What qualifications should a good tutor have?

There is no single legally required qualification to work as a private tutor in the UK, which means the right qualifications to look for depend on the specific subject and level rather than a fixed checklist.

Formal qualifications that carry real weight:

• A degree in the subject being taught, ideally from a well-regarded university, particularly for specialist subjects (sciences, Further Maths, languages)
• Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) or a PGCE, which signals training in how to teach and assess, not just subject knowledge
• Examining experience with an exam board (AQA, Edexcel, OCR), which gives direct insight into exactly how marks are awarded
• Specialist qualifications relevant to particular needs, such as the British Dyslexia Association's specialist teaching qualifications for reading support

What matters just as much as formal credentials:

• A track record of grade improvements with students at a similar starting point to your child
• Specific, demonstrated knowledge of your child's exact exam board and specification, not just the subject broadly
• Clear communication and a structured approach, which a detailed, specific tutor profile or a good first conversation usually reveals

A tutor with a strong degree but no formal teaching qualification can be excellent if they clearly understand how to break down and explain content, and a tutor with QTS can be a poor fit if they don't know your child's specific exam board. Reading a tutor's own description of their approach and experience tells you more than a qualifications list alone. On TutorLab, tutors write their own profiles in full, covering both credentials and approach.