Acorn Tutors

 

Tom Hyland was raised in Marlow and lived there for 20 years, before moving to the outskirts of Reading three years ago. He taught at Cookham Dean Primary School and has now set up his own private tuition agency...

 

I first started tutoring when I was at Reading University, where I qualified with a Primary Education and English degree. I’ve now been tutoring for around seven years, and alongside this, I work as a supply teacher across schools in the local area.

   I first worked at Cookham Dean School on my last year university placement. I immediately loved working in a village school. Everyone was really friendly, and I’ve got so many friends up there still. I have taught most of the year groups and was the coach of the school football team. We managed to win
the league, so I was tempted to quit the teaching profession and become a football manager! I loved my time up there and I shall never forget it, being the first school I worked at as a qualified teacher. I’m still fortunate enough
to occasionally do supply teaching there when I’m not teaching elsewhere. 

   I have just set up my own private tuition agency, Acorn Tutors. As an intimate, local business we build close relationships with our tutors and clients, and offer a personal service anonymous national agencies are
unable to. I take huge pride in the quality of our tutors and the standard
of service we offer. Our aim is to help our students achieve their potential
by establishing successful and enduring learning relationships. We can provide tutors for all subjects, across all levels.

   Alongside private clients, we are also proud of working in schools via the Pupil Premium scheme, allowing students from disadvantaged backgrounds to also enjoy the benefits of tuition.

  I always wanted to run my own agency. Firstly, because I want to provide
an excellent educational service to clients across the area – education is
so important and I have seen how much private tuition can dramatically improve a student’s fortunes. Secondly, with one in four children in the UK now having private tuition, countless agencies have sprung up across the country. Although many of the large, national agencies have some fantastic tutors on their books, I have heard too many times of clients being offered sub-standard tuition and a poor, detached service.

   I finally decided to form Acorn Tutors after becoming inundated with requests for private tuition. I have had to put many people on an enormous waiting list or send them in the direction of anonymous national agencies, something I’m always a bit apprehensive about. Rather than an agency where the first priority is profit, I wanted to focus on providing an exceptional education for students. The focus is on helping to produce well-rounded, confident and happy people, who will go on to make a positive difference
to society.

   I get huge satisfaction in seeing my tutors and clients happy. I’ve been lucky enough to see tuition transform some students’ and their parents' lives. The education system can be a minefield for families, and it’s nice helping people negotiate it and see them go on to achieve great things.

   It’s also wonderful working with our tutors and I’m always learning from them and incorporating their ideas into my own teaching. I particularly enjoy working with tutors who have recently qualified from university. Admittedly, they need guidance, but the ideas and passion they have for teaching is tremendous and students love working with them. It’s so important for me that the tutors are comfortable and enjoying their work. A tutor’s happiness and wellbeing is fundamental, for them as well as their students.

   In terms of business training, I arranged a couple of start-up meetings
with local business advisors. They were extremely useful, as I had the expertise and experience in teaching and tuition, but less so in running
and managing my own business. I’ve been clueing up on business management. I’m also really grateful to a number of my friends, who
are successful businesspersons themselves – I’ve been picking their
brains extensively the last few months!

   I like being able to set my own stamp on the direction and goals of the business – I can take it where I want it to go and in the way I want to.

Being my own boss is nice too!

 

What else do we need to know about Tom?

• I went to St. Peter’s Primary School and Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School. I have so many good memories – and my best? I suppose I should really say in my line of work the incredible teachers and learning, but to be honest, it was probably all the pranks and tomfoolery that went on! I wasn’t exactly a model student, I’m afraid!

• I really look up to my parents and grandparents. My grandparents came over here from Ireland with nothing but made a life for themselves and our family – I’m grateful for their sacrifices every single day.

• I once performed a comic sketch show at the Edinburgh Fringe.

• I’ve also been a season ticket holder at Wycombe Wanderers for 15 years – a long sentence!

 

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or email info@acorntutors.co.uk