Is it cheeky to ask to be paid over the holidays?

This is like paying your cleaner when you go on holiday. The majority of people do pay their cleaner or offer alternative hours.

If you have been taking a break every major holiday then you may have to suck this one up or put down new terms and conditions that from x date going forward they will need to pay to retain their slot.

For how many years will this family still need you?

This is part of being a self employed tutor OP- you don’t get the benefits or perks of employees like paid holidays.

You can’t ask them to pay you when you’re not providing a service, you sound like a cheeky fuck. What you can do is say you’ll be offering their slot out over the summer and you may not be able to fit them back in come September.

Surely they don’t need a tutor if they’ve finished exams? You need a contract and to be clearer of what your terms are, as they are not clear

You should include an amount towards holiday/sick pay when deciding your hourly/session rate.

I wouldn’t be paying a tutor once exams are done.

Yeah, it's odd to assume she'd still want tutoring after her exams finish.

@Dogswimmingcompetition is this your first year tutoring?

Agreed, this is the only logical answer.

First off, message the parents and ask them to confirm what tutoring they will be booking you for after half term. If they say not over the summer, then you know.

Then you need to start looking for other placements, are you working with home schooled kids? I’d start trying to find someone else to fill those slots and price slightly higher to cover summer.

if you aren’t able to fit that original family back into your schedule in September, so be it.

(many tutors in this area offer week long intensive tutoring courses over the summer to cover this income gap, worth looking into for next year?)

Why would you assume that?

You need a standard contract which says how many weeks of holiday are allowed. So, for eg, within the 52 weeks, 4 weeks for holidays and then you put your rate up so it covers the 4 weeks holiday anyway. This is pretty standard.

If you haven't got a contract, I would discuss a retainer for this period with the father and then let them know that the next academic year will be with the new contract.

Because there is a big difference between being a tutor that is an addition to school teaching and a tutor/teacher that is used to home school children, who will each have between 6 & 10 hours a week of 121 teaching.

With 2 or 3 children in a family, that can add up to 25/30 hours a week of work. However, there ARE other forms of work that tutors can take on in the holidays, but it does need forward planning.

This.
And write it into any future contracts.

Do you have a contract with them?
I honestly think finding another client might be the only answer here. They haven't got much respect for you if they left you in the lurch so badly last year

I think your rate needs to include an allowance for holidays and you need to plan for periods.you know you won't be working.

Surely.you would have known they wouldn't need you after the exams? I don't thinknyou cam ask for holiday pay now, if that has never been part of your terms.

You have to be honest with them.

Tell them that you will need to fill their slots over the summer, as otherwise you're unpaid. And that this will mean you can't guarantee these slots will be free for them in the new academic year as a result.

However, part of being a self-employed tutor is that you can't rely on any one client for your continuous, year round income.

I suggest you supplement your income with examining (Edexcel, AQA, OCR, CIE, WJEC, International Baccalaureate) and also start to advertise summer revision sessions/courses.

There is plenty of work out there but you have to diversify for a year round income.

I think this is probably something you should have discussed with them prior to starting. If they haven't previously paid over the holidays or paid a retainer, I would imagine they will not be happy to start now.

If they give confirmation this is it for the rest of the academic year just look for other work. Come September if you have availability for them get a new contract signed which you are happy with year round.

You need a contract to

Include notice period and how long g the contract is for.

What happens if you cancel a lesson and what happens if they cancel a lesson

Why would you expect to carry on for one/two months if exams are finished? My DS has a GCSE tutor—he is not continuing after his exam in that subject—to do so would be really expensive (and needless—he’ll be done)!

My tutor had a clearly set out contract at the start, which stated that we have to give a 30 day notice, which we did.

What does your contract say? If you don’t have one, they can do what they want.

Yabu. They should only pay for the time you are there.

Every tutor I've ever used for my kids has only ever scheduled lessons for term time and that's what we pay for unless we cancel within the acceptable notice period.

They all tend to offer revision classes or extra sessions to anyone who wants them during the school holidays unless they are away themselves.

It all comes down to whatever contract/cancellation terms you have agreed with the clients really.

Ask them.if they need you for holiday cover even not tutor in but a lower rate of pay to take the kids out to educational trips etc
If you prefer to have some work in holidays

If the child is finishing exams in a couple of weeks ( GCSEs?)I'm not sure why you'd think you'd be needed throughout summer. They won't have anything to study for and will be taking a well earned break.

I would say that over the summer tutoring only happens if the client requests it. But then they wouldn't have a guarantee you would be their tutor again in September. Or keep their booked slot available. I don't think you can expect to be paid.