Interviews with Private Tutors

To help you carve your own path, we’ve interviewed some of the UK’s most established tutors, asking them how they got started, the challenges they faced and what advice they have for new tutors.

Victoria Olubi is a private tutor in Ealing, London.

How long have you been a private tutor?

7 years

What subjects and levels do you teach?

I specialise in helping children to pass the 11+ school entrance exams. I teach English, Maths, Verbal and Non-Verbal reasoning to students aged 8-12.

What qualifications do you have and how much do you charge per hour?

BA Hons from Durham University and I charge £50ph.

What circumstances led you to working as a private tutor?

I fell into it by accident. Someone asked me to teach their child and I initially did it because I enjoyed teaching and working with students on a one-to-one basis. I quickly realised that I preferred it to traditional teaching and decided to start a tutoring business rather than go into the teaching profession.

What skills and qualities do you believe are needed to be a successful tutor?

I believe that you need to be incredibly passionate about teaching and education. You have to be a lover of learning. It’s important for tutors to be excellent at breaking complex subjects down and have the ability to communicate with students and be patient and understanding.

What do you enjoy most about being a private tutor?

What I enjoy most is the fact that my career allows me to make a great impact in the lives of hundreds of children each year. Hearing the incredible success stories of my students never fails to astound me and I’m extremely proud of their accomplishments.

What do you think is the most challenging aspect of running a tutoring business?

I think juggling all of the elements is the most difficult thing. For instance, running a tutoring business isn’t just about teaching students, you have to also handle new enquiries, manage existing client relationships, teach students and continually market the business. There’s a lot to do and it means that you sometimes have to wear many hats.

What advice would you give to someone starting out as a tutor?

I would definitely advise aspiring tutors to choose a subject(s) that they are passionate about rather than simply teaching a subject because it seems to be more in-demand or more lucrative. It’s easier and more enjoyable to run a tutoring business when you’re genuinely passionate about what you do and the subject(s) you teach.

It can take time to find your first few clients so be patient. Don’t be afraid to teach a few students for free or at a reduced rate when you’re just starting out so that you can build a portfolio of testimonials and get feedback on your lessons.

Can you tell us about how you market your tutoring services? How do you find most of your students?

I do a variety of things. I am active on social media and share both my own content and content that I feel might be relevant to parents who are looking for a tutor. I also have a blog where I write and post content that appeals to parents. Although I’m very active online, most of my students come through word of mouth recommendation. Once you have a few students who’ve done well, their parents will usually tell other parents about you which attracts new students.

What websites and resources do you find most useful as a tutor and why?

The Tutor Website is a great resource and I highly recommend it as it’s packed with information that’s beneficial for tutors. I also find The Tutor Pages to be great as they have a really supportive community.

Is there anything else you’d like to add about becoming a private tutor and running a tutoring business?

Don’t be afraid to reach out to other tutors and connect with them. I speak to and work with other tutors and it’s given me the opportunity to make collaborations, promote other people’s services and make friends in the industry. Connecting with other tutors is a great thing to do.

Do you have a personal website?

Yes, it’s TheTutoress.com. You can also reach me at thetutoress@gmail.com

Ted Higham is a private tutor within a 25-mile radius of Westcliff on Sea.

How long have you been a private tutor?

I first tutored in 1976.

What subjects and levels do you teach?

I work for the county of Berkshire, tutoring students who are unable to attend school for extended periods of time. I cover school subjects in general, and I mentor.

What qualifications do you have and how much do you charge per hour?

I have a Certificate in Education from St. Luke’s College in Exeter. In addition, I have First, Main B.Ed qualification in Physical Education, awarded by Exeter University, as well as a First Main Degree in History, also from Exeter. While teaching, I worked on an external, post graduate Advanced Diploma in Educational Theory and Practice and was awarded my diploma by the University of London.

What circumstances led you to working as a private tutor?

In the first place, I supplemented my teaching salary with evening and weekend work. More recently, I have been tutoring to pay the monthly bills, while using the finance from my travel business to pay off the last part of my mortgage.

What skills and qualities do you believe are needed to be a successful tutor?

The most important quality for a tutor is to be ‘nice’. You need to get on with students and parents of all ages in a friendly and professional manner.

What do you enjoy most about being a private tutor?

I love to see students realise that they have the ability and to help them achieve their goals that they felt were beyond their reach. Having run my own travel business for many years, it is good to receive reward soon after working. Running a travel business, you are open to all sorts of problems, from a dramatic fall in the value of the pound, to terrorist attacks in Paris, from volcanic ash to coach breakdowns. Teaching gets into your blood and is the best job you could ever have.

What do you think is the most challenging aspect of running a tutoring business?

It’s easy to cover one or two contracts, but when you have 10 or more, it’s very demanding. Each requires individual preparation and attention, with each student looking to you to achieve something special.

Compared with running a travel business it is relatively straight forward. Of course, a challenging aspect is getting established. In addition, one has to handle a great variety of topics and clients. This requires a lot of preparation and careful planning.

What advice would you give to someone starting out as a tutor?

I would advise them that preparation is of vital importance. Get to know what is required and what the student’s abilities are. Then work out a programme that will achieve more than what is actually expected.

Do your homework before you start work, so you have a clear idea of what you’re trying to achieve and the steps that you need to employ to gain success.

Can you tell us about how you market your tutoring services? How do you find most of your students?

By recommendations from those who know me through word of mouth.

What websites and resources do you find most useful as a tutor and why?

I gain information on previous exam results and the syllabus published by each school. Websites also help me to check and gain information for lesson content.

Is there anything else you’d like to add about becoming a private tutor and running a tutoring business?

I have long had an idea how to promote a tuition service. I’d be interested in helping other tutors with this aspect, having run two successful businesses myself.

Do you have a personal website?

I don’t have a website for tutoring but my email address is tedhigham@aol.com.

Lucy Parsons tutors from home in a Northamptonshire village, over the internet and at the houses of local students.

How long have you been a private tutor?

I started tutoring in the spring of 2015. I had four years teaching experience in secondary schools prior to that.

What subjects and levels do you teach?

My specialism is coaching students to develop their study skills. I have one-onone coaching packages aimed at helping students to unlock their motivation as well as revision planning and accountability packages. I sell a digital book called The Ten Step Guide to Acing Every Exam You Ever Take through my website which outlines the steps I took to get 5 A Grades at A-Level.

I also have a digital guide to writing personal statements for university applications: 3 Easy Steps to a Killer Personal Statement. Students have the option of getting one-one-one feedback about their personal statement when they buy this digital guide.

I also tutor students in geography, the subject I studied a university and that I taught in secondary schools.

What qualifications do you have and how much do you charge per hour?

I have 5 A Grades at A-Level (Geography, English Literature, Biology, Chemistry and General Studies). I have an MA in Geography from Cambridge University and a PGCE in teaching Secondary level Geography, also from Cambridge University.

What circumstances led you to working as a private tutor?

I left teaching when my daughter was born. When she was only a few months old we moved away from the area where she was born and I had been working so I never returned to work after my maternity leave. I wanted to work part-time in my new location as a teacher but couldn’t find a role that suited family life.

Whilst I love geography and became a geography teacher because I missed thinking about it every day when I had a corporate job, I realized that my true passion was helping other young people to achieve their academic ambitions. I decided at the age of nine that I wanted to go to Cambridge University and spent the following nine years pursuing my dream. I achieved it by working out for myself how to get the top grades and make a successful application.

I want to pass this experience along to similarly ambitious and passionate young people. It also enables me to work from home most of the time, rather than having to go out to work, which is more family friendly!

What skills and qualities do you believe are needed to be a successful tutor?

For my core work, you need to be a good listener and to be very perceptive. You need to have a creative problem-solving mind to help young people with their road-blocks and problems. You also need to be able to easily come up with intellectual frameworks.

For tutoring an individual subject, you need to be able to identify a students’ problem areas quickly. You need to quickly perceive how they prefer to learn and adapt your teaching style to their needs. You need a solid grasp of your subject and to be able to readily and clearly explain any aspect of your subject. You also need to be able to critically evaluate written work and give clear advice about how a student can improve.

What do you enjoy most about being a private tutor?

I am energized by the one-to-one contact with young minds. I love helping young people, giving them solutions to their study problems that work and seeing them make progress. I also love thinking about my subject, geography, and helping students make break-throughs in their understanding. The best thing is getting messages of thanks for the work that I do because I truly know I’m making a difference when I receive them.

What do you think is the most challenging aspect of running a tutoring business?

Finding new clients who you really click with and fitting it around family life – the hours are quite anti-social!

What advice would you give to someone starting out as a tutor?

Make sure you know your stuff. Find out which type of work energizes you e.g. is it working with high-achieving A-Level students looking to collect the final few marks or GCSE students on the C/D borderline. Once you know what you love seek that work and become an expert in it.

Can you tell us about how you market your tutoring services? How do you find most of your students?

For my study skills students, I market myself through my website. I write a weekly blog post which I email to my newsletter subscribers. I am also on twitter (@LucyCParsons) and Facebook. For geography students, I’m listed on a tutoring website.

What websites and resources do you find most useful as a tutor and why?

Google and YouTube! I mainly rely on what I already know and use textbooks when I can’t remember some aspect of my subject. For my study skills students, I read a lot of self-help books and relate them back to my own experiences to generate new ideas and new perspectives. I read a lot of blogs too – too many to list!

Do you have a personal website?

Yes! www.lifemoreextraordinary.com. You can also email me at lucy@lifemoreextraordinary.com. I’d also like to invite tutors to sign-up to my newsletter for teachers, tutors and schools.

They will receive my weekly blog post which is full of study tips that would be great to share with their own students either on social media or by email – hence adding value to their clients. They can sign-up here: http://www.lifemoreextraordinary.com/teachers/

Natasha Saednejad is a Spanish tutor in Cobham, Surrey.

How long have you been a private tutor?

I’ve been a private tutor for a year and a half now

What subjects and levels do you teach?

I teach French, Spanish and ESL for all levels and ages.

What qualifications do you have and how much do you charge per hour?

I have a degree in French and Spanish, and experience working in both schools and summer camps, alongside my private tuition. I charge £35p/h.

What circumstances led you to working as a private tutor?

After finishing my degree, I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to do, so I did a few translation internships before a friend suggested tutoring – initially just as a way to fill some time whilst I decided which path I wanted to take. I fell in love with it instantly, and even when I had an offer to do my teacher training at my old high school, I continued on as a tutor. The wide range of people I get to meet, and the flexibility in my working hours was a real draw for me.

What skills and qualities do you believe are needed to be a successful tutor?

People skills and patience are key! You are going to meet a huge variety of people, and you have to be very adaptable to their needs and abilities. Moreover, a massive passion for your subject is highly important, because it is what will keep you going through both the quiet times, and the days when you’re working till 9pm!

What do you enjoy most about being a private tutor?

The chance to meet people of all ages (my youngest student is 6 and my oldest 65), and to be in charge of how I teach my subject, as opposed to the more regulated, restrictive nature of school teaching, is great. Private tutoring has also given me the ability to work for myself and be solely in charge of my time, which is a huge benefit.

What do you think is the most challenging aspect of running a tutoring business?

I would say at the start, marketing the business and getting new clients was quite tricky, but beyond that, being able to keep your income steady through the much quieter summer months and holiday periods can be hard. You quickly have to learn how to diversify your student base to help you through that.

What advice would you give to someone starting out as a tutor?

If you can get some experience beforehand – even teaching a niece or nephew – then it will definitely help. Do some research as to other tutors teaching your subject in your area, for example what they charge, the hours they work, and see if there is a niche you could fit into, or USP you could bring to your service.

Can you tell us about how you market your tutoring services? How do you find most of your students?

I’ve found that social media has actually given me the best platform to find students – I’ve had lots of leads through Facebook and Twitter for example. In addition, flyers and leaflets around my local area, in places such as coffee shops, have definitely helped too. I also started to get a lot of students through word of mouth and recommendations once my business had been established.

What websites and resources do you find most useful as a tutor and why?

In terms of business, social media and websites such as LinkedIn are a great way of both finding new clients, and connecting with other tutors. When it comes to teaching material, I take inspiration from websites such as BBC English, or Study Spanish – they have great grammar information and ideas for exercises.

Is there anything else you’d like to add about becoming a private tutor and running a tutoring business?

Be patient in the beginning, and know that it will take some time to build up a strong client base. In addition, be prepared to put in work outside of your lessons to create educational material for your students, and to prep for your lessons. The more effort you put in, the more rewards both you and your students will reap.

Do you have a personal website?

Yes – www.tutorinsurrey.co.uk. You can also email me at natasha@tutorinsurrey.co.uk

Ian Fisher is a Business Studies and Economics tutor in Rotherham and online.

How long have you been a private tutor?

Having taught in schools and colleges for over thirty-five years, I became a private tutor in 2014

What subjects and levels do you teach?

GCSE and A Level Economics and Business Studies.

What qualifications do you have and how much do you charge per hour?

I have a BA (Hons) in Economics, an MA in Economics and Business Studies, and a Certificate of Education (QTS). I charge £30 per hour usually.

What circumstances led you to working as a private tutor?

Having retired from teaching, I wanted to continue my passion to educate. I love my subjects and had a desire to keep abreast of new developments

What skills and qualities do you believe are needed to be a successful tutor?

You need to be very versatile and have an excellent subject knowledge. Every individual is different and tutees can often start a session by asking you to cover something that you have not prepared. The ability to engage your students in the session along with an infinite patience is essential.

What do you enjoy most about being a private tutor?

The fantastic one to one experience, which really allows me to witness the improvements in confidence, ability, understanding and to evaluative the skills my students demonstrate over the months. Many of my students start in Y12 and continue to the end of Y13, which allows me to really get to know them and occasionally keep in touch when they go to University.

What do you think is the most challenging aspect of running a tutoring business?

Being selective. I only want to tutor a relatively small number of tutees. As the academic year progresses, the number of enquiries gets larger. Sometimes the desperation of a parent or student can be very persuasive.

What advice would you give to someone starting out as a tutor?

Be very clear what your objectives are. There is more to life than earning money by having a vast number of tutees every day. Try and be selective, so that you only offer your services to those who you can realistically help.

Can you tell us about how you market your tutoring services? How do you find most of your students?

I use several online sites, such as Tutor Hunt, First Tutors, The Tutor Pages and My Tutor. I will often pay for the premium service if it is likely to yield a larger number of enquiries. The best sites are those where I pay for the advert and the students can contact me without paying, such as Home Tutors Directory. Online, I use Evotuition which is a very well organised and effective site. For those students wanting online tuition and contacting me directly, I use Skype for both domestic and international tutoring.

What websites and resources do you find most useful as a tutor and why?

As I tutor Economics and Business subjects I particularly like Tutor2u, which specializes in my area. I also use Google Scholar, YouTube and the specialist and general press websites I also ensure that I have the latest specifications from all the examination boards alongside any relevant material they supply. I think it is essential to have a copy of leading textbooks that specialize in each of the exam boards and courses I am tutoring.

Is there anything else you’d like to add about becoming a private tutor and running a tutoring business?

It is useful to have a DBS check. Keeping clear accounts of fees and relevant expenses received for tax purposes is important. Being very organized is important as you need to be punctual and able to deliver a really excellent session at all times.

Do you have a personal website?

No, but you can contact me at ian.brooms@mail.com

Don’t Just Take Our Word for it…Here’s What Other People Say About This Guide…

‘This eBook is very thorough and full of good information. It’s ideal for tutors who want to change their marketing strategy or increase the number of students on their books. I liked the section about how to decide what to charge; as it’s something I’ve always struggled with.’

John Pickles, English as a Foreign Language tutor, Hull

‘This Guide really is what it says on the tin! Especially for any private tutor who wants to get the word out about their services and doesn’t know where to start. Individual tutors have a document here which really breaks down and signposts how to get up and running. Even agencies like our own can learn something from The Tutor Website’s approach.’

Wesley Sanders, Chairman and Director, Athena Tuition

‘This Guide is a highly comprehensive and informative resource for tutors who want to learn the ins and outs of marketing a tutoring business. I think the section on measuring your progress will come in handy for tutors who are keen to learn more about tracking their marketing efforts using online marketing tools. I would definitely recommend this book to tutors who want to grow their businesses and reach more students.’

Victoria Olubi, Tutor and Founder, The Tutoress