Frequently asked questions

All tutors are eligible to apply for a Tutoring Plus assignment provided you have completed the training in the subject required. The Tutoring Plus team will support you with these very rewarding but slightly different assignments. 

Tutoring Plus assignments combine 1:1 academic support with other provisions to boost a young person's confidence, life skills, or social and emotional well-being. These young people already face more challenges than their classmates, including having more complex needs and learning gaps due to missing school. Tuition can be delivered in school, at home and online.

We will aim to respond to all bids within a week. If you are concerned, you will find the contact details of the relevant coordinator in the position’s shift notes. Please do not hesitate to reach out and request an update on your application.

In preparation for an upcoming assignment, utilise all of the information given to you in the Introductory Meeting document. You can also access training and lesson-planning resources via Thinqi. Please do not hesitate to contact your Programme Coordinator who can put you in touch with our Development team.

Your Programme Coordinator will have emailed you a copy of your Introductory Meeting document. This includes key information about your programme logistics, the content you’ll be delivering, the school’s address and contact details, as well as all relevant contacts, including the School Partnership Lead, Designated Safeguarding Lead, Programme Coordinator, and Tutor Trust Safeguarding Leads.

In either case, please make the school aware as soon as possible, via email or phone. Please also alert your Programme Coordinator with as much notice as possible, so that cover can be organised or sessions can be rescheduled.

If no pupils attend a session, please inform both your Programme Coordinator and the School Partnership Lead. You will still be paid for the session, provided the school did not give prior notice of the absences.

Tutors should be available for the entirety of an assignment when they agree to take it on. It’s important to the young people we work with that they have consistency. However, we recognise that things can happen unexpectedly which affect your availability. Please discuss these things with your programme coordinator with as much notice as possible.

Your feedback should include details about the content covered in your session, updates on pupil behaviour and engagement, areas of progress or difficulty, follow-up actions, and any recommendations. Please also include attendance notes, such as the names of any unexpected attendees, and highlight any safeguarding concerns (which should also be reported to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and your Programme Coordinator).

The process you should follow for reporting concerns is:

•          Report the issue as soon as practically possible to the school/college’s DSL (i.e., before you leave the school/college building); and 

•          Report the issue as soon as practically possible to The Tutor Trust’s DSL or Deputy DSLs. 

Your coordinator will provide you with all relevant safeguarding contacts or you can refer to this page on Safeguarding.

Sometimes, assignment dates are altered e.g. if some sessions have been rescheduled. If this happens and you are unavailable, we may find an available cover tutor for the sessions you will miss, or rearrange them for the following term, depending on what suits the school or college best.

The programme coordinator will confirm all arrangements with you before the assignment begins, but you can also see details of all your active assignments on the Tutor:HUB.

The hub is your portal to tutoring assignments. It is where you can bid for assignments, complete attendance registers and keep track of invoices. To apply for work, you will need to bid for assignments, to do this: 

• Click on the ‘Apply for Assignments’ tab.
• Check the filters are aligned with the subject/s you are trained in and the region you are based.
• Once you see a suitable assignment, click the ‘Details’ tab to see more information.
• Check the ‘Shift notes’ for any extra information about the assignment.
• Click ‘Apply’ to bid for the assignment; add any supporting detail into the application notes box if relevant, i.e. distance to the school, and availability.
• Click ‘Next’ to submit your bid!

If you need a replacement certificate, you can order a replacement.

If you did your GCSEs (or equivalent) abroad, please send us these certificates.

Once you've completed your initial training in your chosen subject, you're welcome to expand your tutoring capabilities, so long as you have the necessary grades/qualifications in other subjects. In fact, the more subjects you're qualified to tutor in (such as maths, English, and science), the more tutoring opportunities will become available to you; we encourage all tutors to undertake transfer training in additional subjects to help you grow your skills and access even more opportunities.

Our Core Training and live sessions are key to your progress, as detailed here. We understand that life can sometimes present unexpected challenges, and reaching out to us proactively and communicating openly is always the best approach when these situations arise, so that we can discuss potential accommodations. Consistent communication, including responding promptly to our messages and keeping us informed of any potential delays, is not only key to successfully completing your training but is also a cornerstone of effective tutoring.

To avoid missed training sessions and delays in starting tutoring, please contact us.

The training involves approximately 10 hours of online, self-paced learning that you can complete at your convenience. In addition, there are three Live Sessions held on Zoom with our trainers and fellow new tutors, totalling 3.5 hours spread across these sessions. You can find more information on Core Tutor Training here.

Contact us at recruitment@thetutortrust.org as soon as possible to let us know - please include your reasons for cancelling or if you wish to reschedule, your availability.

All our interviews take place on Zoom. Please ensure you have a quiet space and a strong internet connection in advance so that the interview can run smoothly.

The interview will take around 45 minutes.

The working day before your interview, we ask that you return a Self-Declaration Form, which will be sent to you via email.

During the interview, we will also need to see proof of photo ID on screen, so please have this to hand. 

For more information on our data protection policy, please see our Privacy Policy.

All our tutors are required to complete our comprehensive Core Tutor Training. This essential training will equip you with the skills and knowledge you need to excel in your role.

The training involves approximately 10 hours of online, self-paced learning that you can complete at your convenience. In addition, there are three Live Sessions held on Zoom with our trainers and fellow new tutors, totalling 3.5 hours spread across these sessions.

You can find out when our next training dates on our Training page.

We want to support you if you need an adjustment during the recruitment process. The Tutor Trust is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone. If you request a Reasonable Adjustment on your application form, a member of our recruitment and development team will contact you to understand and confirm the type of adjustment(s) you need.

Adjustments will be offered based on your needs and considered on a case-by-case basis, so please don’t be afraid to ask for help if you think you need it. If you have any questions about Reasonable Adjustments, get in touch.

At Tutor Trust, Widening Participation means making sure we provide equal access and opportunities for everyone, especially those from backgrounds that are underrepresented in education. Through our Tutor Access Programme (TAP), we aim to build a tutor team that reflects the communities and young people we support.

We ask if you identify with any of the listed backgrounds to help us fairly assess your application and ensure our team is diverse and inclusive. Sharing this info is voluntary - if you’d rather not say, just select I prefer not to specify. If you want to know more about how we handle your data, you can contact us or read the Privacy Policy.

Yes, definitely! Please include details about your current degree, such as your course, university, and expected graduation date.

Tutor Trust is committed to safeguarding and takes its responsibility seriously. It is a legal requirement that all our tutors have an enhanced DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) certificate that is listed on the Update Service (which will cost you £16, should you be successful at interview). Once we’ve been notified that your DBS has been issued, we’ll contact you with guidance on how to add this to the DBS Update Service to complete the DBS process. You need to add your DBS to the Update Service within 21 days of your DBS issue date. Unfortunately, we’re unable to do this for you, and there is a charge of £16.

NOTE: It is an offence to apply for a role if you are barred from engaging in a regulated activity relevant to children.

You can read our full child protection and safeguarding policies and practices, and read more about our approach to DBS and what documents you will need in our Guide to DBS article.

We recognise that valuable subject knowledge and skills can be acquired through various routes. If you do not meet the GCSE grade 6 requirement, please tell us in your application if you:

• Studied that subject at A-Level;
• Are currently studying for a degree in the subject or a closely related field;
• Applied your subject knowledge through an extended period of relevant work or volunteering experience;
• Gained qualifications equivalent to GCSE level in that subject in another country. We accept international equivalents if you did not attend school in the UK, such as IGCSEs, WASSCE, or Irish Junior Cycle. Please fill out your qualifications in the Education Details section;
• Possess significant lived experience, particularly backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in higher education or other experiences of navigating educational disadvantage, recognising the importance of intersectional identities. Lived experiences provide a strong understanding of the multiple and interconnected challenges pupils from similar backgrounds may face and are a significant asset in relating to and supporting them. Your insights into the subject matter, informed by your own experiences, are highly valued.

For any questions about grade requirements, please get in touch.

You must have the legal right to work in the UK. Depending on how you join us, the specific requirements are:

• Standard candidates: You must have the right to work and register as self-employed in the UK by the start of the position (before training begins). Please note that UK Student Visas do not permit self-employment.
• Tees Valley candidates via Unitemps: If you are applying for a Tees Valley role specifically through Unitemps, you can be on a UK Student Visa, provided you comply with your visa's weekly hourly work limits.
• Other Tees Valley candidates: If you are applying for a Tees Valley role but not through Unitemps, you must meet the standard self-employed criteria above.

Please note:

Visa sponsorship: We do not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License and cannot sponsor individuals via Skilled Worker Sponsorship / Tier 2 (General) work visas.

Proving your status: If you receive a conditional offer, you must immediately provide proof of your right to work (and your right to be self-employed, if applicable). For a list of acceptable documents, visit: gov.uk/right-to-work-checklist. If applicable, you can obtain a share code to prove your immigration status at gov.uk/view-prove-immigration-status.

Our tutors work for us on a self-employed basis. If you're a UK citizen, then you'll be able to do this on the UK Government website and should complete this before taking on any work with us.

If you're not a UK citizen but your immigration status allows you to work as self-employed in the UK, then you should check your Right to Work (link opens on the UK Government website) before applying.

If you're not a UK citizen and your immigration status doesn't allow you to work as self-employed in the UK, then you wouldn't be able to be a self-employed tutor with us. If in any doubt, you can:

• Check your Right to Work
• Email us

Note: it is your responsibility to ensure you can register for self-employment before applying to tutor with us.

We are building a tutor community that mirrors the diverse backgrounds of the young people we support. We actively encourage applications from individuals with varied experiences and perspectives, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds and those with lived experiences of marginalisation, valuing the unique experiences shaped by diverse and intersecting aspects of identity (like race, gender, class, and disability) and lived experience of marginalisation. We believe this diversity enriches our team and enables us to connect with and support our pupils more effectively.

Our application form includes equity monitoring questions. The information you provide will help us monitor the effectiveness of our recruitment policies and procedures in the long term and will form part of your record if your application is successful.

We aim to create an inclusive recruitment process. If you require any reasonable adjustments to participate fully in the application or interview stages, please let us know.

You don't need to have teaching or tutoring experience to be a tutor with us, as we provide full training and support; however, if you do have any such experience, please highlight this in your application.

If you're a qualified teacher, then you'll have a bespoke training route to reflect this.

Most tutoring is:

• During the school day (8.00 - 16.00)
• Inside the school/college building
• During school/college term times.

Assignment lengths range from a one hour session, to a morning  or afternoon, up to a full day.

You can apply for as many assignments as you wish, but we ask that you consider that each tutoring assignment typically lasts 15 weeks. We follow the term timetable of partner schools, so tuition can sometimes run one or two weeks into the university holidays. Therefore, please check your availability before applying for an assignment.

The amount of available work varies depending on the time of year and the demand from schools/colleges and we cannot guarantee that work at a particular time or in a certain area will be available.

To be a tutor with us, you need to have a minimum of grade 6 at GCSE (or equivalent) in the subject you wish to tutor.

If you’re successful in your application, we’ll need to see your GCSE certificates as evidence of achieving these grades.

If you attended school before the advent of GCSEs, please enter your O-level grades in the ‘Education Details' section of the application.

International qualifications

We accept international equivalents if you did not attend school in the UK, such as IGCSEs, WASSCE, or Irish Junior Cycle. Please fill out your qualifications in the ‘Education Details’ section.

For any questions about grade requirements, please get in touch.

The Programme Coordinators will confirm the hours with the school(s)/college(s) where you have been working on a weekly basis. However, please also keep a record of the hours you work to ensure that you are paid the correct amount. 

If you think that you have been paid incorrectly, please contact your Programme Coordinator, who will review your payslip with you and follow up on any discrepancies you identify together. we will do our best to resolve any queries in a timely manner.

Tutor Trust will pay you in full for all sessions that are cancelled by the school/college less than 24 hours before the start time. This policy will only apply to face-to-face sessions (not online).

You will be paid for this month’s tutoring on the 15th of the following month, or earlier if the 15th falls at a weekend. For example, all tuition delivered in May will be paid on 15th June. Please note that payment is dependent on you submitting all registers in good time before the monthly deadline, which will be communicated to you by your Programme Coordinator.

If registers are not submitted within a week after the end of the month the session took place you may not be paid until the following month.

An unexpected attendee is a pupil who joins a session but is not listed on the register and has not been formally swapped in. In this case, please tick the unexpected attendance checkbox and include their name in the register feedback. Keep track of how many times the pupil attends - if they attend more than three times, inform your Programme Coordinator.

Registers will become available on the day of the session and won’t be visible beforehand. Please aim to complete them within 48 hours to ensure the information provided is accurate and up to date.

We deliver the majority of our tuition in-person as this has been proven to have the greatest impact on the attainment of the young people we work with.

There may be some opportunities to tutor online, but as these are limited and in demand, we cannot guarantee the availability of any online work.

You must advise us as soon as possible if there are any changes to either the hours, the days, or the number of children within the tuition assignment you are delivering. You should contact your Programme Coordinator directly, either by phone or email, with the details. 

We require a minimum of two references:

• Character Reference: This should be from someone who knows you outside of a work or academic setting and can speak about your personal qualities, integrity, and suitability for working with young people. This could be a community group leader, sports coach, religious leader, youth worker etc.
• Professional Reference: This can be academic (e.g., a teacher, tutor) or from an employer, focusing on your skills and work ethic in those settings.

To ensure impartiality, neither referee can be a relative or a friend, and you must have known each other for at least six months.

If you don’t have formal work experience, that’s ok! Focus on any relevant skills, volunteer work, tutoring you’ve done informally, or examples of responsibility and commitment from school or extracurricular activities. We value your potential and enthusiasm just as much.

As many as you like! But it is important to remember that you are responsible for your own timetable and how assignments will fit together.

Always make sure that you leave enough time for travel between assignment times. With every assignment, we expect tutors to commit to the full length (usually 12-15 weeks).