Becoming a Private Tutor: Everything You Need to Know
There has never been a better time to become a private tutor. As class sizes in schools increase, University places become harder to obtain and GCSE and A Level exam syllabuses get increasingly challenging, students of all ages are turning to private tuition to help them reach their full potential.
The impact of coronavirus has seen a surge in demand for online tutors and this is set to continue into 2021. Many students have chosen to learn online with a private tutor to ensure they keep on top of their studies.
The market for private tuition in the UK has boomed in recent years and there is certainly a huge demand for new tutors. What are the key benefits of becoming a private tutor? And why should you consider giving it a go?
Why Become a Private Tutor?
Becoming a private tutor has a huge range of benefits. Not only is it a considerable money earner, but it also gives individuals the chance to have a significant and meaningful impact on a student’s academic and personal life. In fact, it is such an attractive job option that many former teachers have left their full time roles to become private tutors!
Wherever your area of expertise lies, be it in the arts, humanities, maths, science, or anywhere else, there are hundreds of students seeking support and guidance in that particular area.
Whether you’re an experienced tutor or you’re just starting out,Tutor House can help you to make money whilst also having a real impact on student’s academic journey. Read on to find out more about the benefits of becoming a private tutor…
1. Becoming a private tutor has massive financial benefits
There are few things in life that are as important as a good education. From Primary level through to Degree level and even beyond, it is vital that students are receiving the highest level of education possible and the personalised attention that they need to do the best that they can.
However, cuts to education mean that class sizes are constantly increasing, and this can result in teachers being unable to give their undivided attention to students as and when they need it. Equally, schools are finding it harder and harder to fund the resources and materials students need for a top quality classroom education.
These financial pressures on schools and colleges can have serious implications on students progress, including falling behind with their work and failing to achieve the grades that they deserve. Struggling academically can also have a detrimental impact on their personal development, stilting their motivation and confidence, which can cause even bigger issues down the line.
In the face of these challenges, parents are quite rightly investing in additional educational support at every academic stage. According to a survey conducted by Edplace, Parents in the UK are spending upwards of £6 billion per year on private tuition - and this figure is on the constant increase as the demand for private tutors grows.
Whether you are a full-time teacher looking to supplement your current income, a third-year University student hoping to fund your Costa Coffee addiction, or you are looking to become a tutor full-time, private tutoring is a hugely lucrative business to enter into.
Tutors can charge anywhere from £20 an hour to upwards of £100 an hour. As you are your own boss, it is totally up to you how much you want to charge. Full time tutors can earn upwards of £3000 a month!
Whatever your area of expertise, tutoring is undoubtedly an enjoyable, rewarding and flexible way to boost your income whilst helping students of all ages to reach their full potential.
As a tutor with Tutor House, you can set your own price and charge as much as you would like for each of your sessions. Sign up and start your tutoring journey with us, today.
2. Work to your own schedule
One of the most attractive elements of becoming a private tutor is the flexibility of the role. Private tutors are self-employed so can work t a schedule that suits them. Unlike with a 9-5, there is no regimented routine that you’ll be expected to follow.
You will be totally in control of your days, and can make sure that your sessions are arranged at a time that is convenient for you. Unlike lots of jobs out there, becoming a tutor does not require you to come into an office or be available for nine hours a day.
Moreover, unlike with teaching in a school, college or University, you will have the complete freedom to teach the syllabus in the way that you deem to be best. Whilst classroom teaching certainly has its advantages, with no regulations to follow or hoops to jump through, private tutors can work alongside their students to devise the perfect learning plan that works for them both.
Furthermore, private tutoring sessions don’t have to be face to face. If you’d rather, you can offer your services online, so neither you nor your student need to leave the comfort of your homes. This flexibility means that private tutoring is the perfect option no matter your schedule.
Start your tutoring journey and sign up today…
3. Becoming a private tutor is rewarding and enjoyable
Not only does becoming a private tutor have massive financial benefits and a unique flexibility, it is also a hugely rewarding role.
If a student is struggling with one or more subjects, it can be extremely disheartening and have a detrimental effect on their overall academic experience and on their self-esteem.
As a personal tutor, you have the chance to change all that and help your students cultivate the skills and knowledge needed to turn their life around and get top grades. There’s nothing better than witnessing the fruits of your labour, and watching students turn their Ds into As all because of you. Helping struggling students to achieve their goals is super rewarding, and will leave you feeling all warm and glowy after each session.
Furthermore, the one to one nature of private tuition means that tutors will be able to build up a real rapport with their students, establishing a relationship that makes them not only a teacher, but a confidant - someone that students can rely on to support them through challenging times in their educational journey.
As a personal tutor, you will be required to gain in-depth insight into your students personality, strength and weaknesses. You will also need to make sure they are comfortable in this new learning environment, ensuring they are getting the most out of each session.
Essentially, being a private tutor is largely about cultivating strong relationships with students that are based on respect, trust and mutual understanding. Therefore - not only is working as a private tutor rewarding in terms of helping students, but it also creates a unique environment that promotes personal growth and both emotional and intellectual fulfilment.
Working closely with someone on a one-to-one basis equips individuals with a range of skills that will prove useful in life and in work. For example, you’ll learn how to manage and mentor simultaneously, how to motivate without seeming overbearing whilst also staying organised and on top of your time management skills.
All these skills are essential for a successful life. Not only do they make you a better person, but they are also highly attractive to employers - and they look great on your CV too.
The flexibility, potential for a large salary and the rewarding nature of private tuition mean that the job is also hugely enjoyable. Sharing your expertise, skills and passion with a student is fulfilling, and will help you to further expand your love for your subject(s).
People often say that when you love what you do, it doesn’t feel like work - and this is especially true of tutoring. Becoming a private tutor creates the perfect environment for teachers to use their passion and skill to do good and make a real and meaningful difference to someone’s life.
Become a tutor with Tutor House…
As a Tutor House tutor, you will have the opportunity to put your expertise to great use by helping someone to achieve the very best grades that they can and, in turn, boost their confidence and enhance their love for learning.
Trust us, nothing beats watching someone begin to thrive, academically and socially, and knowing you're the reason why. Don’t miss out and become a tutor with Tutor House, today.
What do you need to be a private tutor?
There’s no questioning the benefits of becoming a private tutor, so the next step is to find out if private tutoring is something that would work for you.
At Tutor House, we are passionate about forming a personal relationship with all our tutors and helping them to thrive in the tuition industry. However, we also hold our tutors to a very high standard and recognise that in order to be a successful private tutor, you need to have certain qualities and qualifications. If you need help showcasing these qualities there are lots of resources and websites online that can help benefit you, visit studycrumb to find out more.
At the end of the day, our students deserve the best, but the best could well be something you can deliver! So check out this list of tutor essentials and see if you could be our next star tutor.
1. Qualifications
Historically, working as a private tutor has been pretty unregulated, with minimal checks and requirements for those looking to tutor. However, as class sizes grow and state education groans under the strain of funding cuts, more and more students are turning to private tutors for the support they need.
In the face of an ongoing boom in the private tuition industry, the government is already working to introduce stricter rules and regulations aimed at securing the safety of both students and tutors as well as the quality of the tuition.
At Tutor House, we’ve always been ahead of the curve when it comes to ensuring the quality of our tutors, and to teach with us you will need a few qualifications and certifications. The good news is, none of it is hard to acquire and you may already have all you need to get started as a tutor.
2. Educational Qualifications
At Tutor House all of our tutors must be qualified up to at least degree level. This means you must have successfully completed your A-levels and received good grades in subjects relevant to those you wish to teach.
While we do accept University students as tutors, you must be far enough into your degree course to feel confident balancing private tutoring with your studies. Generally, having already acquired a degree is preferred, but we recognise that there are some fantastic tutors out there that haven’t completed a University degree.
While not required, other qualifications, particularly teaching qualifications like B.Ed, SEN or TEFL do make tutors more appealing to prospective students.
3. Security Certification
At Tutor House, we take the safety of both our tutors and our students very seriously. We require all our tutors to have a full and up to date DBS check before we allow them to teach with us, whether they are tutoring online or in person.
This Tutor House protocol is likely to be adopted by the UK Government in the near future, so getting your DBS check now protects you from potential repercussions when the law changes.
You may already have a DBS check from previous work or voluntary activities, and that’s great! However, if you don't yet have a DBS check, Tutor House offer a number of quick and affordable options for obtaining one and clearing you to dive into private tutoring.
4. Personal ID and Photograph
This part is pretty simple really, Tutor House and your future students need to know you are who you say you are. We consider this necessary because we want to always be able to prove to our students (and their parents) that our tutors are the fantastic people they claim to be.
We’ll ask you to take a smart and friendly photo of yourself (head and shoulders only) against a white background. Make sure you get someone to take the photo for you, no selfies allowed!
We will also ask you to send us copies of 2 or 3 forms of personal ID. There are lots of potential ID options and top tips on getting the most out of that photo, we’ll talk you through the whole process in our step by step guide (link to lower section).
5. Experience
When it comes to the experience you need to be a top Tutor House tutor, it basically comes down to “the more the better”! While teaching experience is ideal, we appreciate that experience comes in all kinds of shapes and sizes and acknowledge that you don't have to have had years teaching to be an amazing tutor.
Our top tutors have earned their teaching stripes through many different means.
Here are just a few of the kinds of experience that could make you a great tutor:
- Working as a University lecturer or professor
- Working as a teacher
- Working as a teaching assistant
- Working as a tutor (with a track record of happy students)
- Having completed a TEFL, PGSE, B.Ed, SEN or similar teaching certificate
- Having volunteered to teach through a charity
- Having taught overseas
- Having a degree, Masters or PhD in your subject
- Having been an examiner
We ask our tutors to demonstrate their experience in their short bios, providing a great opportunity to show off your credentials. If you’re not sure what experience you have that could be relevant, our expert tutor team can chat through what you’ve done so far and help you to create a profile that really shows off your tutoring assets. Simply work your way through the signup form here.
6. Personality
One of the best things about tutoring with Tutor House is that we recognise both our students and our tutors as the unique individuals they are. Just as no two students are the same, neither is what they need from their tutor. As a result, tutors of various personalities and teaching styles will find themselves in demand as students use our fantastic tutor search system to find the tutor that’s right for them.
Whether you prioritise essay practice over more innovative tutoring techniques, prefer to teach online or in person, are “strict” or “laid back” or anywhere in-between, being honest about who you are and how you teach will ensure you connect with plenty of students who are looking for private tuition from someone exactly like you!
That said, there are certainly some personality traits that appeal to pretty much all students and put you in good stead to be a top tutor. While becoming a private tutor can be a fantastic and fun way to earn your living, it's not for everyone. The two key attributes that we associate with being a good tutor are friendliness and empathy, we'll go into more detail below...
7. Friendliness
It’s pretty obvious really. You’ll be working closely with another person so having the ability to connect to with them is pretty essential. Given the one to one nature of tuition, you don't need to be a great public speaker or a social butterfly. However, it is important that you enjoy meeting new people, getting to know them and building a rapport.
Patience: Now most of the time tutoring a student is great. However, every now and again you might need to teach a student who, for whatever reason, just isn’t engaged or is really struggling to understand something.
It’s really important that you have plenty of patience, that you’re able to rise above the occasional unenthusiastic student without letting it get to you and that you can repeat the same information, in different ways, without becoming annoyed.
We all know that patience is a virtue, but when it comes to becoming a private tutor it’s also a critical skill! The good news is that your patience more than reaps its own reward.
Most of our students are passionate about their education and eager to learn, meaning they really value your support and want to get the most out of every session. When they finally grasp something they were finding tricky, you’ll feel so proud you’d almost have done it for free (but the money is still great!)
8. Understanding and Empathy
Our students come from all kinds of backgrounds, ages and cultures. They have all kinds of things going on in their lives and all sorts of reasons for seeking private tuition.
While we expect tutors to keep a professional distance, it’s also vital that they are able to empathise with their students. The ability to understand a student’s personality and the context of their lives makes it much easier to build a positive relationship and help that student get real results.
9. Skills
There are all kinds of skills involved in being a private tutor, meaning there is plenty of opportunity for you to develop your skills set!
Primarily, you need to be hardworking, diligent and organised, as you’re going to be planning lessons, potentially for many different students at different levels. You also need to have excellent written and oral communication skills as you will need to explain complex ideas and concepts to students in a way that is accessible and easy to digest.
Having an eye for detail and the ability to speed read will also help ensure you are marking work effectively, spotting mistakes and areas where students can improve without wasting hours of your time.
Flexibility is also very important. Students may need to book lessons at different times or in different formats, for example switching from a face to face lesson on Tuesday evenings to online lessons on a Saturday morning. While any rescheduling has to be agreed with the tutor at least 24 hours ahead of a booked lesson, being able to adjust to students needs where possible will help tutors to get more lessons.
Equally, flexibility is vital within the lessons themselves. If a student just isn’t getting something or (and this can happen) hasn’t done their homework, you need to be able to creatively come up with a new way of explaining the idea, switching the style of tuition or altering the lesson content to ensure the student can get the most out of their tuition and ultimately master their subject.
Finally, it goes without saying that you’ll need to have considerable expertise in your subject area. Our top tutors make sure they keep updated with all the specifications for their subject exam boards, changes in the curriculum and any big news in their subject or field.
10. Time
Of course, if you are going to work as a private tutor, either full time or part time, you need to have sufficient time to do so. Tutor House generally arrange hour long tuition sessions and our tutors are paid at an hourly rate.
We do not set a minimum or maximum number of hours that our tutors must work a month, giving you total flexibility to manage your own time.
However, you are likely to need to be able to set aside multiple hours a week to spend with your students. Equally, it is important that you have the time to plan and prepare lessons well in advance, and remember to factor in the time it takes for you to travel to and from the lesson’s location.
What equipment do I need as a private tutor?
Materials
As a tutor, you need to not only be prepared for every lesson but also to have planned a lesson that is interesting, informative AND engaging. So, while students are expected to bring their own equipment, such as pens, papers and workbooks, you must also bring everything you need.
You may need to provide course materials, books or stationary for a specific lesson, particularly if you think a student may not bring it themselves. The best tutors often also supply additional props and teaching aids, such as printed materials like worksheets and past papers.
Top tutors tend to really get creative, bringing materials for educational games and exercises to break up the lesson and keep it fun. You may also want to think about bringing rewards or refreshments, particularly if it’s a young student or if you are teaching from your own home.
While these extras are not compulsory, they will make your lessons more fun and creative, leading to better ratings, more students seeking you out and the potential to raise your hourly rate without losing students.
Tech
Other equipment you should think about is a laptop or computer. Whilst obviously essential for any tutors looking to do online tutoring, having your own computer or laptop can also be indispensable for face-to-face lessons.
From making research and lesson prep a lot easier to enabling tutors to use multimedia and online tools in their lessons, a laptop will prove invaluable for your tutor career.
Equally, if you are teaching online there are some basic software features, such as skype, that you will need to download onto your computer. While we will never stop you from investing in fancy tools to enhance your lessons, and the students will certainly benefit, none of the required software will cost you any money.
Transportation
Some tutors choose only to sign up for online tuition, requiring just a reliable computer and internet connection. However, many tutors find that both they and the student get more out of the lessons when they are face-to-face.
If you have a car or means of transport that’s great, but don’t forget to factor in the cost of petrol and parking when you set your rates. Equally, if you are using public transport, ensure that you have factored in the time it will take for you to travel to and from the lessons, that you know the route and timetable, and that you are considering the transport costs when you set your tuition rate.
How to get clients as a new tutor?
One of the biggest challenges for aspiring tutors is getting their name, credentials and face out there. You could be the best tutor the world has ever known, it won’t help you much unless you can make potential students aware of your presence.
Since its inception in 2012, Tutor House has worked tirelessly to build a reputation as the UK’s top tutor platform. From our personalised approach to education to the quality of tutors, students know that hiring a tutor through Tutor House ensures they are receiving the pinnacle of private tuition excellence. By joining our tight-knit team of private tutors, you’ll gain the recognition you need to attract the right students.
The Tutor House platform utilises a combination of tools in order to ensure each tutor’s profile is seen by relevant students who could be the perfect match for them. Our smart tutor search algorithm matches students with tutors that specialise in their subject, level, location and learning preference. We also implement a number of additional factors, such as tutor feedback scores, in order to reward tutors for their hard work and give top tutors a chance to thrive.
Best of all, new tutors are given the boost they need by appearing on our “featured tutors” list at the top of the page, ensuring they have the opportunity to connect with students as they build up their experience and profile.
