Why do private tutors need insurance?
Failing to meet expectations
If students' aspirations don’t materialise, they or their parents may attribute their failings to you and pursue you for damages.
A comment is taken out of context
You may face accusations of professional misconduct or legal action if you say something during a lesson that is misinterpreted or taken out of context.
Injury to a student
If a student injures themselves during a visit to your premises, they may pursue you for the associated medical costs.
Damage or loss to essential electronic equipment
If a laptop or computer that you rely on to do your work gets damaged or stolen, you may struggle to find the funds to cover the cost of repair or replacement.
Professional indemnity insurance for private tutors
Professional indemnity insurance protects private tutors from accusations of professional mistakes, negligence or failing duty of care.
Private tutors provide professional advice and guidance. Professional indemnity insurance is an affordable safety net should the worst happen and you need to defend a legal claim from one of your students.
What does tutoring professional indemnity insurance cover?
Professional indemnity insurance protects private tutors from claims or accusations of wrongdoing from their professional advice.
Cover includes:
- Failing your duty of care
- Making a mistake
- Acting negligently
- Giving the wrong advice or recommendation
For example, you may be facing financial demands from a client because:
- A student's results didn’t meet their aspirations, and the parents blame you and ask for all their money back.
- You’re accused of misconduct by your student or their parents, who’re claiming compensation.
What professional indemnity limit do private tutors need?
The professional indemnity limit you need will reflect your particular tutoring activities. When choosing a limit, consider how often you teach, how many students you work with, and the possible financial impacts if your tutoring advice goes wrong.
Another guide could be client contracts you have signed. A lot of education institutions stipulate insurance requirements in their contracts.
Switching your professional indemnity insurance
Typically, in the UK, if you cancel a professional indemnity policy, you can no longer claim against it.
Therefore, if you switch your private tutoring insurance provider, be sure your new policy covers your past work; this is called “retroactive cover”.
Should I keep professional indemnity insurance if I take a break from tutoring?
It’s wise to keep your professional indemnity for a time if you stop tutoring. Claims against professional misconduct can surface months or years after you delivered the work.
If a past client sues you for damages and you have cancelled your professional indemnity, you will not be covered.
How long you keep your cover in place is up to you; consider the type of teaching you did and the likelihood that a student might bring a claim against you.
If you are taking time out during the summer or over the festive period, use Suited's holiday mode. It saves money while keeping you insured against claims from your past work.
Public liability insurance for tutors
Public liability insurance shields private tutors from claims of injuries or property damage. It is helpful to tutors who work with students face to face.
What does tutoring public liability insurance cover?
Public liability pays for your legal defence and compensation costs if you are found liable.
Cover includes:
- accidental injury or death
- accidental property damage
For example:
- A student visits your premises and slips, injuring themselves. Their medical bill might be sent to you if your student believes their injury was your fault.
- You visit a client’s home and cause accidental damage to their home. This could be something like spilling a coffee over an antique rug, letting a much-loved pet out of the door or knocking over an expensive piece of art.
Other insurance private tutors buy
As a private tutor, additional insurance you need will depend on your individual circumstances. It's important to think about whether you could afford a legal dispute, how you would handle tax issues, and what steps you would take if a client didn't pay.
Commercial legal expenses insurance
Most commercial legal expenses insurance will protect private tutors against various tax and legal issues you may encounter due to your profession, which are not picked up by professional indemnity or public liability.
At Suited, we combined £100,000 of commercial legal expenses insurance with helplines and other tools to better assist you in dealing with these issues, and it’s part of your subscription.
Commercial Legal Expenses provides qualified advice and assistance with:
- Legal and tax matters concerning your business
- Criminal prosecution
- Compliance & regulation issues
- Unpaid invoices (over £200)
For example:
- HMRC investigates your tax affairs
- You need legal help chasing a significant unpaid invoice
- You required guidance on compliance or regulatory issues for your business.
- An educational institution terminated your contract without notice, and you wish to take them to court over a breach of contract.
Portable Electronics insurance
Most tutors will be using a laptop or a computer to deliver their sessions. Personal electronics insurance covers the cost of replacing or repairing business equipment, such as computers, cameras, or other tools of your tutoring profession. Whether this equipment is yours or hired, you can insure the cost of repair or replacement should an accident happen.
Private tutors we insure
Suited offers comprehensive insurance policies that cater to the needs of a wide range of private tutors, including:
- Arts & crafts teachers
- Coding and programming tutors
- Computer science tutors
- English tutors
- History and social Studies tutors
- Homeschooling tutors
- Language tutors
- Lecturers
- Maths tutors
- Music teachers
- Photography tutors
- Reading and literacy tutors
- Science tutors
- Special education tutors
- Teachers
- Writing tutors
- and more..
Shopping for private tutor liability insurance
Whether or not you decide to use Suited insurance to protect your tutoring work, it’s worth keeping the following in mind:
Cheap private tutor insurance
When selecting your private tutor insurance, it's crucial to remember that price isn't the only factor to consider. It's equally important to ensure the provider is available. At Suited, we're proud to offer a speedy response time and multiple ways to get in touch with us when you have questions or concerns.
The reputation of the insurer is important
Insurance needs to be there when you need it most. The payout reputation of an insurer is essential. Suited uses financially sound insurers with an A+ rating.
Many providers charge fees to amend or cancel
Low initial prices often hide additional charges to pay monthly, amend or cancel your policy. At Suited, we charge no extra fees, and you can cancel anytime with no more to pay.
Some policy wordings are restrictive or have a high excess
Some providers will offer attractive prices, but it is at the expense of cover given. Suited professional indemnity and public liability have £0 excess.
