HOW TO HIRE · LESSONS & TUTORING

How to hire an ESOL tutor in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No register lists ESOL tutors. Here is what to ask, what the visa test rule means, and the terms to agree.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring an ESOL tutor in five steps

  1. Say what the English is forEveryday life, work, university, a visa test or a child's school. An ESOL tutor plans each one differently.
  2. Ask what they have taughtWho, at what level, and for how long. An ESOL tutor with recent students like you can say so in a sentence.
  3. Ask for a referenceOne or two people who learned with an ESOL tutor recently and will answer a message.
  4. Book a single lesson firstJudge an ESOL tutor on one English lesson before paying for a block or a test-preparation course.
  5. Write down the termsWhat the course covers, the notice to stop, and that test fees are separate, agreed in writing with the ESOL tutor.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No licence or register applies to ESOL tutors in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, and anyone may teach English, online, at a library or at home. Being a native speaker is not a teaching qualification; training and results are what you ask to see.

Ask how long they have taught English, what training they had, and for someone who can vouch for them.

Teaching qualification and experience

No licence or register applies, and being a native speaker is not a teaching qualification. A recognised certificate or diploma in teaching English to speakers of other languages shows training.

Ask the ESOL tutor which certificate they hold, where they gained it, and how many learners at your level they teach now.

Secure English Language Tests for visas

For many visas the Home Office accepts only an approved Secure English Language Test (SELT), taken at an approved centre, at the CEFR level the visa needs. A tutor can prepare you for the test; no tutor's certificate replaces it.

Check the Home Office list for the test and level your visa needs before you book lessons, and ask the ESOL tutor whether they have prepared learners for it. gov.uk →

Written terms for a block of English lessons

An ESOL tutor is a trader in law, so the Consumer Rights Act 2015 term of reasonable care and skill applies to every English lesson. Agree English lessons online, by phone or in your home and you have 14 days to change your mind under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 — less whatever teaching you asked to have before then. Ask for the terms in plain English, and ask questions until they are clear.

Ask for what the course covers, the notice to stop, and that test fees are separate in writing, and keep the message, before a block or a test-preparation course changes hands. legislation.gov.uk →

VAT

Tuition in English as a foreign language is exempt from VAT, including when a commercial language school supplies it. A school over the £90,000 registration threshold gives its VAT number, but adds no VAT to the ESOL tuition itself.

Ask for the VAT number if the school is registered, and check that no VAT has been added to the ESOL tuition itself. gov.uk →

“What level am I now, and how will you check?”

A good answer: A short speaking and writing check in the first lesson, described on the CEFR scale from A1 to C2.

“Have you prepared learners for the test I need?”

A good answer: A named test and level, and recent learners who sat it.

“How much of each lesson is speaking?”

A good answer: Most of it for everyday English; more reading and writing for university or test preparation.

“Can you help with English for my job?”

A good answer: Vocabulary, emails and phone calls for the work you do.

“Are there free classes I could join as well?”

A good answer: An honest ESOL tutor will mention local college or council classes where you may be eligible.

“What happens if you cancel an English lesson, or we do?”

A good answer: Clear written rules: what notice you give, and that an English lesson an ESOL tutor cancels is rearranged or refunded.

Getting the quote right

  • Who actually attends to teach — the ESOL tutor named, or another teacher from the school, employed or subcontracted
  • The price per lesson, and how long an English lesson lasts
  • Books, kit or materials: included, or extra and how much
  • The refund rule for a block or a test-preparation course
  • Travel or room costs if the ESOL tutor works online, at a library or at home
  • The VAT number if the language school is registered, and the tuition shown with no VAT added

Walk away if

  • An ESOL tutor who promises a visa test result
  • They promise a pass in the visa test
  • They offer a certificate of their own "accepted for visas"
  • A large course paid up front with no written refund terms
LOW
£22
TYPICAL
£30
HIGH
£45

What an ESOL tutor costs: £22–£45 per hour

ESOL tutors charge by the hour; test preparation and academic English cost more than everyday conversation. English as a Foreign Language (ESOL) price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

ESOL tutors near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you, or book by the hour.

  1. Level checkSpeaking, listening, reading and writing checked in the first lesson.
  2. GoalDaily life, work, study or a test — agreed together.
  3. Each lessonSpeaking practice, new words used straight away, and one grammar point.
  4. Between lessonsA short task from real life: a form, a message, a recording.
  5. ReviewProgress described against the CEFR level, and the next target.

ESOL
English for Speakers of Other Languages — usually for adults living in the UK.
EFL
English as a Foreign Language.
CEFR level
The A1 to C2 scale used to describe language ability, used in visa rules.
SELT
Secure English Language Test — the Home Office approved tests for visas.
Approved test centre
A centre on the Home Office list where a SELT must be taken.
Academic English
English for university study: essays, lectures and seminars.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the paperworkHold on to the course terms and the receipts; together with the agreed terms they settle most disagreements.
Test the progressAfter a few weeks, try a real task — a phone call, an email, a form — and notice what is easier. For a test, sit a timed practice paper.
What you are owedNo ESOL tutor can promise a test result. You are owed the lessons agreed, at your level, prepared and on time.
Leave the reviewReviews on Locufy come only from booked English lessons. A problem goes to the ESOL tutor first through the make-it-right step.

STEP 1Write to the ESOL tutor firstName the English lessons that fell short and the remedy you want; with ESOL tutors, it is often a course sold as a route to a visa. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 standard is reasonable care and skill; where an ESOL tutor fell short of it, you can require a repeat or a reduction.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right step on LocufyLeave under four stars and you are asked whether to send it to the ESOL tutor first; we follow it through, then the review is published.
STEP 3Get help from Trading StandardsNo regulator covers ESOL tutors, so a consumer complaint goes to Trading Standards through your nation's helpline: Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Money still in disputeSmall claims handle a dispute with an ESOL tutor without a solicitor: up to £10,000 in England and Wales (small claims track), £5,000 in Scotland (simple procedure) and £5,000 in Northern Ireland. The course terms and the receipts will be your evidence.

Hiring an ESOL tutor: questions people ask

No. English language teaching is unlicensed throughout the UK. A recognised certificate in teaching English to speakers of other languages is the training to ask about.

£22–£45 an hour, with £30 typical; test preparation costs more than conversation practice. See the ESOL price guide for the full range; type your town above for real ESOL tutors nearby.

No. For visas that need one, the Home Office accepts only an approved Secure English Language Test at an approved centre. A tutor can prepare you for it.

No. English as a foreign language is exempt from VAT whoever teaches it, a commercial language school included (VAT Notice 701/30). If an invoice adds VAT to ESOL tuition, ask why.

Many adults can join free or low-cost ESOL classes through a college or the council; ask locally. Private lessons go faster and fit your timetable.

Online works well for most adults; in person helps beginners who are new to video calls.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in lessons & tutoring

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ESOL tutors near you

ESOL tutors in LondonESOL tutors in ManchesterESOL tutors in BirminghamESOL tutors in GlasgowESOL tutors in BelfastAll esol tutors on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — prove your English language abilities with a Secure English Language Test (SELT)
  2. gov.uk — Education and vocational training (VAT Notice 701/30)
  3. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  4. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30 — cancellation period
  5. Citizens Advice — deciding whether to make a small claim (England and Wales)
  6. Scottish Courts and Tribunals — guide to simple procedure
  7. nidirect — small claims process (Northern Ireland)
  8. Education and vocational training (VAT Notice 701/30) — 9.1 Providers of English as a foreign language
  9. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  10. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register