IMPORTANT POLICIES for TUTORS

Table of Contents
1. The 3 P’s: Professionalism, Preparation & Positive Learner Experience ........................................ 2
2. Important Tutor Admin ................................................................................................................... 2
3. Learner Needs Analysis & Feedback to Clients ............................................................................... 3
4. Lesson Packages .............................................................................................................................. 3
5. Cancellations ................................................................................................................................... 4
6. Tutor Remuneration and Monthly Log Submissions....................................................................... 4
7. Availability, Commitment Periods & Exam Periods ........................................................................ 6
8. Monitoring Results, Homework & Testing, & Teacher Meetings ................................................... 6
9. Punctuality & “No-shows” .............................................................................................................. 6
10. Dress Code, Smoking & Piercings ................................................................................................ 6
11. Use of Cell Phones during Lessons .............................................................................................. 6
12. Lesson Preparation ..................................................................................................................... 7
13. Communication with Your Clients .............................................................................................. 7
14. Whatsapp and Social Media Policy ............................................................................................. 7
15. Resignation Procedures .............................................................................................................. 7
16. Office Hours ................................................................................................................................ 8

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 IMPORTANT POLICIES for TUTORS
Welcome to the BrightSparkz Team! To make sure our tutoring is of the highest quality and to create a fun and
rewarding work experience for you, there are some systems and standards that we need you to know well.
Because we know policies can be boring to read through, we have created a concise summary below of the most
important things that are essential to know and understand before starting to tutor.

1. The 3 P’s: Professionalism, Preparation & Positive Learner Experience

Make these values part of your tutoring mantra and you will make a great impression with every client! After your first lesson your client is
requested to provide us with feedback on these 3 areas.

Professionalism: Be ON TIME! (Even better, be at least 5-10 mins early for each lesson).
DRESS appropriately (please read section 10 for the details).
COMMUNICATE quickly – always return a client’s call or SMS, and respond to our messages as soon as you
can, even just to confirm you received the message ☺

Preparation: ALWAYS, ALWAYS be prepared for your lessons. Brush up on your knowledge, have a look at
the syllabus guidelines, and print out some extra resources. Call the client within 24 hours of getting their
details (or ASAP thereafter) to introduce yourself, and to find out on which section of work they would like
to focus.

Positive Learner Experience: Work hard to create a positive experience for your learner and an optimal
learning environment. ENGAGE your learner, make the lesson INTERESTING, and BUILD on what they
already know. Get them to PARTICIPATE - tutoring is a partnership and effort is required from both sides.

2. Important Tutor Admin

There are 2 important admin tools you need to be familiar with as a tutor: 1) Lesson Logs via the online Tutor Portal, and 2) the printed package
logsheet (signed by parent).

THE TUTOR PORTAL: The Tutor Portal is used to log your lessons online and this, along with a printed package
logsheet, helps you keep an accurate record of lessons. The Portal can be accessed via a desktop, laptop or
smartphone at http://profile.brightsparkz.co.za, using Google Chrome.

Golden Admin Rule: Log & submit your lessons on the Tutor Portal ASAP after your lesson!

DO NOT wait until month-end to log all of your lessons! This leads to logging errors and inaccurate estimates of
the number of lessons remaining. Tutors will not be remunerated for lessons completed over and above the
number of lessons purchased by clients.
MONTHLY LOG SUBMISSION: You will be required to double check and submit your lesson logs for a particular
month, by the first day of the following month.
NB: If you do not log your lessons timeously (at least once a week) or do not submit at month-end you may be subject
to penalties. No monthly submission and regular logs = no pay! (see Payments Section for more details).
We love to pay our tutors timeously for the hard work they put in, so we appreciate your cooperation to ensure that
this process is as smooth as possible ☺

LESSON LOGSHEET: This is your signed hard copy of your lesson logs. If the parent is not home please ask the
learner to sign or initial the logsheet to verify the lesson. Please note that it is VERY important to ensure you keep
a signed logsheet. If you are not able to supply us with signed proof of lessons on request, payment may be
withheld. Ensure that what you log on the online Tutor Portal matches the lessons documented on the printed
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 logsheet. If the logsheet is misplaced, please print a new one, fill in the logs according to the portal, and ask your
client or learner to sign off again.

3. Learner Needs Analysis & Feedback to Clients

At your interview, you would have been taken through the Learner Needs Analysis, a questionnaire that you need
to complete with your learner during the first lesson. Build an additional 10 minutes into your first lesson to
complete this questionnaire. After you have typed up your feedback and observations, email us the completed
document (Word version). This will be sent to your client as first lesson feedback.

You should provide your client with regular verbal or written feedback after each lesson or once a month at a
minimum. If utilizing the Progress Report template, please email this to us to review, and we will send it to your
client.

4. Lesson Packages
Understanding how our lesson packages work, and what you can and can’t accommodate as a tutor, will make the tutoring process smoother
and more effective.

Stick to the package duration: 1, 1.5 or 2 hour lessons cannot be halved or split. However, a double lesson is
possible (with the parent’s authorization).
“One and a half” and “double” lessons: All your lessons should be logged as “single”, unless the client gives you
express permission to do a lesson of a longer duration. Often clients buy packages with a certain timeframe in
mind, and if the package isn’t finished before their planned end date, it can be a problem. If your client is happy
for you to go over time to prepare the learner for exams or help with an assignment, you will have the option to
log your lesson as “one and a half” or “double” depending on how long the lesson was. In this case, please ensure
your lesson length is as follows:
o On a 1 hour package if you completed a 1.5 hour lesson, select “one-and-a-half”. If completing a 2
hour lesson, select “double”.
o On a 1.5 hour package if you completed a 2.25 hour lesson (i.e. 2 hours, 15 minutes) select “one and
a half”, and if you completed a 3 hour lesson select “double”.
o On a 2 hour package if you completed a 3 hour lesson select “one and a half”, and if you completed a
4 hour lesson select “double”.

Lesson consistency: We require a minimum of 1 lesson/week on a standard package in order to see optimal
progress (i.e. min. 4 lessons/month). If lessons are cancelled regularly, by either you or the client, inform us as
soon as possible, and ensure lessons are made up.
Package expiry: Ensure that all package lessons have been completed before the package expires, even if this
means doing 2 lessons in a week. Package expiries are calculated using 1 lesson per week during school terms: 10
lesson packages will expire after 10 school weeks, 5 lesson packages will expire after 5 school weeks etc. If you are
unsure when your package will expire, please ask us.
Active Packages: If your package has not been activated on your online profile by the day after your first lesson,
please contact us. Tutors should not continue lessons after the first lesson until a package for your client appears
as active on your profile.
Package renewals: If there is only 1 lesson remaining on the package, please inform your client and ask them to
contact us should they wish to renew their package.

NB: Tutors may not continue with lessons until a new package has been loaded and activated on the Tutor Portal.
If additional lessons are completed prior to the client purchasing a new package, we reserve the right to withhold
payment until the new package has been purchased.

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 If your client makes contact with you about a lesson, and you are aware that there is not yet an active package,
politely ask them to get in touch with BrightSparkz directly to arrange the next lesson. Please do not discuss
payment-related matters with your client – we will handle that side of the tutoring arrangement.

Many clients want lessons to take place throughout the year - do not assume that completion of a package means
the end of your commitment period to the learner.

5. Cancellations
If you have to reschedule a lesson you are required to give the client at least 48 hrs notice. (If your exam schedule
clashes with lessons, let your client know as soon as you get your exam schedule, not 2 days before – the earlier
the better!) .
If you cancel a lesson without any notice, this will be regarded as a no-show, and you will incur a penalty fee of
your rate for one lesson (e.g. R130).
If you fall ill within 24 hrs of a lesson, or in the event of an emergency, you are required to contact your client as
soon as possible, and document the cancellation on the Tutor Portal. Please reschedule the missed lesson as soon
as possible.
In the event of an accident or emergency that will impact more than one lesson, you (or a family member) are
required to contact BrightSparkz Tutors ASAP, so that a replacement tutor can be found for the duration of the
time that you will be unavailable. Depending on the situation, proof in the form of an accident report and/or
medical certificate may be required.
NB: If your client cancels a lesson while you are en route to the lesson venue or if the lesson is cancelled on arrival,
the cancellation should be logged on the Tutor Portal. The lesson will be deducted off the lesson package total,
and you will be remunerated half of your lesson rate, due to time and travel involved. This is the only time a
cancelled lesson will be deducted off the package.
If you receive a message from the learner to cancel the lesson, please contact the client (i.e. the parent) to confirm
this cancellation. Only liaise with the learner directly when the learner stays in hostel, or is over the age of 18, as
this can otherwise result in frequent last-minute cancellations.
If you need to cancel a lesson for a reason other than those indicated above, this should be communicated to
BrightSparkz Tutors before being communicated to the client.

6. Tutor Remuneration and Monthly Log Submissions

Golden Admin Rule: Log your lessons on the online Tutor Portal ASAP after your lesson!
(Minimum once a week!)

No weekly logs and monthly submission = no pay! Consistently late submission of logs may result in the following
penalties:

o If you haven't logged your lessons by the 1st of the following month, you will need to request that a
tutor consultant logs for you. This will incur a penalty of R20 per lesson.
o If you fail to submit your lesson logs by 1st of the following month, you will incur a R50 penalty.
o If your logs are submitted after our last batch of payments for a month, you may have to wait until the
following month for your payment.
o If you want to log lessons 2 months or more after the lessons have taken place, you will need to
request that a tutor consultant logs for you, and this will incur a penalty of 50% of the payment due
for these lessons.

Please note: If for some reason you cannot log your lessons weekly or submit your logs by the deadline, please email
to let us know ASAP! With timeous communication, the penalty can be avoided. You will still be required to ensure

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you are able to log your lessons regularly and submit monthly going forward. If you cannot log lessons, and do not let
us know, penalties will still be incurred as indicated above.

Late logs will require submission of a signed Package Logsheet prior to payment approval. If discrepancies occur in the
dates and/or times of the lessons logged and shown on the logsheet, further investigation may delay payment.

If we send an email querying or clarify a lesson log, please respond ASAP. We send these emails to ensure you receive
your payment on time, so the sooner we receive a response, the sooner we can finalise your monthly payment.

Pay Dates: Payment dates differ slightly each month, but payment will be transferred into the tutor’s bank account
by the 15th of the following month, assuming the lessons have been logged consistently, accurately and there are
no discrepancies. Discrepancies will be investigated, and payment will be made only after the investigation is
complete.
Bank details: Add all requested bank details to the Bank Details section on your online profile. Please email us if
your bank details change. Bounced payments on our part incur a fee which you may be liable for should you not
inform us of a change in your banking details.
Payment queries: If you have calculated an error (under- or overpayment) please email us with your query and a
breakdown after the 15th of the month. Queries received before this date will unfortunately not be attended to
until after the 15th. Please do not ask us what exact date you will receive payment, as this varies month-to-
month.
Travel remuneration: Travel remuneration is calculated if tutors are driving more than a 20 km roundtrip for
lessons but this has to be discussed and agreed upon prior to committing to a learner. For longer lessons (1.5 hr
and 2 hr), travel is not usually included unless the round trip is more than 30km.
oIf your client resides outside of the 10km radius that our rates cover and you do not request additional
compensation for travel prior to accepting the placement, you will be required to commit to the
remainder of the package without travel compensation. We will then liaise with the client upon
renewal regarding subsidizing your travel costs.
o Should the client be unwilling to accept the additional travel costs and you unwilling to continue
without additional compensation, you may provide BrightSparkz with 4 weeks notice in order for us
to source a replacement for your client, as per your contract.
o BrightSparkz and BrightSparkz Clients are not liable to remunerate tutors for travel costs for services
like Uber and Taxify.
Tutor Basic Rates*: The base rates for tutors new to BrightSparkz Tutors for face-to-face lessons conducted from
1 March 2020 are as follows.
1 hr: R130 1.5 hr: R195 2 hr: R260

Rate increases are awarded once 50, 150 and 250 tutoring hours have been reached. Please note that
concessions facilitation hours DO NOT count towards these milestone hours.
* These rates are subject to adjustment at the company’s discretion, based on qualifications and experience. Different rates apply
to qualified teachers, online tutors and tutors tutoring more than 2 hours a day (e.g. home school learners). Online tutors will
receive a rate of R120/hour, university-level tutors will receive an additional R15/hour above their base rate, group lessons will be
paid at an additional R50/hour/additional learner, and specialist services (Language Boot Camps, Study Skills Crash Course and
Little Sparkz) will be paid at an additional R20/hour above the base rate. 45 minute online specialist lessons will be paid at a flat
rate of R100.

Meetings with clients: On occasion, a client may request a meeting with you or ask you to meet or contact the
learner’s teacher. If you feel that contacting the learner’s teacher would be beneficial, please contact us. These
meetings are not remunerated, but are part of going the extra mile and adding value to the client’s and learner’s
experience of tutoring.
Please note that payment may be withheld if a signed Tutor Contract has not been provided.

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7. Availability, Commitment Periods & Exam Periods
Important: We pride ourselves on having top quality, dedicated and reliable tutors. It puts us in a very difficult
position if tutors pull out at the last minute, or stop tutoring a learner mid-term. Please consider your time carefully
before committing to us and your learner. Keep in mind that many of our clients are “long-term” i.e. would like
tutoring through the year.
If your availability changes during the year, please discuss this with your client ASAP and find an alternative time
for lessons. If you are struggling to fit in lessons consistently, please let us know.
You are required to be available during all school exam periods (usually the months of June, July (3 term schools),
October and November). If you cannot be available during those periods, you need to notify your client and us at
least 1 month in advance so that a replacement tutor can be assigned in good time. Please note that tutors cannot
resign from tutoring after 1 September. This puts a lot of pressure on your learner and changing tutors so late
in the year is not beneficial to the learner.
Please update your availability on the Tutor Portal each semester, and do not take on more clients than what you
foresee yourself being able to handle during your busiest period, i.e. during exams.

8. Monitoring Results, Homework & Testing, & Teacher Meetings

Request the learner’s marks each term. Set up time to discuss the learner’s progress with the parents, and suggest
strategies that could be implemented to improve their marks.
Testing & homework: Please provide homework for the learner after every lesson, and ask the parent to ensure
that they have completed their homework for the next lesson.
We also advise tutors to regularly conduct “quick-tests”, recapping work done in previous lessons and preparing
learners for the test and exam situation.

9. Punctuality & “No-shows”

You are required to arrive at least 10 minutes early for every lesson, in order to get settled prior to the lessons
commencing. Always factor extra time into your travelling and traffic time, and remember that being punctual
shows respect to your client and also makes a great impression. If you arrive late, you are still required to tutor
for the allocated time.
“No-shows” (i.e. Not arriving for a lesson without informing the client) will result in a penalty fee of your rate for
one lesson (e.g. R130) being deducted from your month’s remuneration.

10. Dress Code, Smoking & Piercings

Please dress neatly and appropriately. No low cut t-shirts, short skirts or shorts (“beachwear”), or unkempt
clothing. Please ensure you are smelling fresh and have clean and neat fingernails. No smoking is permitted on
the premises of a client.
Please remove all visible piercings other than earrings. This includes tongue-rings. All tattoos are to be covered.

11. Use of Cell Phones during Lessons

There should be no use of cell phones during your lessons (definitely no texting, even if your learner is busy with
an exercise!). Please switch your cell phone off or on silent before you go into your lesson. If you are using your
phone to keep track of time, please use it for this reason only.
You may request that the learner also does not use their phone during lessons and if you feel it is becoming a
distraction for them, you may inform the parent of this.

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12. Lesson Preparation
Tutors are expected to provide high standards of tuition by having a thorough knowledge of the material and
syllabus being covered. If a client, for any suitable reason, is dissatisfied due to inadequate preparation or
knowledge, we will require you to make the effort to improve on this.
As a guideline, initially 60 mins should be spent on preparation for each learner each week to ensure that subject
knowledge is refreshed, homework is marked, and lesson plans are structured. This can be reduced as you become
more familiar with the learner’s needs and the content of the work.

13. Communication with Your Clients

Please ensure that all verbal and written communication with your clients is professional and friendly (avoid “text
talk” and informal language). If you wish to communicate concerns, please inform us and we will assist you in
relaying these concerns to the client.
It is easy to interpret written messages as abrupt or rude, so it is best to speak to your clients face-to-face or over
the phone rather than via SMS or Whatsapp (see Whatsapp policy below for more details).
Upon receipt of a message, always respond to confirm that you have received the message. If changing days and
times of lessons, it is recommended that you send your client and learner a reminder on the morning of the lesson.
Ensure your phone battery is fully charged, especially if travelling to lessons straight from university or another
appointment. Have all the client’s contact details on hand in case you need to call them before or en route to your
lesson.

14. Whatsapp and Social Media Policy

Most clients, learners and tutors utilise Whatsapp for day-to-day communication. Please bear in mind that you are
a representative of BrightSparkz Tutors, and your personal profile pictures and statuses do impact your
professional image.
Establish some ground rules with your learner, that they cannot cancel a lesson over Whatsapp but are required
to have the parent give you a call to confirm the cancellation.
We recommend that you do not add your learners or clients to Facebook. The image portrayed by tutors to
learners and clients directly affects their impression of the company, and we do not have control of what you
choose to do in your personal lives.

15. Resignation and Client Termination Procedures

We would like you to commit to your learner for the entire academic year, but if you are unable to do so, we
require 4 weeks’ notice to find a replacement tutor to whom the learner can relate, as well as to process your
admin and conduct the handover process. Failure to work your entire notice period may result in outstanding
payments owed to you being forfeited.
If you are unable to work your complete notice for medical reasons, we will need a medical certificate emailed to
us within 24 hours. Should a medical certificate not be provided, you will forfeit any outstanding payments.
During the 4 week notice period you need to please schedule your lessons as you were doing prior to your
resignation or termination of agreement with the client, and ensure the learner continues to benefit from them.
Please note that tutors cannot resign from tutoring or terminate lessons with a client after 1 September. This
puts a lot of pressure on your learner and changing tutors so late in the year is not beneficial to the learner.
Please inform BrightSparkz prior to informing your client about your resignation or termination of agreement with
the client. Please send an email informing us of your intention to resign or terminate your lessons and the reason.
We will inform the client of your resignation or termination of lessons once we have a replacement, as this will
allow a smoother transition for the client and learner, and prevent unnecessary anxiety and stress.

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 You may not at any time tutor your learner privately i.e. without going through BrightSparkz, even if you have
formally resigned from BrightSparkz.
BrightSparkz Tutors puts a huge amount of time and effort into each tutor placement. Please bear this in mind if
you need to resign from tutoring or terminate an agreement with a client, and give us the time necessary to find
a replacement tutor.
Having to change tutors late in the year puts a lot of pressure on a learner who has become accustomed to a way
of tutoring, and causes unnecessary stress for them and their families. We trust that you understand your
commitment to your learner in supporting them for the duration of the year.

16. Office Hours

Should you have any queries regarding your clients, learners, packages, or payments please email us on
tutors@brightsparkz.co.za
Our office hours are Monday to Friday 08h30–17h00. If you are tutoring on the weekend, please ensure that you
have all the relevant details required before our offices close as we are not open on Saturdays or Sundays.
Thank you for cooperating with these processes and guidelines, and we look forward to working with you!

The BrightSparkz Team ☺

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