What the research says about tutoring, what GCSE tutors cost in 2026, when a tutor is the better choice, and cheaper options that cover the practice in between.
A good tutor helps most when your child is stuck on a subject and needs someone to explain it and keep them going. Research finds tutoring helps on average, but the gains in recent English school programmes were small. GCSE tutors cost about £20 to £73 an hour on the big platforms. For practice and spotting weak topics, free tools and an app are often enough.
What does the research say about tutoring?
The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), which reviews school research, rates one-to-one tuition at about five months' extra progress on average, at moderate cost. It finds smaller effects in secondary schools (four months) than in primary schools (six months). It rates small-group tuition at about four months' extra progress at low cost, and suggests schools try it before one-to-one. This research is mostly about tutoring run by schools, often for students who are behind. The Department for Education's evaluation of the National Tutoring Programme, run by NFER, looked at tutoring in English schools in 2021–22. It found small improvements in Key Stage 4 maths, and more limited evidence for English. In all cases the effects were “very small” and “equated to one months’ additional progress or less”. The authors say these are likely underestimates, and they found that more hours of school-led tutoring went with better results. So tutoring can help, but it isn't magic. What a tutor does with the time matters more than the fact of having one.
How much does a GCSE tutor cost?
These are the tutoring platforms' own figures, checked 29 October 2026. Private tutors outside platforms set their own rates.
GCSE tutor prices (checked 29 October 2026)
Source
What it says
Four one-hour lessons a month
Tutorful
Average GCSE maths £46 an hour, English £48 (listed rates, October 2026); prices start at £20 to £25
£184 (maths) or £192 (English) at the average rate
MyTutor
One-hour lessons (55 minutes of teaching) cost £26 to £73, set by the tutor
£104 to £292
Revise Right Pro (an app, not a tutor)
£14.99 a month, or £38.97 every 3 months
£14.99
When a tutor is the better choice
We make Revise Right. Nobody paid to be on this page. A tutor is worth the money in these cases, and an app won't do the same job:
Your child is stuck: they don't understand a subject and reading or videos haven't helped.
They need someone to keep them going: a weekly session with a person is a commitment many teenagers keep better than an app.
Exam technique in essay subjects: a good tutor can talk through a written answer line by line.
Special educational needs: a tutor can adapt to how your child learns.
Confidence: some students need a person to tell them they can do it.
When an app or free tools are enough
Your child understands the lessons but needs regular practice.
You want to find out which topics are weak before deciding anything.
The budget is tight: free tools cover most GCSE revision.
Your child prefers working alone, in short sessions, at their own times.
If a tutor isn't affordable, these cover much of the same ground for little or nothing:
Ask the school first: many offer revision sessions, booster groups or subject clinics, especially after mocks.
Free explanations: BBC Bitesize, Seneca's free courses and Cognito's free tier.
Free past papers: from the exam boards and Physics & Maths Tutor.
Small-group tuition: often cheaper per hour than one-to-one. The EEF rates it at about four months' extra progress, against five for one-to-one.
A free timed mock: Revise Right's next round is 7–20 December. About a week later your child gets a percentage, an estimated grade and a topic-by-topic breakdown, so any tutor time can go on the weakest topics.
Fewer tutor hours, better used: a tutor every other week, with practice in between, costs half as much.
Yes, and it's often the best use of the money. Use a mock or past paper to find the weak topics, spend tutor time on the ones your child can't fix alone, and practise the rest between sessions. If you try Revise Right: mocks are free with a free account. Verifying the account starts a 5-day Pro trial automatically, with no card and no automatic charge. The AI tools (notes, flashcards, quizzes, mind maps and the AI tutor) are part of Pro, so they are free only during that trial.
Sources
Education Endowment Foundation: one to one tuition (Teaching and Learning Toolkit): The EEF's summary of the research on one-to-one tuition in schools: about five months' extra progress on average (four in secondary, six in primary), at moderate cost. Opened in a browser 29 Oct 2026. Education Endowment Foundation: small group tuition (Teaching and Learning Toolkit): The EEF's summary of the research on tuition in small groups: about four months' extra progress on average, at low cost. Opened in a browser 29 Oct 2026. Department for Education: National Tutoring Programme year 2 impact evaluation (NFER, October 2023): The independent evaluation of school tutoring in 2021–22. Its key findings report small gains in maths, and more limited gains in English, worth one month's extra progress or less. Tutorful: how much does a tutor cost?: Gives average GCSE rates on Tutorful of £46 an hour for maths and £48 for English, based on listed rates in October 2026, with prices starting at £20 to £25. Checked 29 Oct 2026. MyTutor help centre: how much does tuition with MyTutor cost?: Says lessons are an hour long (55 minutes of teaching) and cost between £26 and £73, set by the tutor. Article dated 19 Aug 2025; checked 29 Oct 2026. Sutton Trust: parents pay private tutors £24 an hour (2016): A 2016 survey of what parents paid for private tuition. Older than the platform prices above, so treat it as a floor.
On the big platforms, about £20 to £73 an hour (checked 29 October 2026). Tutorful lists average GCSE rates of £46 for maths and £48 for English; MyTutor lessons cost £26 to £73.
Does tutoring actually improve GCSE grades?
On average, a little. The EEF rates one-to-one tuition at about five months' extra progress. The government's evaluation of school tutoring in 2021–22 found small gains in Key Stage 4 maths, worth one month's extra progress or less. It depends a lot on the tutor and how the time is used.
Is an app enough for GCSE revision?
For many students, yes: if they understand the lessons and need practice, free tools and an app cover it. If your child is stuck on the content or won't work alone, a tutor helps more.
What is a cheaper alternative to a tutor?
Start with the school's own revision sessions, free sites such as BBC Bitesize and Seneca, and free past papers. Small-group tuition costs less per hour than one-to-one. A free mock shows which topics need the help.
How many tutor sessions does my child need?
There's no fixed number. The government's evaluation found more hours of school-led tutoring went with better results. Agree a goal with the tutor, such as three named topics, and review together whether it has been met.
Can an AI tutor replace a human tutor?
Not fully. An AI tutor is available any time and is cheaper, so it suits practice and quick questions. It can make mistakes and doesn't know your child the way a person does. Many families use both.