Writing a private tutoring contract
A private tutoring contract sets the rate, payment terms and cancellation rules before the first lesson. What to include and how to get it signed.
A private tutoring contract is a written agreement that sets the rules between the tutor and the family before the first lesson: hourly rate, lesson frequency, how payment works, and what happens when a lesson is cancelled.
Most independent tutors start on a verbal handshake. That holds while things go well. The first time a family disputes an invoice, cancels ten lessons in a row, or pays two months late, the missing paper trail turns expensive.
Why a written agreement matters
A verbal deal leaves each side with its own version. The tutor assumed a lesson cancelled the night before still gets billed; the family assumed they only pay for lessons actually taught. With no record, neither side can prove its case.
A written contract fixes three concrete problems:
- It removes confusion about the rate and the number of lessons.
- It gives you firm ground to chase an unpaid invoice.
- It sets your cancellation rules before a dispute happens.
If you work in France under the services à la personne scheme, families deduct part of what they pay from their taxes, so a clear written basis also signals that you run a real business.
What the contract should cover
A tutoring contract does not need to be long. One page is enough. It covers five points.
The parties and the service
Tutor's name, status (self-employed, SIRET number), contact details. The student's name and the paying adult. Subject, level, and the goal: exam prep, catching up in maths, homework help.
Rate and payment
State the hourly rate, the length of a session, and the expected total. Spell out how payment happens (bank transfer, CESU, cash) and when it is due: per lesson, at month end, or as a package paid up front. An invoicing tool that issues the invoice and tracks who has paid keeps this from slipping.
Schedule and frequency
Lessons per week, the usual day and time slot, and how long the commitment runs (a term, a year, or open-ended). Say how a lesson gets rescheduled.
Cancellation terms
This is the clause that protects your income most. Set a notice period, 24 hours is common, below which the lesson is still charged. Many tutors also bill half the rate for a same-day cancellation and the full rate for a no-show, which the contract can state in one line. Our guidance on cutting last-minute cancellations pairs well with this clause.
Duration and ending the contract
Start date, how either side ends it (one or two weeks' notice), and what happens to a package that is started but not finished.
A 24-hour cancellation clause, written plainly and accepted at signing, turns "I thought this one was free" into a lesson you can bill as normal.
Contract, quote, or terms of sale
These three documents overlap but play different roles.
- A quote prices one specific job. For personal services in France, it becomes mandatory above 100 € per month, and skipping it can bring a 3,000 € fine for a sole trader.
- Terms of sale describe your general rules: payment, late fees, cancellation. They go to the family before signing. France's official service-public.fr lists what they should contain.
- The contract is the signed agreement for one student, often restating those terms.
In practice, a dated quote signed "agreed" already works as a contract. So you can start from a clear quote with your terms attached.
Getting it signed and keeping it
A contract only helps if you can find it again. Three habits are enough:
- Sign before the first lesson, on paper or by e-signature.
- Keep a dated copy, filed per student.
- Point back to it the moment a payment or cancellation question comes up.
Once you juggle several students, keeping contracts, schedules, and payments in one place beats digging through your inbox. See our pricing for a practice that is growing.
A good contract does not make the relationship cold. It sets a clear frame once, so you never have to renegotiate at every lesson.
Sources
A senior software engineer, he founds and runs several tech companies. He builds products around messaging APIs, automation and AI integration, and shares here what he learns while building.
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- cours particuliers