These can be day or boarding and are usually co-ed. Like sixth-form colleges, they usually take students from the age of 16 for AS and A-levels or additional GCSEs, and may also offer the IB. In addition, they often offer one year A-level courses and Easter revision courses. The tutorial and sixth-form colleges attract 18-year-olds wishing to retake A-levels to improve their grades; and a number also offer GCSE courses to 14-year-olds. The fees charged are often based on the number of subjects studied; they are not cheap.

They tend to treat students like young adults, while giving close supervision to their academic work. Mostly they have fewer rules than schools, and a lot less community spirit and extra-curricular activity. This makes them a good option for those who have had enough of school discipline and tradition. You can get a complete list of accredited tutorial colleges from CIFE (www.cife.org.uk).