Being a home tutor is one of the most popular jobs in Britain, with 1 in 4 UK school children now using a private tutor. Figures show the number of private tutors outnumbers the NHS, solicitors and teachers.
Ipsos Mori calculated there were 1.5 million people who earn money from teaching pupils outside school. In contrast, there are 442,000 full-time teachers, 370,000 nurses and 118,000 solicitors in England and Wales. An estimated 24 per cent of pupils have used a tutor over the last year, with that figure rising to 40 per cent in London.
The industry is booming and there’s never been as much demand for tutors in the UK. More and more teachers and university graduates are choosing to work as private tutors and, after speaking to 30+ private tutors, here a few common reasons why we think that is:
1) Financially Rewarding – an average hourly rate of £20 per hour with low overheads, although qualified teachers can often command more based on their skills.
“I started tutoring after getting my degree as a teacher to get extra money in a job that fitted around my teaching hours. However, I’m now in a much better situation financially but have carried on Tutoring because I enjoy it so much!” Laura
2) Flexibility – tutoring generally takes place after the school day has finished and at weekends, so fits around other commitments
“My reason for becoming a home tutor was really family based. I had left my full time job as a teacher after having my son and needed a job that would work around supply teaching and family life. This fits the bill perfectly!” Kelly
3) Personally Rewarding – Home tutoring can be hugely rewarding in terms of seeing students achieve their potential.
“I feel valued and trusted and empowered – all the things that I didn’t feel when I worked in main-stream education”.
“I did not realise that I would become such a part of each family! Connecting with the mums (and dads) and speaking about their hopes and aspirations for their children is touching and can be very emotional on both sides.” Kelly
“I love being a home tutor! The parents make me feel valued and part of the family and it is a joy to spend time with the students. Even when they are having a bad day I feel I can make a difference.”
4) Tailor made education – providing the opportunity to make education fun and engaging again.
“Working 1:1 it’s possible to make lessons more fun and interesting and targeted. It gives the child the chance to focus on the activity without distraction and to ask questions.”
“Working with just one student means I can plan tailor-made lessons, create diverse differentiated learning materials and suddenly change my lesson plan to meet the student’s immediate needs.”
Sounds like the sort of rewarding work you might be interested in? So how do you go about getting started, it can be quite daunting, as one of our tutors said: “Thinking about it was more stressful than beginning!” There is currently no official accreditation for home educators in the UK, so how qualified a tutor should be is generally at the discretion of students and parents using the services. At Tutor My Kids, all of our tutors, with a few exceptions, are qualified teachers; occasionally we recruit great graduates with the right skills.
We also carry out DBS Checks on all our tutors. DBS stands for Disclosure and Barring Service and has taken over from CRB checks following the merger of the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) in June last year.
So if you’re a teacher, with experience of planning and teaching the UK curriculum, and are friendly and approachable with a genuine interest in motivating younger people (or know someone who is) then you’re just who we’re looking for. Please email or call us (details below) to find out more about how becoming a home tutor could work for you.
Tutor My Kids
Email: hello@tutormykids.co.uk
Phone: 01223 858421