How much does a primary school tutor cost in Barnet?
Between roughly £35 and £60 an hour across north London, depending on the tutor's qualifications and whether they travel to you. Sonali charges £45 an hour for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, in your home or on Zoom, with a trial session and assessment at £50 online or £55 in your home.
Sonali's rates
| What | Price |
|---|---|
| Tutoring, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 Per hour. Same price in your home or on Zoom. | £45 |
| Trial session and assessment, on Zoom About 90 minutes. Informal assessment plus comprehensive written feedback. | £50 |
| Trial session and assessment, in your home About 90 minutes. Informal assessment plus comprehensive written feedback. | £55 |
| Holiday courses and story writing workshops Run through the school holidays. Places are limited, so ask early. | Ask |
Correct as at 7 September 2026. There is no registration fee, no agency commission and no minimum term.
What actually drives the number
Tutoring rates in north London vary by nearly a factor of two for what looks on paper like the same hour. These are the four things behind the gap.
Who is actually in the room
An undergraduate, a teaching assistant and a qualified primary teacher with a Montessori diploma are three different products sold under one word. Ask what the person teaching your child is qualified in, not what the agency is.
Whether they travel to you
Travel time is real time. Tutors who come to your home in Barnet generally price above those who only teach online, or they cap their radius. Sonali charges the same either way and covers the borough.
Agency or direct
Tuition agencies typically take a margin on every hour, which sits on top of what the tutor is paid. Booking direct removes it. It also means the person you spoke to is the person who turns up.
One to one or a group
Tuition centres are cheaper per hour because a tutor is shared between several children. That is a legitimate trade and for some children it works. It is a different thing from an individual lesson plan built around one child's gaps.
Is a cheaper tutor a false economy?
Not automatically, and anyone selling tutoring who tells you otherwise is selling. A capable sixth former at £25 an hour can be exactly right for straightforward homework support with a confident child.
The difference shows up when a child has an actual gap rather than a workload. Finding the point where the understanding broke, three years back, and rebuilding from there is a diagnostic skill. That is what you are paying the extra fifteen or twenty pounds an hour for, and if the child does not need it, do not pay it.
Five things to check before you pay any tutor
Ask to see the enhanced DBS certificate
The original, not a claim on a profile page. Check the date on it. Any tutor who hesitates has answered the question.
Ask to speak to two current families
Written testimonials are chosen. A phone call is not. A tutor confident in their work will offer this before you ask.
Ask what you get in writing after each lesson
If the answer is nothing, you will be paying for an hour you cannot see and guessing at whether it worked.
Ask what happens in the first session
A proper assessment tells you where your child actually is. Without one, the first month is spent finding out at your expense.
Ask about the exit
Notice period, holiday policy, and what happens if it simply is not the right fit. Get it before you start, not after.
Start with the trial, not the commitment
A 90 minute trial session is £50 on Zoom or £55 in your home, and it ends with a written assessment of where your child actually is. Plenty of parents use it purely for the assessment and take that away. That is a perfectly reasonable thing to do.
Questions parents ask about cost
How much does a primary school tutor cost in Barnet?
Primary tutoring in north London typically runs between roughly £35 and £60 an hour depending on qualifications and whether the tutor travels to you. Sonali Bird charges £45 an hour for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, in your home or on Zoom, with a trial session and assessment at £50 online or £55 in your home.
What drives the price of a private tutor?
Four things: the qualifications of the person actually teaching, whether they travel to your home, whether you book through an agency that takes a margin, and whether the lesson is one to one or shared in a group.
Is there a registration or agency fee?
No. Sonali Bird is booked directly. There is no registration fee, no agency commission and no minimum term.
What should I check before paying a tutor?
Ask to see the original enhanced DBS certificate and check its date, ask to speak to two current families, ask what written feedback you get after each lesson, ask what happens in the first session, and agree the notice period before you start.