What is the difference between a tutor and a mentor?

A tutor focuses specifically on academic subject knowledge and exam technique in a particular subject, while a mentor typically provides broader support around confidence, motivation, study skills or life and career guidance, without necessarily teaching subject content directly.

What a tutor does:

• Teaches or reinforces specific subject content (Maths, Chemistry, English, and so on) at a particular level and exam board
• Marks and gives feedback on subject-specific work — essays, calculations, past papers
• Works towards a measurable academic outcome, usually a grade or exam result

What a mentor typically does:

• Supports broader development — confidence, motivation, organisation, decision-making around subject choices or university applications
• May not have deep subject-specific expertise in a particular exam board or curriculum
• Focuses on the whole student rather than a specific subject outcome

Which one your child needs depends on the underlying issue. If a child understands material but lacks confidence to attempt exam questions, or is disorganised about deadlines generally, mentoring-style support can help alongside or instead of subject tutoring. If the core issue is a specific, identifiable knowledge or technique gap in a subject, a subject tutor is the more direct fix.

In practice, many good tutors provide a degree of both — building confidence and study habits alongside subject teaching — so the distinction matters less than finding someone who genuinely engages with your child's specific situation, whichever label applies.