Frequently Asked Questions

Maths, Science and English. Science covers Biology, Chemistry and Physics for both Triple and Combined Science. English covers both Language and Literature.

Years 8 to 11. We do not currently run Year 7 lessons or A-Level courses.

Year-group rollover happens in August, not September. For example, a student finishing Year 10 remains in Year 10 lessons through July and moves into Year 11 lessons from 1 August.

No. The youngest cohort is Year 8. If your child is in Year 7, you can wait or ask us about reserving a place in the new Year 8 cohort.

No. Syllabi currently focuses on Maths, English and Science.

No. Syllabi is fully online. Lessons are live group classes, and recordings and platform resources are included.

Maths and Science: AQA, Edexcel and OCR. English: AQA only.

No. We do not currently cover Cambridge IGCSE.

Yes, with important limits. There is roughly 85-90% overlap with our GCSE content. Biology needs extra Edexcel-specific detail on yeast/yogurt in food production and microorganisms; Chemistry has additional ion-test practicals and some calculation detail; Physics astrophysics is not covered. Maths has no content gap; the main difference is that IGCSE papers are fully calculator.

Maths: 1 lesson. Science: 2 lessons. English: 2 lessons. A student taking all three subjects has 5 hours of live lessons per week.

One hour.

Years 10 and 11: Week 1 Biology, Week 2 Chemistry, Week 3 Physics, Week 4 exam technique across the month’s content. Year 9 moves more slowly, with roughly a month of Biology, then a month of Chemistry, then a month of Physics. Year 8 follows its own published curriculum, which you can find on the platform.

Yes. We use our own structured, cyclical curriculum rather than a rigid school-by-school weekly sequence. Students can join at any point without being disadvantaged because content is revisited; recordings are also available for review.

That is normal. Schools teach topics in different orders. Syllabi follows its own structured curriculum built around GCSE outcomes, so the order may differ while the required content is still covered.

Most GCSE content is covered by the end of Year 10. Early Year 11 focuses on high-yield Paper 2 and Paper 3 topics. From around mid-Year 11 the focus moves heavily into exam technique, predicted papers and past papers. In the final roughly three months, Syllabi also runs 2-3 hour full-paper crash courses on weekends at no extra charge.

Yes. English includes both Language and Literature across two lessons per week.

Macbeth; Romeo and Juliet; An Inspector Calls; Blood Brothers; A Christmas Carol; Jekyll and Hyde; Lord of the Flies; the Power and Conflict anthology; the Love and Relationships anthology; and Unseen Poetry.

Tell us the exact text. English Language is skill-based and remains useful across boards, but Literature is text-dependent. If the text is outside our list, we will tell you straight away. We do not currently cover texts such as Of Mice and Men, Great Expectations or Frankenstein.

We do not normally split the English package. If Language is the main need, contact us so we can check the lesson timings and advise whether an arrangement makes sense.

You receive platform access for both the parent and student, plus a link to book the 1-to-1 welcome call. The welcome call is then completed before lessons begin; lessons can often start the same day or the next day depending on the timetable.

A 20-minute Zoom call with a student specialist. The specialist hears the full picture, reviews current, predicted and target grades, agrees the target, builds the plan and allocates the most suitable sets.

Both the parent and the student must attend.

Yes. It is a core part of placement and onboarding.

Yes. Platform access is provided after sign-up, so the student and parent can log in before lessons start.

The platform is at platform.syllabi.co.uk. Parent and student logins are provided after sign-up.

By ability rather than age. Placement uses current grades, predicted grades, target grades and the information discussed on the welcome call.

Sets are fluid, not permanent labels. We can move a student if the pace is too fast or too slow, and fortnightly assessment results also help us judge whether the set is right. Parents and students can request a change.

No. A set reflects where the student is currently working so the right gaps can be addressed. It is not a ceiling on their target, and students can move as they improve.

Lower sets tend to run earlier in the evening and higher sets later. Exact placement and times are confirmed on the welcome call, so your child’s lesson time is settled once their set is.

Group. There are normally 20-22 students per lesson.

Every lesson has one tutor and one teaching assistant. Students are placed into ability-matched sets, the teaching assistant helps catch questions, and individual gaps are picked up through fortnightly assessments. Each student also has a personal mentor. The 14-day guarantee gives families time to judge whether the format is right for their child.

Live. The tutor teaches in real time, and each lesson is also recorded and uploaded afterwards.

No. Cameras and microphones are not required.

No. This is deliberate: it reduces distraction and removes the pressure of being singled out.

Through chat and Q&A during the lesson. Tutors pause periodically to take questions, and the teaching assistant is there specifically to catch and answer student questions.

Yes, although the lessons themselves are group-based. Every student has a 1-to-1 welcome call, an assigned personal mentor, and completely individual fortnightly assessment feedback with targeted work based on their own gaps.

Monday to Friday, with a one-hour slot between 5pm and 9pm. Some year groups also have a weekend English lesson. The exact slot depends on the student’s set.

Maths and Science are mainly on Saturday and Sunday, while English stays on weekdays. There are also weekday alternatives for Maths and Science: a Thursday Maths lesson and Monday/Tuesday Science options.

For a one-off clash, they can attend another suitable set’s lesson or watch the recording. For an extended period, contact us so a pause can be arranged rather than paying for lessons they cannot attend.

Yes. Lessons normally continue at the same times throughout school holidays. Holiday teaching is used for consolidation and getting ahead. If your family is away, a pause can be arranged.

Watch the lesson recording and use the accompanying workbook. If needed, contact the mentor or our team for support.

Open the relevant subject course on the Syllabi platform and use the live lesson link for that course and set.

A digital workbook is published on the platform at the start of each month. Students use it live during lessons. It can be printed or completed on screen.

No. We deliberately do not publish workbook answers so the workbook remains a genuine record of what the student did during the lesson. If a student wants their working checked, they can send it to us on WhatsApp.

No. Workbooks are supplied digitally as PDFs. They can be printed at home or completed on screen.

Live lesson links, past lesson recordings, monthly workbooks, practice questions, homework questions, past papers, subject resource banks, assessments and feedback, the published curriculum and bonus exam-technique resources.

Parents have their own login. They can see attendance, engagement, what has and has not been submitted, assessment results and feedback.

Open the relevant subject on the platform. The resource bank contains revision material, practice questions, mark schemes, recordings and other subject resources.

No. Recordings, resource banks, crash courses, past papers, mentors and assessments are included in the subscription.

Contact support with the email address on the account and the subject that is missing. If it is a sibling account, let us know so we can check the correct profile.

Every two weeks. They are mandatory and cover the content taught in the previous two weeks.

Around 20-30 minutes per subject, completed online in exam conditions.

Every assessment question traces back to a real GCSE paper.

They are marked by Syllabi examiners and tutors and normally returned within 48-72 hours.

Both the parent and student receive a question-by-question breakdown, what went well, where the gaps are, and specific assigned work to close each gap, such as a video to watch or question set to complete.

No. It is individual to the student because it is based on their own answers and their own gaps.

Use the fortnightly assessment pattern alongside the parent portal. The assessments show progress against recently taught content, while the portal shows attendance, engagement, submissions and feedback over time.

The mandatory commitments are attending lessons and completing fortnightly assessments. Practice and homework questions on the platform are optional but strongly recommended.

Fortnightly assessments are marked by our team. Practice and homework questions are intentionally self-marked using the mark scheme; this is part of teaching mark scheme analysis and exam technique.

No. Placement starts from school grades, predicted grades, target grades and the welcome-call discussion. Our assessments test material taught in Syllabi lessons, so a day-one test on unseen content would not be a fair or useful baseline.

The assessment for the set they are currently attending.

Contact us. We can check the submission and, where needed, open the correct assessment.

A fully completed assessment should show as Submitted on the platform.

Usually not if the current assessment covers content taught before they joined. They can enter from the next appropriate assessment cycle.

Contact us with the circumstances so an extension can be arranged where appropriate.

No. Assessments need to reflect the student’s own understanding so the feedback and progress tracking are accurate. AI can be useful for learning and revision, but not for completing the assessment itself.

Maths + English + Science £185/month; English + Science £169/month; Maths + Science £159/month; English only £135/month; Maths only £80/month.

It is a monthly card subscription processed through Stripe, similar to a Netflix subscription. It is not a traditional direct debit, and Syllabi does not store card details itself.

No. The price you join on is locked for life. Even if Syllabi raises prices later, or you add subjects later, you keep your original rate.

Yes. The second sibling receives 25% off. We can apply the discount and refund the difference after sign-up.

A 10% referral/cousin discount may apply where eligible.

There is no further discount beyond our published pricing. If cost is a concern, you can start with fewer subjects and add more later while keeping your original rate.

No. The 14-day money-back guarantee is the trial period. You pay to join, then have 14 days from the first lesson to decide whether Syllabi is right for your child.

During the first 14 days of lessons you can experience the live lessons, recordings, resources and assessment cycle. If it is not the right fit, Syllabi refunds the full amount. The only thing we ask for is feedback.

From the date of the student’s first lesson, not the payment date. This is especially important for delayed starts.

Let us know before your next billing date. There is no additional notice period. If a renewal has only just gone through, contact us and we will look into it.

Yes. Subjects can be added or removed at any time without cancelling the rest of the subscription.

Yes. You are charged at sign-up to secure the place, then we adjust the account so your ongoing billing date matches the date you want. We handle any pro-rata adjustment or refund.

Yes. Sign up to secure the spot and pricing, then tell us the intended start date. We arrange the delayed start so billing, lesson access, messaging and workbooks align to the real start date. The 14-day guarantee starts from the first lesson.

Yes. Tell us the dates. During a proper pause, billing and the relevant lesson access are aligned to the pause, you are not billed for lessons you do not attend, and unused paid time rolls forward.

No. They are included; there is no extra charge later.

Contact us. Payment details are handled securely through the payment system; Syllabi does not store card details itself.

The standard payment method is the monthly Stripe card subscription. If you need a different arrangement, contact us and we will confirm whether it is possible.

Access normally continues for the paid period. If there is any account-specific question about the final access date, contact support so the billing and access dates can be checked together.

Yes. Contact us when you are ready to return. We will check your account and reactivate it.

Yes. Tutors are PGCE and QTS qualified, currently teaching, and have at least five years’ teaching experience in the subject they teach, with some having up to fourteen years. Our teaching team are graduates of Oxford, UCL and Edinburgh, with Oxford representing the majority.

Yes. The teaching team is UK-based and currently teaches in UK schools.

Yes. Tutors are fixed rather than rotating. If a student does not gel with a tutor, contact us and a move can be considered.

No. Mr Ali hosts our online information sessions; he does not teach the live classes.

Each student has an assigned personal mentor, which is their primary support channel. Parents can also use WhatsApp, and our wider team can help where the mentor does not cover the issue.

12pm-9pm. WhatsApp messages are normally answered within 24 hours.

Parents can contact Syllabi on WhatsApp at +44 7361 594536. For escalations, email admin@syllabi.co.uk. Students should use their assigned mentor first for learning support.

Three years.

Two core differences are the exam-board-specific approach and the dedicated focus on exam technique. Lessons regularly stop for exam-technique checkpoints, and the fortnightly assessments and mark-scheme analysis are designed to turn subject knowledge into marks.

Our students are three times more likely than the national average to achieve grades 7-9.

No. Syllabi can support students who have missed school, but it is not a substitute for school and works best alongside a full education programme.