Tutoring Agency, Independent Tutor or Marketplace: Which Route to Choose

Which route to choose between a tutoring agency, an independent tutor and a marketplace depends on which tasks the family wants to do itself, because each route divides the work differently between family and provider. An independent tutor leaves checks, fees, schedule and payment with the family, a marketplace widens the choice of profiles but usually still leaves vetting and matching with the family, and an agency typically recruits, matches and manages the placement. Whichever route is chosen, someone has to check the tutor's identity and DBS certificate, and the useful question is who.

What are the three ways to find a private tutor?

A family can find a private tutor in three ways: directly as an independent tutor, through a marketplace or through an agency. An independent tutor is usually found by word of mouth or a personal website, after which the family agrees fees, schedule and payment with that person. A marketplace lists many tutors with profiles for the family to contact and compare, and an agency recruits tutors and matches one to the child.

What does each route leave the family to do?

Each route leaves a different share of six tasks with the family: checking identity and DBS certificates, matching, handling a poor fit, scheduling, payment and progress updates. Writing those six down before any enquiry shows which ones the family is happy to do and which it would prefer a provider to carry, which is the question that decides between the routes.

• Independent tutor: the family does its own checks and agrees fees, schedule and payment directly with the tutor.
• Marketplace: the family contacts and compares tutors, and usually does its own vetting and matching.
• Agency: scheduling, a point of contact and replacement if the fit is wrong usually sit with the agency, leaving the family to ask how identity, DBS certificates and progress reporting are handled.

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How does a parent check a tutor's DBS certificate?

A parent hiring a self-employed tutor to teach their own child cannot request a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check for the tutor, so the tutor requests one and the parent checks the certificate. Checks can be requested by an employer, a voluntary organisation or a third-party organisation acting for one, which is why the family's task is to read the certificate. It will show one of four types, and the parent can ask which is held before the first session.

Where the tutor has signed up to the DBS Update Service, the family can check the certificate online, with the tutor's permission, to see whether it is up to date. The identity of the person teaching should match the details printed on the certificate, and the type should suit the role of working with a child.

• Basic: unspent convictions and conditional cautions.
• Standard: spent and unspent convictions and cautions.
• Enhanced: the same as standard plus any information held by local police that is considered relevant to the role.
• Enhanced with barred lists: the same as enhanced plus whether the applicant is on the list of people barred from doing the role.

What should you ask each route before agreeing?

Three questions apply to every route: who checks the tutor's identity and DBS certificate, what happens if the fit is wrong, and how progress is reported. With an independent tutor the answers come from the tutor directly, together with fees, schedule and payment. With a marketplace, ask whether the platform vets its tutors or leaves that to the family, and who handles matching. When using an agency, families should ask who their point of contact is and whether a replacement tutor is arranged if the fit is wrong. Asking for the answers in writing makes the routes easier to compare.

How do you compare tutoring quotes fairly?

Quotes are comparable only when they state the same session length, what the fee includes, any registration fee and the cancellation terms. A quote for a shorter session can look cheaper than a quote for a longer one without being so, which is why each quote should be set against the same session length before the totals are compared.

Look for a fee stated on the provider's own website, and where a fee is quoted only on enquiry, ask for it in writing with those four points set out. A fee that depends on tutor level or subject is best compared with another quote for the same level and subject.

When does each route suit a family?

An independent tutor suits a family that is comfortable doing its own checks and agreeing fees, schedule and payment directly with one person. A marketplace suits a family that wants to browse many profiles and compare tutors itself, and that is willing to do the vetting and matching. An agency suits a family that would prefer matching, scheduling, a point of contact and replacement to be handled for it. A family undecided between two routes can put the same questions and the same quote checklist to each, and the answers usually show which tasks it is taking on.

Where does a placement service of this kind fit among the three routes?

The service works as an agency-style placement, so a family using it begins with a complimentary initial consultation, which sets out the family's requirements, followed by an introductory session with the matched tutor. On checks, tutors who work with children hold an enhanced DBS check, and most are registered on the DBS Update Service. Families receive progress reports after sessions and have a dedicated point of contact, and a re-match at no extra cost is available if the fit is wrong. The matching service page describes the placement in full.

Where cost comes up, the fees and pricing page sets out the fee for online tutoring, which depends on tutor level and subject, while in-person tutoring in central London is quoted on enquiry, depending on tutor level, subject and location; there is no registration fee, and each placement is priced by tutor tier, reflecting the qualifications and teaching experience behind it.

Related guides

• How much does a tutor cost?
• Fees and pricing
• How to find the right tutor for your child
• Secondary school tutoring
• Primary school tutoring

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One-to-one support for this stage works best when the tutor can see the pupil's own work, so sessions with us start from recent papers and homework and build a routine from there. More than half of our tutors hold Qualified Teacher Status and around three in five hold a master's degree or doctorate, and the pool includes former heads of department, exam-board examiners and teachers from independent and boarding schools.

Sessions run online for families across the UK and internationally, and in person in central London. Fees start from £50 per 50-minute session and depend on tutor level and subject. There is no registration fee. Every tutor who works with children holds an enhanced DBS check and families receive progress reports after sessions.