Terms for Tutors

Last updated: 4 November 2026

1. About these terms

Joy Learning is an online tutoring employment agency. We introduce you to families looking for a tutor and support you while lessons run.

• You are self-employed. You are not an employee or worker of Joy Learning, and you are responsible for your own tax and National Insurance.
• When a family books you, your agreement for the lessons is directly with the family.
• Joy Learning never charges you a fee for finding you work, and pays for your enhanced DBS check.
• These terms are agreed before we introduce you to any family. By accepting work through Joy Learning, you confirm you have read and accept them.

Who we are: Joy Learning, 61 Bridge Street, Kington, HR5 3DJ, info@joylearning.co.uk.

Definitions

• You / Tutor: the self-employed tutor introduced to families by Joy Learning.
• Client: the parent or guardian who requests and pays for lessons.
• Tutee / Student: the child receiving lessons.
• Lesson: a session in which you teach a student, as requested by the client.
• Tutor's fee: your share of the lesson fee, paid to you by the client.

2. Checks before we introduce you

Because you will work with children, the law requires these checks before any introduction:

• Photo ID (passport or driving licence)
• Proof of your right to work in the UK
• Copies of relevant qualifications (e.g. GCSE and A Level certificates, university enrolment)
• Two written references from people not related to you, who agree to them being shared with families
• An enhanced DBS check with the Children's Barred List, arranged and paid for by Joy Learning, or an existing one on the DBS Update Service that you allow us to check

We may share copies of your qualifications, references and DBS status with families before lessons start. You must tell us straight away about any caution, conviction, investigation or other change that could affect your suitability to work with children.

3. Your pay

• Your fee for new bookings is £24 per hour, for all subjects and levels. Shorter or longer lessons are paid pro rata. Existing arrangements stay as they are.
• Families pay your fee directly through our booking platform (TutorCruncher) using split payments. The family makes one payment, and the platform passes your share to you separately from Joy Learning's booking fee. Joy Learning does not pay you or handle your fee.
• The platform issues invoices to the family in your name for your fee.
• Payouts follow the platform's schedule once a lesson is marked complete. Please log each lesson on the platform within 24 hours.
• As a self-employed tutor, you must register with HMRC if your income requires it, and declare this income on your tax return.
• If a family uses our first lesson guarantee, you are still paid for that lesson.

4. First lessons, cancellations and no-shows

• First lessons matter most: please prepare well, introduce yourself, find out the student's goals, and send Joy Learning a short note afterwards on how it went.
• If a family cancels with less than 24 hours' notice, or the student misses the lesson, you decide whether to charge for it. You can charge in full, or waive the fee, for example for illness or a family emergency. Joy Learning will support whichever you choose. If you charge, log it on the platform as a late cancellation and you are paid as normal. If a student is late, you do not have to extend the lesson, though you may choose to. If they join more than 15 minutes late without warning, you may treat the lesson as missed.
• If you need to cancel, give the family and Joy Learning at least 24 hours' notice wherever possible, and offer another time. You are not paid for lessons you cancel.
• Repeated short-notice cancellations or no-shows may mean we stop introducing you to new families.
• Tell us in advance about exams, placements or holidays when you are unavailable.

5. Lesson standards

You decide how to teach. Families choose Joy Learning because lessons are consistently good, so we ask that you:

• Arrange and deliver all lessons through the Joy Learning platform only, and plan them around the student's exam board, goals and gaps.
• Join on time, from a quiet, professional-looking space, with a reliable connection.
• Write a short lesson report on the platform after every lesson: what was covered, how the student did, and what to work on next. Parents value these highly.
• Keep your availability up to date on the platform, especially around university exams and holidays.
• Tell Joy Learning early if a student is struggling, losing motivation, or the match isn't working.
• Academic honesty: help students learn, but never complete homework, assignments, essays or coursework for them, even if asked.

6. Safeguarding code of conduct

These rules protect students and you. Breaking them may mean we stop working with you and, where required, report it.

1. Contact: communicate with students only through the lesson platform or through their parent. Never use personal phone numbers, social media, or private messaging with a student.
2. Cameras and setting: keep your camera on, dress appropriately, and use a neutral background. The student should join from a shared space with an adult in the home.
3. One-to-one boundaries: keep conversation professional and focused on learning. Never arrange to meet a student in person.
4. Recording: lessons may be recorded through the platform for safeguarding and quality. Never record a student on your own device.
5. Concerns: if a student tells you something worrying, or you are concerned about their safety, do not promise to keep it secret. Write down what was said, in their words, and contact Joy Learning's Designated Safeguarding Lead the same day at info@joylearning.co.uk or 07518 384585. If a child is in immediate danger, call 999 first.
6. Allegations: if a concern is raised about you, we will follow our safeguarding procedures fairly, which may include pausing your lessons while it is looked into.

7. Confidentiality and data protection

• Keep everything you learn about students and families confidential, including names, contact details, school reports and learning needs.
• Use family information only to deliver lessons. Do not store it outside the platform, or share it with anyone else.
• Delete any notes or files about a student when lessons with them end.
• Joy Learning will keep your documents and check records securely, for as long as the law requires (at least 12 months after we last work together), and share them only with families you are introduced to and with authorities where legally required.
• If a family asks to book you directly, outside Joy Learning, please ask them to contact us. Families agree to an introduction fee in their own terms, so this protects them and keeps things simple for you. We will never penalise you for it.

8. Working elsewhere, ending the arrangement and other terms

• You are free to work elsewhere, including for other agencies or privately. Joy Learning will never penalise you for this.
• No minimum hours: you choose which bookings to accept. We cannot guarantee a set amount of work.
• Ending lessons with a family: give the family and Joy Learning at least 2 weeks' notice where possible, so we can arrange a new tutor. You can stop working with Joy Learning at any time by telling us.
• When we may stop introductions: Joy Learning may stop introducing you, ask you to stop lessons with a family, or end your access to the platform if these terms are not followed, if checks raise concerns, or if families raise repeated complaints.
• Complaints: if you are unhappy with how Joy Learning has treated you, contact info@joylearning.co.uk and we will respond within 5 working days.
• Changes to these terms: we will tell you about any changes at least 30 days in advance.
• Law: these terms are governed by the law of England and Wales.