To stop trying to do nice things

Have you tried advertising through charities that help those in need? This may help people feel comfortable that they arent going to pressured to pay at some stage.

Eg offer leaflets/leave posters at a food bank, or through organisations that support refugees or unemployed.

So sad that the world is now like this and nobody trusts anybody.

I need to find a person like you for GCSE Maths and Chemistry ⚗️, do you have a sciencey twin perchance?

@HappyEnglishTeacher if you were recommended via a school or another educational setting then I would be more inclined to sign my child up vs just seeing your advert offering free tutoring. Free tutoring sounds a bit odd, as nothing seems to be free these days, so I would be thinking, and I hate to say it, ‘is he an odd-ball, one of those ‘you know what’?’

Your advert should clearly state you are DBS checked too.

There are many free courses online which turn out to be a hard sell for an expensive paid course. People might think you are offering that. Or do parents not see the point of the new 11 plus tutoring?

Some people will worry that anyone offering teaching for free either isn't properly qualified, or has dodgy reasons. Sorry that the world's this way.

What a lovely initiative, OP! I work in a similar field and very few people given something back, let alone in the thoughtful way you are. Best of luck with it.

Totally agree. Get into schools and do it there. Target local authorities and head teachers.

Contact the pastoral support teams of all your local schools. They will know who will benefit. We often get contacted about free goods and services for children in receipt of PP. We have the existing relationships to get them to the right families.

Have you tried just going into the schools and asking them to give flyers to the pupil premium kids or send out a notice in their school portal?

I think unfortunately you might be hitting that wall of kids from disadvantaged homes stereotypically have parents who are less involved, or single parents who have less time to spend looking for these things and think they might get scammed etc.

I wouldn't worry about one rude person on Facebook. You never know who is also a tutor/family of tutor and thinks you're trying to undercut them or whatever.

I agree that "pay what you can" is always really awkward. I never know if I'm over or under offering. I also think a lot of people exclude themselves from things aimed at people who can't afford full price because they feel they aren't needy enough or because they are ashamed of needing it (it's why non means tested schemes often work out better value for money and reach the more of the people they are intended to).

Personally, I'd offer tutoring at different set price points: say, £50 for a private less, £25 for a paired session, and £8 for a group of up to five-six, and say that these princes will remain set until July 2027 or whenever. And then you could say something like, "I keep 2-3 group places available for families who cannot afford to pay. You do not have to be in receipt of any particular benefits and no questions will be asked. [or however you want to aim it] Please contact me for further details." And yes, I'd put all this on your website and flag to local schools.

I wonder if you could also offer a lunchtime session to a local school and ask them to select 5 or 6 children they think would benefit. Maybe they wouldn't be able to do this (and you'd risk giving extra tuition to children whose parents could pay). But I remember being put forward for similar stuff as a bright child whose parents didn't have a lot of money.

Just tutor your normal rate and give the money to charity? Or volunteer in an actual school?

I am tutoring my next door neighbour’s child. I have no tutoring qualifications, just got my 4 DC into grammar schools. In fact DD2 was tutoring neighbour’s child previously for a cheap rate but is now to busy with her A levels so I took over for free. Neighbour is doing part of my garden in return whilst I am “tutoring” on Saturday mornings.

But if it takes off, would probably make you more money than the tutoring would.

I would find it very difficult to not reply to the comments along the lines of "I am so sad that people assume that because I am offering to help kids who are struggling with their studies, I must be a scammer. Its such a shame that trying to help those who may not be able to afford my usual fees is seen in this way. It really is a truism that no good need goes unpunished."

I find pay what you can awkward because I don’t know what’s fair or expected. A lower fixed price would probably attract more people. I would also make it clear that this is a community initiative you’re offering and there will be no upselling.

I wouldn't offer anything for free. People either think it's a scam or take the piss because if it's free it can't be that time consuming, etc.

Agree with other posters. People are suspicious. You might do better to go through a 'bridge', a trusted agency or group already working with families in your area that can link you up with people who need your help. If you have a council for voluntary services in your area that would be a good place to start. Dont be put off doing nice things! What you're offering could make such a difference.