Frequently Asked Questions
Please use the feedback form to send us any other questions you have about Helping Learning.
Family Questions
1 How much does it cost?
Registration is completely free. Families will only have to pay for the help that they seek from teachers through Helping Learning. Each teacher will set their own fees which you can view when you are seeking help and before you select your teacher.
2. How long will the call be?
This will be up to the teacher but we doubt that it will be more than 5 minutes or so as the basic service was designed to give the same level of help as you might expect to receive if you raised your hand in class. If you require more help than this we suggest that you book a tutorial session from the Revision and Tutoring pages.
3 How will I pay for the help I receive?
When you seek help from a teacher, you will see how much their help will cost. At the end of your online help this amount of money is deducted from your 'teacher account'.
4 What happens if there is not enough money in my 'teacher account' to pay for the help?
When you select a teacher, we check to see that the balance in your account is sufficient. If not, you will be invited to make a further payment. Without it, you will not be connected to a teacher.
5. How can I pay money in to my 'account'?
This is done through your area on the website. You will have access to this once you have registered. When you have decided how much you wish to pay, you will be connected to 'Nochex' ( www.nochex.co.uk ) who are our online payment provider and you will be able to pay using a UK credit or debit card.
6. Can I have money back if I decide to stop using Helping Learning?
You can request payment of the balance in your account, through your area on the website. It will be held in a 'clients account' with the HSBC bank and returned to you on request.
7. What sort of questions will the teachers be able to answer.
When you need help with any aspect of your work you should find that the teacher is able to provide the answer that you need. If not, then they will tell you and as long as the call is less than thirty seconds, you will not be charged for the help.
8. What can I do if the help is not very good?
At the end of every call you will be invited to rate the teacher on a scale of 1 to 10. This should help inform other students about the quality of help they might receive. You should use the feedback form to let us know if you feel that you were not supported as you had hoped.
9. Have all the teachers had Criminal Record Bureau checks?
When teachers apply to use the Helping Learning service we check their Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and whether or not they are registered with the General Teaching Council and also their current employment status. Only teachers who have provided evidence of a current Criminal Records Bureau check will be available to students under the age of eighteen.. If a 'teacher' is not qualified, then you will see this against their name and you can decide whether or not to ask them to help you.
10. What should I do if we think that a teacher is behaving inappropriately whilst I am using the Helping Learning service?
You should close down the call, tell responsible adults who are with you and use the Feedback Form to notify us imediately.
11. What steps are taken to monitor the Helping Learning service ?
We would encourage parents to always maintain an awareness of their children's activities on the internet and to monitor their use of Helping Learning by being present when Helping Learning is being used and through the payments and transaction details.
12. How can you be sure that there will be teachers online to answer queries in all subjects whenever help is needed?
We cannot be sure of this in the early days of Helping Learning but each month more teachers register. We are in a 'chicken and egg' situation and as both the number of teachers and the number of students increase, we expect to be able to offer the full service. At the moment we ask teachers to be available between 6pm and 9pm each weekday evening. If we are unable to provide you with the service you could rightfully expect, we will refund the balance in your account.
13 How can I check what calls I have made?
You will have access to a complete log of your activities with Helping Learning, through your area on the website.
Teacher Questions
1. How long should I take to help a student ?
As we expect you to give the sort of help that a student might receive when they raise their hand in class, we anticipate that a call would last no more than five minutes.
2. How much should I charge?
We suggest a figure around one-twelfth of your hourly rate. You can alter this whenever you choose.
3. How often and for how long must I stay online?
Once they have registered, teachers can log in and out of Helping Learning whenever they wish. they are under no obligation to use the service at all.
4. When will I receive my contract from Helping Learning?
There is no contract as you will not be employed by us. We are simply providing a platform through which teachers can assist students with their work.
5. How will I be paid?
Families will make a deposit which will be held in a 'clients account' with the HSBC bank. When you give help to a student your account will be credited with eighty-five percent of the fee you fixed and we will retain fifteen percent. You will be able to request full or part payment of the balance in your account at any time.
6. What are 'Closed User Groups'
Schools, Colleges, other institutions or groups can request the setting up of a 'closed user group' which will enable students to communicate solely with the teachers from that organisation. This service could be provided free to the end user and teachers paid by the organbisation. For example a school could set up remote support for its candidates in preparation for their summer examination season or a private tutor could request a group solely for the use of all their clients.
7. I qualified to teach outside the UK - can I provide help to students through Helping Learning?
We welcome teachers from across the world but they will need to provide evidence of their teaching qualification and its acceptance by the UK Government before they are shown as a 'Qualified Teacher'. Further information can be found at http://www.teachers-uk.co.uk/candidates/overseas and also at www.naric.org.uk .
8. I want to be able to teach students under the age of eighteen but I am from overseas and do not hold a UK Criminal Records Bureau clearance.
You can provide a police clearance certificate from your home country - there is further information about this on the CRB website http://www.crb.homeoffice.gov.uk/guidance/rb_guidance/overseas .
9. I want to be a 'teacher' of Recreational Gardening. How will students know my qualifications?
We suggest that you make your qualifications and experience clear in your profile.