FAQs: frequently asked questions

None! Your only fee is the membership fee. You keep 100% of your income. 

The only extras you will pay - if you wish - are for your website and any design work you commission for your branding.  

Exactly the opposite! We want to keep your start-up costs as low as possible so we recommend tools that have useful free versions that we use too. 

No. That means we won't send clients to you directly and we won't give you a tutoring job. What does happen is that members refer clients to each other if they are full, or to other members who tutor other subjects, like maths.  

No! We have members with excellent English who are not native English speakers.

No. But you do need to have an interest in and experience teaching phonics and early literacy to young learners. And you have to be 100% committed to safeguarding. 

Definitely! Our exclusive, signature Jigsaw Phonics Programme with ready-to-tutor lessons was created by an international teacher and lessons are optimised for non-native English speakers. 

A mix of UK and international tutors and teachers. Some are full-time tutors, some have tutoring as one income stream, some are transitioning out of the classroom into tutoring, some teach online only, some teach face-to-face, some do a mix, some teach phonics and other subjects ... a vibrant and interesting mix!

Yes, that's the plan! Our signature, exclusive Jigsaw Phonics programme has 90 ready-to-tutor structured phonics and literacy lessons plus 30+ vocabulary enrichment activities plus 30 separate spelling lessons.

They come as PDFs to easily tutor online or face-to-face. Plus there are assessments and reports. One member started small group tutoring just 14 days after joining, so it can go fast! Another member said she loves how child-led the lessons are, so it feels more like teamwork than tutoring.  

A lot! We have (1) regular live group calls (2) a WhatsApp group for 24/7 support and networking,  (3) a private members-only Facebook and Instagram group (4) the option to book a 1-1 call with Sandra any time you are stuck on something that needs some personal attention. You will feel fully supported all the time!

No. Lessons are optimised for easy online tutoring but they work for face-to-face tutoring too. There are a whole load of extra resources, like flashcards and games, that you can print and use.   

Yes, our signature membership Jigsaw Phonics Tutor Like a Pro! is for phonics and literacy teachers only. Some members also tutor primary maths too. 

You have the option to full co-brand with Jigsaw Phonics Tutoring as a gold memeber if you wish.

Either click the button below to find the programme that suits your timeframe and budget, or book a free, no-obligation call with Sandra if you need some help and advice on what membership level suits you best.

A fair price that will keep your business sustainable. In the membership we go beyond outdated hourly rates and recommend pricing and packaging your offer to cover all the work you do in your business in a way that will make your business sustainable.  

Yes, always ask for payment upfront and be very clear in your terms and conditions about cancellations, lesson credits and refunds. There are many ways to take payments automatically but the aim is to make it a smooth process for your client. 

It’s great to start your business professionally and to think of insurance. Our recommendation for tutor insurance is Policy Bee here. You'll go through a quick online process to find out exactly what you need, and because tutoring is not a high-risk profession it may be cheaper than you think.

Yes - and we show you how to get one.  Safeguarding has to be the number one priority and you should make a point of telling prospective clients that you have all the safeguarding checks in place. We also recommend adding your child protection policy to your T&Cs (we have templates including that inside the membership).  

The first and easiest way is to tell everyone you know that you are tutoring! Someone always wants a tutor or knows someone who does. After that, it's about communicating the value of your offer. That's less about what you do and how you do it, and more about communicating the results clients get from working with you.

It's completely normal to feel nervous about doing something new. When you think of starting a business, you think it's all about accounts, logos and insurance. It's not really that at all - 80% of getting started is mastering your mindset. And since you have to be in it to win it, just get started! Believe in your amazing transferable teacher skills to guide you through the process. And know that it's natural for confidence to come after you do something, not before.

The smart thing to do is to believe enough in yourself to invest in yourself. Get the help that will fast-track you through all the questions you have as an owner of a tutoring business. You need to know you are doing it right so you'll be excited to get out there!