What to include in a tutoring agreement

Published 18 October 2026 · Freelancing and getting paid

A tutoring agreement should make the learning arrangement predictable: the subject, learner, session length, fees, attendance rules and how the tutor communicates with the family. Where children are involved, safeguarding and privacy need attention before the first lesson. A payment clause alone is not a suitable plan for one-to-one teaching.

Identify the tutor, payer and learner separately

Record the tutor or tutoring business, the contracting client and the learner. For a child, confirm who has authority to arrange the lessons and who will pay. For an adult learner, adapt the wording rather than leaving references to a parent in every clause. Identify the person authorised to receive progress updates.

Keep necessary contacts securely, and arrange a suitable emergency contact for in-person teaching where appropriate. Do not place a child's full medical or school record into a document merely because a free-text field is available.

Describe the subject and teaching service

Name the subject, level, curriculum or exam where relevant and the starting goals. Explain assessment, lesson preparation, homework feedback and what materials are included. Distinguish teaching and practice from doing graded work on the learner's behalf. Clear boundaries help with both expectations and academic integrity.

Use goals such as reviewing fractions or practising an exam technique rather than guaranteeing a particular grade or admission. Explain how goals are reviewed and what happens if the learner needs support outside the tutor's competence.

Set the timetable, format and session length

State the days, frequency, start date and duration. For online lessons, name the platform and time zone and agree how joining details are sent. For in-person teaching, identify the location, arrival and collection arrangements and who must be present. Say whether preparation or travel is included in a charged hour.

Term	Illustrative arrangement
Subject	Secondary-level mathematics; agreed topic plan
Sessions	One 60-minute online lesson each week
Fee	USD 40 per completed or otherwise chargeable session
Review	A short progress discussion after four lessons

These are fictional terms, not a recommended price or evidence of market rates. Agree the actual schedule around the learner's needs.

Explain payment, packages and unused sessions

Give the currency, hourly or session rate, invoice timing and due date. Four sessions at USD 40 total USD 160 before any applicable tax or agreed extras. If charging for a package, explain its contents, booking process, expiry where lawful and what happens to unused sessions when either side ends the arrangement.

Do not confuse money paid in advance with fees already earned. Address refunds and mandatory consumer rights rather than declaring every package non-refundable. Use the hourly invoice workflow for a session record and check the bill against actual attendance and the agreed cancellation policy.

Deal with lateness, cancellation and technical failure

Specify the notice channel, requested notice period and any fair, lawful cancellation fee. Say whether a late start shortens the session or moves its finish. Apply a clear policy when the tutor cancels too, including rescheduling or refunding the appropriate fee.

For online lessons, agree what happens when the connection or platform fails. A brief interruption, a learner failing to join and the tutor being unavailable are not identical events. Keep a simple attendance and cancellation record so a disputed invoice can be checked.

Write down safeguarding arrangements

Agree appropriate contact channels, professional boundaries, the adult-presence policy where applicable and how a concern is reported. Do not rely on a contract to replace a safeguarding process. Check the requirements for the learner's age, teaching setting and jurisdiction before the service begins.

If background checks are mentioned, describe only the check actually held, its scope and the relevant context. Do not imply that a certificate is a guarantee of safety or that every role qualifies for the same check. The GOV.UK source concerns DBS checks in its own jurisdiction; it is not a universal requirement for tutors everywhere.

Limit recordings and protect learner information

Decide whether recording is necessary. If it is, explain the purpose, lawful basis and required permissions, who can view it, the storage location and retention. Do not reuse a teaching recording for marketing or publish a student's image under a vague lessons clause.

The FTC source covers children's privacy in the US, including obligations that may apply to online services. It does not mean every private tutoring arrangement has the same legal status. Check the rules for the actual service and collect only information you need. The Clausery security documentation also explains the limits of local storage and downloaded files.

Sample session and progress wording

The Tutor will provide [subject and level] tuition in sessions of [duration]
at [schedule and location or platform]. The agreed fee is [amount] per session.
The parties will review the learning goals after [number] sessions. Progress
updates will be shared with [authorised person] by [method]. Tuition supports
the learner's own work; it does not include completing graded assignments or
guaranteeing an examination result. Recording requires a separate agreed process.

Complete the brackets and keep the example consistent with the payment, cancellation, safeguarding and privacy provisions. It is not a complete safeguarding policy.

Review and end the arrangement clearly

Confirm the client's authority, learner details, session schedule and any agreed materials.
Set a review date and a practical way to raise concerns about teaching or attendance.
Agree how lessons end and how prepaid, unused sessions are accounted for.
Keep the signed version and later changes without retaining unnecessary learner information.

Use the free tutoring agreement template, adapt the Word wording for an adult learner where needed, and check the final document rather than assuming every optional clause fits the teaching arrangement.

General drafting information, not legal or safeguarding advice. Education, consumer, privacy and background-check rules vary by location.

Sources

Questions

Who signs a tutoring agreement for a child?

Usually the tutor contracts with a parent or guardian who has authority to arrange the service and agrees the payment terms. Record the learner separately. Capacity, parental authority and safeguarding rules vary, so check the requirements instead of relying only on the label Parent.

Should a tutoring contract guarantee an exam result?

Do not promise a grade or admission outcome you cannot control. Define the teaching service, preparation, attendance and progress reporting. Discuss achievable learning goals while recognising that results also depend on the learner, assessment and other factors.

Can online tutoring sessions be recorded automatically?

Do not treat recording as automatic. Determine the lawful basis and any required permissions, explain the purpose, access and retention, and consider whether recording is necessary at all. A parent signing for lessons is not blanket permission for public clips or indefinite storage.

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