How Tutor Trust Shapes Careers, Confidence and Futures

By working for a charity, tutors can make a meaningful difference in a young person’s life, develop valuable professional skills, and become part of a wider community committed to tackling educational inequality.

Published: 18/08/2026

Time to read: 4 minutes

Being a tutor with Tutor Trust has always been about much more than helping people make academic progress, we are a community with a shared goal of fighting educational inequality,

Tutoring has long been a rewarding part-time role for those interested in, or with experience in education. For Tutor Trust’s tutors, however, it becomes much more. By working for a charity, tutors can make a meaningful difference in a young person’s life, develop valuable professional skills, and become part of a wider community committed to tackling educational inequality.

Since Tutor trust was founded in 2011, we have recruited thousands of tutors who have walked into hundreds of schools, all helping to serve almost 49,000 young people. We provide our tutors with high-quality training as well as ongoing support, and our tutors gain valuable experience working in schools whilst developing skills that stay with them throughout their careers. For lots of our tutors, this role is their first opportunity to lead, mentor and present in a professional setting.

Tutoring transforms lives

Our tutors work hard to make a difference and as a result, they remember small moments that make an impact, like a pupil gaining confidence and starting to believe in their own ability.

El, who is studying to become a Councillor whilst tutoring, recalled working with a young person who was initially too anxious to engage:

El said: "K was highly anxious about tutoring initially... she was reluctant to be in the room with me... It took a lot of slow and steady baby steps, but eventually we bonded over a mutual love of Boggle! Our next major success was several months in when she arrived on time for our session, stayed and engaged fully for the entire hour, chatting openly, with her hood down. School staff remarked on how rare it was for her to take her hood down – so this felt like a really notable breakthrough."

What does success look like to our tutors? For many, it is about more than academic progress; it is about developing trust and helping young people find their own strengths. As one tutor explained:

Many pupils start with concern about having to do more hours of a subject they might not enjoy, but after a few sessions say this is their favourite class! It is wonderful to see how a positive learning environment and tailored support help them to see that they are capable."

Trust comes up time and time again, because our tutors take time to build strong bonds with their pupils:

My best tutor moment has been building strong relationships with my students at one of the primary schools I tutored at. Seeing them become more confident, engage more in sessions, and feel comfortable asking questions made tutoring especially rewarding. It was great to know that I had created a positive learning environment where they felt supported and able to make progress."

Our tutors receive great affirmation directly from students:

"In one of my sessions, I was greeted by my class of tutees with a loud cheer and calling of my name. It was at that moment I realised I was doing a good job and having a positive impact on these children's lives."

Or tutors might realise that they helped a young person overcome a challenge they never thought they could:

"One of the students said to me, 'Sir, you're probably the best tutor I have ever had. I learnt a lot today even though I normally find it hard.' I don't think I will ever forget the smile that put on my face."

Helping tutors build skills for their future

Being a tutor tests the skills that employers are looking for. Every one of our tutoring sessions requires strong communication, leadership, adaptability, resilience and problem-solving skills.

Whilst tutoring, our tutors develop their explanations of complex ideas, adapt their approach to different learners and build relationships with young people from a wide range of backgrounds. As a result, our tutors make valuable candidates for future employment, not only in education but in healthcare, business, law, public service and many other sectors.

For so many of our tutors, this role becomes one of the most meaningful parts of their CV and university life, with lots of success stories to share in interviews. Tutoring with Tutor Trust can even gain you academic credit at university, in recognition of the valuable life and professional experience to be gained from the role. For example at the University of Salford, students complete 72 hours of tutoring as part of a module in courses like English or Criminology. We hope to further expand and develop this model are with our other partner Universities across the North.

Ola, a student of Fashion Business and Promotion at the University of Salford spoke about her experience of tutoring,

“The main benefit I have gained from working with Tutor Trust is confidence. It has helped me become more confident in leading sessions, communicating clearly, and supporting students with different learning needs

A community that lasts beyond tutoring

Being a tutor with Tutor Trust has always been about much more than helping people make academic progress, we are a community with a shared goal of fighting educational inequality.

The Tutor Trust Community brings together former tutors who continue to champion fairer access to education while supporting one another professionally. Members can reconnect with tutors from the last 14 years, expand their professional networks, celebrate the impact they've made and continue advocating for greater access to tutoring for the young people who need it most.

The community also provides opportunities to learn from peers, discover new career opportunities and stay connected with Tutor Trust's research, innovation and work to tackle educational inequality. As networking becomes increasingly important to career development, it offers former tutors a chance to remain part of a shared mission while supporting one another long after they move on from tutoring.

If you are a current tutor, please complete the Tutor Survey, and tell us about your experience.

Join the Tutor Trust Community

Join the dedicated Linkedin Group for former tutors here