How to get tutoring students in the UK
Most new tutoring students still come from three channels: personal referrals, a public profile parents can find in search, and local community groups. Marketplaces bring students too, but several deduct fees they do not publish, and two of the biggest UK marketplaces are not taking new tutor sign-ups at all in 2026.
What is the single best way to get tutoring students?
Personal referrals, without question. A parent who arrives because another parent recommended you is already sold before you say a word, and referred students tend to stay longer. The catch is that referrals only flow once you already have students, so they are the goal, not the starting point, for a tutor building from zero.
How do you get your first students before you have referrals?
Publish a profile somewhere parents already search. A TutorLab profile is free to create, gets indexed by Google across subject and location searches, and does not depend on you already knowing a family. It is slower than a marketplace referral in the first week, but it keeps working for as long as it is live, and every enquiry comes to you directly.
How to become a tutor and publish your profileShould you rely on a tutoring marketplace for students?
As one channel among several, yes. As your only channel, no. The 2026 picture is worth knowing before you commit time to one: First Tutors closed permanently after more than 20 years, Tutorful is not currently accepting new tutor applications, and MyTutor's own fee is not published. A marketplace can hand you a parent quickly, but that parent, and a slice of what they pay, belongs to the platform, not you.
Superprof is the exception worth noting: free to list, and 0% from the tutor if payment is arranged off-platform (10% only if routed through its own checkout), though most parents need a paid Student Pass just to message a tutor.
See every platform's fees, comparedWhat about schools, community boards and social media?
Genuinely useful, particularly early on: a school noticeboard, a local Facebook or WhatsApp parent group, or a printed flyer in a library or community centre all reach parents who are actively looking, for free. Social media works the same way over a longer horizon, posting useful, subject-specific content builds recognition that turns into an enquiry months later, not instantly.
Every channel, compared
The column that matters most long-term is the last one: who ends up owning the relationship with the parent.
| Channel | Cost to you | Typical speed | Who owns the relationship |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal referrals | Free | Slow to start, fastest once established | You |
| A directory profile (e.g. TutorLab) | Free to publish | Weeks, and it compounds as the profile ages | You, parents contact you directly |
| Marketplaces (MyTutor, Tutorful, Superprof, Tutor Hunt) | Often free to join, but fees on the lessons you teach, several undisclosed | Fast, if the platform is even open to new tutors | The platform |
| Local: schools, noticeboards, community groups | Free | Slow, and depends heavily on your area | You |
| Social media | Free, or paid if you boost posts | Slow to medium | You |
Marketplace fee detail last checked 10 July 2026. Platforms can change terms without notice.
Why does owning the parent relationship matter more in 2026?
Because the marketplace layer is visibly thinning. A platform that closes, like First Tutors, or pauses new tutors, like Tutorful, can remove a channel overnight, and it was never yours to begin with, the parent belonged to the platform. A directory profile and your own referral network cannot be switched off by someone else's business decision. That is worth building even while a marketplace is working well for you.
- A free TutorLab profile you control, indexed by Google
- Parents contact you directly, no platform sitting in between
- A well-written bio that converts profile views into enquiries
If your profile exists but isn't converting, the fix is usually the bio: how to write a tutor bio that gets enquiries. For the deeper, channel-by-channel tactics behind referrals and local groups, see how to find tutoring students in the UK.
Whichever channels you use, run them alongside a free TutorLab profile. It costs nothing to publish, and it is the one channel a platform closure or a paused application process can never take away from you.
Getting tutoring students: common questions
What is the fastest way to get tutoring students in the UK?
A marketplace listing is usually the fastest, because the platform already has parent demand. The trade-off is that several of the biggest marketplaces take a fee they do not publish, and one, Tutorful, is not currently accepting new tutor applications at all. A directory profile is slightly slower to start but costs nothing and the relationship stays yours.
Should I use a marketplace or list on a directory instead?
Both, if you can. A marketplace can bring faster first bookings; a free directory profile like TutorLab builds a channel you own long-term, with no undisclosed fee sitting between you and the parent. Most established tutors end up relying mainly on referrals and their own profile, with a marketplace as a top-up rather than the whole strategy.
Can I still join Tutorful or First Tutors in 2026?
No. First Tutors closed permanently in 2026, according to its own homepage, after more than 20 years. Tutorful's own become-a-tutor page was not accepting new tutor applications when checked on 10 July 2026. Both are effectively closed doors for a tutor looking to sign up today, whatever their history.
Do tutoring marketplaces take a cut of what I earn?
Most do. MyTutor deducts an undisclosed percentage fee plus VAT before paying the tutor. Tutorful adds an unpublished percentage service fee to the tutor's rate. Superprof takes 10% only if payment runs through its own checkout, otherwise 0%. Tutor Hunt does not publish a clear fee structure either. A full breakdown is in the platform fees comparison.
How do I get referrals if I don't have any students yet?
You cannot shortcut referrals, so use a lower-effort channel first to land your initial few students: a free directory profile, a local community group, or a school noticeboard. Once you have two or three families who rate you, ask them directly for a referral. Most tutors' books fill from that small starting group within a few months.
Is a TutorLab profile free to publish?
Yes. Publishing your TutorLab profile is free, and there is no commission on the students you bring. An optional subscription from £9 a month adds scheduling, invoicing, an HMRC tax summary and AI lesson tools. 14-day free trial, no card to start.
Build the channel nobody can close
Publish your free profile, get found by parents searching your subject and town, and keep every relationship you build.