Tutoring Agreement (UK)
This Tutoring Agreement (the “Agreement”) is entered into on [Effective Date] by and between:
[Client Name], [Who Client], with address at [Client Address], [Client City], [Client County], [Client Postcode] (hereinafter referred to as the “Client”); and
[Tutor Name], [Who Tutor], with address at [Tutor Address], [Tutor City], [Tutor County], [Tutor Postcode] (hereinafter referred to as the “Tutor”).
The Client and the Tutor are referred to collectively as the “Parties”.
STUDENT
The tutoring services shall be provided to: [Student Name], aged [Student Age], currently in [Year Group] (the “Student”).
Where the Student is under 18 years of age, the Client confirms that they are the Student’s parent, legal guardian, or otherwise authorised to enter into this Agreement on the Student’s behalf.
1. TUTORING SERVICES
1.1 The Tutor shall provide individual tutoring sessions (the “Sessions”) to the Student in the following subject(s): [Subject].
1.2 The agreed learning objectives are: [Learning Objectives].
1.3 Sessions shall be conducted as [Session Format], with a frequency of [Session Frequency], each of [Session Duration] in duration, commencing on [Start Date].
1.4 Specific session dates and times shall be agreed by the Parties in advance. Any changes to the regular schedule shall be agreed in writing (which may include by email or text message).
1.5 The Tutor shall provide the Services with reasonable care and skill in accordance with the implied term under Section 13 of the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982. The Tutor does not guarantee any specific examination results or academic outcomes.
2. FEES AND PAYMENT
2.1 The fee for each Session is £[Hourly Rate]. This fee is agreed to be exclusive of any travel expenses, unless otherwise agreed in writing.
2.2 Payment shall be made [Payment Due] by [Payment Method].
2.3 The Tutor may suspend Sessions if any payment is more than 7 days overdue. The Client shall be informed promptly if payment is overdue.
2.4 The Tutor reserves the right to charge statutory interest on overdue payments at 8% per annum above the Bank of England base rate pursuant to the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.
2.5 Where the Tutor is registered for VAT, VAT at the prevailing rate shall be added to all fees. The Tutor shall provide valid VAT invoices where required.
3. CANCELLATION AND RESCHEDULING
3.1 The Client may cancel or reschedule a Session without charge by giving the Tutor at least [Cancellation Notice] notice before the scheduled start time of the Session.
3.2 If the Client cancels a Session with less than [Cancellation Notice] notice, the Client shall pay a late cancellation charge of [Late Cancellation Charge] as a genuine pre-estimate of the Tutor’s loss for that Session.
3.3 If the Tutor needs to cancel a Session, the Tutor shall give the Client as much notice as reasonably possible and no cancellation charge shall apply. The Tutor shall use reasonable endeavours to offer an alternative date.
3.4 The Tutor is not responsible for any sessions missed due to circumstances beyond their reasonable control, including illness, bereavement, or other genuine emergency.
4. CONDUCT AND COMMUNICATION
4.1 The Tutor shall maintain professional boundaries with the Student at all times and shall conduct sessions in a manner consistent with the Tutor’s professional obligations.
4.2 All communications between the Tutor and the Student shall, where the Student is under 18, be copied to the Client (parent or guardian) or conducted through the Client. The Tutor shall not communicate with a student under 18 on personal social media platforms.
4.3 The Tutor confirms that they are not subject to a barring order issued by the Disclosure and Barring Service and are not prohibited from working with children or vulnerable adults.
5. EQUALITY AND NON-DISCRIMINATION
5.1 The Tutor shall provide tutoring services without discrimination on the basis of any protected characteristic as defined by the Equality Act 2010, including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
5.2 Where the Student has a learning difficulty, disability, or special educational need, the Client shall disclose this to the Tutor at the outset so that the Tutor can adapt their teaching approach accordingly.
6. CONFIDENTIALITY
6.1 The Tutor shall keep all information relating to the Student’s academic progress, learning difficulties, personal circumstances, and family background strictly confidential and shall not disclose such information to any third party without the Client’s prior written consent, except where required by law or safeguarding duties.
6.2 The Client shall not disclose the Tutor’s personal contact details, methods, or teaching materials to third parties without the Tutor’s prior written consent.
7. DATA PROTECTION
7.1 Each Party shall comply with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK GDPR in respect of any personal data (including the Student’s personal data) processed in connection with this Agreement.
7.2 The Tutor shall process the Student’s personal data only for the purposes of providing the tutoring services and complying with legal obligations, including safeguarding duties.
8. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
8.1 All tutoring materials, lesson plans, worksheets, and other content created by the Tutor shall remain the intellectual property of the Tutor under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. The Client and Student may use such materials solely for the Student’s personal educational purposes and may not reproduce, sell, or distribute them without the Tutor’s prior written consent.
8.2 Sessions shall not be recorded (audio or video) by either Party without the prior written consent of the other Party.
9. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
9.1 Nothing in this Agreement shall limit or exclude either Party’s liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot be lawfully excluded.
9.2 Subject to clause 10.1, the Tutor’s total aggregate liability under or in connection with this Agreement shall not exceed the total fees paid by the Client in the three months preceding the claim.
9.3 The Tutor does not guarantee or warrant any specific examination grades, university admissions outcomes, or academic results for the Student. Tutoring outcomes depend on many factors beyond the Tutor’s control, including the Student’s engagement, effort, and aptitude.
10. TERMINATION
10.1 Either Party may terminate this Agreement by giving not less than two weeks’ written notice to the other Party.
10.2 Either Party may terminate this Agreement immediately by written notice if the other Party commits a material breach of this Agreement that is incapable of remedy or, if capable of remedy, fails to remedy it within 7 days of written notice.
10.3 The Tutor may terminate this Agreement immediately by written notice if: (a) any safeguarding concern arises that makes it inappropriate to continue; (b) the Client or Student behaves in an abusive or threatening manner toward the Tutor; or (c) any payment is overdue by more than 14 days.
10.4 Upon termination, the Client shall pay for all Sessions provided up to the date of termination.
11. GENERAL
11.1 Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the Parties in relation to the provision of tutoring services and supersedes all prior agreements and representations.
11.2 Variation. No variation shall be effective unless made in writing and signed by both Parties.
11.3 Severability. If any provision is held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in full force.
11.4 Third Party Rights. The Student is not a party to this Agreement. A person who is not a party to this Agreement has no right under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 to enforce any of its terms, except that the provisions of clause 4 (safeguarding) are intended to protect the Student.
11.5 Relationship. The Tutor is an independent contractor and nothing in this Agreement creates an employment relationship between the Parties.
12. GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION
12.1 This Agreement and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with it shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of [Governing Law].
12.2 Each Party irrevocably agrees that the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute arising out of or in connection with this Agreement.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Tutoring Agreement as at the date first written above.
THE CLIENT
Full name: [Client Name]
Address: [Client Address], [Client City], [Client County], [Client Postcode]
THE TUTOR
Full name: [Tutor Name]
Address: [Tutor Address], [Tutor City], [Tutor County], [Tutor Postcode]
Client
________________
Signature
Date: ________________
Tutor
________________
Signature
Date: ________________
What Is a Tutoring Agreement (UK)?
A Tutoring Agreement in the United Kingdom sets the services to be provided, the fees, the timetable, and each side's responsibilities for the engagement, and takes its legal force from the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982.
The legal framework for private tutoring in England and Wales is primarily governed by the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982, which implies a term that the tutor will provide services with reasonable care and skill (Section 13). Where the client is a consumer (such as a parent engaging a tutor for their child), the Consumer Rights Act 2015 provides additional protections.
Safeguarding is the most legally significant aspect of tutoring agreements where the student is under 18. The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, as amended by the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, establishes the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) barring scheme. It is a criminal offence under Section 7 of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 for a person who is barred from working with children to engage in regulated activity with children. Regulated activity with children includes teaching, training, or instruction provided to children in certain settings, particularly where unsupervised, frequent, or intensive contact is involved.
The Equality Act 2010 imposes non-discrimination obligations on tutors as service providers, requiring them to make reasonable adjustments for disabled students and prohibiting discrimination on the basis of any of the nine protected characteristics.
Data protection is also relevant to tutoring agreements, as tutors typically process personal data relating to the student (including academic progress, learning difficulties, and assessment results). The Data Protection Act 2018 (incorporating the UK GDPR) requires that such personal data be processed lawfully, fairly, and transparently, and be held securely and for no longer than necessary.
Intellectual property in tutoring materials — including worksheets, lesson plans, revision guides, and annotated practice papers — is owned by the tutor as the creator under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. A tutoring agreement should clarify that these materials are licensed to the client for the student’s personal educational use only.
The legal framework governing the Tutoring Agreement (UK) in United Kingdom draws on several key statutes and regulatory bodies. Under the Companies Act 2006, Companies House maintains the register of UK companies. Section 386 of the Companies Act 2006 sets accounting record obligations. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) enforces the Consumer Rights Act 2015. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulates financial services under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. The High Court of Justice has jurisdiction under the Senior Courts Act 1981. Parties executing a Tutoring Agreement (UK) in United Kingdom should confirm the document reflects current law, including any amendments enacted since the original drafting date. The Companies Act 2006 sets the foundational requirements.
When Do You Need a Tutoring Agreement (UK)?
A UK tutoring agreement should be used whenever a private tutor or tutoring agency is engaged to provide one-to-one or small-group tutoring to a student. The most common situations in England and Wales include:
GCSE and A-Level tutoring, where a parent or guardian engages a specialist tutor to support their child’s preparation for public examinations. At this age, safeguarding provisions are particularly important, and a written agreement that addresses DBS checks, supervision arrangements, and communication boundaries provides reassurance to parents and legal protection for tutors.
University tutoring and academic support, where an undergraduate or postgraduate student engages a specialist academic or subject expert to assist with essay writing, examination technique, or understanding of complex topics. Where the student is an adult, the safeguarding provisions are less central, but confidentiality, intellectual property, and payment terms remain important.
Special educational needs (SEN) and learning support tutoring, where a tutor with specialist expertise supports a student with dyslexia, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, or other learning difficulty. An agreement should address reasonable adjustments, the tutor’s qualifications and experience, and any additional time requirements.
Online tutoring services, whether provided via a platform or directly by arrangement with the client. Online tutoring raises additional considerations around recording of sessions (with associated copyright and data protection implications), appropriate communication channels, and technical requirements for sessions.
Primary school tutoring, where very young students are involved and safeguarding, supervision, and parental involvement requirements are at their most important.
Where a tutoring agency engages a self-employed tutor to provide services to its clients, a written agreement is essential to establish the tutor’s independent contractor status, their DBS obligations, and the agency’s safeguarding responsibilities.
Parties in United Kingdom should prepare a Tutoring Agreement (UK) proactively rather than waiting for a dispute to arise. Courts interpret agreements based on the written terms rather than oral representations. Under the Companies Act 2006, Companies House maintains the register of UK companies. Section 386 of the Companies Act 2006 sets accounting record obligations. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) enforces the Consumer Rights Act 2015. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulates financial services under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. The High Court of Justice has jurisdiction under the Senior Courts Act 1981. Where the transaction involves regulated activities, prior approval from the relevant authority may be required before execution.
What to Include in Your Tutoring Agreement (UK)
A well-drafted UK Tutoring Agreement for England and Wales should contain the following key provisions:
Tutoring Services and Learning Objectives — A clear description of the subject or subjects to be taught (including the examination board and level where applicable), the agreed learning objectives, and any specific examination or assessment dates the student is working towards.
Session Details — The format of sessions (in-person at the student’s home, at the tutor’s premises, or online via video call), the frequency (weekly, twice-weekly), the duration of each session, and the start date.
Fees and Payment — The fee per session (in GBP), when payment is due (per session, weekly, or monthly), the accepted payment methods, and the consequences of late payment including statutory interest under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.
Cancellation Policy — The minimum notice required to cancel or reschedule a session without charge (typically 24 to 48 hours), the late cancellation charge (as a percentage of the session fee), and the tutor’s right to cancel without charge where genuine emergency prevents attendance.
Safeguarding and DBS — Confirmation that the tutor holds (or will obtain) an Enhanced DBS check for regulated activity where the student is under 18; confirmation that the client understands their responsibility to confirm an appropriate adult is present during in-person sessions; and the tutor’s commitment to follow applicable safeguarding procedures.
Conduct and Communication — Professional boundaries, restrictions on one-to-one social media communications with under-18 students, and the requirement to copy parents or guardians on communications with minor students.
Equality and Non-Discrimination — Compliance with the Equality Act 2010 and the duty to make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities or learning difficulties.
Confidentiality — The tutor’s obligation to keep the student’s personal and academic information confidential, with exceptions for legally required safeguarding disclosures.
Intellectual Property — Confirmation that tutoring materials remain the tutor’s intellectual property and may only be used by the student for personal educational purposes.
Governing Law — A clause confirming that the agreement is governed by the laws of England and Wales with exclusive jurisdiction in the courts of England and Wales.
Additional compliance elements for a Tutoring Agreement (UK) used in United Kingdom include: Under the Companies Act 2006, Companies House maintains the register of UK companies. Section 386 of the Companies Act 2006 sets accounting record obligations. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) enforces the Consumer Rights Act 2015. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulates financial services under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. The High Court of Justice has jurisdiction under the Senior Courts Act 1981. Forms-legal.com provides this template as a starting point for United Kingdom-compliant documentation.
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Forms Legal. (2026). Tutoring Agreement (UK) (United Kingdom) [Legal document template]. Forms Legal. https://forms-legal.com/uk/business/contracts/tutoring-agreement-uk
"Tutoring Agreement (UK) (United Kingdom)." Forms Legal, 2026, https://forms-legal.com/uk/business/contracts/tutoring-agreement-uk.
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title = {Tutoring Agreement (UK) (United Kingdom)},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://forms-legal.com/uk/business/contracts/tutoring-agreement-uk}},
note = {Free legal document template. Based on Companies Act 2006}
}Also available for these jurisdictions:
Frequently Asked Questions
There is no single law in England and Wales that requires all private tutors to obtain a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check as a precondition to practising. However, whether a DBS check is required (and at what level) depends on the nature of the tutoring activity. Under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (as amended by the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012), a DBS check is mandatory for those engaged in ‘regulated activity’ with children. Regulated activity includes teaching, training, instruction, or care provided to children in an institution (such as a school or tutoring centre), where the individual works unsupervised, frequently, or intensively. For private tutors working on a one-to-one basis in a child’s home, the position is more nuanced: the activity may fall within regulated activity if it is carried out frequently (once a week or more), or for a total of three or more days within a 30-day period, or overnight. Enhanced DBS checks (with barred list check) are required for regulated activity. The DBS Update Service allows clients to check a tutor’s DBS certificate status at any time with the tutor’s consent. Even where not legally required, the vast majority of professional tutors and tutoring agencies obtain Enhanced DBS checks as a matter of best practice and client assurance.
Safeguarding obligations for private tutors in England and Wales arise from a combination of statute, statutory guidance, and professional best practice. The primary legislative framework includes the Children Act 1989 and 2004, the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, and the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. While private tutors working on a self-employed basis are not directly subject to the statutory guidance ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ (which applies to schools and colleges), they are subject to a general legal duty not to cause harm to children. The DBS barring scheme (administered under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006) makes it an offence for a barred individual to work in regulated activity with children, and an offence for an employer to knowingly engage a barred person in regulated activity. Practically, safeguarding obligations for private tutors include: (1) ensuring an appropriate adult is present (or in the property) for all in-person sessions with under-18 students unless the parents have expressly waived this; (2) avoiding one-to-one digital communications with under-18 students on personal social media platforms; (3) reporting any reasonable concern about a child’s welfare to the local authority children’s services or the police; and (4) maintaining appropriate physical and professional boundaries.
The Equality Act 2010 prohibits discrimination, harassment, and victimisation by service providers on the basis of nine protected characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. Private tutors who provide tutoring services to members of the public are ‘service providers’ for the purposes of Part 3 of the Equality Act 2010 and must not discriminate against actual or potential clients on the basis of any protected characteristic. The duty to make reasonable adjustments (Section 20 Equality Act 2010) is particularly relevant for tutors working with students with disabilities or learning difficulties: a tutor must take reasonable steps to remove barriers that put a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage compared with a non-disabled person. What is ‘reasonable’ depends on the circumstances, including the cost of the adjustment and the tutor’s resources. Common reasonable adjustments in tutoring include providing materials in larger fonts, using different teaching methods, allowing additional time, or conducting sessions online rather than in person to accommodate mobility difficulties.
A tutoring agreement can and should address the tutor’s liability for examination outcomes, but any limitation clause must comply with the requirements of English law. Under the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 and the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (where the client is a consumer), any term that seeks to exclude or restrict liability for breach of contract or negligence must satisfy a ‘reasonableness’ or ‘fairness’ test. A clause stating that the tutor does not guarantee any specific examination results, university admissions outcomes, or academic grades is generally commercially reasonable, because examination outcomes depend on many factors beyond the tutor’s control, including the student’s prior knowledge, study habits, examination performance, and health on the day. However, a tutor cannot exclude liability for death or personal injury caused by their own negligence (Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977, Section 2(1)), nor can they exclude liability for fraudulent misrepresentation. A well-drafted limitation clause should state clearly that the tutor will provide services with reasonable care and skill (as required by Section 13 of the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982) but does not warrant specific outcomes.
Under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (CDPA 1988), a tutor who is self-employed and creates original tutoring materials (worksheets, lesson plans, practice papers, revision guides, and annotated notes) owns the copyright in those materials as their creator. Unlike an employment relationship (where Section 11(2) CDPA 1988 would vest copyright in the employer), a freelance tutor retains copyright in their work product. This means the client (parent or student) does not have the right to reproduce, share, or distribute the tutor’s materials without permission, even though they have paid for the tutoring sessions. A tutoring agreement should clarify that the client and student may use the materials for the student’s personal educational purposes only, and that the tutor’s materials may not be reproduced, shared online, uploaded to tutoring platforms, or distributed to other students without the tutor’s consent. The copyright issue also applies to recording sessions: neither party should record sessions without the other’s written consent, and any recordings would attract copyright protection as a film or sound recording under the CDPA 1988.
This template is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change over time. Consult a qualified attorney for advice specific to your situation.Full disclaimer
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