Terms & Conditions

1. Private Tuition

Booking lessons

• Tuition sessions are arranged directly between An English Tutor and the student or, where the student is under 18, their parent or guardian.

• For students under 18, the parent or guardian is the primary contact and is responsible for making bookings, communicating any changes and ensuring payment is made.

• A standard tuition session lasts one hour unless otherwise agreed in advance.

Payment

• Payment for each lesson must be made by bank transfer within 24 hours of the lesson finishing.

• Payment details will be supplied separately.

• Any outstanding lesson fees must be paid before the next lesson takes place.

• If there is ever a genuine problem with payment, please get in touch as soon as possible so that it can be discussed.

• The parent or guardian is responsible for payment where the student is under 18.

Student cancellations

• An English Tutor understands that plans sometimes change.

• At least 24 hours' notice is required if a student needs to cancel or rearrange a lesson.

• Where at least 24 hours' notice is provided, every reasonable effort will be made to rearrange the lesson for a mutually suitable time, subject to availability.

• Where less than 24 hours' notice is given, the full lesson fee will remain payable because the lesson time has been reserved and may not be possible to offer to another student at short notice.

• The same applies where a student does not attend a scheduled lesson without notice.

• Exceptional circumstances will always be considered reasonably and on their individual merits.

Cancellation by An English Tutor

• It is very unusual for An English Tutor to cancel a lesson.

• If this does become necessary, every effort will be made to rearrange the lesson for a mutually suitable time.

• No charge will be made for a lesson that An English Tutor is unable to provide and which cannot be rearranged.

Late arrival

• Students should aim to be ready to begin their lesson at the agreed start time.

• If a student joins late, the lesson will still finish at the originally scheduled finishing time. Lessons are often arranged back to back, so extending one session may affect another student.

Missed lessons and technical difficulties

• Students are responsible for having a suitable internet connection, working device and access to the agreed online teaching platform.

• If a lesson cannot proceed because of a technical problem affecting the student, the usual cancellation policy will apply.

• If a lesson cannot proceed because of a technical problem on An English Tutor's side, the lesson will be rearranged.

• Where a significant technical interruption occurs during a lesson, An English Tutor will use reasonable judgement to decide whether additional teaching time or a rearranged session would be fairest.

Ending tuition

• Either the parent/guardian or An English Tutor may end an ongoing tuition arrangement by giving reasonable notice.

• An English Tutor reserves the right to end tuition immediately in cases of persistent non-payment, inappropriate behaviour or other circumstances that make it unreasonable for tuition to continue.

2. Learning, Homework and Marking

• An English Tutor provides personalised tuition designed around the individual student's needs, ability and learning objectives.

• Students are encouraged to participate fully in lessons and, where appropriate, complete agreed work between sessions.

• Homework may be set where it is considered useful to the student's progress.

• One piece of homework may be marked or reviewed in connection with each lesson.

• Where homework has been set by An English Tutor, it will normally be marked outside lesson time and feedback will be provided as appropriate.

• Where work has been supplied by an outside source, such as a student's school, it will be reviewed during the tuition session rather than marked separately outside lesson time.

• Tuition is intended to support and strengthen a student's learning, confidence and progress, but no particular examination grade, assessment result or school outcome can be guaranteed.

• Progress depends on many factors, including attendance, participation, independent study and completion of recommended work.

3. Communication

• Communication relating to students under 18 should normally take place through the parent or guardian.

• An English Tutor may communicate directly with a student where this is useful for the practical delivery of tuition, but the parent or guardian remains the primary contact.

• Parents and guardians are encouraged to share any information that may reasonably help An English Tutor understand the student's learning needs or circumstances.

• Open communication is always welcomed where there are concerns, changes or difficulties affecting tuition.

4. Safeguarding

• The welfare of students is taken seriously.

• Tuition is delivered in a professional, supportive educational environment and communication with students will remain appropriate to the teaching relationship.

• If An English Tutor becomes concerned about a student's safety or welfare, information may be shared with a parent, guardian or appropriate safeguarding authority where necessary or legally required.

5. Changes to Lessons or Services

• Lesson arrangements may occasionally need to change because of illness, emergencies, technology problems or other unforeseen circumstances.

• Where possible, reasonable notice will be given.

• Any permanent change to a student's normal lesson arrangements will be discussed with the parent or guardian.

• An English Tutor will always aim to handle changes reasonably and with as little disruption as possible.

6. Digital Resources

Digital resources sold through the An English Tutor website are supplied electronically, normally as downloadable PDF files.

Purchasing a resource gives the purchaser a limited licence to use that resource. Purchasing a resource does not transfer ownership of the copyright or other intellectual property rights in it.

Student and parent use

• Where a resource is purchased by a student or parent, it is licensed for the personal educational use of that student or household.

• The resource should not be shared with other students, families or third parties.

Teacher and tutor use

• Where a resource is purchased by a teacher, tutor or other educational professional, it may be used as a teaching resource with an unlimited number of that purchaser's own students.

• This allows the purchaser to use and reproduce the material where reasonably necessary for teaching their own students.

It does not permit the purchaser to:

• share or distribute the original digital file with other teachers, tutors or educational professionals;

• reproduce or distribute the resource for use by another teacher or tutor;

• upload the resource to a shared resource library, file-sharing service, public website or other publicly accessible platform;

• sell, sublicense or commercially redistribute the resource;

• claim the resource as their own work; or

• modify and resell the resource or create a substantially reproduced commercial product from it.

The teacher or tutor licence belongs to the individual purchaser unless different licensing terms are expressly stated on the relevant product page.

7. Digital Downloads and Cancellation Rights

• Digital resources are normally made available for download shortly after purchase.

• Where a customer asks for digital content to be supplied immediately, before the end of the normal 14-day cancellation period, the customer will be asked to:

  • expressly consent to the immediate supply of the digital content; and

  • acknowledge that once supply of the digital content begins, they lose their normal right to cancel the purchase during the 14-day cancellation period.

• Once the download or other supply of the digital content has begun following that consent and acknowledgement, a refund will not normally be available simply because the customer has changed their mind.

• This does not affect the customer's statutory rights.

• If digital content is faulty, materially different from its description, or otherwise does not meet the requirements of applicable consumer law, the customer may be entitled to an appropriate remedy.

• If there is a problem with a purchased resource, please get in touch. An English Tutor will always aim to resolve genuine issues fairly and promptly.

8. Resource Compatibility

• Digital resources are supplied in the file format stated on the relevant product page.

• Customers are responsible for ensuring that they have suitable software and equipment to open and use the resource.

• Where a resource is supplied as a PDF, a compatible PDF reader or browser will normally be required.

• An English Tutor is not responsible for problems caused solely by incompatible hardware, software, device settings or third-party services outside our control.

9. Intellectual Property

• Unless otherwise stated, all original lesson materials, digital resources, website content and teaching materials produced by An English Tutor remain the intellectual property of An English Tutor.

• Materials supplied to a student during private tuition are provided for that student's personal educational use and must not be published, sold, redistributed or commercially exploited without prior written permission.

• Digital resources purchased through the website may only be used in accordance with the licence set out in Section 6 or any different licence expressly stated on the relevant product page.

• No purchase transfers copyright or other intellectual property rights to the purchaser.

10. Liability

Nothing in these Terms & Conditions excludes or limits any liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

An English Tutor will provide tuition services with reasonable care and skill.

An English Tutor is not responsible for:

• examination or assessment outcomes;

• decisions made by schools, examination boards, universities or other third parties;

• loss resulting from a student's failure to attend, participate or complete recommended work;

• temporary interruption caused by circumstances reasonably outside our control; or

• technical problems involving equipment, internet services or third-party platforms that are outside our reasonable control.

If a problem with tuition or resources does arise, customers are encouraged to get in touch promptly so that An English Tutor has an opportunity to resolve it fairly.

11. Changes to These Terms

• These Terms & Conditions may be updated occasionally to reflect changes to our services, website or legal requirements.

• The version applying to a particular booking or purchase will be the version in effect when that booking or purchase is made.

12. Governing Law

• These Terms & Conditions are governed by the laws of England and Wales.

• Nothing in these Terms affects any mandatory consumer rights that apply to you under UK law.

13. Contact

Questions about tuition, payments, cancellations, digital resources or these Terms & Conditions are always welcome and should be directed to An English Tutor using the contact details provided on the website.