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Section 1: About this agreement

Tutor Agreement

Last updated: August 2026

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This Tutor Agreement sets out the terms on which a tutor may accept and provide tuition opportunities introduced and administered by West Lancs Tutors.

It applies alongside the Safeguarding Policy, Cancellation Policy, Privacy Notice, Complaints Procedure and any individual tuition arrangement confirmed by West Lancs Tutors. If there is an inconsistency between this Agreement and an individual written arrangement, the individual arrangement will apply only to the specific matter it addresses.

In this Agreement:

  • “West Lancs Tutors”, “we”, “us” or “our” means the West Lancs Tutors service operated by David Currie as a sole trader.

  • “Tutor” or “you” means the person who has accepted this Agreement.

  • “Family” means a parent, carer or other customer receiving tuition services.

  • “Student” means the child or young person receiving tuition.

  • “Tuition arrangement” means an arrangement introduced or administered by West Lancs Tutors and accepted by both the tutor and family.

Accepting this Agreement does not require West Lancs Tutors to offer any tuition opportunities, and it does not require the tutor to accept any opportunity offered.

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2. Status of the Tutor

Tutors provide their services as self-employed independent contractors. Nothing in this Agreement creates, or is intended to create, a relationship of employer and employee, worker, partner or agent between West Lancs Tutors and the tutor.

The tutor:

  • is free to accept or decline any proposed tuition arrangement;

  • is not guaranteed any minimum amount of work, hours or income;

  • is not required to remain available for work;

  • may provide tuition or other services independently or through other organisations;

  • retains professional control over how accepted tuition is planned and delivered, subject to the agreed requirements of the arrangement, safeguarding obligations and applicable law; and

  • is responsible for their own Income Tax, National Insurance, expenses and any registration, reporting or other obligations arising from self-employment.

West Lancs Tutors does not provide tutors with holiday pay, sick pay, pension contributions or other employment benefits.

The tutor must not claim to have authority to enter into an agreement, incur an expense or make a commitment on behalf of West Lancs Tutors unless expressly authorised in writing.

Each party is responsible for ensuring that the way it operates in practice remains consistent with the independent relationship described in this Agreement. Nothing in this section removes any statutory right or determines employment or tax status where the law provides otherwise.

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3. Joining and Verification Requirements

Before accepting tuition opportunities, tutors must provide the information and evidence reasonably required by West Lancs Tutors. This may include:

  • proof of identity and the right to work in the United Kingdom;

  • evidence of relevant teaching qualifications and professional experience;

  • an appropriate Enhanced DBS certificate covering work with children;

  • permission for West Lancs Tutors to check the certificate through the DBS Update Service, where applicable;

  • suitable references; and

  • any other information reasonably required for safeguarding or suitability checks.

Providing this information does not guarantee acceptance into the tutor network or the offer of tuition opportunities.

Tutors must ensure that the information supplied remains accurate and promptly notify West Lancs Tutors of any material change. This includes any change affecting their qualifications, right to work, DBS status, professional standing or suitability to work with children.

Tutors must immediately disclose any safeguarding allegation, criminal investigation, caution, conviction, professional restriction or other relevant matter arising after verification. West Lancs Tutors may pause or end tuition arrangements while a concern is reviewed.

Providing false, misleading or materially incomplete information may result in immediate removal from the network and the termination of existing arrangements.

Personal information and verification documents will be handled in accordance with the West Lancs Tutors Privacy Notice.

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4. Tuition Opportunities and Individual Arrangements

West Lancs Tutors may contact a tutor when a family’s requirements appear compatible with the tutor’s qualifications, experience, location and stated availability. The tutor is free to accept or decline each opportunity without affecting their eligibility for other suitable opportunities.

Before accepting, the tutor should consider whether they are appropriately qualified, experienced and available to meet the student’s requirements.

Where an arrangement proceeds, West Lancs Tutors will confirm the relevant details, which may include:

  • the student’s educational stage, subject and general learning requirements;

  • the lesson duration, frequency and expected start date;

  • whether tuition will take place online, at the family’s home, at the tutor’s home or elsewhere;

  • the lesson price payable by the family;

  • the amount payable to the tutor; and

  • any arrangement-specific requirements.

A tuition arrangement begins only when it has been accepted by the tutor and family and confirmed by West Lancs Tutors. Acceptance of one arrangement does not oblige either party to enter into another.

Tutors must promptly notify West Lancs Tutors if their availability changes or they can no longer fulfil an accepted arrangement.

Changes to the regular lesson frequency, duration, educational level, format, location or price must be agreed with West Lancs Tutors before taking effect. Tutors may agree occasional changes of date or time directly with a family, but West Lancs Tutors must be informed so that lesson and payment records can be updated.

Any higher-frequency or home-education arrangement may also be subject to a separate written schedule setting out its particular hours, payment arrangements and other requirements.

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5. Tutor Responsibilities and Professional Control

Tutors retain professional responsibility for deciding how to plan and deliver effective tuition for each student. West Lancs Tutors does not ordinarily prescribe lesson plans, teaching methods or resources.

In providing tuition, the tutor must:

  • deliver tuition with reasonable care, skill and professional judgement;

  • prepare appropriately for the student’s agreed needs and educational level;

  • attend reliably and begin and finish lessons at the agreed times;

  • communicate professionally and respectfully with students, families and West Lancs Tutors;

  • maintain appropriate professional boundaries;

  • use suitable, lawful and age-appropriate teaching materials;

  • provide a safe and suitable environment when tuition takes place at the tutor’s home;

  • inform West Lancs Tutors promptly of any concern affecting the suitability or continuation of an arrangement; and

  • comply with applicable law and the policies referred to in this Agreement.

Tutors must not guarantee a particular grade, examination result, rate of progress or other educational outcome. Progress depends on factors outside the tutor’s control, including attendance, engagement, starting point and work completed between lessons.

The tutor is expected to deliver personally any tuition they have accepted. They must not send another person in their place or transfer an introduced family to another tutor without prior written approval from West Lancs Tutors. Any proposed replacement must satisfy the required qualification, identity and safeguarding checks and must be agreed with the family before teaching takes place.

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6. Safeguarding and Professional Conduct

Tutors must read, understand and comply with the West Lancs Tutors Safeguarding Policy whenever providing tuition through the service.

The tutor must:

  • treat the safety and welfare of the student as the overriding priority;

  • maintain appropriate professional boundaries in person and online;

  • use only agreed and appropriate methods of communication with the family;

  • avoid private social-media contact with students;

  • never behave in a threatening, discriminatory, sexual, humiliating or otherwise inappropriate manner;

  • never photograph, film or record a student or lesson without prior agreement from the family and West Lancs Tutors;

  • not transport a student in a vehicle unless this has been expressly agreed in advance with the family and West Lancs Tutors; and

  • follow any reasonable safeguarding requirements applying to the particular tuition location or arrangement.

Any safeguarding concern, disclosure, allegation or significant change in a student’s welfare must be reported to West Lancs Tutors without delay in accordance with the Safeguarding Policy. Tutors must not investigate a concern themselves or promise a child that information will be kept secret.

Where a child appears to be in immediate danger, the tutor should contact the emergency services or appropriate safeguarding authority first and then inform West Lancs Tutors as soon as reasonably possible.

A serious safeguarding or professional-conduct concern may result in tuition being paused while the matter is considered. West Lancs Tutors may end an arrangement or remove a tutor from the network where reasonably necessary to protect a child, family or the integrity of the service.

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7. Lesson Records and Communication

Tutors must maintain accurate and timely records for tuition arranged through West Lancs Tutors.

For each scheduled lesson, the tutor must record the required information in the lesson tracker provided by West Lancs Tutors. This will normally include whether the lesson was:

  • completed;

  • cancelled by the family;

  • cancelled by the tutor;

  • rearranged;

  • missed without notice; or

  • affected by another circumstance requiring review.

Tutors should update the tracker promptly after each lesson and must ensure that the monthly record is complete and accurate by the stated invoicing deadline. These records will be used to check family payments, credits and the amount payable to the tutor.

The tutor must notify West Lancs Tutors promptly about:

  • cancellations or rearrangements;

  • missed lessons;

  • changes to the regular schedule;

  • payment-related questions raised by a family;

  • concerns about attendance, communication or conduct; and

  • any disagreement about whether a lesson took place or should be charged.

Routine lesson matters may be discussed directly with the family. However, West Lancs Tutors remains the central point of contact for payments, complaints, safeguarding concerns, changes to an arrangement and decisions affecting credits or charges.

Tutors must keep student and family information confidential, use it only for providing the agreed tuition and store any lesson records or contact information securely. Information must not be retained for longer than reasonably necessary or shared with anyone who does not have a legitimate reason to receive it.

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8. Family Payments and Tutor Remuneration

Families must pay West Lancs Tutors for tuition arranged through the service. Tutors must not request or accept cash, bank transfers or any other lesson payment directly from an introduced family unless West Lancs Tutors has expressly authorised a particular arrangement in writing.

For arrangements operating under the current payment model, the tutor will normally receive 80% of the lesson price paid by the family. The amount applicable to each arrangement will be confirmed before the tutor accepts it. West Lancs Tutors will retain the remaining amount for matching, payment management, administration and ongoing support.

Tutor payment will normally become due where:

  • the lesson has been completed;

  • a credited lesson has subsequently been delivered; or

  • a late cancellation or missed lesson is chargeable under the Cancellation Policy and the tutor was available and prepared to teach.

Payment will not normally become due where:

  • the tutor cancelled the lesson;

  • the family cancelled within the applicable notice period and the payment was credited;

  • an approved emergency waiver applies; or

  • the lesson did not take place and the tutor was not available to provide it.

Tutors will be paid monthly in arrears. Tutors should submit an accurate invoice and ensure their lesson records are complete by the 3rd of the following month. West Lancs Tutors intends to make payment by the 7th, provided the required records and invoice are complete and there is no reasonable dispute requiring investigation.

If information is missing or appears inaccurate, West Lancs Tutors may delay the disputed part of a payment while clarification is obtained. Any undisputed amount should still be paid where reasonably practicable.

Tutors are responsible for maintaining their own financial records and for dealing with any tax, National Insurance, VAT or other liabilities arising from payments received. Any arrangement operating under separately agreed transitional or home-education terms will be paid in accordance with its written arrangement schedule.

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9. Cancellations, Credits and Missed Lessons

The West Lancs Tutors Cancellation Policy applies to all tuition arrangements unless different terms have been confirmed in writing for a particular arrangement.

Cancellation by the family

Where a family gives notice before payment has been collected, West Lancs Tutors may cancel or skip the upcoming charge.

If payment has already been collected and notice is received by 9am on the calendar day of the lesson, the payment will normally be retained as credit for a rearranged or future lesson. The tutor will not be paid for the original cancelled slot; payment will become due when the credited lesson is subsequently delivered.

Where notice is received after 9am, or the student fails to attend without notice, the lesson will normally be charged in full. Provided the tutor was available and prepared to teach, the tutor will normally receive their agreed payment.

Genuine emergency waiver

Each child may receive one approved late-cancellation waiver during each autumn, spring and summer school term. Where a waiver is approved, the family will not be charged and the tutor will not receive payment because the lesson did not take place.

West Lancs Tutors will decide whether a waiver applies after considering the circumstances and the child’s cancellation record.

Cancellation by the tutor

If the tutor cannot deliver a scheduled lesson, they must notify both the family and West Lancs Tutors as soon as possible. The family will not be charged and the tutor will not receive payment for the cancelled lesson.

Where practical, the tutor and family may agree an alternative date. Tutor payment will become due only when the rearranged lesson is delivered.

Repeated, avoidable or inadequately communicated tutor cancellations may result in the arrangement being reviewed or ended and may affect whether further opportunities are offered.

Rearrangements and records

Requests to rearrange a lesson are treated in accordance with the Cancellation Policy. Tutors must not promise a credit, refund, waiver or exemption from payment on behalf of West Lancs Tutors.

Every cancellation, missed lesson or rearrangement must be recorded accurately in the lesson tracker and reported to West Lancs Tutors where required.

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10. Expenses, Tax and Insurance

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, tutors are responsible for all costs associated with providing their services. This includes:

  • travel time and travel expenses;

  • teaching materials and equipment;

  • internet, telephone and software costs;

  • the suitability and running costs of any location used by the tutor; and

  • any professional registrations, checks or insurance required for their work.

Tutors should take these costs into account before accepting an arrangement. West Lancs Tutors will not reimburse an expense unless it has been expressly approved in writing beforehand.

Tutors are responsible for registering as self-employed where required, declaring their income and managing their own Income Tax, National Insurance, VAT and other financial or reporting obligations. West Lancs Tutors cannot provide individual tax or financial advice.

Tutors must maintain any insurance reasonably appropriate to the services and locations they offer. This may include public liability and professional indemnity insurance. Where tuition takes place at the tutor’s home or involves travel for business purposes, the tutor is responsible for checking that their home, vehicle or other relevant insurance permits that activity.

West Lancs Tutors may request reasonable evidence of relevant insurance before offering or continuing a tuition arrangement. Tutors must promptly notify West Lancs Tutors if required cover expires, is cancelled or becomes subject to a restriction that may affect their tuition work.

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11. Introduced Families and Private Arrangements

West Lancs Tutors invests time and resources in advertising, handling enquiries, identifying potential matches, administering payments and supporting tuition arrangements.

A tutor must not bypass the service by arranging or accepting tuition or payment directly with a family introduced through West Lancs Tutors.

Unless West Lancs Tutors gives prior written consent, the tutor must not, either personally or through another person or business:

  • request or accept direct payment from an introduced family;

  • move an introduced tuition arrangement outside the West Lancs Tutors payment and administration system;

  • encourage an introduced family to cancel or reduce its arrangement in order to continue privately;

  • provide substantially similar paid tuition privately to the student or their immediate household; or

  • refer the family to another tutor or tuition provider in order to bypass West Lancs Tutors.

This restriction applies while the West Lancs Tutors arrangement is active and for 12 months after the final lesson provided through the service. Where an introduction does not result in tuition, it applies for 12 months from the date of the introduction.

The restriction applies whether the private arrangement is proposed by the tutor or the family. If a family asks to pay the tutor directly or continue outside the service, the tutor must decline and notify West Lancs Tutors.

It does not prevent the tutor from:

  • working independently or through other organisations;

  • accepting families obtained without an introduction from West Lancs Tutors; or

  • continuing a pre-existing relationship that was disclosed to West Lancs Tutors before the proposed arrangement was accepted.

A serious or deliberate breach may result in the immediate termination of tuition arrangements and removal from the tutor network. West Lancs Tutors also reserves the right to pursue any reasonably evidenced loss resulting from the breach.

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12. Data Protection and Confidentiality

West Lancs Tutors and the tutor must each comply with applicable data-protection law when handling personal information relating to students, families or other individuals.

West Lancs Tutors will share only the information reasonably required for the tutor to assess or deliver an arrangement. This may include contact details, educational requirements, availability, location and relevant learning or safeguarding information.

The tutor must:

  • use personal information only for assessing, arranging and providing tuition through West Lancs Tutors;

  • keep information accurate, confidential and appropriately secured;

  • restrict access to devices, accounts and records containing family information;

  • not share information with another person unless authorised or legally required;

  • not use family details for unrelated marketing or private tuition;

  • notify West Lancs Tutors promptly of any loss, unauthorised disclosure, security breach or data-protection concern; and

  • securely delete or return information when it is no longer reasonably required, subject to any lawful record-keeping obligation.

Tutors should avoid retaining unnecessary sensitive information about a child. Any lesson notes should be relevant, factual, proportionate and stored securely.

Information may be disclosed without consent where this is reasonably necessary to protect a child, comply with a legal obligation or respond to an appropriate safeguarding or regulatory authority.

Tutors must also keep confidential any non-public information concerning West Lancs Tutors, its systems, families, pricing, records or business operations. This obligation continues after a tuition arrangement or this Agreement has ended.

Nothing in this section prevents a tutor from disclosing information where required by law or from obtaining confidential professional, legal, tax or safeguarding advice.

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13. Complaints and Concerns

Tutors should notify West Lancs Tutors promptly if a difficulty arises with a family, student or tuition arrangement. Early notification allows concerns to be considered before they become more serious.

Where a complaint is made about a tutor or their services, West Lancs Tutors will normally:

  • record and review the concern;

  • provide the tutor with sufficient information to understand and respond to it, where appropriate;

  • consider relevant records and information from those involved; and

  • decide what action, if any, is reasonably required.

Tutors must cooperate with reasonable enquiries, provide accurate information and preserve relevant lesson or communication records. They must not pressure, disadvantage or retaliate against a family or student for raising a concern.

Depending on the circumstances, West Lancs Tutors may:

  • provide guidance or request an agreed improvement;

  • monitor communication or attendance;

  • pause new opportunities or an existing arrangement;

  • propose an alternative tutor;

  • end a particular tuition arrangement; or

  • remove the tutor from the network.

A tutor will normally be given an opportunity to respond before a decision is made. However, immediate temporary or permanent action may be taken where reasonably necessary because of a serious safeguarding, conduct, legal or reputational concern.

Safeguarding allegations will be handled under the Safeguarding Policy and may need to be referred to the police, local authority, Disclosure and Barring Service, professional regulator or another appropriate body.

Tutors may also raise a complaint or concern about West Lancs Tutors using the Complaints Procedure. Raising a genuine concern in good faith will not, by itself, affect the tutor’s eligibility for future opportunities.

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14. Ending an Individual Tuition Arrangement

A tutor may end an individual tuition arrangement by notifying West Lancs Tutors in writing. Tutors should provide as much notice as reasonably possible and ordinarily at least seven days, unless there is a safeguarding concern, emergency or other circumstance making this impractical.

The tutor should not tell a family that an arrangement has ended before informing West Lancs Tutors, except where immediate communication is reasonably necessary. This allows lesson, payment and replacement arrangements to be managed accurately.

A family may also end an ongoing arrangement. Families are normally asked to provide at least seven days’ notice, and any lessons falling within the notice period remain subject to the Cancellation Policy.

West Lancs Tutors may end or reassign an individual arrangement where:

  • the tutor or family requests this;

  • the arrangement is no longer suitable or workable;

  • communication, reliability or professional standards are a concern;

  • required verification, safeguarding or insurance information is no longer satisfactory;

  • payment cannot be maintained;

  • the student’s requirements have materially changed; or

  • continuing the arrangement could place a student, family, tutor or West Lancs Tutors at unreasonable risk.

Where reasonably practicable, West Lancs Tutors will discuss the situation with the tutor before ending the arrangement. Immediate action may be taken where necessary because of safeguarding, serious misconduct, legal requirements or another urgent concern.

Ending one arrangement does not automatically end this wider Tutor Agreement. The tutor remains entitled to payment for lessons and chargeable cancellations that became eligible before the arrangement ended, subject to accurate records and invoicing.

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15. Ending This Agreement

Either the tutor or West Lancs Tutors may end this Agreement and the tutor’s membership of the network by giving written notice.

Ending this Agreement does not remove any obligation relating to tuition already delivered, outstanding records, eligible payments, confidentiality, data protection or introduced families.

West Lancs Tutors may end the Agreement immediately or suspend the tutor from the network where there is a reasonable concern involving:

  • safeguarding or suitability to work with children;

  • serious or repeated professional misconduct;

  • false, misleading or materially incomplete information;

  • loss of an essential qualification, right to work, DBS status or required insurance;

  • misuse of confidential or personal information;

  • deliberate circumvention of the West Lancs Tutors payment system;

  • repeated failure to maintain accurate lesson records;

  • conduct that may place a student, family or West Lancs Tutors at significant risk; or

  • another serious breach of this Agreement.

Where appropriate, West Lancs Tutors may suspend new or existing arrangements while a concern is reviewed. Suspension does not imply that an allegation has been proven.

On termination, the tutor must:

  • complete any outstanding lesson records and invoice information;

  • return or securely delete personal information that is no longer lawfully required;

  • stop representing themselves as a current West Lancs Tutors tutor; and

  • cooperate reasonably with any necessary handover affecting existing students.

Sections concerning payment, confidentiality, data protection, introduced families, liability and any other provision intended to continue will remain effective after this Agreement ends.

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16. Liability and Circumstances Outside Anyone’s Control

The tutor is responsible for the professional planning and delivery of tuition they accept, including the suitability of their teaching methods, materials, equipment and any premises they provide.

West Lancs Tutors is responsible for operating its matching, administration and payment-management services with reasonable care and skill. It does not guarantee:

  • that any tuition opportunity will be available;

  • that a particular family and tutor will remain compatible;

  • that tuition will produce a particular educational result;

  • that an arrangement will continue for a particular period; or

  • that online systems or third-party services will always operate without interruption.

Each party must take reasonable steps to avoid or reduce foreseeable loss arising from its actions or omissions.

Neither party will be responsible for a failure or delay caused by circumstances genuinely outside its reasonable control. These may include severe weather, widespread travel disruption, power or internet failure, serious illness, government restrictions, emergencies or the failure of an essential third-party service.

The affected party must notify the other party as soon as reasonably possible. The parties should consider whether the lesson can safely be rearranged, moved online or cancelled in accordance with the Cancellation Policy.

Nothing in this Agreement excludes or limits liability where doing so would be unlawful, including liability for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or for death or personal injury caused by negligence.

Nothing in this section limits the tutor’s safeguarding duties or either party’s responsibility to comply with applicable law.

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17. Changes to This Agreement

West Lancs Tutors may update this Agreement or an associated policy where reasonably necessary to reflect:

  • changes in law, regulation or official guidance;

  • safeguarding or operational requirements;

  • changes to payment or administration systems;

  • improvements to the service; or

  • matters that were not reasonably anticipated when the current version was issued.

Tutors will be given reasonable notice of a material change wherever practicable. A change required urgently for safeguarding, legal or security reasons may take effect immediately, but tutors will be informed as soon as reasonably possible.

Where a material change affects the tutor’s rights, responsibilities or payment arrangements, West Lancs Tutors may ask the tutor to confirm their acceptance electronically or in writing.

Changes to the price, tutor payment, frequency, duration or other material terms of an individual tuition arrangement will be confirmed separately before taking effect.

The version and date displayed on the West Lancs Tutors website will identify the current Agreement. Tutors should retain a copy of the version they accepted.

If a tutor does not agree to a material change, they should notify West Lancs Tutors before accepting further opportunities. Either party may then end this Agreement in accordance with Section 15.

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18. General Terms, Governing Law and Contact

This Agreement, the policies referred to within it and any written individual arrangement form the agreement between West Lancs Tutors and the tutor concerning tuition provided through the service.

If any provision is found to be unlawful or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue to apply. The affected provision should be interpreted or adjusted only as far as reasonably necessary to make it lawful and enforceable.

A delay or failure by either party to enforce a provision does not waive the right to enforce it later.

The tutor may not transfer this Agreement to another person. West Lancs Tutors may transfer the operation of the service to a successor business, provided that this does not materially reduce the tutor’s accrued rights without notice.

Nothing in this Agreement gives a third party a right to enforce its terms under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999.

This Agreement is governed by the law of England and Wales. The courts of England and Wales will have jurisdiction over any dispute, subject to any mandatory legal right that provides otherwise.

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Notices and questions concerning this Agreement should be sent to:

West Lancs Tutors
Email: admin@westlancstutors.co.uk

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