A SEN tutor adapts lessons for a child's special educational needs. The title is unregulated. In England and Wales, check qualifications and an enhanced DBS certificate; check Disclosure Scotland or AccessNI elsewhere.
What a SEN tutor changes
A subject tutor usually concentrates on what your child needs to learn. A special educational needs (SEN) tutor should also change how they teach it. That might mean shorter tasks, visual instructions, movement breaks, assistive technology or a quieter room. They may spend time on confidence, organisation or ways to remember information alongside the school subject.
The useful question is not whether a tutor has worked with "SEN" in general. Ask what they would change for your child's actual barrier. Dyslexia, language difficulties, attention differences and anxiety can call for very different teaching. Your child does not need a diagnosis or an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), which is a legally binding support plan used in England, before you hire a tutor privately. SEN describes a need for extra or different educational provision, not a requirement to hold a diagnosis (SEND Code of Practice, paragraphs xiii to xiv).
Check the person, not the job title
There is no required SEN-tutor qualification or professional register. Ask to see teaching or specialist qualifications, evidence of recent training, and a reference from someone who knows the tutor's work with the same kind of need. A tutor should also explain how they will review progress and share concerns with you.
For tutoring in England and Wales, ask to see the tutor's enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate and check the name and issue date. Since 21 January 2026, an eligible self-employed tutor can apply for an enhanced check through a DBS umbrella body. You cannot apply on the tutor's behalf. Scotland and Northern Ireland use different disclosure systems.
A clear certificate does not guarantee that somebody is safe. Check references, agree where sessions happen, and ask how the tutor handles safeguarding concerns. The Department for Education's parent guidance covers private tuition and the safeguards to look for.
Who pays for SEN tutoring?
Most families who choose a tutor privately pay the fee themselves. In England, the council may arrange and pay for tuition when a child of compulsory school age cannot receive suitable education because of illness, exclusion or another reason (section 19, Education Act 1996). This is alternative provision, not an automatic entitlement to your preferred private tutor.
Tuition can also form part of education otherwise than at school (EOTAS). EOTAS means special educational provision outside a school when the council decides school provision would be inappropriate, after consulting you or the young person (section 61, Children and Families Act 2014). This route has its own legal test and is different from simply choosing home education or private tutoring.
Where the law comes from
Related
This page is general information, not clinical or legal advice.