Parent and Carer Terms and Conditions

Last updated: September 2026

These Terms and Conditions explain the agreement between West Lancs Tutors and parents or carers using our tutoring service.

Please read them together with our Cancellation Policy, Privacy Notice, Safeguarding Policy and Complaints Procedure.

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1. About West Lancs Tutors

West Lancs Tutors is operated by David Currie, trading as West Lancs Tutors.

Email: admin@westlancstutors.co.uk

In these Terms:

• “West Lancs Tutors”, “we”, “us” or “our” means David Currie trading as West Lancs Tutors;

• “parent”, “carer” or “you” means the person requesting or purchasing tuition;

• “child” or “student” means the person receiving tuition; and

• “tutor” means the self-employed independent tutor introduced by West Lancs Tutors who provides tuition directly to the student.

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2. Our service

West Lancs Tutors acts as an agency introducing families to self-employed independent tutors and providing ongoing administration and payment-management services.

West Lancs Tutors:

• receives and reviews tutor requests;

• considers potentially suitable qualified tutors;

• introduces families and tutors;

• helps arrange and administer tuition;

• manages family payments and tutor payments;

• maintains lesson and cancellation records; and

• provides ongoing support during the arrangement.

The tutor, rather than West Lancs Tutors, provides the tuition to the student. Tutors operate as self-employed independent professionals and retain responsibility for the tuition they provide.

Families make payments through West Lancs Tutors rather than paying tutors directly. West Lancs Tutors administers these payments as part of its agency service.

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3. Forming an agreement

Submitting a tutor request does not create a contract, begin the cooling-off period or guarantee that a tutor will be available.

An agreement is formed when:

1. West Lancs Tutors confirms a proposed tutor, lesson price and intended arrangements;

2. you confirm that you wish to proceed;

3. you accept these Terms and the Cancellation Policy; and

4. the initial lesson payment is successfully received by West Lancs Tutors.

The date on which these steps are completed is referred to in these Terms as the Confirmation Date. The agreement with West Lancs Tutors relates to our agency, matching, administration and payment-management services. The tuition itself is provided by the independent tutor introduced to the family, and the family and tutor enter into an arrangement for the provision of that tuition.

The initial payment secures the first agreed lesson. Once it has been received, West Lancs Tutors will confirm to the tutor that the lesson is authorised to proceed.

If the initial payment is not completed within any deadline reasonably specified by West Lancs Tutors, the proposed tutor or lesson time may be released.

The person accepting these Terms confirms that they are at least 18 years old and have authority to arrange tuition for the child.

 

4. Finding and proposing a tutor

We consider information including:

• the child’s age and educational level;

• subject requirements;

• learning needs and objectives;

• location and preferred lesson format;

• availability; and

• relevant tutor qualifications and experience.

We will take reasonable care when proposing a tutor, but we cannot guarantee that a particular tutor will be available or that every request can be fulfilled.

A website profile does not confirm a tutor’s current availability. Any match is subject to the tutor and family agreeing to proceed.

 

5. Tutor qualifications and checks

West Lancs Tutors works with tutors who hold an appropriate recognised teaching qualification.

We require tutors to provide the identity, qualification, right-to-work and DBS evidence specified in our tutor-verification procedures before accepting tuition opportunities.

Tutors must hold an appropriate Enhanced DBS certificate covering work with children. For face-to-face tuition, tutors are asked to take their original DBS certificate and suitable photographic identification to the first meeting with a new family so that the parent or carer has the opportunity to view them before tuition begins.

Where a tutor’s DBS certificate is registered with the DBS Update Service, the parent or carer may also check its current status with the tutor’s permission.

DBS and other suitability checks provide important safeguards but cannot guarantee a person’s future behaviour. Any concern about a tutor’s conduct should be reported promptly to West Lancs Tutors.

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6. Information provided by families

You agree to provide information that is accurate and reasonably complete, including relevant details about:

• the child’s age and year group;

• subject and educational level;

• tuition objectives;

• availability and location;

• health, disability, special educational needs or learning circumstances where relevant to providing safe and suitable support; and

• anything else that could reasonably affect the tuition arrangement.

You should tell us if relevant information changes.

Please do not provide excessive or unrelated sensitive information. We will explain how to share further information securely where required.

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7. Lesson arrangements

Before tuition begins, the family and tutor will agree:

• the normal day and time;

• lesson duration;

• lesson location or online platform;

• subject and educational level; and

• expected frequency.

Unless otherwise agreed, published prices are for a one-hour lesson.

Regular lesson times are subject to tutor availability and may occasionally need to change. Any material change should be reported to West Lancs Tutors so that payment and lesson records can be updated.

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8. Lesson locations

Depending on the agreed arrangement, tuition may take place:

• online;

• at the family’s home;

• at the tutor’s home; or

• at another location approved by West Lancs Tutors.

For tuition at the family’s home, you must provide a safe, suitable and reasonably quiet teaching environment.

The family and tutor must follow the relevant safeguarding arrangements. A responsible adult must remain contactable and available in accordance with the child’s age, needs, lesson location and our Safeguarding Policy.

West Lancs Tutors may refuse or suspend an arrangement where a location appears unsafe or unsuitable.

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9. Online tuition

For online lessons, families are responsible for providing:

• a suitable device;

• a reliable internet connection;

• any agreed software or account;

• a suitable learning environment; and

• appropriate adult support or supervision where required.

Neither families nor tutors may record, photograph or distribute a lesson without prior agreement from West Lancs Tutors and the informed permission of everyone involved, including the child where appropriate.

Technical difficulties are handled in accordance with our Cancellation Policy.

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10. Educational approach and resources

As self-employed independent professionals, tutors retain responsibility and professional control over the tuition they provide, including how they plan and deliver lessons, taking account of the child’s needs and agreed objectives.

The family should provide relevant information or school materials where these would help the tutor understand the child’s current work.

Unless specifically agreed, tuition does not include:

• completion of unlimited work outside lessons;

• routine marking of additional papers outside lesson time;

• formal diagnostic assessment;

• guarantees of examination grades or school outcomes; or

• communication with a child’s school.

Any additional service and price must be agreed through West Lancs Tutors before it is provided.

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11. Prices

Current standard lesson prices are published on our Pricing page. The applicable price will be confirmed before tuition begins.

The total amount payable for each lesson will be confirmed before tuition begins.

The total payment collected by West Lancs Tutors comprises the tutor’s fee for providing the tuition and West Lancs Tutors’ fee for its agency, matching, administration, payment-management and ongoing support services.

West Lancs Tutors collects the total payment and administers payment to the tutor as part of the agency arrangement.

Where more than one child is taught together, or a non-standard lesson duration or service is requested, the total amount payable will be confirmed before the arrangement begins.

There are no separate joining or registration fees unless clearly agreed in advance.

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12. Payment

All lesson payments must be made to West Lancs Tutors using the agreed payment method.

An initial one-off payment is required to secure the first agreed lesson. This payment may be collected when the tuition arrangement is confirmed, even where the first lesson is more than two days away.

By providing payment details and agreeing to recurring tuition, you authorise our payment provider to retain the approved payment method securely. You also authorise West Lancs Tutors and its payment provider to use that payment method to collect subsequent scheduled lesson fees until the tuition arrangement is ended or paused.

After the initial lesson payment, subsequent weekly payments will normally be collected automatically two days before each scheduled lesson. For regular tuition, payment will therefore normally be collected on the same day each week. Payment processing times may vary slightly.

Where an irregular, additional or different payment arrangement applies, this will be confirmed separately.

Cancelling or blocking the payment authority does not itself cancel any booked lessons or end the tuition arrangement. You must contact West Lancs Tutors in accordance with these Terms and the Cancellation Policy.

West Lancs Tutors collects lesson payments as part of its agency and payment-management service. From each payment, West Lancs Tutors retains its agency fee and administers payment of the tutor’s fee to the tutor.

Families must not pay tutors directly for tuition arranged through West Lancs Tutors.

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13. Failed or overdue payments

If the initial lesson payment fails, the first lesson is not secured and will not be authorised to proceed until payment has been successfully received.

If a subsequent automatic payment fails, our payment provider may notify you, provide a secure way to update the payment method and attempt collection again approximately one day later.

If payment remains unsuccessful, West Lancs Tutors may suspend the affected lesson and notify the tutor that it is not authorised to proceed. The tutor must not be paid directly as an alternative.

We may also pause or cancel future lessons until any outstanding payment has been resolved. This does not remove liability for lessons already supplied or chargeable under the Cancellation Policy.

We will not impose an undisclosed payment fee or penalty.

If you believe a payment is incorrect, contact us promptly so that it can be investigated before initiating a chargeback where reasonably possible.

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14. Cancellations and missed lessons

Our Cancellation Policy forms part of these Terms and applies to the initial lesson and all subsequent scheduled lessons.

In summary:

• notice received by West Lancs Tutors by 9am on the day of the lesson will normally result in the lesson payment becoming credit for a future or rearranged lesson;

• notice received after 9am will normally result in the lesson being charged in full;

• a missed lesson without notice will normally be charged in full;

• each child may receive one genuine emergency waiver per autumn, spring and summer school term; and

• a lesson cancelled by the tutor will be rearranged, credited or refunded as appropriate.

Cancelling an individual lesson does not automatically cancel the recurring payment arrangement or end regular tuition. You must tell West Lancs Tutors if you wish to stop regular tuition.

Please read the complete Cancellation Policy for the detailed rules.

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15. Credits and refunds

A valid lesson credit will normally be applied to the next suitable scheduled lesson within the same tuition arrangement.

Where possible, the credit will be applied before the next automatic payment is collected. This may mean that the next payment is reduced or not collected. If the next payment has already been processed, the credit will normally be applied to the following suitable lesson.

A lesson credit is not automatically a cash refund. However, where a refund is due, it will normally be returned through the original payment method. Payment providers and banks may require additional time to process the transaction.

Nothing in these Terms limits your statutory rights to an appropriate remedy where a service has not been provided with reasonable care and skill.

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16. Ending regular tuition

There is no fixed minimum commitment unless a separate arrangement expressly states otherwise.

Families may end regular tuition by giving West Lancs Tutors at least five days’ written notice wherever reasonably possible. Notice should be sent to admin@westlancstutors.co.uk.

Lessons scheduled during the notice period remain subject to the Cancellation Policy and may still be chargeable.

Once notice has been received, West Lancs Tutors will arrange for the recurring payment arrangement to end after any properly chargeable final lesson or outstanding payment has been dealt with.

You must notify West Lancs Tutors rather than relying solely on a message sent to the tutor, cancelling a card or blocking the payment authority. Those actions do not themselves cancel scheduled lessons or end the tuition arrangement.

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17. Changing tutors

If you have concerns about a match, contact West Lancs Tutors promptly.

We will discuss the concern and may:

• support the existing arrangement;

• clarify expectations;

• propose an alternative tutor; or

• end the arrangement.

Any replacement depends on suitable tutor availability and cannot be guaranteed.

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18. Direct and private arrangements

A family must not make or accept private tuition or payment arrangements with a tutor introduced through West Lancs Tutors for the purpose of bypassing our service.

This restriction applies:

• while tuition through West Lancs Tutors is ongoing;

• for 12 months after the final lesson arranged through West Lancs Tutors; or

• where no lessons began, for 12 months after the tutor was introduced.

It does not apply where the family can demonstrate that it had an established tuition relationship with that tutor before the West Lancs Tutors introduction.

If a tutor suggests moving the arrangement outside West Lancs Tutors, please inform us.

Keeping introduced arrangements within West Lancs Tutors allows us to continue providing our agency, administration and payment-management services, maintain accurate records, manage payments and cancellations, support both parties, and fund the work involved in recruiting, vetting and matching families with tutors.

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19. Family conduct and responsibilities

Families agree to:

• communicate respectfully with tutors and West Lancs Tutors;

• attend lessons punctually;

• provide an appropriate environment and required equipment;

• avoid placing a tutor in an unsafe or inappropriate situation;

• ensure the child behaves appropriately during lessons;

• follow safeguarding and payment arrangements;

• respect the tutor’s personal information and boundaries; and

• raise concerns promptly.

Discrimination, harassment, threats, abuse or other seriously inappropriate conduct will not be accepted.

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20. Tutor conduct

Tutors are self-employed independent professionals and are responsible for the tuition they provide. Tutors are expected to:

• communicate reliably and professionally;

• prepare appropriately;

• provide their tuition services with reasonable care and skill;

• maintain suitable professional boundaries;

• handle information confidentially;

• comply with safeguarding requirements; and

• notify West Lancs Tutors of relevant concerns or changes.

Concerns about a tutor should be reported to West Lancs Tutors rather than being left unresolved.

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21. Safeguarding

The welfare of children is a priority.

Families and tutors must follow our Safeguarding Policy. West Lancs Tutors may use or share relevant information where reasonably necessary to protect a child or respond to a safeguarding concern.

Where a child appears to be in immediate danger, emergency services should be contacted by calling 999.

Safeguarding action may take priority over ordinary confidentiality or complaint procedures.

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22. Tutor availability and changes outside our control

Tutors are independent professionals and may become unavailable because of illness, employment, relocation, family circumstances or other commitments.

If a tutor can no longer continue, we will make reasonable efforts to identify an alternative where requested. We cannot guarantee an immediate replacement or identical availability.

Where a lesson cannot proceed because of severe weather, official guidance, widespread disruption or another circumstance outside reasonable control, we will seek a fair solution in accordance with our Cancellation Policy.

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23. Learning progress and results

Tutors will use reasonable care and skill, but educational progress differs between children.

Neither West Lancs Tutors nor the independent tutor guarantees:

• a particular grade, test score or examination result;

• admission to a particular school or course;

• progress within a particular timescale; or

• that tuition alone will achieve the family’s objectives.

Progress may be influenced by starting point, attendance, engagement, lesson frequency, school provision and work completed between lessons.

This does not affect the tutor’s obligation to provide tuition with reasonable care and skill or West Lancs Tutors’ obligations in relation to the agency services it provides.

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24. Materials and intellectual property

Resources supplied by West Lancs Tutors or a tutor remain the intellectual property of their respective owner unless stated otherwise.

Families may use supplied materials for the child’s personal educational use. Materials must not be:

• sold;

• published publicly;

• uploaded to resource-sharing websites;

• distributed commercially; or

• copied for use by unrelated individuals or organisations

without permission.

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25. Personal information

Personal information is handled in accordance with our Privacy Notice.

The family authorises us to share with a prospective or appointed tutor the information reasonably required to consider, establish and administer a tuition arrangement between the family and that tutor.

Tutors receive family information only for the purpose of considering and providing their tuition services and managing the tuition arrangement introduced through West Lancs Tutors.

 

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26. Complaints

Please raise concerns promptly so that we have an opportunity to investigate and respond.

Complaints will be handled in accordance with our Complaints Procedure.

Nothing in these Terms prevents a consumer from exercising statutory rights or seeking independent advice.

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27. Our responsibility to you

West Lancs Tutors is responsible for providing its agency, matching, administration and payment-management services with reasonable care and skill.

The independent tutor is responsible for the tuition they agree to provide to the family, including its professional planning and delivery. Tutors are required to provide their tuition services with reasonable care and skill.

West Lancs Tutors does not itself provide the tuition delivered by independent tutors. However, this does not affect West Lancs Tutors’ responsibility to use reasonable care and skill in providing its own agency services, including the recruitment, vetting and introduction of tutors and the administration of tuition arrangements.

West Lancs Tutors is not responsible for loss that:

• was not reasonably foreseeable when the agreement was formed;

• results from inaccurate or incomplete information provided by the family;

• results from circumstances outside our reasonable control where we have acted reasonably;

• is caused by the family’s failure to follow reasonable instructions; or

• relates to a business or commercial activity, as the service is intended for private educational use.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability where it would be unlawful to do so, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any rights or remedies that cannot lawfully be excluded or restricted.

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28. Suspension or termination by West Lancs Tutors

We may pause or end an arrangement where:

• payment remains outstanding;

• no suitable tutor remains available;

• the family or child’s conduct presents a safety or safeguarding concern;

• a tutor is subjected to abuse, harassment or discrimination;

• private arrangements are made in breach of these Terms;

• materially inaccurate information has been provided;

• these Terms are seriously or repeatedly breached; or

• continuing the arrangement would be unlawful or unreasonable.

Where appropriate, we will explain the reason and provide reasonable notice. Immediate suspension or termination may be necessary in cases involving safety, safeguarding, serious misconduct, fraud or significant non-payment.

Any refund or outstanding payment will be determined fairly according to lessons supplied, valid credits and applicable cancellation charges.

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29. Your statutory cooling-off rights

Where your agreement with West Lancs Tutors is formed online, by telephone or away from our business premises, you will normally have a legal right to cancel your agreement with West Lancs Tutors within 14 days without giving a reason.

The 14-day cooling-off period begins on the day after the Confirmation Date.

You may cancel by sending a clear statement to admin@westlancstutors.co.uk.

You may ask West Lancs Tutors to begin its agency, matching and administration services during the 14-day cooling-off period. This allows us to begin arranging and administering tuition without waiting for the cooling-off period to end.

Where tuition has already taken place during this period, the independent tutor remains entitled to payment for tuition already provided, where applicable.

After the statutory cooling-off period has ended, families are normally asked to provide at least five days' notice when ending regular tuition, as explained in Section 16.

Nothing in these Terms limits any statutory cancellation or consumer rights that apply to you.

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30. Changes to prices or Terms

We may update prices or these Terms where reasonably necessary because of changes to our service, costs, systems or legal obligations.

Changes will not apply retrospectively to lessons already completed.

Where a change materially affects an ongoing arrangement, we will provide reasonable advance notice—normally at least 30 days. You may end future tuition before the change takes effect if you do not wish to accept it, subject to payment for lessons already supplied or properly chargeable.

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31. General legal terms

If any part of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue to apply.

A delay in enforcing a right does not mean that the right has been waived.

These Terms are between West Lancs Tutors and the parent or carer accepting them. No other person has the right to enforce them except where applicable law provides otherwise.

These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Consumers retain any mandatory right to bring proceedings in another UK jurisdiction where applicable.

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32. Contact

Questions about these Terms should be sent to:

David Currie
Trading as West Lancs Tutors
Email: admin@westlancstutors.co.uk