29%
of surveyed secondary pupils had received private tutoring at some point
Tutor news and market context
Sutton Trust private tutoring report: what tutors should know
Private tutoring use has grown, but access is uneven. Here are the key England and Wales findings, the school-tutoring context and the responsible takeaways for independent tutors.
45%
of surveyed London pupils had received private tutoring
20%
of pupils had received one-to-one or small-group tutoring in school
58%
of schools had reduced their tutoring offer, according to teacher polling cited by Sutton Trust
Current answer
What did the Sutton Trust private tutoring report find?
The Sutton Trust private tutoring report found that private/home tuition is now used by a larger share of surveyed secondary pupils in England and Wales than when the Trust began tracking the measure. Its headline wording is: “29% of secondary school students in England and Wales have had private tutoring at some point.” The same measure was 27% in 2019 and 18% twenty years earlier. — Sutton Trust
For tutors, the important takeaway is not simply that demand is higher. The same findings show that access remains uneven: private tutoring was more common among better-off households, London pupils and urban pupils. The school-tutoring picture is different again. The report says: “20% of pupils had received one to one or small group tutoring in their school.” It also cites separate 2025 teacher polling in which 58% of schools had reduced their tutoring offer. — Sutton Trust
The responsible tutor-facing conclusion is: the market signal is real, but it is uneven. Tutors can use the findings to understand demand, access and policy context, but should avoid reading them as proof of guaranteed demand in every subject, level or location.
The headline numbers from Private Tutoring 2026
These figures are from the Sutton Trust’s Private Tutoring 2026 findings, based on Ipsos Young People Omnibus data. The survey scope matters because it covers secondary-school pupils in England and Wales within defined school settings, not every child in the UK. — Sutton Trust
Survey scope
3,214 interviews with young people aged 11 to 17 in secondary schools in England and Wales. Fieldwork was online from 16 January to 13 June 2025 and weighted by gender, age and region.
Who was outside the scope
The Sutton Trust notes exclusions from the survey scope, including independent schools, alternative provision, special schools and sixth form colleges.
Overall private tutoring use
29% of surveyed secondary pupils had received private/home tuition at some point, compared with 27% in 2019 and 18% twenty years earlier.
Exam-year pattern
Year 11 pupils were the year group most likely to have had private tutoring, at 25%, followed by Year 10 at 10%.
School-based tutoring
20% of pupils had received one-to-one or small-group tutoring in school, down slightly from 22% in 2023.
Where private tutoring use is most uneven
The strongest interpretation for tutors is that private tutoring growth is not evenly spread. The table below keeps the Sutton Trust figures separate from practical market interpretation. — Sutton Trust
Private tutoring uptake varies by household income, region and urban-rural location.
| Pattern | Sutton Trust figure | Careful interpretation for tutors |
|---|---|---|
Household income | 23% of pupils in the worst-off households had used private tutoring, compared with 30% in the best-off households. | The access gap remains close to pre-pandemic levels. Tutors should avoid assuming all families can pay for the same frequency, format or length of support. |
London, England and Wales | 45% of London pupils had received private tutoring, compared with 27% in the rest of England and 24% in Wales. | London appears much more tutoring-dense in this data, but the figure does not prove demand, pricing or parent willingness to pay for any individual tutor. |
Urban and rural areas | 33% of urban pupils had used private tutoring, compared with 19% of rural pupils. | Online tutoring may widen reach, but the report still points to a place-based access gap that tutors should not ignore. |
Private tutoring and school-based tutoring are not the same thing
The Sutton Trust findings use both private/home tuition and school-based tutoring figures. Tutors should keep these categories separate when talking to families or writing about the report. GOV.UK pupil premium guidance says: “Tutoring is an effective and well-evidenced targeted approach to increase the attainment of disadvantaged pupils.” That England guidance is about school funding and targeted academic support, not a private-tutor entitlement for families. — Sutton Trust; GOV.UK
Key terms tutors may see in the report
These plain-English definitions help keep the article precise and prevent private tutoring, school support and evidence terms from being blurred together.
Private/home tuition
Tutoring arranged outside ordinary school provision, usually by families, to support school work, exams or specific learning goals.
School-based tutoring
One-to-one or small-group tutoring arranged by a school rather than privately by a family.
National Tutoring Programme
An England programme that funded targeted academic tutoring in schools between the 2020/21 and 2023/24 academic years.
Pupil premium
Additional funding for state-funded schools in England to help raise the educational outcomes of disadvantaged 5- to 16-year-olds.
One-to-one tuition
Intensive individual support from a teacher, teaching assistant or other adult, delivered to one pupil at a time.
Small-group tuition
Tuition where one teacher, trained teaching assistant or tutor works with two to five pupils together.
Attainment gap
The difference in educational outcomes between disadvantaged pupils and their peers.
What the evidence says about one-to-one and small-group tuition
Tutors can refer to the evidence base for tutoring, but it should be used carefully. The Education Endowment Foundation says: “Evidence indicates that one to one tuition can be effective, providing approximately five additional months’ progress on average.” It also says: “Small group tuition is defined as one teacher, trained teaching assistant or tutor working with two to five pupils together in a group.” — Education Endowment Foundation; Education Endowment Foundation
Those are average findings from intervention evidence. They are not a promise that a private tutor will produce a particular grade, entrance result or amount of progress for an individual pupil.
One-to-one tuition
EEF reports about five additional months’ progress on average, when comparing the evidence it reviews.
Small-group tuition
EEF reports about four additional months’ progress on average for small-group tuition.
Better tutor wording
Focus on targeted goals, diagnosis, practice and feedback rather than guaranteed results.
Stronger than the evidence allows
Avoid saying tutoring guarantees a grade, closes a gap by itself or is always the right choice for every pupil.
What independent tutors should take from the report
The Sutton Trust private tutoring report is useful for independent tutors, but the practical response should be measured, ethical and evidence-aware.
-
Treat the trend as uneven growth
Private tutoring use has grown over time, but uptake differs by income, region and urban-rural location. Plan your offer around real enquiries, not a national headline alone.
-
Use affordability-aware language
Because the report highlights access gaps, avoid pressure-based marketing that tells families they are falling behind if they do not book more tuition.
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Be specific about the support you offer
Frame tutoring around identified learning goals, schoolwork, exam preparation, subject confidence or structured practice.
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Avoid result guarantees
Do not promise grades, admissions results, scholarship outcomes or a fixed amount of progress for a particular pupil.
-
Keep service claims separate
Only make claims about your own prices, checks, availability, subjects or outcomes when you have current evidence for them.
-
Remember the school context
Reduced school tutoring may increase family interest, but it does not prove the right response for every pupil is private tuition.
Careful wording for a parent enquiry
A careful way to discuss the findings with families
A parent asks whether the Sutton Trust report proves their child now needs private tutoring.
The Sutton Trust report suggests private tutoring is becoming more common, but it does not prove that every child needs tuition or that tuition guarantees a particular result. The useful question is what your child needs help with now, and whether targeted one-to-one or small-group support could complement what they are already doing in school.
It uses the evidence without scare tactics, avoids promises about results and brings the conversation back to the pupil’s current needs.
Sources behind the findings
The main figures in this guide come from the Sutton Trust. GOV.UK, GOV.WALES and Education Endowment Foundation sources provide the policy and evidence context.
- Open source
Sutton Trust — Private Tutoring 2026
- Open source
GOV.UK — National Tutoring Programme statistics
- Open source
GOV.UK — NTP grant conditions
- Open source
GOV.UK — Pupil premium guidance
- Open source
Education Endowment Foundation — One to one tuition
- Open source
Education Endowment Foundation — Small group tuition
- Open source
GOV.WALES — RRRS programme evaluation
Related guidance
More guidance from this section
More guidance from this part of the Ed Centre that may help with the same decision, stage or next step.
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Support and clarity
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers to the questions people ask most often.
What did the Sutton Trust private tutoring report show?
It found that 29% of surveyed secondary pupils in England and Wales had received private/home tuition at some point, up from 27% in 2019 and 18% twenty years earlier. It also showed continuing gaps by income, region and urban-rural location.
Is private tutoring growing in England and Wales?
Yes, within the Sutton Trust’s survey measure. The reported share rose from 18% twenty years earlier to 27% in 2019 and 29% in the 2026 findings. That is growth over time, but not equal uptake everywhere.
Where is private tutoring use highest?
The Sutton Trust reported the highest uptake in London, where 45% of surveyed pupils had received private tutoring, compared with 27% in the rest of England and 24% in Wales. Urban pupils also had higher uptake than rural pupils, at 33% versus 19%.
How does private tutoring differ by household income?
The report found that 23% of pupils in the worst-off households had used private tutoring compared with 30% in the best-off households. Tutors should treat this as an access issue as well as a market signal.
What is the difference between private tutoring and school-based tutoring?
Private/home tuition is usually arranged outside school by families. School-based tutoring is arranged by a school, often as one-to-one or small-group support. The Sutton Trust figures show different patterns for the two categories, so they should not be merged.
Did the National Tutoring Programme end?
Yes. GOV.UK describes 2023/24 as the final academic year of the National Tutoring Programme and says NTP funding was not awarded beyond that year. This is England policy context, not a Wales programme.
Can tutors cite the EEF evidence when talking about tutoring?
Yes, if they use it carefully. EEF evidence says one-to-one and small-group tuition can be effective on average, but averages are not guarantees for an individual pupil, tutor, subject or exam result.
What do the findings mean for independent tutors?
They suggest a larger and more visible private tutoring market, but also one shaped by access gaps. Tutors should use evidence-led, affordability-aware language, be clear about what their support can and cannot promise, and avoid implying that every pupil needs private tuition.
Sources and references
Sources and references
Official guidance
- 1.GOV.UK — National Tutoring Programme, Academic year 2023/24
Official DfE statistics for the England National Tutoring Programme and its final statistical release.
- 2.GOV.UK — National Tutoring Programme grant funding conditions 2023 to 2024
Official grant conditions confirming that NTP funding was not awarded beyond the 2023/24 academic year.
- 3.GOV.UK — Using pupil premium: guidance for school leaders
England guidance for pupil premium and targeted academic support, including one-to-one and small-group tuition.
- 4.GOV.WALES — Evaluation of the Recruit, Recover and Raise Standards Programme
Wales recovery-context source used to keep Wales policy context separate from England's National Tutoring Programme.
Peer-reviewed research
- 1.Sutton Trust — Private Tutoring 2026
Primary source for the headline private tutoring figures, survey scope, income and regional patterns, and school-based tutoring figures.
- 2.Education Endowment Foundation — One to one tuition
Definition and average-progress evidence for one-to-one tuition.
- 3.Education Endowment Foundation — Small group tuition
Definition and average-progress evidence for small-group tuition.