Tutoring models and providers compared

Guide directory

Guides in Tutoring models and providers compared

A good starting point is the tutor versus teacher guide below, which explains what each role is trained and registered to do, how qualified teacher status and tutor vetting differ across the UK, and when each option is the better fit for your child. The same questions run through every provider decision in this section: who checks the tutor's background and qualifications, who steps in if lessons are not working, what happens to your money if you stop, and how easily you can switch if the match is wrong. Agencies, marketplaces, tuition centres and independent tutors answer those questions differently, so it pays to know what you are comparing before you book anything. The differences show up in practice more than in the marketing: an independent tutor found through word of mouth may be excellent but leaves you to check references and DBS status yourself; a marketplace gives you choice and reviews but usually little help if the match goes wrong; an agency costs more per hour but typically handles vetting, matching and replacements; and tuition centres trade one-to-one attention for structure and group rates. This section is for parents at the comparison stage, before any money changes hands, and each guide sets out the trade-offs neutrally rather than steering you to a single answer. For prices and value for money, the tutoring costs and value section sits alongside this one.