Group classes or one-to-one tuition: which suits your child?

When families ask for tuition, the first practical choice is the format: a small group class that runs through the course, or one-to-one lessons with a teacher. Neither is better in general. They suit different students, and they are priced in different ways, which is worth understanding before comparing fees.

How each format works

Group classes

• Small online classes, with at most 15 students.
• 45 to 50 minutes per class, three classes a week, for each subject.
• Charged per subject, per month.
• The group follows the course in order, with past-paper practice worked through in class.

One-to-one classes

• One student and one teacher, 1 hour per class.
• Charged per class, and you choose how many to take.
• The pace and content follow the student: a whole lesson can go on one weak topic.

Some courses are taught one-to-one only: all IB courses, OCR courses, and OxfordAQA Islamiyat and Pakistan Studies. Their course pages say so.

Which suits which student

Group classes tend to suit a student who:

• needs to cover the whole course steadily, not fix one gap;
• works better with a fixed timetable and other students at the same stage;
• is taking several subjects, where a monthly fee per subject is easier to budget.

One-to-one tends to suit a student who:

• has specific weak topics, or a mock result that shows where marks are lost;
• is close to the exam and needs targeted past-paper work;
• needs a time a group cannot offer, or is studying a one-to-one-only course;
• is a long way ahead or behind the usual pace.

Many students mix them: group classes for the subjects that need the whole course, and a few one-to-one lessons for the subject that needs repair.

Comparing the cost

Because group classes are priced per subject per month and one-to-one per class, compare them by what your child would actually take. A month of group classes is around twelve or thirteen classes of 45 to 50 minutes. A course of one-to-one lessons might be one or two hours a week for a few weeks before an exam.

Group fees also have two discounts: 20% off when a student takes three or more subjects, and 10% off each enrolled sibling’s group fees. The pricing page lists the fees for each region, and the country pages for Pakistan, the UAE, Qatar, Malaysia and the UK show them in local currency with class times in local time.

Try the format before you pay

The free trial class runs in the format you are considering: a real group class with the same teacher and length as the classes that follow, or an individual one-to-one class. There is no registration fee, and fees are billed monthly only after the trial, so you can see how your child works in the format before committing.

If you are unsure which to choose, say so on the trial form or on WhatsApp, and we will suggest one based on the subject, the exam date and where your child is now.