A new postgraduate qualification for private tutors has been launched by UWE Bristol, aiming to give families greater confidence in tutors' training and professional standards amid growing demand for private tuition.
Parents looking for a private tutor could soon have a clearer way to assess qualifications and training thanks to a new postgraduate course designed specifically for professional tutors.
The PGCE Tutoring, delivered by UWE Bristol with advisory input from Tutors International founder Adam Caller, has been launched to provide tutors with structured professional training while helping families better understand the credentials behind a tutor's work.
The qualification comes as research suggests many people mistakenly believe private tutors must meet formal professional requirements. A survey of 2,010 UK adults commissioned by Tutors International found that 54 per cent believe tutors are required to hold a recognised teaching qualification, while 39 per cent think they must be registered with a regulatory body. More than half (53 per cent) also believed tutors must have a DBS check, despite there being no UK regulatory body for private tutors. Just 7 per cent of those surveyed were aware of this.
The findings come amid rising demand for private tuition. According to the Sutton Trust's Private Tutoring 2026 report, 29 per cent of secondary school pupils in England and Wales have received private tutoring, compared with 18 per cent two decades ago. In London, the figure rises to 45 per cent.
The PGCE Tutoring has been designed for one-to-one and small-group teaching and focuses on areas including adapting lessons to individual learners, supporting pupil progress, safeguarding, inclusive practice and professional standards.
Adam Caller, founder and CEO of Tutors International, said parents often assume professional standards are operating behind the scenes when they hire a tutor.
He said: "Parents place enormous trust in tutors. They invite them into their homes and invest in their children's futures.
"This qualification gives tutors a structured way to develop and demonstrate their professional practice. For parents, it offers useful information about a tutor's training, alongside the experience and personal fit they will also want to consider."
Mark Avery, senior lecturer in education at UWE Bristol and programme leader for the course, said choosing a tutor involves more than assessing subject knowledge.
He said: "Effective tutoring depends on more than subject knowledge alone.
"This PGCE gives tutors a rigorous, practice-focused route to develop their skills and reflect on their impact, while giving families clearer information about the professional learning behind their practice."
The qualification is voluntary and does not create a legal requirement for tutors to hold a teaching credential. Families are still encouraged to consider a tutor's experience, approach and safeguarding arrangements when deciding whether they are the right fit for a child.