Setting up as a tutor

[CodewordRochambeau]

I'm an experienced secondary English teacher. I currently work 0.6 and have expressed an interest to my headteacher in increasing my hours to 0.8, but they can't currently afford this. I'm therefore seriously considering doing some tutoring and I'd be keen to hear from anyone who's done this.

I'd offer KS3, GCSE and A Level, English Language and Lit. We are on the border of a grammar area but I'd need to gen up on 11+ before offering this. I'm an Oxford graduate so could potentially offer Oxbridge entrance too. The going rate around here (affluent part of the West Midlands) seems to be approx £25 / hour for KS3, £30 for KS4 and 5. I have a current DBS and already do a tax return so would declare the earnings that way. I need to double-check my contract in terms of informing school - we are asked annually to complete a declaration of interests so I would declare it there. I wouldn't tutor pupils at my school in case of an ethical conflict.

There seem to be a lot of local tutors on Tutor Hunt and First Tutors - did you sign up with any of these? There are several active local Facebook parents' groups where I could hawk my services. Do you see students in their homes or in yours?

I used to do tutoring (Science). I advertised on Netmums, which I still get requests from. Mostly my work came from word of mouth.

I think if you offer what you describe and 11+ you would have a nice little business. The local FB groups are an added bonus for advertising nowadays.

I don't do it any more because I'm back teaching pretty much full time. I always went to the client's house. They would have been mobbed by my two and the dogs if they came here!

Good luck!

If you're near grammar schools, then I think your biggest trade would be in 11+ tuition, especially once you got a client base as you'd get repeat business for siblings, friends and family of previous pupils, so eventually, you wouldn't need to do too much advertising for new trade.

As for premises, a private tutor we know, who does 11+ and Maths to GCSE/A level, rents a room in a local church hall every Saturday and a couple of evenings per week and sees his students there. It means he doesn't waste any travelling time and can set up a "classroom" with all his resources and equipment. He said that many parents were unhappy about their children going to a stranger's house and felt more confident with a neutral location. There was also a small waiting area for parents who wanted to stay and wait.