Top 9 Policies to Include in Your Tutor Handbook
As a tutor, establishing clear policies is essential for creating a smooth and professional experience for both you and your students’ families. By setting expectations and procedures with a tutor handbook from the outset, you can prevent misunderstandings and ensure that everyone is on the same page.
Let’s explore the top nine policies you should consider including in your tutor handbook. These policies will cover a range of topics, from communication preferences to payment methods, helping you run your tutoring business efficiently and professionally.
Here are the Top Nine Policies You Should Include in Your Tutor Handbook!
1. Calendar and Holidays
First, clearly define your tutoring schedule, including any holidays or breaks. Specify whether you will follow the local school district calendar or have your own. This helps families plan ahead and prevents confusion about when sessions will take place.
2. Cancellation Policy
Be sure to establish a clear policy for cancellations. Decide how much notice is required for a cancellation to be eligible for a refund or rescheduling. This policy helps manage your schedule and keeps your time respected.
3. Communication Preferences
List out how you prefer to communicate with parents and students. Whether it’s email, text, or phone calls, setting these boundaries helps ensure that communications are handled efficiently and at appropriate times.
4. Weather-Related Policies
If you live in an area affected by inclement weather, define how you will handle cancellations or rescheduling due to weather conditions.
- Will sessions move online?
- Or, will they be canceled entirely?
Having this policy in place makes sure everyone knows what to expect when bad weather hits.
5. Payment Terms
Clearly state your payment policies, including accepted payment methods, due dates, and any late fees. This transparency helps avoid awkward conversations about money and ensures you are compensated on time.
6. Parental Involvement
Define the role you expect parents to play during tutoring sessions.
- Should they stay on the premises?
- Is it acceptable for them to leave and return later?
- If sessions are online, should a parent be nearby in case of technical issues?
7. Emergency Contact Information
Collect emergency contact details for each student. This information is crucial in case of an emergency during a session, that way you can quickly reach a parent or guardian.
8. Media Release and Privacy Policy
Decide whether you will take photos or videos of students for promotional purposes and obtain written consent from parents. Also, outline your privacy policy to assure families that their personal information will be handled securely.
9. Policy for Discontinuing Services
Establish a procedure for discontinuing services, either by the tutor or the family. Specify how much notice should be given and any conditions that apply. This helps manage transitions smoothly and professionally.
Communicating Your Policies
Once you have established your policies, it’s crucial to communicate them effectively to families.
Here are a few tips for doing just that:
- Handbook: Create a tutor handbook that includes all your policies. Provide a digital copy to each family and keep a printed copy on hand for reference.
- Welcome Guide: Send a welcome guide to new families that includes an overview of your policies, your tutoring philosophy, and how to prepare for the first session.
- Google Forms: Use Google Forms to collect agreement to your policies. This can include an “I agree” checkbox to confirm that families have read and understood your policies.
- Website: If you have a website, consider uploading your policies there for easy reference. (Need help getting your website up and running? Read 5 WEBSITE MUST-HAVES FOR YOUR TUTORING BUSINESS!)
- Regular Updates: Periodically remind families of your policies, especially at the start of a new school year or when changes are made.
By proactively addressing these key areas, you can create a professional and organized tutoring environment that benefits both you and your students. Clear policies help set expectations, prevent misunderstandings, and ensure that everyone knows how things are done in your tutoring business.
Now that you know what policies to include in your tutor handbook, it’s time to make one!
Stand out with a professionally designed handbook and welcome guide template for your tutoring business!
Each of these template bundles includes theme-coordinated pages created in Canva, which allows you to easily edit and add your information to personalize them for your own business. You’ll also get a video tutorial to demonstrate how to customize your templates!
