Cardiff’s tuition landscape
Cardiff sits in an unusual position — Welsh exam boards dominate, English boards appear in pockets, and the city has a strong independent-school presence at Howell’s, Cardiff Sixth Form College and St John’s plus a heavy Welsh-medium state sector. Tutors who actually understand WJEC GCSE Mathematics (Numeracy as a separate paper, the Paper 1 calculator and Paper 2 non-calculator structure) and Eduqas English Language and Literature (different question types from AQA) deliver better results than English-trained tutors who are still learning the spec.
GCSE volume is the biggest chunk of demand. Pupils at Cardiff High, Cantonian, Whitchurch, Llanishen, Fitzalan, Mary Immaculate and the Welsh-medium schools sit a mix of WJEC and Eduqas. A-levels run similarly through the AS/A2 structure that’s still in place in Wales (different to the linear English A-levels). This catches some English-trained tutors out — Welsh AS counts toward the final A-level grade, and AS retakes are part of the strategy in a way they aren’t in England.
What profiles show
Tutor profiles list qualifications, exam boards (WJEC, Eduqas, AQA, Edexcel), levels, language (English/Welsh-medium), hourly rate and reviews. Filter by postcode for in-person within Cardiff, or by board if board match matters. A profile that names “WJEC GCSE Mathematics — Numeracy and Mathematics, four years’ teaching at Cardiff High” is a stronger signal than a generic GCSE maths line. Welsh-medium tutors will list bilingual capability prominently.
Where it goes wrong
Three patterns. First, parents booking an English-trained tutor who’s “covered WJEC” but really hasn’t taught the Welsh AS structure or the Numeracy paper specifically — check this carefully. Second, last-minute booking for May exams with three weeks to go; a tutor can sharpen technique but not rebuild foundations in that time. Third, mixing too many tutors — switching every few weeks. Settle, give a tutor six weeks, judge on the next assessment.
Booking, rates and the 5% model
Search Tutoring in Cardiff, filter subject, level, language and postcode. Three or four shortlist messages, intro calls, pick the fit. Lessons run through our scheduler, payment 24 hours after, 5% to us. A typical £40 GCSE WJEC hour means £38 to the tutor with us versus £30 on a 25%-commission platform. Tutors gravitate to the lower fee, families benefit from competitive rates, the platform stays clean and direct. Free trial calls don’t cost either side.