Summer Tutoring Jobs: Become a Private Tutor This Summer

Becoming a private tutor in the summer is a popular way students make money. Among all the summer jobs for students, tutoring is one of the most comfortable and best paid jobs. 

If you can get enough students, it is possible to earn up to 100 pounds a week by working just a couple of hours every weekday afternoon. It's not a living wage, but it's perfect for a summer job for students. 

Advantages of being a private tutor in the summer

It has always been one of the most common summer jobs for students, so there must be something to it. There are many advantages to being a private tutor during the holidays.

Especially for those students who have got good grades and want to earn some extra money. But if you are already working and need an extra income, it is also one of the best times to be a private tutor. 

• School teachers are on holiday: As well as schools being on holiday, there are private tutors who do not work in summer. If they take a break, this is the time when they hire other tutors who are available, so many opportunities open up.
• More children need help with school: There are students who only need help in the summer. School is over and parents do not want their children to forget everything they have learned, that's why they hire a private tutor.
• The tuition they need is simple: Most children who need classes in the summer are young and need help with their summer homework. This does not require much effort. Older children have already seen the syllabus and have studied it a bit. So, you will only have to explain it differently and do it in a different way so that they understand it better.
• More flexible timetables: If private classes are already flexible, timetables are even more so in the summer. Unless parents want to hire a private tutor for the hours when they are working, but this is rare. The student has many more hours free so you are more able to have a flexible timetable.
• Opportunities open up: If you intend to continue giving private lessons during the termtime, a good idea is to get students for private classes now. If they are happy, they will probably call you back for another time. If not, they can always recommend you.

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• Compatible with other jobs: As you have flexible hours, you can combine it with other jobs or even with your studies. Private classes can be an extra income for teachers and professionals who have good command of a subject.
• Payment is made on the spot: Many people who have summer jobs want to work in order to be able to live well during the holidays and not have to wait until the end of the month to get paid. Private classes are usually paid at the end of each class, so it's good if you want to work to enjoy the summer.
• You can choose who to teach: Unlike in a tuition centre, you can choose who to teach and the level you want to teach. Especially if you register on a website to find students, where you will find students of all ages and levels.
• You can be called back every year: There are parents who like to have the same tutor every summer. The relationship with a private tutor is based on trust, and often this is just as important as the results.
• Reinforce your own knowledge: If you are a student, and you don't want to disconnect completely in summer, these classes will be great for you. You will review basic content, but it will help you to keep in touch with the subject.

How to become a private tutor in the summer?

It's very simple, you just have to find students and prepare your classes well. If you have never entered the world of private tuition before, you may find it a bit complicated, but it is much easier than you think:

• Create a profile: Go to FindTutors.co.uk and register. If you don't know anyone who needs classes, the best thing to do is to find a website specialised in private classes.
• Create a good advert: You have to be able to summarise all the things you offer, the type of teacher you are, your experience and training. 
• Contact students: On our website, you can find ads from students who are looking for classes, so you can contact them or wait for them to contact you.
• Preliminary interview: It is good to meet and talk with the students and/or parents before the first class. Your student or their parents should tell you what their needs, goals, and expectations are. 
• Prepare the class: It is very important that before each class you make a plan. Set your student some objectives and prepare everything they need to achieve them.

Students' recommendations will be the key to finding new ones, so try to keep the ones you already have happy. Work on confidence and the bond you have with your student, and you will surely end up being a great private tutor.

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Where to Find Summer Tutoring Jobs this Year

There's more than one way to land summer tutoring jobs, and the right approach depends on how much control you want over finding students versus letting a platform or centre do it for you.

1. Join an Online Tutoring Platform

Platforms like FindTutors are ideal for those searching for online tutor jobs in summer, as you can work remotely and choose your own hours.

• Create a tutor profile and showcase your skills and subject expertise,
• Apply directly to job listings and get contacted by students looking for help,
• Build reviews from parents and students over time to grow your reputation and attract more enquiries.

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2. Use Local Networks

Word of mouth is still one of the fastest ways to find tutoring work, especially over the summer when families are often looking for someone they can trust quickly.

• Let friends, neighbours, and local parents know you're available for tutoring,
• Many families prefer a tutor who's nearby or recommended by someone they already know,
• This route often leads to repeat bookings, since personal recommendations tend to build trust faster than a cold enquiry.

3. Advertise Your Services

Getting the word out yourself can open up opportunities beyond any single platform or network.

• Use free community boards, local Facebook groups, or noticeboards to reach nearby families,
• Post on social media or university channels if you're a student looking for summer work,
• This is a low-cost way to reach students and parents who aren't actively searching on a tutoring platform yet.

4. Apply to Tuition Centres

Local and online tuition centres regularly hire tutors for the summer holidays, often to cover GCSE and A-Level catch-up programmes or summer school sessions.

• Tuition centres tend to handle the admin, including finding students and scheduling, so it's a lower-effort way to get started,
• Many offer part-time or seasonal contracts specifically for the summer period,
• This can be a good option if you'd rather not build your own client base from scratch, or want steadier, centrally-organised hours.

5. Browse Student Ads Looking for Tutors Online

Some platforms flip the usual search around, letting students come to you instead of the other way round.

• Sites like FindTutors have a student ads section where learners post exactly what they're looking for, including subject, level, and availability,
• Browsing these ads means you can reach out directly to students who are already actively searching for a tutor,
• This can save time compared to waiting for enquiries, since you're applying to genuine, current demand rather than posting and hoping.

You can browse FindTutors’ own page and easily find students there.

How much can you earn from summer tutoring jobs?

Summer tutoring jobs can be genuinely profitable, but how much you earn depends on a few key factors rather than a fixed rate.

Four factors that determine your summer tutoring income:

• Subject specialism, since undersupplied subjects such as languages or music tend to command higher demand and better rates,
• Location, as cities with fewer active tutors relative to student demand (such as Glasgow or Edinburgh) often mean less competition and steadier bookings,
• Experience and qualifications, since verified profiles and strong reviews typically convert into more enquiries and higher hourly rates,
• Availability and flexibility, because tutors who can offer daytime slots during the school holidays are better placed to fill a full summer timetable.

Here are two examples to give a sense of the range:

• If you become GCSE Maths tutor and offer 2 hours a day, 5 days a week, at an average rate of £20/hour, you could earn around £800 a month over the summer holidays.
• A Spanish or Italian tutor, teaching fewer weekly hours but in a subject where demand consistently outpaces supply, could charge a premium rate and still fill their calendar quickly thanks to lower competition. For example, teaching just 5 hours a week at £15/hour, a modest premium above the £10–£12/hour average for Italian, could still bring in around £300 a month, with less time spent searching for students compared to more saturated subjects.

Here are some insights of what tutors currently charge for tutoring via FindTutors: 

Source: FindTutors average rates page, based on 280,000+ tutor listings (last updated January 2024). Rates are blended averages and not broken down by online vs. in-person format.

To have a better understanding of how much you could charge your students for different subjects when tutoring this summer, you can find more pricing information on the FindTutors Pricing page.

What are the best subjects to tutor in summer?

Based on FindTutors' own 2025 platform data comparing student demand against tutor supply, some subjects offer far more opportunity than others for anyone starting trying to figure out what the best summer tutoring jobs and subjects are. Here are some top insights from FindTutors : 

1. Spanish

Spanish is the most requested foreign language on the platform, accounting for 6.40% of student requests, yet only 4.42% of total tutors on FindTutoes currently teach it. It overtook French for the first time in 2025 as the most popular GCSE language, with entries rising by almost 25% since 2020. 

That combination of rising school demand and a still-limited tutor pool makes Spanish one of the most reliable subjects to pick up new students quickly this summer, particularly around GCSE resit and catch-up season.

Become a Spanish Tutor This Summer

2. Piano

Piano shows the sharpest demand-to-supply gap of any subject on the platform: 2.38% of student requests against just 0.41% of tutors, a ratio of almost six to one. Music tuition overall is structurally undersupplied, but piano stands out even within that category. For anyone with the right skills, this makes summer an excellent window to pick up new students with minimal competition from other tutors.

3. Italian

Italian demand (2.90%) nearly triples its tutor supply (1.05%). Much of this comes from adult learners rather than school students: Italian recently overtook both French and Spanish as the most popular language course among adult learners at City Lit, one of the UK's leading adult education colleges. 

Summer is a great time for adults to start a new hobby, which makes Italian a strong subject to target for less exam-driven, more relaxed tutoring bookings.

Become an Italian Tutor This Summer

4. Japanese

Student demand for Japanese (1.64%) runs at more than four times tutor supply (0.38%), the widest ratio by proportion in the dataset. Interest is rising fastest among under-22s, while formal school provision remains minimal, with Japanese offered as a GCSE by only one exam board. 

With almost no competing tutor pipeline, this is a subject where even a small number of new tutors can meet real, growing demand.

5. Guitar

Guitar sits at 1.12% of student requests against just 0.48% of tutor supply, part of a wider pattern where music tuition consistently outpaces the number of tutors offering it. 

Summer holidays are a popular time for young learners to pick up an instrument for the first time, making guitar a dependable subject for tutors looking to fill a summer schedule with recurring weekly sessions.

6. Maths

Maths remains the single largest source of student demand on the platform at 18.72%, more than double any other subject. While supply is slightly ahead of demand overall (22.90%), the sheer volume of requests, especially from families wanting to prevent "summer slide" or prepare for the new school year, means Maths tutors are consistently able to find students, even in a more competitive field.

Become a Maths Tutor This Summer

Will I need a DBS check to tutor in the UK?

A DBS check isn't legally required to work as an independent private tutor in the UK, but many parents will ask for one, and having a valid Basic or Enhanced DBS certificate makes your profile far more trustworthy. 

It's a simple process: you can apply directly through the GOV.UK DBS check service or via an umbrella body if you don't have an employer to countersign the application. Turnaround is usually a few weeks, and the certificate is valid indefinitely, though many parents prefer to see one issued within the last 1 to 3 years.

Is Summer Tutoring Worth It?

Absolutely. Between the flexible hours, the range of subjects in demand, and the chance to earn as you go, summer tutoring jobs tick a lot of boxes for students, teachers, and professionals alike.

• Flexible: Fit sessions around your own summer schedule and other commitments,
• Rewarding: Help students stay on track over the holidays, whether it's catch-up work or a new skill like Spanish or piano,
• Valuable: Build your teaching, communication, and organisational skills, useful whether or not you continue tutoring long-term,
• Profitable: Earn a solid hourly rate, often paid on the spot, with the strongest opportunities in undersupplied subjects like languages and music.

Whether you find students through an online platform, local networks, a tuition centre, or student ads, summer tutoring jobs in the UK remain one of the most flexible and rewarding ways to earn over the holidays. If you're ready to get started, create a free tutor profile on FindTutors and begin applying for summer tutoring jobs today.

Sign Up to Become a Tutor This Summer

Frequently Asked Questions About Summer Tutoring Jobs