on Tutorful. Tutors price keenly because of that, and you see it in the rates.