Most private tutors in the UK work on informal arrangements: a rate agreed over WhatsApp, sessions booked week by week, and no written record of the terms. This works until it does not — until a parent disputes a session you know happened, until someone refuses to pay a cancellation charge they claim they never agreed to, until a student drops three sessions during exam period with no notice. A written agreement, even a short one, prevents almost all of these problems. This guide explains what to include and provides a template you can adapt immediately.
What a tutoring agreement needs to cover
You do not need a ten-page legal document. You need a one-page agreement that both parties have seen and acknowledged. The minimum terms that prevent most disputes are:
- The names of the tutor, the parent/client, and the student
- The subject(s) being tutored and the level
- The session format (online, in-person, or both) and duration
- The hourly rate (or session rate)
- The billing cycle and payment method
- The cancellation policy: how much notice is required and what fee (if any) applies
- Notice period for ending the arrangement
Optional but useful:
- Safeguarding clause (for in-person sessions, specifying that a parent or responsible adult is present)
- Homework and preparation expectations
- What happens if the tutor needs to cancel
- Whether sessions are recorded (online)
- Data handling (how student information is stored and for how long)
A tutoring agreement template
Copy, adapt, and send to new families before the first session. A shared Google Doc or PDF sent by email both work. You do not need a witnessed signature — an email reply confirming the terms is sufficient evidence that both parties agreed.
TUTORING AGREEMENT
Tutor: [Your Full Name]
Client (Parent/Guardian): [Parent Full Name]
Student: [Student Name]
Date: [DD/MM/YYYY]
Sessions
Subject: [e.g., GCSE Mathematics — AQA Higher]
Format: [Online via Zoom / In-person at student's address / In-person at tutor's address]
Duration: [60 minutes per session]
Scheduled time: [e.g., Every Tuesday at 4:00pm, term-time]
Fees
Rate: £[XX] per session
Billing: [Monthly in arrears, invoiced on the last working day of each month]
Payment: [Bank transfer within 7 days of invoice / Stripe payment link]
Sort code: [XX-XX-XX] — Account number: [XXXXXXXX] — Ref: [Student surname / Invoice number]
Cancellation
Either party may cancel or reschedule a session with at least [24 / 48] hours' notice at no charge.
Sessions cancelled with less than [24 / 48] hours' notice will be charged at [50% / 100%] of the session fee, unless due to illness or exceptional circumstances.
Where the tutor cancels, sessions will be rescheduled at no extra charge. If rescheduling is not possible, the session will not be charged.
Notice period
Either party may end this arrangement by giving [two weeks' / one month's] written notice. Sessions within the notice period are billable as normal.
Safeguarding (in-person sessions)
A parent or responsible adult will be present in the property during all in-person sessions.
General
This agreement represents the full terms agreed between both parties. Any changes to rate, schedule, or cancellation terms will be communicated in writing with at least [two weeks'] notice.
By replying to confirm these terms (by email or message), both parties agree to the above.
Getting the cancellation policy right
The cancellation policy is the clause that prevents the most disputes and earns the most pushback. A few practical points:
48 hours is the standard. 24 hours is common but gives you less time to fill the slot. 48 hours gives you a reasonable window to offer the session to a waiting student. Most parents accept 48 hours without objection when it is explained at the start of the relationship.
50% charge is the norm for late cancellations. A 100% charge is defensible for very short notice, but 50% tends to feel fair to parents and is less likely to cause a dispute. Some tutors waive the first late cancellation as a gesture of goodwill, then enforce it thereafter.
Always carve out illness.Charging full price when a child is genuinely unwell creates bad feeling. The standard clause is that illness is treated differently from non-attendance — the session is rescheduled rather than charged. You may want to require notice as early as possible even for illness.
Be consistent. The tutors who have the most trouble with cancellations are the ones who enforce the policy sometimes and waive it other times. Inconsistency creates an expectation that you will always cave if pushed. Enforce gently and consistently from the start.
Including future rate increases
A good agreement includes a sentence on rate increases so they are not a surprise later: “Rates are reviewed annually. Any increase will be communicated in writing with at least one month's notice.” This sets the expectation from the start that your rate will go up over time, which makes the actual increase conversation significantly easier. Our guide on how to set and raise your tutoring rate covers when and how to increase rates without losing students.
How to send it without it feeling formal
The biggest reason tutors do not send written agreements is that they worry it will seem bureaucratic or off-putting to parents who just want a friendly tutor. The opposite is usually true: a short, clear agreement signals that you are organised and professional. Parents who are paying £50+ per session want to feel they are dealing with someone who takes the work seriously.
A short covering note removes any awkwardness: “Before we get started I just like to share my standard terms — they're short and just cover the practical details like billing and cancellation. If you're happy with everything, just reply to confirm and we're all set.” Matter-of-fact, not apologetic.
Send it before the first session, not after. Once tutoring has started, introducing written terms feels like a retrospective change of terms. Before the first session, it is simply how you do business.
What to keep
Keep a copy of each agreement and the parent's confirmation email. If you ever need to refer back to agreed terms, you want both documents. A folder per student in Google Drive or a simple filing system is enough.
TutorLab stores student details and notes against each student profile. While it does not generate legal agreements, having the session history, invoices, and parent communication in one place means you have a complete record if a dispute ever arises.
For the full picture on professional admin — invoicing, HMRC records, and payment management — read our guides on invoicing for UK tutors and reducing admin as a private tutor.