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Starting Up as a Private Tutor |
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There are several factors to consider when first starting up as a private tutor. The first of which is you have the necessary skills to make a success of private tuition. These skills include; personal & social skills, an ability to work with people, especially children, good communication skills and an excellent standard of literacy, enthusiasm & dedication, and excellent organisational skills. |
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1.Qualifications |
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Most private tutors have a degree or equivalent. Some have PhD degrees whilst others have a degree and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). You do not require a PGCE to be a private tutor. This qualification is an extra certificate to qualify you to teach in schools and colleges. From our experience all individuals with the above mentioned qualifications each bring a wealth of experience to private tuition. |
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2.CRB Checks for private tutors |
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Criminal Record Bureau checks (CRB) have to be carried out by law by some employers and for those whose employment involves working unsupervised with children and vulnerable adults a more rigorous check called enhanced disclosure is required. It is not mandatory for a private tutor to be vetted. Understandably, some parents have concerns about CRB checks especially if their child is young. There will be a cost implication for a private tutor to gain a CRB enhanced disclosure check, but if you tutor mainly young children then we recommend that you pay for a CRB check to be carried out. You then have documentary evidence to show prospective parents and guardians and to reassure them of your suitability to work with young children. It is important to realize that as a private individual you cannot apply directly to the CRB to have yourself checked. Your application has to be endorsed by a registered body such as a school. However some registered bodies will endorse applications of private individuals, these organizations are called UMBRELLA BODIES and further details including addresses of umbrella bodies in your area can be found on the disclosure web site. For further information regarding CRB checks and enhanced disclosure we recommend you visit the CRB web site. |
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3.Advertising as private tutor |
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The trick with placing your private tuition advertisements is to advertise in as many places and in as many types of media as possible. Some forms of tuition advertising are better than others but if you want to make a profit from private tuition you must not rely on just one form of advertising. Some of the different forms of tuition advertising that you may consider are outlined below. |
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a.Word Of Mouth. |
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This is the best way of making a success of private tuition. The longer you are a tutor, the more experience you gain and the quicker your clientele will build up. As with any business, personal recommendations count. The draw back with word of mouth though is that some clients are reluctant to tell anyone they have a private tutor. This can be rather frustrating; however you will always find every year that a fair few of your students got to hear about your private tuition service by word of mouth. We do not rely on this, but take it as an added bonus when past clients recommend us. |
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b.Tuition Agencies. |
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These are a good way of finding work. Although commission is taken, providing you fit the criteria i.e. qualifications and CRB Checks, we have found they are fair, reliable and guarantee work. |
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c.Online tutors hub |
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Such as ours! |
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d.Local Paper/ Local Directory Advertising. |
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This is also a good way of finding clientele. The drawback with this is unless you have the resources to pay for this all year round it can prove to be very costly in the long term. |
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e.Cards in Local Shops/ Supermarkets / Post Offices. |
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This is cheap and often effective and can cost as little as 50p /week per advert. However do not expect a flood of phone calls, but you will always obtain some students from this. |
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4.When Should You Advertise? |
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The trick with advertising is not to put all of your eggs in one basket. One form of advertising will not fill your bookings. It is best to cast your net as wide as possible. We find obtaining clientele is constant all year round. Although often the best times to ensure full bookings is from September to July. The very busy pick up times for clients is September up to December and January then March to June. However this is only a guideline and depends on the subject and age range you wish to tutor. |
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5.Legal Issues |
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This again is only a general guideline but we advise that you seek legal advice from a qualified professional first. |
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a.The Data Protection Act 1998. |
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This is important because your business will be affected by the records and information you store about your students. You can obtain more information on this by visiting www.informationcommisionar.gov.uk.
Becoming a private tutor involves a degree of discretion. At all times you must make sure that you make no guarantee of the student's results and exam results that you prepare them for. |
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b.Trading Standards. |
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You need to be aware of and understand the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 (As amended 1994). You can obtain more information on this at www.tradingstandards.gov.uk. |
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c.The Children Act |
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Obviously because you are working with children familiarize yourself and be aware of the Protection of Children Act 1999 and Children Act 1989. |
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d.Tax & National Insurance Contributions. |
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If you are a private tutor you will be classed as self employed. With regards to this you must contact your local Inland Revenue Office for more information. |
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When a Client is Interested in Your Service |
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1.Initial Contact. |
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We find even now, we sometimes get tongue tied on initial contact! So we have found that having a card near the telephone with the main points that you wish to get across listed on it really helps. |
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These tips may help when you get those phone calls |
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- Speak clearly
- Explain whether or not you are available for tuition.
- If you are available, ask the prospective client
- Their name.
- The tuition they require (if they have not already informed you of this).
- Where they require tuition. I.e. their home or your home.
- The times they are available.
- Ask which syllabi they are studying and the areas they are finding difficult.
- Where they saw the advert. You can keep a record of this so you know which forms of advertising work best for you.
- Then discuss the fees and arrange the first lesson.
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Hopefully, the client will be interested in your service, and would like to give you a go. But, remember, you may not be the only tutor they’ve arranged a lesson with, so it is vital that you prepare yourself well. |
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Do not be disillusioned if they inform you that they are only enquiring because 50% of the time this happens. However, still ask for contact details because if they call back, you will then be familiar with their requirements. |
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2.Before You Meet The Student |
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- Familiarise yourself with the syllabus.
- Research any of the student's area of difficulty.
- Have two copies of the student's syllabus.
- Have some work for the first lesson in case the pupil doesn’t have any.
- Have a pad & pen to take down details.
- Have your diary.
- Have a copy of any relevant details the client may wish to see i.e. qualifications, references, CRB checks etc.
- Make a list of any questions you may wish to ask.
- Dress smartly and arrive on time
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First Impressions Count! |
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3.Initial Meeting of the Student. |
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- Introduce yourself with a handshake.
- Give a copy of the syllabus to both student and parent. Even now we find many students and parents are not fully acquainted with their syllabus.
- Go through the syllabus & make a list of any topics the student is having difficulty. Ask the student their previous exam grades if any and what grades they need to achieve.
- Allow the client / student to raise any questions / queries they have i.e. showing them copies of any qualifications etc.
- Ask any further questions from your list and state your conditions i.e. cancellation fee.
We also advise that you ensure the parent/guardian that you will give them a regular update of the student's progress. This way, if any problems arise, you can liaise this. Also, as it is most of the time the parent/ guardian who is paying the fee, it is only courteous to give them an update occasionally.
- Ask the client/ pupil if they have any further queries and answer them.
- Clarify times available and the number of lessons per week as well as the venue for tuition.
- Confirm the time for the next lesson.
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4.Tips for private tutors once your tuition is established. |
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- Records.
We advise that you keep a record for each student of the topics covered, exam questions set etc. This will give an indication of the work you have covered and the future work you need to cover. From this you can then tailor your tutoring time schedule to the more specific topic that the students finding difficult. Also there is nothing worse than having several students whom you are tutoring different syllabi to and confusing yourself over which topics you have and have not covered. Also this record will build a larger picture to pinpoint how the student is progressing.
- Remain professional at all times
- Remain enthusiastic.
- Remain organised.
- Prepare ahead
- Do not worry about competition.
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No matter how you look at this there is always going to be private tutors in your area who tutor the same subjects as you. You always need to be aware of this. There will always be private tutors who offer cheaper services whom you may believe are costing you business. So What? You will find that the longer you are a private tutor the more known you become. We find that price does not necessarily come into it within reason. Reputation and the fact that you deliver the goods will always outweigh a couple of pounds an hour less in fees. The fact that you are offer a first class service and are helping so many students fulfill their full potentials will always speak volumes. Never lose sight of this. |
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What Skills Does a Private Tutor Need? |
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To make a good tutor you need several skills which include:- |
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a.Personal and Social Skills |
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This obviously depends upon the subject you are tutoring, however the more of this criteria that you fit, the more likely you will succeed. |
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b.An ability to work with people, especially children. |
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Remember that in private tuition you do not only come into contact with students under the age of eighteen you need to be able to communicate with parents / guardians, advertisers etc. |
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c.Good communication skills and an excellent standard of literacy. |
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Being able to deliver private tuition so the student can interpret and grasp the subject is of paramount importance. It helps to engage the students and can also make learning fun. |
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e.Enthusiasm & Dedication. |
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The catalyst to good learning is to instil confidence into the student. Enthusiasm and dedication gives this. |
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f.Excellent Organisational Skills. |
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This is one of the essential skills of private tutoring. You need to devise a scheme to keep track of all your students and a plan that will allow you to cover all the topics that a student requires. You also need to keep track of any work you have given your students and any work you may have set that is outstanding. You also need good time management skills to make sure that you arrive at each appointment on time and have with you all the information you need to tutor that lesson. You need to be self motivated as you will usually be working alone unless you take work from a private tuition agency. It also pays to have information on each student, that you can find quickly, as quite often you may get parents phoning to chat with you about their child's progress, often when you least expect it. Whilst you could always ask them to phone back later it looks much better if you can instantly tell them that their child got 87% on an exam paper they did two weeks ago. |
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Costs & Overheads for Private Tutors |
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There are several costs to consider if you are to become a successful private tutor. |
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a.Where will you carry out private tuition? |
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If you just want to tutor from home, you must have a room where you are able to tutor. This needs to be free from distractions. You must take into account extra expenses such has electricity, decor any new furniture you may have to buy etc. The up side to tutoring from home is that all your resources are at hand and you do not waste valuable tutoring time traveling between your students and you also do not incur traveling costs.
If you wish to travel to your students you may wish to purchase a car if you are able to afford one. Remember you have then to consider petrol, car insurance, MOT etc. |
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b.What times and dates will my students be available? |
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This depends on several factors. The more flexible you are the better. Most private tuition is carried out after 4:00pm weekdays and weekends due to the nature of schools finishing at around 3:30pm. However most post GCSE courses allow students free periods where private tuition can be carried out during the daytime. Also, you must account that most students do not require private tuition during the summer holidays. These factors will obviously affect your earning potential. |
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c.What age group and subjects do you wish to specialize in? |
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Obviously the more subjects you are prepared to tutor and the larger the age range the more your earning potential, although a word of caution on this, quantity does not necessarily mean quality.
When you have decided what levels and age groups you have decided to tutor it is advisable to invest in books, stationary and national curriculum resources. It is essentials that you have up to date textbooks. You also have to remember that the education system in the UK is constantly changing so you must always be aware of the appropriate syllabi that you wish to tutor. You may also be required to supply past examination papers to your students. |
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d.Cancellation Fees. |
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When you start carrying out private tuition you always have to prepare for cancellations. Some students may call almost near the tuition time to cancel their lesson. This is made even worse when you are very busy and some of your students have asked for extra bookings and you are so booked that you are unable to book them in. Often you may find that some clients do not even bother to call you and when you arrive for the lesson and they are not there. A simple solution to this is to charge a cancellation fee. We ask for forty eight-hours notice. We know of some tutors whom ask for payment in advance and if the student cancels that lesson then they forfeit the advanced payment. However we advise that on initial meeting you must state your terms clearly. |
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e.Business Accounts |
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Most business accounts offer free banking for the first year. However after this you will have to pay bank charges. The main problem here is when payment is made by cheque. We advise that if this is the case then to explain to your client that you are paying bank charges on cheques and ask them to add this amount to their fee when writing out the cheque. |
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f.Other costs to consider: |
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- Advertising as a private tutor
- Public Liability Insurance
- Data Protection Act
- Tax and National Insurance Contributions
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Your Guide to Employing a Private Tutor |
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When you have found an appropriate tutor whom you are interested in it can be quite daunting knowing what relevant questions to ask the tutor and what to look for upon your first meeting. Therefore from our experience of tutoring many students over several years we have prepared the following guide to help you ask the right questions to enable you to choose the right tutor for you. |
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What to do… |
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- We find that it is always best to arrange an initial meeting with the Tutor, together with the first lesson. There are two reasons for this. The student is able to identify whether they will be able to communicate well with the tutor. The student /parent will also be able to explain the areas of the syllabi that the student is having difficulty with.
- Before you meet the tutor perhaps you may wish to list the topics that you wish to discuss. Obviously this depends on many factors, i.e. the age of the child, the venue where tuition will be undertaken etc.
- Cancellation fees. Tutors are usually highly qualified professionals and as a result most tutors do charge a fee, after all their time has been booked, and especially if the cancellation has been a last minute one. We suggest that as a parent you give at least 48 hours notice wherever possible. If you know well in advance that you have to cancel then tell the tutor with plenty of time to spare as they then may be able to fit another student into your appointment time and so not lose out financially. (Please remember that for many tutors tuition is their only or main source of income and cancelled lessons can drastically affect that week’s income.) Remember to check with the tutor how much cancellation notice they require as this may vary.
- The tutor's contact details and the times that they are available for contact. Again try to be considerate towards the tutor. Please, do not contact late evenings or early mornings.
- After any further questions you then may wish to ask the tutor and the tutor has put to you then you need to negotiate the time venue and frequency of tuition. Although it varies from student to student we find most students request one hour/ week of tuition per subject. However this depends on the level of tuition, the student’s level of ability and how long it is until the examination etc. The number of hours of tuition you want a week is up to you but as a general guide and if the exam is several months away then at least to start off with one hour per week per subject required should be enough. You can always ask the Tutor for extra time later on if you feel it is necessary, but please bear in mind some of the very best tutors may be fully booked and will be unable to do extra time, especially in the run up to the main examination times.
- Although most tutors are very professional in their approach to tuition, there are, as in every profession, some tutors who do not offer a good service. Please don't be afraid to stop tuition with a tutor if you do not feel that you are getting the level of service that you expect and are after all, paying for.
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If you are serious about private tuition we advise you to start as soon as possible. If you leave it too late you may find that it is very difficult not only for the tutor to cover the amount of work in such a short space of time, but that the student is ineffectively "cramming" and finds the level of work very difficult to cope with. |
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Good Luck with your search!
Please remember to mention HomeTutors.org.uk when first contacting tutors whose details you have found on this site.... |
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Questions You May Want to Ask Tutors |
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The following questions are only a guideline but may answer your queries. |
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- 1. Have they been CRB checked? Obviously if you have young children this will concern you more than perhaps if your child is requiring tuition for say A Levels, although bear in mind that CRB checks are not infallible and are not mandatory for people working as private tutors. If you are unsure and require proof ask the tutor to show you their disclosure confirmation from the CRB to prove that they have been checked. Teachers that work in schools and other people who work with children or vulnerable adults unsupervised will have had to undergo a more rigorous check called enhanced disclosure. For more details visit the CRB or Disclosure web sites.
- Their qualifications. However again bear in mind that if a tutor does not have PGCE status it does not mean that they are unable to tutor as well as a qualified teacher. Both teachers and non teachers can bring a wealth of experience to tutoring. Good tutors are the ones which can communicate their subject well, regardless of PGCE status which qualifies you to work in a school or college classroom. Remember tuition is for individuals and small groups not for a large group of students.
- Their experience of tutoring /teaching. Again this does not particularly give any guarantees but after asking the following questions you will be able to obtain a clearer picture how good the tutor is. The following come from experience of tutoring, not something you can learn in an evening!
- What syllabi the tutor is familiar with? A good tutor who knows the syllabus well will be able to tell you the topics that need covering and be able to talk about these topics in the depth that the syllabus requires.
- What resources they provide if any? This can be anything from plans, questions and worksheets to examination papers. Good tutoring is also about good organisation. The more resources a student has the greater chance of improvement & / or obtaining good examination grades.
- What relevant books / software is the tutor able to advise you to buy, for your child?
- Does the tutor give updates on the student’s progress? Sometimes it is not always possible for the tutor to see the parent of a student before or after lessons. If this is the case we find that it is beneficial to ask for the parents to phone us or we ask a convenient time to phone them to give them regular updates on their Childs progress. Again a good tutor will have records for each student, and so will find it easy to give you information about which topics, questions and homework has been set and how the student is progressing.
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Tutors To Be Aware Of |
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Most tutors are very professional in their approach to tuition, there are, however, as in every profession, some tutors who do not offer a good service. Please don't be afraid to stop tuition with a tutor if you do not feel that you are getting the level of service that you expect and are after all, paying for. Be especially wary of tutors who:- |
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- Are constantly moving the time and day of the lesson. Most reputable tutors will give you a time and day and stick to it every week. They may need to rearrange from time to time of course, but if you find your time being changed every other week then the tutor is obviously not committed to you or the student.
- Regularly turn up late, or worse don't turn up at all for appointments that you have made without contacting you beforehand.
- Are regularly cancelling their lessons, often at short notice, usually with a lame excuse such as my car has broken down etc. If you find that you have arranged one hour a week but because of repeated cancellations by the tutor you are actually getting on average one hour per fortnight it is a sure sign that you have employed a tutor who is only doing tuition as a sideline. They will turn up when they are strapped for cash and cancel on you when they are not. Students are much more likely to progress and achieve if they have regular tuition such as an hour per week and at a regular time. Don't put up with a level of service that you feel is not meeting your expectations.
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