The honest answer is that it varies enormously, from very little (workbooks plus parent time) to a couple of thousand pounds a year for regular one-to-one tutoring. Here's a breakdown so you can budget accurately rather than guess. Where we quote a number, we say where it comes from.
Human one-to-one tutoring
Most private tutors in the UK charge between £30 and £50 an hour, with an average of around £35 to £40 (TutorCruncher, Average Tutoring Rates UK 2026). The same source puts primary-level tutoring at roughly £20 to £40 an hour, and shows London and the South East well above the national average (London around £50 to £65).
At one hour a week over a school year of about 40 weeks, £30 to £50 an hour works out at £1,200 to £2,000 a year. Specialist 11+ tutors may charge more.
What you get: personalised attention, someone who can read your child's frustration in the moment, and the flexibility to focus on whatever is currently weak.
What to watch for: cost scales with time, availability depends on the tutor's schedule, and quality varies between tutors. There is no standard qualification for an "11+ tutor".
Workbooks and practice papers
This is the lowest-cost route, and prices vary by publisher and how many subjects you cover.
What you get: complete flexibility, no ongoing cost, and it works around any schedule.
What to watch for: no adaptivity (a workbook doesn't know which topics your child has already mastered), and all the marking, gap analysis and motivation falls on the parent. That is a real time cost even if it isn't a financial one.
Group tuition and holiday courses
Small-group sessions and holiday courses usually cost less per hour than one-to-one, at the cost of less individual attention. Prices vary widely by area and provider, so check local options.
AI-adaptive tutoring apps
A newer category, usually priced as a monthly subscription rather than per hour. Published prices we looked at in September 2026 ranged from under £5 a month to around £70 a month, depending on the provider and plan. For example, PassEleven's plans are £20 and £40 a month, with a 7-day free trial and no card needed. Over a school year, a monthly subscription generally costs well under weekly one-to-one tutoring, while adapting question difficulty and topic focus to your child's performance.
What you get: availability whenever your child has time, adaptivity without you tracking every attempt yourself, and a predictable monthly cost however much your child practises.
What to watch for: less suited to a child who needs a human presence to stay motivated, or who struggles with independent screen-based work even with parental oversight. Check what the app actually claims, and how its questions are produced and checked.
A rough side-by-side
| Approach | Cost | Adaptivity | Parent time required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workbooks and practice papers | Lowest; varies by publisher | None | High |
| Group or holiday courses | Varies by provider | Low | Medium |
| AI-adaptive app | From under £5 to about £70 a month | High | Low to medium |
| Human one-to-one (weekly) | About £1,200 to £2,000 a year at £30 to £50 an hour | High (human-driven) | Low |
The honest takeaway
There's no universally right spend. A family with more time than money will lean toward workbooks, a family that values a human relationship will lean toward tutoring, and a family wanting adaptivity without the per-hour cost has a genuine middle option in adaptive apps. Many families blend two of these, and that's reasonable. There's no evidence we know of that spending the most produces the best outcome. Consistent, well-targeted practice matters more than the delivery method.
Related guides
This guide is general information for parents. Prices are market ranges from the sources named above, as of September 2026. Always confirm a provider's current prices directly.