How much does a SEN tutor cost?

Published prices vary: an undated marketplace guide reports a £23.74 UK average for SEN tutors, while one specialist SEND agency lists £90–£120 an hour in 2026. Council-funded tuition may cost parents nothing.

Published SEN tutor prices

There is no single regulated UK fee. Price depends on the tutor's qualifications, the support your child needs, location and whether you book through a marketplace or specialist agency. The published figures below come from different providers and are not like-for-like:

The marketplace figures come from an undated Study Mind guide, so treat them as indicative rather than as a 2026 price band. A live 2026 specialist SEND agency rate card from SENsational Tutors quotes its own rates at about £90–£120 an hour, with some council-arranged education otherwise than at school (EOTAS) packages around £80–£90. Ask whether reports, travel, liaison with school and missed sessions cost extra.

When you may not have to pay

You do not need a diagnosis or an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) to hire a tutor privately. An EHCP is your child's legally binding support plan. In England, if one-to-one tuition is written as special educational provision in Section F, the council must arrange and fund it (section 42, Children and Families Act 2014). It may be delivered through EOTAS or an agreed personal budget.

In England, there is another route if your child is of compulsory school age and cannot attend school because of illness, exclusion or another reason. The council must arrange suitable education, usually full-time unless your child's health means that would not be suitable (section 19, Education Act 1996). This may include funded one-to-one tuition. The former National Tutoring Programme subsidy was also England-specific and ended in August 2024, so advice telling you to ask for that scheme is out of date. These routes should not be assumed to apply unchanged in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Check the tutor before you book

Private tutoring is not regulated as a profession. Ask about relevant qualifications, recent references, experience with needs like your child's and how progress will be recorded. Since 21 January 2026, a self-employed private tutor can apply through an umbrella body for an Enhanced with Barred List DBS check. Ask to see the original certificate and check the level shown. A Basic DBS check is not equivalent to an Enhanced check. The Disclosure and Barring Service guidance explains the new route.

This page is general information, not clinical or legal advice.