27 January – As the busiest period in the private tuition calendar approaches, First Tutors, www.firsttutors.co.uk, has made advertising tuition services free of charge for tutors across the country. 

The award-winning website, which already helps over 10,000 tutors to promote their lessons locally hopes that by making the website free-of-charge for tutors this spring, it will attract many more, building supply to meet seasonal demand in the pre-exam revision period.

Thousands of families now use the online service every month to find private tutors because it profiles family reviews of tutors and provides a much more affordable alternative to a tuition agency. Many families search for help with school subjects such as English and Maths, but First Tutors has also begun listing tutors to help adults and children alike in learning languages, musical instruments and arts, as well as IT and Business-related subjects such as accountancy and law for professional learners.

New tutors are increasingly coming from varied walks of life, for example, bankers preparing professionals for finance exams, actors tutoring drama and elocution, teachers topping up their incomes with a few hours of school entrance tutoring, or PhD and post-graduate medicine students helping struggling undergraduates to get ahead. The hourly fees are determined by each tutor and vary by subject discipline and locality, with tutors charging a nationwide average of £17.50 per hour.

Lindsay Galloway, tutor commented, “Through my tutoring I have had the opportunity to meet new people, use the skills I developed at university and share them with others. The income generated is a welcome addition to my salary and gives me peace of mind during this uncertain time.”

Anita Moss, Director at First Tutors commented, “We hope this will open up new opportunities for aspiring tutors and give families greater choice in selecting the right tutor for themselves or their child. We will review the change in a few months to see how our customers feel.”