How to become an English tutor

Online tutoring is a growing market and a brilliant way to earn an income while helping students to grow, learn, and succeed. Whether you’re a university student, graduate, teacher, or career changer, if you have a strong background in English and enjoy supporting others, becoming an English tutor can be a flexible and rewarding way to use your skills.

I never actually intended to become an English tutor, but what started as a part-time job during university has turned into seven years of tutoring GCSE and A Level English students. In this guide, I’ll share my experience of getting started, along with practical tips on finding students, building your profile, and establishing yourself as an online English tutor.

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How I became an English tutor

It was quite by chance that I saw an advertisement for university students to become online tutors. The hourly rate was good – especially in comparison to other university jobs I had considered – and I reflected that I liked teaching and had often helped my peers out at school, so I filled in an application, prepped for, and successfully passed the interview.

Then my profile went live on a platform with thousands of tutors. My first challenge was: how do I stand out? I decided to take a look at the competition and filtered through the top tutors’ profiles on the platform. They all seemed to have:

• a clear, friendly photo with no background clutter
• specific biography details showcasing their experience
• reviews

Now, a photo and a biography I had, but the reviews were a little harder to come by. I waited with trepidation to receive my first, feeling that it could really make or break my career on the platform! Five stars – what a relief! I soon realised that most parents didn’t really think about reviews, and a quick message requesting one was often successful.

So, this continued throughout my second and third years of university and then Covid hit – and online tuition boomed. I’m now in my seventh year of tutoring and loving it!

The benefits of becoming an online English tutor

There are so many benefits to online English tutoring for tutors, students, and parents.

From a tutor’s perspective, some of the biggest advantages include:

• Flexible remote working: I can do lessons back-to-back – maximising my time, impact and income. I can also do them from the comfort of my home – or anywhere really (as long as I have my laptop and a good Wi-Fi connection!).
• High demand for English tutors: English Language is a compulsory GCSE subject, and students must achieve at least a Grade 4 to pass. English Literature is also widely studied alongside it. This creates consistent demand for English tutors, as many students seek additional support outside the classroom.
• English tutoring works well online: Whether you’re analysing a text, discussing ideas, planning an essay, or reviewing written work, digital whiteboards and shared documents make lessons just as interactive and effective as those delivered in person.
• The opportunity to make a difference: One of the most rewarding aspects of tutoring English is seeing students grow in confidence. Whether you’re helping a student understand a Shakespeare play, improve their essay writing or prepare for an important exam, you have the opportunity to make a lasting impact while developing a flexible and rewarding career.

Getting started as an English tutor

The basics

In terms of getting started, here are the things you will need:

• A degree: Most platforms will want a degree in a relevant subject. Though often, you can start tutoring while you’re still studying for your degree.
• An enhanced DBS: Tutoring platforms often require tutors to hold an enhanced DBS check, and tutors working independently may also find that parents expect them to have one.
• A computer with a webcam and microphone: It’s important that students can see and hear you clearly.
• Good Wi-Fi: This is an absolute must. Video conferencing software has improved a lot over the years, but if your Wi-Fi is poor, lessons will be disrupted – and that’s not good for anyone!

Knowledge of English exam boards and texts

It’s worth becoming familiar with the main exam boards, with AQA currently being the most popular. You want to have a strong understanding of the specification and mark scheme before you agree to take on a student. Although many exam boards assess the same overall skills in English, the style of questions and the structure of the responses they are looking for can vary quite a lot.

I would also ensure you’re ready to teach the most common texts for GCSE Literature, which (as of 2026) are:

• Macbeth
• Romeo and Juliet
• A Christmas Carol
• Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
• An Inspector Calls

If you are familiar with others, that certainly helps too, but the ones above are currently the most common texts I get requests for.

If a student has studied a text you haven’t read, I would think carefully before agreeing to take them on. If they feel confident with the text and just need support with exam technique, you may still be able to help them. Likewise, if you’re able to read and study the text before sessions start, you may still be able to take them on. Sometimes, though, it’s better to direct the student to a tutor who is already experienced with the texts they need, rather than taking on the additional work of learning a new text yourself.

Tutoring GCSE vs A Level English

It’s also important to understand that parents who are looking for a GCSE tutor will expect you to be able to tutor GCSE English Literature and GCSE English Language. Most students will request support with both subjects, though sometimes you will be asked to focus just on one. This is always worth clarifying with the student and/or parents before you start.

At A Level, there tends to be less demand, as many students who choose English are naturally successful at the subject – though I still get a couple each year. A Level English Literature tends to be more popular than A Level English Language.

Joining a platform vs going solo

Now, if you’re just starting out, I would really recommend starting on a platform – even if you end up going completely private eventually. Platforms are great for people looking to get started who don’t want to invest in a website, SEO and advertising – because it quickly adds up!

Platforms will usually take a percentage of your hourly fee, so make sure you know what this is and price your lessons accordingly.

The benefit of platforms is that, with a good profile and an hourly fee that matches your experience, you will usually find students fairly easily. Most will have an online lesson space with a whiteboard that makes conducting lessons substantially easier and more interactive; they also handle payments on your behalf. It’s always awkward when you’re having to chase clients for payments, or enforce late cancellation fees – platforms make this much, much easier!

Your first student

Once you get your first student, make sure you ask:

• What year they’re in
• The exam board and texts they are studying (if relevant)
• The goal of tuition
• Any educational needs/access requirements they may have

After delivering the first lesson, I always write a summary of how the lesson went from my perspective, the content covered, how the student performed, areas I’ve identified to work on, and a plan of action for parents to approve.

Providing feedback

Often, students and parents aren’t really sure what needs to be done to improve a grade – and that’s where you come in. Letting parents know what you plan to cover in lessons helps to keep them in the loop.

That said, I wouldn’t necessarily give updates after every lesson. Some parents will want that; others prefer a more hands-off experience, with occasional updates after progress has been made or significant milestones have been reached (such as the end of term or mock exam results). If you’re unsure what approach would work best, just ask the parents how frequently they would like updates.

Asking for reviews

Once you have a regular booking with a student, it’s a good time to ask for a review. If in doubt, drop them a message to ask how their child is finding the sessions. If they have any feedback, it’s worth implementing it in your lessons.

If they say everything’s going great, ask them to leave you a review. Many parents don’t think about it, so just ask. Reviews are a big trust signal and good evidence of the work you’ve put in, so it’s really worth doing.

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Overall, being an online English tutor is amazing for a myriad of reasons: it brings together the best parts of teaching and working with young people, paired with the flexibility to work from home and have total control over your own hours.

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