Tutorbility’s Terms and Conditions

The terms in this agreement are made between the tutors that operate using the services of Tutorbility and all students that receive lessons through the company. ‘Tutorbility’, the ‘Company’ and ‘we’ refers to Tutorbility LTD, registered at Companies House, number 14494515 with the registered business address being Pigeonhole 930 King's College, Cambridge, United Kingdom, CB2 1ST. The ‘Tutor’ refers to the person who wishes to provide tuition or consultancy services, in exchange for the fees received. The Company will be acting for the Client (this may be the student, parent or guardian, or other party) and will pay fees to the Tutor. The terms in Section 1 define the arrangements between Tutorbility and the student for the provision of tuition or consultancy. The terms in Section 2 sets out Terms and Conditions governing the relationship between Tutorbility and the self-employed tutor.

Section 1

Statement of Terms and Conditions 

This Agreement sets out terms and conditions governing the relationship between Tutorbility and the student. For the purposes of these terms, the ‘student’ is defined as the recipient of tuition, and/or the person or organisation responsible for payment for tuition or consultancy. If the student is below the age of 18 then these terms will apply to the parents or guardians of the student and Tutorbility. All references to the term ‘student’ below will refer to the parents or guardians of a person below the age of 18 and receiving tuition from Tutorbility. 

Tutorbility services 

Tuition 

Tutorbility will offer the student a free trial lesson after the introductory phone call is held. This will be a standard online lesson with one of our tutors in a group or 1-to-1 class. The student is not committed to any following lessons after the free trial lesson. They can choose afterwards whether to continue tuition. The online lessons at Tutorbility are one-to-two hours long. The student will be able to access an online calendar and view their scheduled lessons.  Our tutors at Tutorbility approach teaching by enabling the student to meet his or her aims whatever those might be. The tutor will not impose their own preferences/opinions on those aims. 

Consultancy 

Tutorbility Consultancy provides a supportive and professional environment during sessions, offering guidance and advice tailored to your specific needs and goals. While we strive to provide accurate and reliable guidance, it's important to note that our services are based on our knowledge and experience as university student consultants. We cannot guarantee specific outcomes, such as admission into specific universities or career success, as these depend on various external factors. Our services are meant to supplement, not replace, professional advice from academic institutions or qualified professionals. We encourage you to consult with relevant authorities and make informed decisions based on a variety of resources.

Payment

Payment for each month will be taken using the payment provider Stripe, or direct bank transfer. The student is required to pay in advance, for all the lessons scheduled in the upcoming month. This process will continue indefinitely. In the event that an invoice has not been paid within 10 days of the payment due date, Tutorbility reserves the right to charge a ‘late payment’ fee of £9.99. In the event of non-payment, Tutorbility will forward the invoice to a collection service partner. The student will be liable for all legal costs and expenses incurred by Tutorbility during the payment collection process.

Cancellation of lessons

If the student needs to cancel a lesson, they must directly contact Tutorbility directly via email, text message or phone call. The cancellation notice period is 24 hours. If this notice is given, the missed class will be rescheduled to another date. If the student does not provide this notice period – barring emergencies and/or health complications – the class will not be rescheduled and the student will incur the full lesson cost. In addition, if a student is more than 15 minutes late for a class or session without prior notice, Tutorbility reserves the right to cancel the class and mark it as billable due to lateness. This policy is to ensure that our tutors’ time is respected and that sessions run smoothly for the benefit of all students. No refunds shall be given in respect of lessons not attended by the student. Tutorbility reserves the right to reschedule lessons if an emergency arises where the tutor is unable to conduct the lesson. This rescheduling will only occur if a replacement tutor cannot be found. Students will be given notice at the earliest convenience if this occurs.

Complaints

If the student is dissatisfied with the service received, he/she can speak to the Tutorbility team directly and request changes to the teaching arrangements. Tutorbility will agree on an approach with the student to address the identified problems and will consult with the tutor before deciding on an appropriate response. In extreme circumstances, this might involve the replacement of the tutor. A replacement tutor will be selected from within the Tutorbility directly. 

Feedback

Students and other service users can provide feedback using the independent review provider Trustpilot or through Google Reviews. This will be prompted after a sufficient number of lessons have been completed. Tutorbility welcomes all feedback and will use every comment it receives in order to develop its services further. 

Termination of services 

Engagement with Tutorbility services may be terminated with immediate effect at the request of the student. The provisions of these Terms in respect of cancellation and absence will still apply, and it is expected that the student will give notice of termination well in advance of any scheduled session.

Acceptance of these terms

 By engaging in lessons with Tutorbility, you agree to these Terms and Conditions as displayed on the Tutorbility website and in writing if requested separately. You agree not to engage directly with the tutor appointed by Tutorbility for any tuition services within 12 months of the final lesson received from Tutorbility.

Section 2

Statement of Terms and Conditions 

This Agreement sets out terms and conditions governing the relationship between Tutorbility and the self-employed tutor. The tutor acknowledges that all of the information supplied to Tutorbility in their application is true and correct and that any wilful dishonesty may render immediate termination of their services.

Tutorbility services 

Tutorbility acts on behalf of self-employed tutors in order to provide them with students for them to teach. Prospective students are actively acquired and registered with Tutorbility with the intention of finding a suitable tutor on our team. Tutorbility has sole discretion in all assignments of students to tutors and will strive to ensure new students are introduced to tutors in a fair and reasonable way (according to the tutor’s skills, experience, teaching approach, and availability). 

Tutor fees 

For hourly classes, it is agreed that the Tutor shall be paid the hourly rate for each hour of services provided. This hourly rate is agreed upon with the Tutor prior to the first lesson. For workshops, the Tutor shall be paid the hourly rate as arranged with the Company. The Company will pay the Tutor the agreed rate within 48 hours of the lesson through bank transfer. No payment will be made to the Tutor in respect of absence due to sickness in the event that the Tutor is unable to provide the Services for any reason. If a tutor is late to a scheduled lesson with no prior notice, a late fee will be deducted from their payment, 25% of their hourly wage. In the event that a tutor is unable to fulfil their scheduled class obligations for reasons deemed unreasonable by the Company, a penalty equal to the tutor's hourly wage will be deducted from their subsequent payment. Should a tutor feel that the lateness was due to reasonable circumstances beyond their control, they have the right to raise a dispute. The Company reserves the right to make the final decision. It is agreed that all payment arrangements between the Client and the Tutor shall be handled by the Company. The Tutor shall not approach the Client directly in relation to payment matters. The Tutor agrees that if payment is made directly between themselves and any Client(s), whether they be current or former Client(s), then any outstanding payments will be withheld from the Tutor by the Company and full monies owing to the Company will be pursued in full from the Tutor. The Tutor shall be liable for any costs incurred by the Company in this regard. 

Relationship between the parties 

The Tutor understands and accepts they shall be entirely self-employed and nothing in this Agreement shall constitute an employer/employee relationship. At all times the Tutor will remain independent. The Tutor also understands and accepts responsibility for any claims arising from the delivery of her/his tutor service. To this end, the Tutor will have public liability insurance for all services delivered as a result of an introduction by Tutorbility. The Tutor acknowledges that s/he is responsible for payment of all taxes, national insurance and social security contributions due in respect of payments to be made under this Agreement and that s/he shall fully indemnify and hold the Client and the Company harmless in this regard. The Tutor acknowledges that s/he is in no way covered by the Client or the Company in any matter(s) of insurance and will take out, should s/he deem appropriate, his/her own insurance policy in respect of any personal and/or third-party claims.  

Provision of Tutorbility services 

For tuition, tutors are responsible for the quality and accuracy of the information delivered. For consultancy, tutors should strive to create a positive and supportive environment for clients, actively listening to their concerns, and offering tailored guidance and advice. It is important to provide accurate information, manage expectations realistically, and maintain open and honest communication with clients. It is agreed that the Tutor shall at all times perform the services to the highest standard.

In particular, the Tutor shall make every effort to:

1. be punctual

2. be presentable and dressed in an appropriate and respectable manner at all times

3. be polite, diligent and helpful. Never use profanity or sexual innuendo in front of a Client or Student, or make derogatory remarks about a Student. Any tutor who does this will be removed from Tutorbility immediately

4. do all the necessary preparation for each session, including ensuring that classes are scheduled as events on the calendar, and lesson links are uploaded for each class, prior to the lesson start time

5. not to cancel lessons unless absolutely necessary. It should be noted that tutors who repeatedly cancel lessons or fail to notify the Company of cancelled lessons may be removed from the team

If for any reason the Tutor shall be delayed due to circumstances beyond his/her control, the Tutor agrees to contact the Company to let them know (even if the Tutor will be as little as five minutes late). The Tutor agrees to make up lost time from lateness where appropriate by staying longer than the allocated tuition session or by making it up in the following session. The Tutor must keep the Company informed of any issues or problems with each Student taught, as and when they develop. The Tutor agrees, so far as is reasonable, to be in ready contact by email and telephone with the Company to enable the Company to inform him/her of possible hours of tuition and of any cancellations. The Tutor shall, at the Client's request, provide any information about the Student’s performance. The Tutor shall keep an up-to-date record and schedule of all hours worked, the date, time and duration of the tuition lesson, and regarding the Student’s academic performance or exam success. 

Tutor Declaration

The Tutor agrees at all times during and after his/her provision of the Services not to disclose to others any confidential information or knowledge pertaining to the business affairs and operations of the Company, including but not limited to trade know-how, client lists, information about other tutors, information about any Client(s) and their family/ies, operational methods, marketing plans or strategies, future plans, and/or expansion plans. This clause is subject to the proviso, however, that any disclosure compelled by law or legal process does not constitute a breach or violation of this clause, and neither shall any information be deemed confidential or secret for purposes of this Agreement if it is generally known in the industry. The Tutor agrees at all times during and after her/his provision of services to maintain discretion regarding the Student, Client, their home or family.  

Termination of tuition 

The tuition may be terminated with immediate effect at the request of either the Company or the Tutor with the provision of 2 weeks' written notice. The provisions of these Terms in respect of cancellation and absence will still apply, and it is expected that either party will give notice of termination well in advance of any scheduled session. Both parties appreciate the importance of a good understanding and trust between the Tutor and the Student. Accordingly, if the Client is, in his/her reasonable opinion, not happy with the Tutor the Client must notify the Tutor and the Company of its dissatisfaction in writing. This Agreement shall then terminate with immediate effect and there will be no further charges or payments due to the Tutor.  If the Tutor, in her/his reasonable opinion, is unhappy with the Client and/or Student's behaviour they must inform the Company and the Company may terminate the contract with the Client or find an alternate Tutor. 

Non-Compete Agreement

The tutor agrees not to engage directly with any student for the provision of tuition services for a period of 12 months after the final lesson that the student receives from Tutorbility. The tutor understands and accepts that if they do engage with the student within that 12-month period they will pay Tutorbility all monies due for the tutor fee for each completed lesson and will further refund Tutorbility for any costs it has incurred in recovering those monies.

Acceptance of these terms

Both parties agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of this Agreement until such time as the Agreement is either terminated or superseded in writing. This agreement is set from the moment the tutor has submitted an application to join the Tutorbility team.