In the British higher education system, tutor is a general term for someone who tutors, individually or in small groups. As a private tutor, you will offer students personalized classes and may offer specialized skills, methods, or approaches to support individual learning needs. As a tutor, it is vital that you have a good understanding of the UK education system and the expectations of each annual group. Did you know that, according to Sutton Trust, 25% of UK schoolchildren now use private tutors? And that figure rises to 50% in London.
Working as a tutor can be a very rewarding job, not to mention it's a great way to earn a living being your own boss. The private education industry in the United Kingdom is said to be worth £6 billion and is growing steadily. If you're passionate about teaching others, then there's never been a better time to consider becoming a tutor. There are no standard qualifications for private tutors in the UK, so anyone who has good knowledge in a specialized subject can become a tutor.
Private tutoring is also not limited to just teaching school-age children, there are many tutors who specialize in teaching music, arts, business, marketing, computer coding and professional services. Tutor House focuses primarily on exam preparation, tailored to students looking to prepare for upcoming tests. It's mostly online based, but there are also opportunities to meet only in person. Unfortunately, this tutoring platform doesn't include a search function that allows you to filter tutors by level, so this is a conversation that students will have to have personally with any potential tutor before starting any class.
Safety Tutor House performs a series of pre-employment checks to verify qualifications, meaning they only employ the top 20% of applicants. Guardian profiles clearly show if a guardian has been verified, meaning that all background checks for their education have been carried out. However, it is not clear if guardians need to get a check from ECP. As the platform is geared towards online teaching, there is no concern for tutors or students going to an unfamiliar environment, but it does eliminate some of the personal quality of tutoring.
Commission Rates One disadvantage of Tutor House is its high commission rate for tutors. They charge between 15% and 20% commission, depending on how many hours the tutors spend teaching. The more hours teaching tutors, the less commission the company takes from their salary. This can be a major inconvenience for tutors looking to use this platform on a part-time basis.
Payment Tutor House has a secure payment system that makes students pay for classes before they happen, to avoid any unannounced cancellations and leave tutors out of pocket. However, guardians do not receive this payment until 5 business days after the session is completed. When it comes to hourly wage, tutors can set their own price and can easily adjust it on the platform. Additional Benefits Tutor House is an easy-to-use platform and has an online calendar where students can choose the time that suits them best.
One of the best features is their guardian matching service, where you can list your preferences, theme, level, and personality traits before being shown a list of tutors that suits you. Overall, Tutor House is a good choice for tutors who want to be able to choose their own time and location. Its site is accessible to students, with clear information about the tutor's levels of experience and education. In terms of earnings, payouts are slower and have a higher commission rate compared to other tutor sites, but their secure payment system is an advantage.
First Tutors offers help to a wide variety of students, from elementary school age to college students. Through tutors who write their own profiles, students can get an idea of their personality and abilities even before they have an initial conversation. Safety First tutors perform some baseline checks before tutors can begin teaching lessons on site, as well as verifying their identification in increasing safety levels for students. Students can work with tutors to find a suitable place where all parties feel comfortable.
The review system means that potential customers will be able to read the honest thoughts of previous students. First Tutors also offers a support system 7 days a week to help with any tutor or student concerns. Commission Fees Early guardians do not charge commission, since they are not involved in the payment in any way - it is up to the guardians themselves to set up a payment plan. However, this means that they often have to spend time chasing parents for money after not keeping up with their charges.
Students wishing to connect with tutors on this site must pay a one-time fee of between £4.99 and £24.99 before being able to contact them, which may be unappealing to many. Paid tutors can set their own hourly rates, but are encouraged to adjust them to their area average to attract more students. Often, tutors who have a lot of experience can charge more than those who are just starting out. First Tutors is not responsible for any payments, so it won't be able to help if things go wrong and customers withhold money.
Additional Benefits First Tutors has a search function where students can find tutors based on subjects and level, it is even divided into groups such as languages, business, academic and artistic. During the initial search, students can choose whether they prefer online or in-person sessions, to further narrow down their options. Overall First Tutors is suitable for those who want to be in charge of their own schedule, earnings and customer base. It is a flexible platform and can be adapted to a full-time job as a way to earn additional income.
A common concern of tutors using this site is the number of hours available. Many claim that it is difficult to find students, which makes it difficult to get a good salary if you factor in time away from class that is unpaid, such as preparation or grading. Another UK-based online teaching platform is Teach9, which offers a wide range of teaching services to students ranging from primary school to A-level. The site has an easy-to-use tutor search option, and it even offers a free trial lesson to get students started.
Security One of the best things about Teach9 are the security measures that the company has implemented. As far as guardian and student safety is concerned, all tutors on the site must take an online subject test, have an interview with Teach9, and complete background checks before they can teach students on this site. This helps improve the quality of tuition that students receive and the safety of the platform in general. In fact, the site says that, apart from most tutors doing a DBS check, sessions are also recorded and available for students, guardians and parents to reproduce, with all communication through the platform.
This means that conversations are monitored, which improves on-site safety for both tutors and students. Commission Teach9's commission rate is also not advertised on its website, so it's not clear how big the cut the company takes from tutors' income from using the platform, Payment One The disadvantage of this site for tutors is that they don't have the flexibility to choose their own prices, since the platform has its own fixed charges. Fortunately for students, but less fortunate for tutors, the prices set are relatively low, ranging from 15 to 17 pounds at various levels of education. This may be unappealing to many tutors who are looking for a much higher and more flexible rate of pay.
The payment process on this site is also slightly different from other sites, but it is potentially better organized. Teach9 manages payment through a wallet function where you can withdraw your winnings yourself instead of having them transferred directly to your bank account. This same wallet function is used by students and parents who essentially “top up” the wallet to pay for sessions. Additional Benefits.
An additional benefit of the Teach9 site is that there is an interactive calendar feature that is color-coded to represent scheduled, canceled, resumable, and completed lessons. This handy feature makes booking, modifying and canceling any tutorial and lesson much easier than on other sites. But that's not all, since Teach9's playback feature is also advantageous for students who learn better by reflecting on the lesson. This is a feature that not all tutoring sites offer.
Overall, Teach9 has some of the strictest security standards and efforts and some robust technological advantages, such as online playback and calendars, making it an attractive option for students and tutors alike. However, the rate of payment for guardians is considerably lower than what is advertised on other sites and there seems to be less flexibility in determining their own rates. In addition, it is not clear how much commission is deducted from this fixed payment, so although the site has a lot to offer, it is likely to be less attractive to tutors looking to optimize their earnings. Guardians provide individual support to children and adults who are interested in improving their skills in a specific topic.
Often, students hire tutors to supplement their education and help them progress in a subject that is difficult for them. Tutors design and implement personalized classes to help fill any gaps in the student's education and help them improve their proficiency level. In the UK, there are no standard qualifications you need to be a tutor. For example, there is no need to have teaching experience or teaching qualification.
However, you should have a wealth of knowledge in the subject area you plan to teach; ideally you should be a graduate in the area. Ultimately, it's up to the student's parents or caregivers if they think you're qualified enough. All tutors are located throughout the country with different levels of experience, different prices and availability both in person and online, so there is a tutor for almost every student. A major disadvantage of this platform is that students have to buy a pass to contact tutors, which starts at £29, so they have to commit to tutoring without even meeting any potential educators, which can be daunting for many.
One of the best features is their tutor search service, where you can list your preferences, subject, level and personality traits before being shown a list of tutors that suit you. Commission It's unclear how much commission myTutor charges tutors for using their platform, as they don't advertise this, but they do say that tutors can expect to earn £10-24 after commission and VAT. Then there is a teaching assistant (TA) who is the type of main tutor and organizes tutors and does some administrative things for the course. Some guardians from experienced agencies may obtain employment contracts when families seek a guardian for a long period of time.
Guardians can increase their salaries if they offer tutoring services alongside other paid roles. Overall, Superprof is a good platform for tutors who don't necessarily have the level of education or qualifications requested by other tutoring sites. As the platform is geared towards online teaching, there is no concern that tutors or students will go to an unfamiliar environment, but it does take away some of the personal quality of tutoring. However, they may also work for private tutoring agencies, educational providers, charities, community interest companies, local authorities, or organizations that provide specific tutoring services.
A tutor's experience, whether they work independently or with a tutoring service, the subject they teach and their level of education can affect their salary. Fleet tutors send students an invoice and expect it to be paid within 14 days, at which point tutors will receive their money. Some tutors are successful at working for themselves and can launch their own business by hiring other tutors to help expand their clientele and course offerings. There may also be opportunities to follow an experienced tutor to learn more about the position, see if it's the right career path, and get tips on how to set up a tutoring business.
Generally speaking, private tutors are likely to be seen as valuable in the eyes of a student or parent if they have first-hand experience in the subject they are teaching.
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