Online tutoring from £20 an hour, with tutors we check properly

Arranging a tutor can mean a string of messages, a separate bank transfer each month, and a quiet worry about who is on the other end of the call. We built Sophwick so that it does not have to be that way. Everything sits in one place, the price you see is the whole price, and no tutor reaches a family until we have checked them.

Here is how it works, what it costs, and how we choose the people who teach your child.

What is Sophwick Tuition?

Sophwick offers one-to-one online tutoring in Maths, English and Science, for GCSE and for KS3 (Years 7, 8 and 9). Your child has one tutor for each subject, and lessons take place online between 09:00 and 21:00 UK time.

Each tutor is an independent professional. We find them, check them, recommend the right one for your child, and run the portal and the billing.

Sophwick is a new platform. Our team is not new to teaching.

One portal for everything to do with lessons

Once you have accepted a tutor, you have a single login for the lot.

The portal is for parents and guardians. Children do not have their own login, and every adult on your account sees the same things.

That is the difference it makes day to day: one place to look, one bill to pay, and no need to give your phone number to anyone.

How much does a GCSE tutor cost?

Prices vary a lot. The figures below come from companies in the tutoring market, not from an independent survey of what UK families pay, so treat them as a guide. All were published or checked in 2026:

• One marketplace puts online GCSE tutoring at £25 to £32 an hour, based on the middle 80% of tutors advertised on four platforms in May 2026.
• A tutoring software company gives £30 to £55 an hour for GCSE.
• Another marketplace reports average advertised online rates of £46 an hour for GCSE Maths and £48 for GCSE English on its own site, in October 2026.

Tutoring is common. The Sutton Trust found that 29% of secondary students in England and Wales have had private tutoring at some point, and 45% in London.

What does Sophwick cost?

Lessons with Sophwick cost from £20 to £30 an hour, everything included. Your tutor sets their own rate, and Sophwick's service is included in the price you see. The price depends on the tutor:

• An experienced tutor: £20 to £26 an hour.
• A tutor who is a qualified teacher: £25 to £30 an hour.

We tell you the exact price of the tutor we propose before you say yes. Lessons can be 30, 45, 60 or 90 minutes, so a 45-minute lesson at £20 an hour costs £15.

Everything included means there is nothing to add to that hourly price: the tuition, the portal, the messages, the progress reports and any VAT are all in it. There is no joining fee and no subscription.

Two things are worth knowing up front. You can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before a lesson, but after that you still pay for it, because your tutor has kept that time for your child. And if your tutor changes their rate, you get at least 30 days' notice.

£20 is not the only low price you will find: some other platforms also advertise lessons from around that figure. What we aim to offer is a clear price, with every check below behind it. See how our prices work.

How do you check your tutors?

Government safeguarding guidance for out-of-school settings covers private tuition, and it is worth asking any tutor or provider how they follow it. Here is what we do. No tutor can see or contact a family until every step is complete and recorded, and our Designated Safeguarding Lead has approved them.

The checks do not stop at approval. If a tutor's DBS record stops being current, the portal stops new bookings with them until it is put right. There is more on how it all works here.

How do you train your tutors?

Sophwick enrols every tutor on a recognised online safeguarding course (Level 1 or equivalent) before they teach, and keeps a copy of their certificate; the course is refreshed at least every three years. Our Designated Safeguarding Lead also runs a safeguarding seminar for every tutor, as extra training on top.

Our team also runs training days for tutors, on topics such as making content modular, knowing when you are losing a student's attention, resetting, and cognitive load.

The next, at the start of December 2026, covers active and passive recall, and how coming back to something after a week, then two weeks, then a month can help to solidify knowledge, with the papers and scientific research behind it.

Are your tutors qualified teachers?

Our team includes experienced, qualified teachers, alongside experienced tutors who are not. Every one goes through the same checks. If you would prefer a qualified teacher, tell us on your free call.

What happens first?

• A free 15-minute call. Tell us where your child is now, what they are aiming for and how long they have.
• We propose a tutor, with their hourly price, and you decide in the portal. Nothing starts until you say yes.
• Lessons begin. You and your tutor agree a time, and your child joins from home.

Read more about tutoring for GCSE Maths, GCSE English, GCSE Science and KS3.

Questions parents ask

Is every tutor £20 an hour?

No. £20 is the lowest price, and it goes up to £30 depending on the tutor. You see the exact price of the tutor we propose before you accept.

What if I need to cancel a lesson?

It is free up to 24 hours before the lesson. After that you still pay for it. The portal tells you which applies before you confirm. If something serious has happened, cancel and then tell us: we can waive the charge, and after a bereavement in your child's immediate family we will.

What if the tutor cancels or does not turn up?

You are not charged, and your tutor offers a replacement lesson at a time that suits you. If a tutor does not join, you can tell us through the portal.

What if the tutor is not the right fit?

Tell us and we will recommend another. You choose whether to accept them.

Can my child message their tutor?

No. The portal is for parents and guardians, and your tutor speaks to your child in lessons. Tutors must not contact students outside them.

Are lessons recorded?

No. Lessons are not recorded, and transcription and attendance reporting are not switched on.

Who do I tell if I am worried about a child?

If a child is in immediate danger, call 999. Otherwise email our Designated Safeguarding Lead at safeguarding@sophwick.com, or use Report this message on any message in the portal.