For Brainhub tutors

Tutor-verse

Everything you need to teach with Brainhub, in one place: your login, the tutor course, how to teach each subject, and the best resources for your students.

1. 1

   Apply and meet us

   Tell us what you teach. We’ll call to talk through your experience and a sample lesson.

   Apply to teach →
2. 2

   Enhanced DBS check

   Every tutor needs an up-to-date Enhanced DBSDisclosure and Barring Service: the criminal record check for anyone working with children. check before teaching. We’ll explain how.

3. 3

   Read our safeguarding policy

   Know what to do if you’re worried about a student, and the rules for online lessons.

   Safeguarding policy →
4. 4

   Set up your TutorCruncher profile

   Create your tutor account, then add a photo, your subjects, levels and availability. This is what families see.

   New tutor? Create your TutorCruncher account (opens in a new tab) →TutorCruncher login (opens in a new tab) →TutorCruncher’s guides for tutors (opens in a new tab) →
5. 5

   Get your lesson kit ready

   Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams, a shared Miro whiteboard, a headset and a quiet, well-lit space.

6. 6

   Take the tutor course

   Fifteen short lessons on making an impact that lasts.

   Become a better tutor →

• Parents and tutors

  Automated payments

  Lesson done, tutor logs it, invoice raised, payment taken automatically. Nothing to chase.

  • Log every lesson on the day. No log means no invoice, no invoice means the family isn’t charged, so you can’t be paid for it.
  • Tutors are paid at the end of the month for lessons families have paid for that month. Some families pay at the end of the month, so a lesson can roll into the next pay run.
  • Your pay is guaranteed. If a family still hasn’t paid six months after a lesson, Brainhub pays you for it anyway.
  • Looks late? It’s almost always a lesson logged late (so the invoice went out late) or a family payment still going through. Check your lesson log first.
  • No lesson takes place = no payment is taken.
  • Families’ saved payment details expire 6 months after their last completed lesson, and they can opt out at any time.
  • Automated payment emails have no pay link. Families see a pending symbol next to the invoice in their account’s Accounting section.
• For parents

  Cancellation and no-show

  Fair to tutors. Understanding with parents. Consistent for students.

  • There’s a 50% cancellation fee for lessons a child doesn’t attend, applied at the tutor’s discretion.
  • If something comes up, families let the tutor (or us) know as soon as they can. We’re always understanding of genuine one-off emergencies.
  • If lessons are missed repeatedly, we may check in directly. It’s about protecting the child’s learning, not admin.
  • Tutors: log any no-show in TutorCruncher on the day and leave fees to the office. You never chase a family for money.
• For tutors

  Planning a break

  Holiday, exam leave or any time away is completely normal. Just tell us in advance.

  • Why it matters: consistency drives engagement and progress. Interrupted lessons put both at risk, especially after 3 or more weeks without a session.
  • Before: fit in extra sessions ahead of the break.
  • During: we arrange a suitable tutor to keep lessons going where needed.
  • After: extra sessions to consolidate and get back into routine.
  • Give us a couple of weeks’ notice wherever possible so we can find suitable cover. Have a tutor you trust? Send us their details and we’ll coordinate.
• For tutors

  Student needs more hours?

  Lead with the plan, not the ask, and never be shy to raise it.

  • 1. Find the gaps: diagnose what still needs covering.
  • 2. Count the time: topics left against lessons before the mocks or the exam.
  • 3. Recommend: parents can always say no.
  • Say it like this: “We still have [X] to cover before the mocks, and at one hour a week I’d be rushing it. I’d recommend moving to 1.5 hours, or adding a second session. It’s completely your call, and I’m happy to keep things as they are.”
  • Raise it when it’s an exam year and the plan doesn’t fit the time left. Hold back in Years 7 to 9 (not normally advisable) or when current hours already cover the plan. Don’t upsell where it isn’t needed.
• Parents and tutors

  Getting started: who does what

  Before the first lesson. The WhatsApp group is the shared space for lessons, homework, past papers and exam advice.

  • Students: confirm your exam boardThe organisation that sets and marks the exam, such as AQA, Edexcel or OCR. Each has its own syllabus., current and target grade, university or career goals, and what to cover in lesson 1.
  • Tutors: confirm the trial lesson date and time, send a diagnostic paper beforehand if useful, recommend textbooks or revision guides, and tailor lesson 1 to the student’s goals.
  • Never discuss payment in the group. All payments and invoices go through TutorCruncher.
  • Parents are welcome to add context at any time. We involve them as much or as little as they’d like.

1. 1
   Find common ground in lesson oneLook for three real things you share with your student and remember them. Knowing what you share changes how you treat them.60% smaller gap in grades for students teachers usually serve less well, when teachers learned what they shared with them.Gehlbach et al. 2016, randomised experiment · Rapport that lasts →
2. 2
   Stay their tutorKeep the same slot, turn up reliably and book the next lesson before you finish. Changing tutor mid-way can do harm.Worse results for mentored students who were moved to a new mentor, in a national randomised study.Grossman et al. 2012 · Rapport that lasts →
3. 3
   Give feedback that is specificComment on the task, the method and how they check their work. Praise and grades alone do little, and over a third of feedback effects in one classic review were negative.+6 months average extra progress from high-quality feedback.EEF Toolkit; Wisniewski et al. 2020; Kluger & DeNisi 1996 · Show progress you can see →
4. 4
   Pair high standards with beliefStart critical comments with: “I have very high expectations, and I know you can reach them.”More students revised their work, and final drafts were better, when comments came with that line.Yeager et al. 2014, randomised experiments · Show progress you can see →
5. 5
   Make it about themBuild examples round their interests, and ask “Where might you use this?” rather than telling them why it matters. Ignore “learning styles”.Faster mastery, and better results on the hardest skill, for students given maths problems about their own interests.Walkington 2013; Hulleman & Harackiewicz 2009; Pashler et al. 2008 · Make them do the thinking →
6. 6
   Send parents one line a weekA short, specific, positive message each week, with one thing they can do at home.41% fewer students failed when parents got a weekly one-sentence message from the teacher.Kraft & Rogers 2015, field experiment · Write updates parents read →
7. 7
   Make progress visibleSet a baseline, re-test the same skills, and link lessons to what they are doing at school.+5 months average extra progress from one-to-one tuition, when it is linked to classroom teaching and progress is tracked.EEF Toolkit: one to one tuition · Show progress you can see →

1. Top marks Corbettmaths Free videos, worksheets and the daily "5-a-day" questions for every grade.
2. Maths Genie Free past papers and exam questions sorted by topic and grade, with video solutions.
3. Save My Exams Revision notes and exam questions by topic for each board. Some content is paid.