Frequently Asked Questions

StudyGuru is an online tutoring platform connecting UK students with DBS-checked tutors from top universities. You sign up as a parent, browse our verified tutors filtered by subject and level, book a session, and your child meets the tutor on our purpose-built whiteboard with HD video. After each lesson you receive an AI-generated summary of what was covered and your child's progress.

No. You can view tutor profiles, qualifications, rates, and availability without creating an account. Signing up is only needed when you want to book a session or claim the Starter Pack.

Immediately. After signing up you can browse available tutors and book your first session straight away — most parents are booked within minutes. There is no waiting list and no approval process.

Students aged 13+ can have their own account, but it must be linked to a parent account first. Parents make all bookings and manage payments. Students cannot book sessions or message tutors until their account is linked and confirmed.

Tutoring starts from £24/hour. Tutors set their own rates based on experience and pricing band, with most charging between £24 and £50/hour. New customers can claim the £15 Starter Pack — 4 sessions at £15 each — to try us with minimal risk.

It's our introductory offer for new customers: 4 full 60-minute sessions at £15 each, regardless of which tutor band you choose. You can save up to £236 compared with standard rates. Use the sessions within 30 days. There is no obligation to continue afterwards.

Your card is authorised (funds held) 24 hours before each session, and captured (charged) 24 hours after the session ends. This window allows time for any disputes to be raised before final payment. All payments are processed securely via Stripe.

No. StudyGuru is entirely pay-as-you-go. There are no platform fees, no subscriptions, and no minimum commitments. You pay per session and can stop at any time.

All major credit and debit cards via Stripe. We do not accept bank transfers, cash, or off-platform payments — all bookings must go through the Platform for safeguarding and our First Lesson Guarantee to apply.

All sessions are 60 minutes. This gives enough time for proper teaching and practice without losing the student's focus.

Sessions run on our interactive whiteboard with HD video. Tutor and student can both write, draw, and annotate in real time. The tutor tailors the session to your child's needs, exam board, and current level. Sessions typically include teaching, worked examples, and guided practice.

A computer, laptop, or tablet with a webcam, microphone, and stable internet connection. Our platform runs in the browser — no downloads required. Chrome or Firefox give the smoothest experience.

We specialise in STEM at GCSE and A-Level: Maths, Further Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Combined Science, plus English Language and English Literature. We cover all major exam boards (AQA, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC).

AQA, Edexcel, OCR, and WJEC. Tutors are familiar with the specific question styles, mark schemes, and content for each board. You can filter tutors by exam board when browsing.

Yes. After every session you receive an AI-generated lesson summary covering topics taught, your child's progress level (Struggling / Progressing / Confident), key moments, and personalised practice recommendations. Everything is tracked in your parent dashboard.

Every tutor passes our 7-step verification: identity check, right-to-work confirmation, Enhanced DBS verification (via uCheck or Update Service), physical certificate upload, database verification, a 20-minute live teaching assessment with trained assessors, and final safeguarding team approval. Roughly 1 in 14 applicants make it through.

Yes. Every StudyGuru tutor must hold a current Enhanced DBS certificate before they can teach on the platform. This is non-negotiable and we re-verify status periodically.

Browse tutor profiles to see qualifications, subjects, exam boards, experience, and reviews. Consider tier (Foundation or Higher) and exam board fit for your child. If you would like to chat first, message a tutor through the Platform before booking.

Yes, at any time and at no cost. Just let us know and we'll help you match with a different tutor. Finding the right fit matters more than sticking with the first one — there is no penalty for switching.

Yes. All sessions take place inside our platform — there is no need for Zoom, Skype, or any external tool. All messaging between parents, students, and tutors is logged. Combined with mandatory Enhanced DBS checks, live teaching assessments, and ongoing safeguarding monitoring, the platform is built with child safety as a first principle.

Selected sessions are recorded for safeguarding, quality assurance, and platform integrity. This includes initial sessions between a tutor and student, periodic audits, and any session where a concern has been raised. Recordings are not accessible to parents or tutors but may be reviewed by StudyGuru staff if there is a complaint or safeguarding concern.

For students under 18, we ask that an adult is available nearby during online lessons. You don't need to sit in on every session, but children should not be left entirely unattended.

Email our Designated Safeguarding Lead at safeguarding@studyguru.co.uk or contact support directly. We take every concern seriously and investigate promptly. Read our full Safeguarding Policy at /safeguarding.

Your first lesson on StudyGuru is fully refundable, no questions asked. If you're not satisfied for any reason, contact us within 24 hours of the lesson ending and we'll process a full refund to your original payment method. The guarantee covers your first booked lesson — whether that's part of the £15 Starter Pack or a full-priced session. Full details at /guarantee.

You can cancel free of charge any time more than 24 hours before the lesson. Within 24 hours of the lesson, cancellations are not permitted through the Platform — please contact your tutor directly if you have exceptional circumstances.

You will not be charged. If a tutor cancels or fails to attend, any pre-authorised payment is automatically released. Persistent cancellations by a tutor lead to account review or removal.

For the First Lesson Guarantee: email support@studyguru.co.uk within 24 hours of the lesson, or use the chat widget on our website. We process refunds within 5 working days. For other refund requests (e.g., tutor no-show), contact support within 48 hours so we can investigate.

It varies. Some students see noticeable progress within a few weeks of focused exam-technique work; others need several months to fill deeper gaps. We typically see meaningful change within 8 to 12 weeks of regular tutoring. We can't promise specific grade outcomes — anyone who does is being dishonest.

Yes. Your parent dashboard shows current vs target grades, topics covered, progress level on each topic, exam date countdowns, and individual lesson summaries. Practice tasks are personalised based on what was taught.

After every lesson, AI generates personalised practice tasks based on what was covered. Your child can complete these on the dashboard at any time. If they need more support, just book additional sessions — there is no minimum or maximum.

Apply at /become-a-tutor. Requirements: studying at or graduated from a UK university, A/A* at A-Level in your teaching subjects, right to work in the UK, and willingness to complete our 7-step verification. Tutors keep 70% of lesson fees and set their own hours.

Payouts are processed via Stripe, typically arriving within 2 business days after each lesson is captured. New tutor accounts may experience longer initial payout times while Stripe completes verification.