Paid opportunities for students to be a part time school tutor

The Tutor Trust is visiting LJMU on 16 November offering paid opportunities for students from any programme or year group to be a tutor in the local area. 

No teaching experience is required to become a tutor, for which you can earn £21 per hour, and full training is provided. 

This year has seen Ellie Cross become the first LJMU alumni to be promoted to a managerial position within Tutor Trust. Ellie previously worked as a tutor while studying Creative Writing and Film Studies at LJMU before moving to full time work as a Liverpool Schools Coordinator. Since then, she has taken on a brand-new role within the organisation: Tutor Engagement Manager. 

Here Ellie explains how she became a part time tutor and how it has led to a full time career with The Tutor Trust

Asked why she moved from tutoring to working with The Tutor Trust full-time Ellie responded by telling us:

“Having worked with Tutor Trust as a tutor for two years, I wanted nothing more than to help with the bigger operation of providing every child with quality tuition. I’m so thankful to Tutor Trust and, particularly, the Liverpool team for encouraging my growth since September 2020, when I got the role. Since then, I was promoted to Schools and Systems Coordinator for Liverpool, taking on more in liaising with schools. Recently, in May 2022, I have moved to a fresh role of Tutor Engagement Manager, and I am very excited to work with even more of the team to make greater changes”. 

The role of Tutor Engagement Manager fits well with Ellie’s skill set and experience. The role, in her own words…

“Involves continuous communication with tutors as well as the Recruitment and Quality teams, to ensure that we’re meeting the needs of tutors throughout our processes. I am the main contact of support for tutors across our 3 major cities: Greater Manchester, Leeds/Bradford and Liverpool, and my goal is to help their development as tutors. In this role, I am aiming to keep networks strong with universities and build more of a presence on newer platforms”. 

Ellie has credited her time at LJMU with helping prepare her for her work within the organisation: 

“When I started at LJMU in 2017, I was nervous and anxious about the prospect of starting university. After being the quiet student who worked hard but kept to the sidelines in secondary school, the idea of workshopping and attending seminars was a worry to me. However, I found a safe space in my study of poetry; particularly, the workshops led by Dr Helen Tookey. Helen became a role model by my second year of study, and I realised that my poetic style/views were valid. I found myself opening up more often, looking forward to sharing my work and hearing others’ poetry, and using this approach in my tuition sessions. As I’ve grown to Schools Coordinator and Tutor Engagement Manager, I appreciate that I still utilise what I’ve learned from those workshops. Making sure that any space is acknowledged as a safe space, whether through friendly non-related chat or being open and honest, has been so important. In any place of work, meetings or otherwise, it’s so crucial that everybody (including yourself) feels comfortable.  

Validation is also key to any working professional. It’s so important to understand that your views and ideas are valid. An idea might not work or be sustainable in the long term, but you’re still thinking of the big picture and bringing something to an organisation. I have also utilised time management skills from essay-writing as well as preparation for exams; these skills have come in handy when writing reports for tuition funders and ensuring that I meet crucial deadlines." 

How to become a part time tutor with The Tutor Trust

The Tutor Trust is visiting LJMU on 16 November offering paid opportunities for students from any programme or year group to be a tutor in the local area. 

They will be holding an informal drop-in at the Careers Zone in the Student Life Building where you can call in at any time from 9.30am-1pm, find out more about their opportunities and ask any questions you may have.  If you would like more detailed information, they will also be holding a presentation from 2-3pm in room 206 at the Student Life Building.

Book a place at either Tutor Trust event:

• Careers Zone drop-in – Register here
• Presentation – Register here

No teaching experience is required to become a tutor, for which you can earn £21 per hour, and full training is provided.  They require a commitment of at least 3 hours per week (but you can take on as much work as you like) and offer flexible working hours, but most tutoring takes place during the school day (8am – 4pm) inside the school building, and during school term times.  You do not have to want to be a teacher in the future to apply, however, if you are interested in pursuing a teaching career, The Tutor Trust is a great way to build experience in a school environment. 

The Tutor Trust is a registered charity aiming to help tackle educational inequality in a unique way. Their mission is to 'transform lives through tutoring' by making sure every child who needs some additional academic support can access a great tutor.