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What happened to First Tutors? What UK tutors should know now

A timestamped guide for tutors trying to understand the First Tutors closure notice, the company record behind the brand, the contact routes captured, and whether Latimer Tuition could be a good fit.

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Editorial

  • Portrait of Robin GibbonsLead authorFounder & CEO·Latimer Tuition
  • Reviewed byHeather LatimerTutor Matching & Customer Service·Latimer Tuition
  • Published
  • Updated
  • Last reviewed

Current answer

What happened to First Tutors?

Valid as of 17 June 2026. This is a developing story, and there is still very little hard evidence about the reason for the change. The live First Tutors page checked on 17 June 2026 says First Tutors has closed. It does not explain why the closure happened.

“made the difficult decision to close” — First Tutors closure notice

For existing queries, the notice gives info@firsttutors.co.uk. For data privacy enquiries, the live notice now points readers to a First Tutors privacy portal. We found no current official phone contact to rely on. Older contact pages, phone numbers or search snippets should be treated as historical unless First Tutors publishes them again.

The safest summary for tutors is: the First Tutors UK service appears closed, an official reason has not been found, and EduNation Limited remains active on Companies House. Website status and company status are different things, so the article separates them below.

Update, 17 June 2026: privacy requests, review recovery, imported-review rankings and new directory due diligence

Important: this update does not change the central finding of this article. We still have not found an official public explanation for why First Tutors closed, nor any official statement confirming insolvency, a cyberattack, a data breach, a legal dispute, or a planned migration to another tutoring platform. The developments below are practical and investigative updates for former First Tutors users: how the contact route appears to have changed, what some users are reporting about data requests, and how new tutor-directory platforms are trying to handle lost First Tutors reviews.

This update is also not an endorsement of any replacement platform, start-up, directory, agency or marketplace. Since First Tutors disappeared, several newer services have moved quickly to fill the large tutor-directory void that appeared in the UK tutoring market almost overnight. That is understandable: many tutors appear to have built years of lead generation, reviews and professional visibility on First Tutors. However, readers should treat every new platform as independent unless it can prove a legal or operational connection to First Tutors, EduNation Limited, or the previous First Tutors platform.

Before sending any private data, profile exports, screenshots, review files, DSAR responses, identity documents or student-related information to a third-party platform, check who operates it, what company sits behind it, what its terms say, how its review-import process works, whether imported reviews are clearly labelled, whether those reviews affect ranking, and what happens to your own profile if that new platform later closes.

Updated 17 June 2026

The live First Tutors privacy route now appears to point to a privacy portal

The live FirstTutors.com closure notice still says that First Tutors has made the decision to close after more than 20 years of trading. It continues to direct existing queries to info@firsttutors.co.uk. However, the current notice now says that data-privacy enquiries should be made through privacy.firsttutors.com/portal, rather than simply listing the DPO email address that appeared in the earlier closure notice.

This is a practical update for tutors and parents who are trying to recover profile data, messages, payment records, references, uploaded documents or review history. If you copied an older DSAR template that only names dpo@firsttutors.co.uk, you may now want to check the live First Tutors notice before sending or resending anything. The safest approach is to keep a dated screenshot of whichever official route you use, keep a copy of the request, and record the date it was sent.

We were able to verify that the privacy-portal link is now displayed on the live FirstTutors.com notice. We have not verified the contents or functionality of the privacy portal itself, so readers should not assume what information the portal asks for or how it processes requests until they have checked it directly. If the portal is unavailable, take a screenshot and consider sending a concise written query to the general contact route shown on the closure notice.

Reviewed 17 June 2026

Public reports about Subject Access Requests are now mixed

The earlier version of this article advised tutors to consider making a Subject Access Request, also known as a SAR or DSAR. That guidance is now supported by at least one public report from a former First Tutors user who says they emailed a SAR and received their reviews a couple of weeks later. This appears in the recent Trustpilot reviews for First Tutors.

This should be treated cautiously. Trustpilot reviews are user-generated comments; they are useful evidence of what people are reporting, but they are not independently verified legal findings. On the same Trustpilot page, another post-closure reviewer said they were still waiting for SAR information. The fair summary is therefore not “SARs always work”, but rather: some former users are publicly reporting progress, while others are still reporting delays or uncertainty.

The Information Commissioner’s Office explains that individuals can ask an organisation whether it is using or storing their personal information and can ask for copies of that information. The ICO also says organisations usually have one month to respond to a SAR. A tutor request should be specific: ask for your tutor profile text, subjects, rates, qualifications, reviews, ratings, feedback comments, messages sent and received, uploaded documents, references, account identifiers, billing or payment records, and any other personal data linked to your former account.

If you receive data from First Tutors, keep the original files and emails intact. Do not edit the raw response before saving it. If you later want to use that response to verify imported reviews on another platform, the original format, metadata and email headers may matter. Also be careful before forwarding DSAR responses to third parties, because they may contain parent, student, payment, message or identity information that should not be shared more widely than necessary.

Updated 17 June 2026

Review recovery has moved from a general idea to live platform workflows

The most important market development since the last update is that review recovery is no longer just a forum discussion. Some new platforms now publish detailed workflows for importing or reconstructing First Tutors review history. This matters because, for many self-employed tutors, First Tutors reviews were not merely decorative. They were a central part of professional credibility, search visibility and conversion.

TutorDex says tutors can import verifiable First Tutors reviews using Web Archive links or official data exports. Its explanation says archived snapshots can be scanned to identify a tutor’s highest lifetime review count and average rating. It also says that, where the full text of older reviews was not captured, the numerical rating history may still count for ranking purposes. This is a significant design choice and should be understood before tutors rely on it.

TutorDex also explains an important limitation of archive-based recovery: the Web Archive may only have captured the first page of a First Tutors profile, which often means only the most recent review text is preserved. Older review text may need to be reconstructed from multiple historical snapshots, and some review text may not be recoverable at all. This is a useful warning for tutors who assume their entire profile history can be restored automatically.

TutorPerch has published a separate review-recovery walkthrough. It describes a three-part process: claim an archived First Tutors profile, make a DSAR to First Tutors for anything the archive did not capture, and then upload the reply when it arrives. TutorPerch says ownership can be checked either through an avatar match against an identity-verified photo or by using an original First Tutors email with a DKIM signature. DKIM is a technical email-signing method that can help show whether an email genuinely came from the claimed sending domain and whether its body has been altered.

These systems are not the same as First Tutors restoring the old website. They are attempts by independent platforms to preserve or re-use evidence from a closed marketplace. Tutors should therefore ask how each platform verifies imported reviews, how imported reviews are labelled, whether review text can be edited or replaced, whether numerical ratings are separated from written testimonials, and what happens if the imported evidence later turns out to be incomplete or disputed.

Reviewed 17 June 2026

Imported First Tutors reviews are now a ranking-governance issue

The biggest investigative issue is not simply whether reviews can be imported. It is whether imported First Tutors reviews should affect search rankings on a new platform. TutorDex says that every verifiable First Tutors review imported through Web Archive links or official data exports will actively feed the TutorDex search algorithm. In other words, a tutor’s old First Tutors reputation may influence their visibility on TutorDex rather than merely appearing as historical context.

TutorPerch is taking a different stated approach. Its recovery page says imported First Tutors reviews sit in their own labelled block, separate from native TutorPerch reviews, and that imported First Tutors reviews do not currently feed TutorPerch search ranking. Its separate ranking page says TutorPerch does not sell placement and publishes a ranking formula based around review score, review recency, safeguarding badges and newcomer visibility slots.

This creates a genuine market-design question for tutors and parents. One approach says a tutor who built ten years of First Tutors reviews should not be forced to start from zero. The other approach says imported reviews should be visible but should not automatically shape search placement on the new platform. Neither model is automatically right or wrong, but readers should understand the difference because it affects who appears near the top of search results.

A good review-import policy should answer several questions clearly. Are imported First Tutors reviews labelled as imported? Does the platform show where the evidence came from? Do imported ratings affect search ranking? Are old reviews time-weighted? Can imported reviews be challenged? Are newer tutors given any visibility if established tutors arrive with large imported review counts? These questions matter because First Tutors reviews were created under First Tutors’ own systems, not under the rules of the new platform displaying them.

Reviewed 17 June 2026

TutorDex appears to have moved into a more functional marketplace phase

TutorDex now presents itself as a live private-tuition marketplace formed after the First Tutors closure. Its homepage describes a finder’s-fee model where a one-off payment, shown as between £9.99 and £39.99, releases a chosen tutor’s contact details. It says further payments, communications and arrangements are handled privately between the parent or student and the tutor, rather than through an hourly commission model.

TutorDex’s own terms of service state that the operator is TutorDex Ltd, a company incorporated in England and Wales under company number 15598084, with terms effective from 18 May 2026. That is useful due-diligence information, but readers should still check the company record and current terms themselves before relying on any new platform. New services can change pricing, ranking rules, refund policies and verification processes quickly as they grow.

Parents should also read TutorDex’s credential wording carefully. The terms say the platform assesses each tutor’s identity, background and qualifications, but they also say TutorDex is unable to check the credentials of each tutor and that clients should verify relevant information and documents before entering into a tutoring arrangement. That kind of caveat is common in directory-style models, but it is important. A tutor directory can help you discover tutors; it does not remove the need for parental due diligence.

For tutors, the important question is whether TutorDex’s review-import and ranking approach suits their situation. A tutor with a large First Tutors review history may welcome imported reviews feeding search visibility. A newer tutor, or a tutor whose archived First Tutors profile is incomplete, may want to understand how discovery slots, new-tutor visibility, paid tiers and imported-review weight interact. Do not assume “First Tutors alternative” means the same rules, safeguards or ranking incentives as First Tutors.

Reviewed 17 June 2026

TutorPerch now shows imported First Tutors review counts in its live directory

TutorPerch’s live tutor directory now visibly displays imported First Tutors review counts on some tutor cards. At the time checked, the directory said it was showing 24 of 352 tutors, and some listings displayed wording such as “reviews from First Tutors” or additional counts from First Tutors. This suggests imported review provenance is now appearing in live marketplace listings, rather than only being discussed in a blog post or help article.

That visibility is useful, but it should not be treated as independent proof of the accuracy of every displayed review count. The relevant editorial point is narrower: TutorPerch is now publicly displaying First Tutors review provenance in its directory, and it says imported reviews are labelled separately from native TutorPerch reviews. Readers should still check the individual tutor profile, the platform’s explanation of imported reviews, and any available verification wording before relying on imported review numbers.

TutorPerch’s terms of service, last updated on 7 June 2026, also now contain more concrete operational detail. They describe a £9.99 finder’s fee, refund scenarios, redaction of contact details before unlock, optional tutor verification, safeguarding and credential-review wording, and a shutdown clause saying users would receive at least 30 days’ written notice and a machine-readable export if the service were discontinued.

This does not mean readers should prefer TutorPerch over any other platform. It means TutorPerch has put several platform-design promises into written terms, which makes them easier for users to inspect. The wider lesson from First Tutors is that tutors should not build their entire professional reputation on a platform whose export, closure and data-portability terms they have never read.

Updated 17 June 2026

Due diligence on new tutor directories now needs to include ranking, verification and exit planning

The First Tutors closure has changed what tutors and parents should ask of any tutor marketplace. It is no longer enough to ask “does the platform have tutors near me?” or “how much is the finder’s fee?” Users should also ask whether the operator is clearly identified, whether the company details are public, whether reviews are native or imported, whether imported reviews affect ranking, whether search placement can be bought, and whether the platform publishes a clear refund policy.

For parents, the key due-diligence areas are safeguarding, credential verification, review provenance and dispute handling. Does the platform merely collect documents, or does it review them? Are DBS, PVG or AccessNI badges current or only checked at a point in time? Are qualifications verified with the issuing body, checked visually, or self-declared? If the platform only introduces you to a tutor and does not process lessons, then lesson quality, payment, cancellation and safeguarding arrangements may sit mainly between you and the tutor.

For tutors, the key due-diligence areas are ranking fairness, review portability, fee exposure and exit rights. Ask whether your profile, messages and reviews can be exported; whether the platform would give notice before closure; whether imported reviews can be transferred elsewhere; whether reviews written on the new platform can be downloaded; and whether shutdown/export promises are written into terms rather than only mentioned in a marketing page, help article or forum post.

The safest business approach is to avoid keeping all professional proof in one directory. Tutors should maintain their own website or profile page, keep lawful copies of testimonials, preserve email evidence of reviews, save invoices and platform receipts, and periodically export any data a platform allows them to export. A marketplace can be useful, but it should not be the only home for a tutor’s reputation.

Checked 17 June 2026

Companies House still does not appear to show an obvious public insolvency or dissolution filing for EduNation Limited

A fresh check of Companies House still lists EduNation Limited, company number 06071367, as active. The company overview lists its SIC code as “Web portals”, shows the next accounts made up to 31 December 2025 as due by 30 September 2026, and shows the last accounts made up to 31 December 2024.

The visible filing history still does not show a post-closure filing that obviously explains the First Tutors website closure, such as dissolution, strike-off, liquidation or administration. The latest visible filing checked was a confirmation statement filed on 4 March 2026, followed by accounts filed on 1 October 2025 and administrative changes filed in July 2025.

This is a negative finding, but it is still useful. It helps avoid overclaiming. A live website can close while the operating company remains active, and an active company record does not explain why a particular service stopped trading. Equally, the absence of a visible insolvency or dissolution filing is not proof that nothing is happening privately. It simply means the public Companies House record checked does not currently provide the missing explanation.

Until First Tutors, EduNation Limited or an authorised representative publishes more detail, readers should avoid repeating speculation as fact. Public comments and forum theories can show what users are worried about, but they do not prove the reason for closure.

Updated 17 June 2026

What affected tutors and parents should do now

Former tutors should first preserve evidence. Save First Tutors emails, profile URLs, cached snippets, screenshots, invoices, Trustpilot or review evidence, payment receipts, premium-membership information, finder-fee records and any correspondence with First Tutors. If you submit a privacy request, use the route shown on the live First Tutors notice and keep a dated copy of the request.

If you receive a DSAR response, store the original email and files safely before uploading anything to a third-party service. Review the response for student or parent personal data before sharing it. If a new platform asks for raw email source files, DSAR packs, screenshots or review exports, ask exactly what will be stored, who can see it, how long it will be retained, and whether it will be deleted after verification.

Parents looking for a replacement tutor directory should not assume that imported First Tutors reviews mean a tutor has been newly verified by the new platform. Imported reviews may tell you something useful about past reputation, but they are not a substitute for current checks. Ask about recent experience, references, safeguarding, qualifications, lesson format, cancellation terms, fees and who handles disputes if something goes wrong.

The broader lesson is that the UK tutor-directory market is being rebuilt in real time. Some new services are trying to recreate the old direct-introduction model. Others are experimenting with imported reviews, ranking formulas, flat finder’s fees, paid unlocks, verification badges and export promises. That experimentation may help former First Tutors users, but it also makes careful reading of terms more important than ever.

Update, 13 May 2026: new tutor-directory projects, review imports and paid-service concerns

This update is not an endorsement of any replacement platform, directory, agency or marketplace. It highlights newer developments readers may want to check before relying on a replacement service.

Updated 13 May 2026

TutorDex and directory-style projects

StudyDex now points tutoring pages to TutorDex, and TutorDex presents itself as an open private-tuition marketplace with a one-off connection-fee model rather than hourly commission. Treat new directory-style services as independent unless they can prove a legal or operational connection to First Tutors, EduNation Limited or the previous First Tutors platform.

Reviewed 13 May 2026

Review-import schemes

TutorPerch says it is building a way to import old First Tutors reviews, with imported reviews labelled separately from native reviews. Its proposed checks include raw email source files and DKIM signatures, plus Wayback Machine snapshots. Latimer has not tested or verified any review-import process, so tutors should be careful before sending DSAR responses, private messages, student details or email source files to a third party.

Reviewed 13 May 2026

Platform closure planning

The First Tutors closure has made exit planning a practical due-diligence question. Before building a business around any new directory, ask whether reviews, profiles and messages can be exported, what notice would be given before closure, and whether those promises are written into terms rather than only described in a blog post or forum comment.

Updated 13 May 2026

Paid membership and refund concerns

Recent public comments have raised questions about premium membership, paid boosts or paid profile features that may have been active shortly before the outage and closure. These comments are not proof of legal liability, but tutors who believe they paid for a service period that was not delivered should preserve receipts, renewal emails, screenshots, terms and correspondence. Keep this separate from GDPR/data-access requests, and use official consumer guidance such as GOV.UK and Citizens Advice where relevant.

What is confirmed, what is reported, and what is still unknown

Start by separating official evidence, public reports and unanswered questions before deciding what to do next.

Confirmed from official sources

The First Tutors page shows a closure notice. The notice gives info@firsttutors.co.uk for existing queries and now points data-privacy enquiries to privacy.firsttutors.com/portal. Historical First Tutors privacy wording identifies the trade name as EduNation Limited, and Companies House lists EDUNATION LIMITED as active.

Reported publicly by users and tutors

Trustpilot and Reddit discussions from April and May 2026 include reports of an inaccessible site, worry about profile pages and reviews, concern about stored documents, and difficulty contacting support. These reports show reader concerns, not the official cause.

Still not confirmed

No official reason for the closure was found. No official closure timetable, account-restoration plan, data-retention note, refund process, insolvency notice, cyberattack statement, data-breach notice or confirmed migration to another service was found in the evidence used for this article.

Timeline of the evidence

This timeline is deliberately cautious: public posts can show when tutors started noticing problems, but they do not prove why the service changed.

Evidence timeline for First Tutors status reports and the closure notice.

Date or periodWhat was seenSource typeWhat it proves

Mid-to-late April 2026

Trustpilot reviews and tutor discussion posts reported site access problems, missing profiles, bounced emails or uncertainty.

Public reviews and forum discussion

Tutors and users were publicly reporting problems. It does not prove the technical cause.

Early May 2026

Public discussion shifted from “is the site down?” to “has First Tutors closed?” and “what evidence is there?”

Public discussion

Reader concern and uncertainty were active, but forum posts remain anecdotal.

10 May 2026

A live check of the UK First Tutors page showed the closure notice and current contact routes.

Official First Tutors page

The First Tutors UK service page was still displaying the closure notice on this date. It does not explain the reason for closure.

After the notice

Search results may still show old profile pages, FAQs, contact pages or review snippets.

Indexed or historical material

Old pages can remain visible in search. They should not be treated as current support instructions.

Who was behind First Tutors?

The company trail matters because several similarly named companies exist. Historical First Tutors privacy-policy wording previously captured before the current closure notice said:

“First Tutors is the trade name of EduNation Limited” — First Tutors privacy policy

Because the live privacy URL now shows the closure notice rather than the old policy text, treat this as historic wording and pair it with current Companies House records rather than guessing from a company name alone. A registered office is a formal company address, not necessarily customer support.

Company identity and disambiguation table for First Tutors-related names.

Record or sourceStatus / detail checkedWhy it matters for tutors

EDUNATION LIMITED, company number 06071367

Companies House lists it as active, incorporated on 29 January 2007, SIC 63120 Web portals, with registered office at C/O Rfm Fylde Ltd, Unit 1d, Ground Floor River View, 96 High St, Garstang, Preston, Lancashire, PR3 1WZ.

This is the company named by the historical First Tutors privacy wording. Its active company status does not mean the First Tutors service is still operating.

Edunation Holdings Limited

Companies House lists Edunation Holdings Limited as an active person with significant control of EDUNATION LIMITED.

This is ownership context. It does not explain why First Tutors closed.

Nerdy / Varsity Tutors terms of use

The terms list Edunation Ltd d/b/a First Tutors among affiliates, independent contractors and partners.

This is corporate-family context only. It does not prove that Varsity Tutors is responsible for First Tutors support.

FIRST TUTORS LIMITED, company number 05562753

Companies House lists this company as dissolved on 3 May 2011.

It is a similarly named record and should not be confused with EduNation Limited.

FIRST TUTORS UK LTD, company number 10351243

Companies House lists this company as dissolved on 19 December 2017.

It is a similarly named record and should not be treated as the operator identified by the privacy wording.

FIRST TUTORS LTD, company number 15575996

Companies House lists this 2024 company as active.

No source used here identifies this 2024 company as the operator of firsttutors.com, so do not assume it is connected.

What tutors can do now

These steps are practical, not legal advice. They are designed for tutors who had a First Tutors profile, messages, documents, reviews or billing records and need a sensible next step. According to ICO subject access guidance, organisations should respond to subject access requests “without delay and within one month” in most circumstances.

  • Email existing-query questions to the address in the notice

    Use info@firsttutors.co.uk for existing queries, based on the First Tutors closure notice. Include the email address you used for First Tutors, your tutor name, any profile URL you know and a brief explanation of what you need.

  • Use the current privacy route for data enquiries

    Use the privacy route shown on the live First Tutors notice for data privacy enquiries. As of the 17 June 2026 check, the notice points to privacy.firsttutors.com/portal. Keep the request focused and save a dated copy of what you send.

  • Understand the company-record address

    Companies House gives a registered office for EDUNATION LIMITED. That is a formal company-record address, not a confirmed customer-support address. Use the contact routes in the closure notice for queries unless First Tutors publishes different instructions.

  • Save your own records first

    Keep screenshots, old emails, invoices, payment records, profile text, references, lesson enquiries and any profile URLs you already have. Do not rely on search results staying visible.

  • Make a subject access request if you need personal data

    A subject access request asks whether an organisation holds personal data about you and asks for a copy of that data. The ICO says an organisation may ask for identity verification where necessary.

  • Ask for data categories “if held”

    For example: profile text, tutor biography, subject listings, reviews or feedback linked to your tutor account, messages, uploaded identity or qualification documents, references, billing history and account identifiers. The words “if held” are important because this article cannot confirm what is still available.

  • Do not expect guaranteed recovery

    A request may help you find out what personal data is held, but it does not guarantee the recovery of public profile pages, every review, deleted material, third-party data or a complete export that can be imported into another platform.

  • Note the possible timing exceptions

    ICO guidance says the usual response expectation may be extended by up to a further two months if a request is complex or if there are numerous requests from the same person.

A data-request email you can adapt

A simple data-request email tutors can adapt

Suggested wording

Use this as a careful starting point and adapt it to your situation. Send personal-data requests through the privacy route shown on the current First Tutors notice.

Subject: Personal data request — former First Tutors tutor account

Hello,

I previously used First Tutors as a tutor. Please treat this as a request for access to personal data held about me.

My details:

  • Name used on First Tutors: [your name]
  • Email address used on First Tutors: [your email]
  • Tutor profile URL, if known: [link]
  • Approximate dates of use: [dates]

Please confirm whether you are processing my personal data and provide a copy of the personal data you hold about me, along with the supplementary information required for a personal-data request. If held, this may include my tutor profile text, subjects, prices, messages, reviews or feedback linked to my account, uploaded identity or qualification documents, references, billing records and account identifiers.

If any personal data I provided is available in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable form, please also let me know whether it can be supplied in that form.

Please tell me if you need reasonable identity evidence before responding, or if this request should be sent to another address.

Thank you, [your name]

This template does not guarantee recovery of records. It simply helps you make a clear, dated request.

Where tutors are discussing First Tutors

Public discussion can be useful when you want to understand what other tutors are worried about. It should not be used as proof of the reason First Tutors closed.

Recommendation

Trustpilot First Tutors reviews

Public reviews and sentiment

Recent reviews include tutors and users discussing website access, missing profiles, reviews, documents and communication concerns. Treat these as individual reports, not official evidence.

Check first

Public discussion only; verify dates and first-hand detail.

Trustpilot First Tutors reviews

Recommendation

Reddit: First Tutors seems to have disappeared?

Tutor discussion

A place to see how tutors described the access problem and uncertainty. Check dates, first-hand detail and whether a claim is backed by evidence before relying on it.

Check first

Public discussion only; verify dates and first-hand detail.

Reddit: First Tutors seems to have disappeared?

Recommendation

Reddit: any actual evidence?

Evidence-focused discussion

Useful for seeing the questions tutors are asking. Do not treat comments as proof of insolvency, a cyberattack, a data breach or misconduct.

Check first

Public discussion only; verify dates and first-hand detail.

Reddit: any actual evidence?

How First Tutors appeared to work for tutors

The best source-backed way to describe the old model is historical. In written evidence published by UK Parliament, First Tutors / EduNation referred to:

“First Tutors (an online tutoring agency)” — First Tutors / EduNation written evidence

That 2015 evidence said tutors were self-employed and could set their own rates. It also described a model where clients paid for an introduction to the tutor, while tutors could advertise their services. Public reviews also describe a one-off finder-fee style model. Because the current First Tutors page shows a closure notice, do not treat any old sign-up, fee or profile information as currently available.

Tutor status in the historical evidence

First Tutors described tutors as self-employed and able to set their own rates.

Fee model in historical context

The old model appears to have been closer to a direct marketplace or introduction-fee arrangement than an ongoing commission on every lesson.

Current availability

The historical model helps explain what former tutors may be comparing Latimer with. It is not a current First Tutors offer.

First Tutors and Latimer are different models

Latimer is not a like-for-like replacement for First Tutors. The fair question is fit: what model do you want now, and what eligibility requirements can you meet? Latimer’s current tutor page says:

“Latimer Tuition is an employment agency.” — Latimer Tuition

Latimer introduces tutors to clients, but tutors continue to work independently and Latimer says it cannot guarantee work.

Enhanced DBS, PVG and AccessNI: what UK tutors should know

Latimer’s tutor criteria use Enhanced DBS with Children’s Barred List wording. That matters because many tutoring roles involve direct work with children, but the terminology is not identical across the UK.

Latimer’s Enhanced DBS page says Latimer can guide tutors through applying for an Enhanced DBS check with a Children’s Barred List check. It lists a £30 + VAT Latimer admin fee, a £49.50 DBS fee and a £5 + VAT ID check fee, and says the certificate remains the tutor’s property. It also says a completed DBS certificate does not guarantee tutoring work with Latimer.

From 21 January 2026, DBS guidance says eligible self-employed people can apply for Enhanced or Enhanced with Barred List DBS checks through an umbrella body. The Disclosure and Barring Service news story gives the example of “private tutors offering lessons directly to children”. This is useful context for England and Wales. Scotland uses the PVG scheme, and Northern Ireland uses AccessNI checks, including enhanced checks for regulated activity.

England and Wales

DBS wording applies in England and Wales. Eligibility depends on the role and the type of work.

Scotland

Use PVG scheme terminology and role-specific Scottish guidance.

Northern Ireland

Use AccessNI terminology and check whether the role is regulated activity.

Latimer applications

DBS support and DBS completion do not guarantee Latimer acceptance, leads or income.

Key terms in plain English

These definitions help tutors read company records, data-rights guidance and Latimer eligibility wording without over-interpreting them.

Plain-English definitions for company, data-rights and safeguarding terms used in the article.

TermPlain-English meaning

EduNation Limited

The company identified by historical First Tutors privacy wording as the company behind the First Tutors trade name; Companies House lists EDUNATION LIMITED as active.

Companies House

The UK company register. It shows company status and filings, but it does not prove whether a website is working or whether customer support is available.

Registered office

A formal company address for official records and notices. It is not the same as a customer-support address.

Subject access request

A request asking an organisation for access to personal data it holds about you and related information about how that data is used.

Data portability

A right that may let someone receive certain personal data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable form, where the legal conditions are met.

Tutoring marketplace

A platform model where tutors and clients find each other directly, often with tutors setting rates and the platform charging an introduction, listing or other fee.

Employment agency

In this article, a business that introduces tutors to clients while tutors remain self-employed contractors. Latimer says it is an employment agency.

Commission

A fee charged as a percentage of lesson revenue. Latimer’s current tutor page says it charges tutors 25% + VAT on client payments.

Enhanced DBS with Children’s Barred List

An enhanced criminal-record check with a check against the children’s barred list, where the role is eligible. Latimer uses this wording in its tutor criteria.

DBS Update Service

A service that can let a DBS certificate be kept up to date and checked, where the certificate and role type are suitable.

PVG scheme

Scotland’s Protecting Vulnerable Groups scheme for regulated roles with children, protected adults or both.

AccessNI

Northern Ireland’s criminal-record checking system, with basic, standard and enhanced checks.

Sources and how to read them

The strongest evidence is the official notice, Companies House records, ICO/GOV.UK guidance and current Latimer pages. Public discussion sources are included because they show tutor concerns, but they are not proof of why First Tutors closed.

  • First Tutors closure notice

    Official status notice and current contact routes.

    Open source

  • First Tutors privacy portal

    Current privacy-route link shown on the live First Tutors closure notice.

    Open source

  • First Tutors privacy policy

    Historical/indexed identity wording; the current privacy URL may now show the closure notice, so pair this with Companies House.

    Open source

  • Companies House: EDUNATION LIMITED

    Company status, number, registered office, incorporation date and SIC code.

    Open source

  • EDUNATION LIMITED filing history

    Public filing history checked for obvious post-closure insolvency, dissolution or administration filings.

    Open source

  • Companies House disambiguation records

    Used to separate EduNation Limited from similarly named First Tutors companies.

    Open source

  • UK Parliament written evidence

    Historical evidence about the First Tutors model.

    Open source

  • ICO and GOV.UK data-rights guidance

    Subject access and personal-data request timing.

    Open source

  • DBS, Disclosure Scotland and AccessNI sources

    Safeguarding-check terminology and nation-specific caveats.

    Open source

  • Trustpilot and Reddit

    Public reports and discussion only; not proof of cause.

    Open source

  • TutorDex review import and terms

    TutorDex guidance and terms used for review-import, ranking and operator due-diligence notes.

    Open source

  • TutorPerch review recovery, ranking and terms

    TutorPerch pages checked for review recovery workflow, imported-review labelling, ranking approach, directory display and service terms.

    Open source

Related Ed Centre pages

Continue exploring Tutoring news and sector guides for UK tutors

These linked pages help students and parents move between closely related guidance instead of reaching a dead end.

Related guide

Exam access arrangements are now a bigger tutoring issue

Ofqual’s 2024–25 England figures show high and rising approvals, especially 25% extra time. Tutors need to explain evidence, normal way of working and private-candidate centre rules without promising an outcome.

Related guide

GCSE formula sheets are staying: what tutors should do now

Ofqual has confirmed that formulae and equation sheets will continue for current GCSE maths, physics and combined-science specifications. Tutors should now focus on fluent selection, rearranging, units and application — not copy-only practice.

Support and clarity

Frequently asked questions

Straight answers to the questions people ask most often.

Has First Tutors closed?

As of the 17 June 2026 review used for this article, the live First Tutors page displayed a closure notice saying First Tutors had closed after more than 20 years of trading. Because this is a developing story, the live First Tutors page should be refreshed before relying on the exact status.

Why did First Tutors close?

No official reason was found in the sources used for this article. Avoid treating public speculation about cyberattacks, data breaches, insolvency, restructuring or a move to another provider as fact unless a current official source confirms it.

Who owns or operates First Tutors?

Historical First Tutors privacy wording identifies First Tutors as the trade name of EduNation Limited, company number 06071367. Companies House lists EDUNATION LIMITED as active. That company status is not the same as saying the First Tutors service is still operating.

How can I contact First Tutors?

The closure notice gives info@firsttutors.co.uk for existing queries and now points data-privacy enquiries to privacy.firsttutors.com/portal. No current official phone contact was confirmed, and older contact details should be treated as historical unless First Tutors republishes them.

Can I recover my First Tutors profile, reviews or documents?

There is no guarantee that a profile, reviews or uploaded documents can be recovered. You can ask whether personal data is held by making a subject access request, using the current route shown on the live First Tutors notice. For exportable personal data, you can also ask whether any qualifying data can be supplied in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable form.

How long should a subject access request take?

ICO guidance says organisations should usually respond without undue delay and within one month. They may ask for identity checks where necessary, and may extend the response time by up to a further two months for complex or numerous requests.

Are Trustpilot, Reddit or tutor forums reliable evidence?

They are useful for seeing public concerns, dates and reader wording, but they are not proof of why First Tutors closed. Give more weight to official First Tutors pages, Companies House, ICO/GOV.UK guidance and current Latimer pages for factual claims.

Is Latimer a replacement for First Tutors?

No. Latimer is not a like-for-like replacement. First Tutors historically appeared closer to a direct marketplace or introduction-fee model. Latimer says it is an employment agency, introduces tutors to clients, and does not employ tutors or guarantee work.

What does Latimer charge tutors?

Latimer’s current tutor page says tutors are charged a 25% + VAT fee on lesson revenue and that there are no other fees. Always read the current tutor page before applying because fees and criteria can change.

Do I need an Enhanced DBS to tutor with Latimer?

Latimer’s current tutor criteria say tutors must hold an Enhanced DBS with Children’s Barred List issued within the last 4 years, be willing to arrange one, or have a previous Enhanced DBS with Children’s Barred List registered on the DBS Update Service. DBS terminology mainly applies in England and Wales; Scotland uses PVG and Northern Ireland uses AccessNI.

Sources and references

Sources and references

Official guidance

  • 1.
    First Tutors closure notice

    First Tutors · No publication date visible; live page checked 2026-06-17 · Accessed

    Closure notice stating that First Tutors has closed, with an email for existing queries and a privacy-portal route for data privacy enquiries.

  • 2.
    First Tutors privacy portal

    First Tutors · Current privacy route shown on closure notice; checked 2026-06-17 · Accessed

    Privacy portal linked from the live First Tutors closure notice for data-privacy enquiries; portal functionality was not independently verified.

  • 3.
    First Tutors privacy policy

    First Tutors / EduNation Limited · Effective 2018-05-25; indexed text checked 2026-05-09 · Accessed

    Historical/indexed privacy-policy wording previously captured identifying First Tutors as the trade name of EduNation Limited and describing tutor data categories; current live URL may show the closure notice.

  • 4.
    EDUNATION LIMITED overview

    Companies House / GOV.UK · Registry record accessed 2026-06-17 · Accessed

    Company number, active status, incorporation date, registered office, SIC code, next accounts due date and last accounts date for EDUNATION LIMITED.

  • 5.
    EDUNATION LIMITED filing history

    Companies House / GOV.UK · Registry filing history accessed 2026-06-17 · Accessed

    Public filing history checked for any obvious post-closure dissolution, strike-off, liquidation or administration filing.

  • 6.
    EDUNATION LIMITED persons with significant control

    Companies House / GOV.UK · Registry record accessed 2026-05-09 · Accessed

    Companies House record listing Edunation Holdings Limited as an active person with significant control.

  • 7.
    FIRST TUTORS LIMITED overview

    Companies House / GOV.UK · Registry record accessed 2026-05-09 · Accessed

    Disambiguation record for a dissolved similarly named company.

  • 8.
    FIRST TUTORS UK LTD overview

    Companies House / GOV.UK · Registry record accessed 2026-05-09 · Accessed

    Disambiguation record for a dissolved similarly named company.

  • 9.
    FIRST TUTORS LTD overview

    Companies House / GOV.UK · Registry record accessed 2026-05-09 · Accessed

    Disambiguation record for an active 2024 company not identified by the historic First Tutors privacy policy as the firsttutors.com operator.

  • 10.
    First Tutors Edunation Ltd written evidence

    UK Parliament Committees · · Accessed

    Historical written evidence describing First Tutors as an online tutoring agency and explaining its self-employed tutor and introduction-fee context.

  • 11.
    Consumer protection rights

    GOV.UK · Current guidance referenced 2026-05-13 · Accessed

    General UK government consumer-rights guidance for readers considering paid-service or refund questions.

  • 12.
    If you're unhappy about poor service

    Citizens Advice · Current guidance accessed 2026-05-13 · Accessed

    Citizens Advice guidance on complaints about services, discounts, redoing a service and further consumer-help routes.

  • 13.
    Reporting to Trading Standards

    Citizens Advice · Page last reviewed 2019-11-11; accessed 2026-05-13 · Accessed

    Citizens Advice guidance explaining how Trading Standards reports are routed and that Trading Standards does not usually fix individual refund problems.

  • 14.
    A guide to subject access

    Information Commissioner’s Office · Current guidance accessed 2026-05-10 · Accessed

    Official guidance on subject access requests, response times, identity checks, extensions and refusal limits.

  • 15.
    Getting copies of your information

    Information Commissioner’s Office · Current public guidance accessed 2026-06-17 · Accessed

    ICO public guidance explaining how individuals can make subject access requests and the usual one-month response expectation.

  • 16.
    Right to data portability

    Information Commissioner’s Office · Current guidance accessed 2026-05-09 · Accessed

    Official guidance on when personal data may be requested in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable form.

  • 17.
    Respond to a data protection request

    GOV.UK · Current guidance accessed 2026-05-09 · Accessed

    Plain-English government page on what organisations should provide when responding to a personal-data request.

  • 18.
    Self-employed workers and personal employees can now apply for Enhanced DBS checks

    Disclosure and Barring Service / GOV.UK · Published 2026-01-20; accessed 2026-05-10 · Accessed

    DBS news story explaining the 21 January 2026 change for eligible self-employed people, including private tutors.

  • 19.
    DBS checks for self-employed people and personal employees

    Disclosure and Barring Service / GOV.UK · Published 2026-01-16; last updated 2026-01-23 · Accessed

    Guidance for eligible self-employed people applying through an umbrella body, including a tutoring example.

  • 20.
    Find out which DBS check is right for your employee

    GOV.UK · Current page accessed 2026-05-09 · Accessed

    DBS scope note stating the tool is for England or Wales and that Scotland and Northern Ireland use different processes.

  • 21.
    PVG scheme

    Disclosure Scotland · Last updated 2026-04-01 · Accessed

    Official Scottish source for PVG scheme caveats.

  • 22.
    Types of AccessNI checks

    nidirect · Current page accessed 2026-05-09 · Accessed

    Official Northern Ireland source for AccessNI basic, standard and enhanced checks.

  • 23.
    Regulated Activity and Enhanced checks

    Department of Justice Northern Ireland · Current page accessed 2026-05-09 · Accessed

    Northern Ireland guidance on regulated activity, enhanced checks and barred-list checks.

Internal pages

Other sources

  • 1.
    Nerdy / Varsity Tutors terms of use

    Nerdy / Varsity Tutors · Updated 2025-10-08; accessed 2026-05-10 · Accessed

    Corporate-family context listing Edunation Ltd d/b/a First Tutors among affiliates, independent contractors and partners; not evidence of why First Tutors closed or a current First Tutors support contact.

  • 2.
    First Tutors reviews

    Trustpilot · Recent reviews accessed 2026-06-17 · Accessed

    Public user-generated reviews and reader concerns, including mixed post-closure reports about SAR outcomes; not proof of why First Tutors closed.

  • 3.
    First Tutors seems to have disappeared?

    Reddit r/TutorsHelpingTutors · Thread active April–May 2026 · Accessed

    Public tutor discussion and reader-language evidence only.

  • 4.
    First Tutors - any actual evidence of what has happened?

    Reddit r/TutorsHelpingTutors · Thread active May 2026 · Accessed

    Public discussion about evidence and unanswered questions only.

  • 5.
    TutorDex - StudyDex redirect note

    StudyDex · Current page accessed 2026-05-13 · Accessed

    StudyDex page stating that tutoring-related pages have moved to the TutorDex domain.

  • 6.
    TutorDex

    TutorDex · Current page accessed 2026-06-17 · Accessed

    TutorDex website describing its marketplace, one-off connection-fee model, tutor profiles, references and identity checks.

  • 7.
    TutorDex importing reviews

    TutorDex · Current help article accessed 2026-06-17 · Accessed

    TutorDex help article describing its approach to importing verifiable First Tutors reviews using Web Archive links or official data exports, including ranking implications.

  • 8.
    TutorDex terms of service

    TutorDex · Terms effective 2026-05-18; accessed 2026-06-17 · Accessed

    TutorDex terms identifying TutorDex Ltd, company number 15598084, and setting out marketplace, credential-check and user due-diligence wording.

  • 9.
    First Tutors has closed: how to recover your reviews

    TutorPerch · Published 2026-05-08; updated 2026-05-12; accessed 2026-06-17 · Accessed

    TutorPerch page describing its proposed First Tutors review-import approach, DSAR template, DKIM and Wayback Machine evidence ideas, and closure-planning claims.

  • 10.
    Recover First Tutors reviews on TutorPerch

    TutorPerch · Current page accessed 2026-06-17 · Accessed

    TutorPerch recovery walkthrough describing archive-claim, DSAR and verification steps for former First Tutors review history.

  • 11.
    How TutorPerch ranks tutors

    TutorPerch · Current page accessed 2026-06-17 · Accessed

    TutorPerch ranking explanation used for claims about imported reviews, paid placement and ranking factors.

  • 12.
    TutorPerch tutor directory

    TutorPerch · Live directory accessed 2026-06-17 · Accessed

    TutorPerch live tutor directory checked for visible imported First Tutors review counts and directory totals.

  • 13.
    TutorPerch terms of service

    TutorPerch · Last updated 2026-06-07; accessed 2026-06-17 · Accessed

    TutorPerch terms covering finder’s fee, refunds, contact-detail unlocks, optional verification, safeguarding wording and shutdown/export promises.

  • 14.
    Extract the original of your First Tutors email

    TutorPerch · Current page accessed 2026-05-13 · Accessed

    TutorPerch explanation of raw email source files, DKIM signatures and why normal forwarded emails may not preserve verification evidence.

  • 15.
    Internet Archive Wayback Machine

    Internet Archive · Current service referenced 2026-05-13 · Accessed

    Archive service referenced as a possible way to evidence historical First Tutors profile or review snapshots, where a snapshot exists.