Finding a Maths Tutor: UK Rates by Level, Online vs In-Person — and the Questions That Find a Good One
Maths is the most-tutored subject in Britain for a simple reason: it's the subject where a gap compounds — miss the foundations and everything built on them wobbles at exam time. It's also where tutor quality varies most, because "good at maths" and "good at teaching maths" are different skills. Here's what the market charges in 2026, and how to buy well.
In short: GCSE maths tuition averages £25–£50 an hour, with online lessons running 10–25% cheaper (typically £25–£45). A-Level and Further Maths command a premium — around £60–£75 an hour online for tutors with strong maths degrees — because demand massively outstrips supply. Newer tutors start at £15–£25; London adds 30–50% to in-person rates.
Maths tuition rates by level (2026)
| Level | Typical hourly rate |
|---|---|
| Primary / KS3 foundations | £15 – £35 |
| GCSE Maths | £25 – £50 (online £25 – £45) |
| A-Level Maths / Further Maths | £40 – £75; strong-degree specialists £60 – £75 online |
| Newer tutors (any level) | £15 – £25 |
| Experienced exam-prep specialists | £30 – £50+ |
The budget view: one lesson a week runs most families £100–£200 a month, two lessons £200–£400. In-person at secondary level runs £35–£65 against £15–£40 online — and London in-person rates sit 30–50% above the rest of the country, which is precisely why online tutoring has eaten the capital's market first.
Online or across the kitchen table?
For maths specifically, online works better than parents expect: shared digital whiteboards make working step-by-step visible both ways, lessons are recordable for revision, and the tutor pool becomes national — which matters enormously at A-Level, where the local supply of Further Maths specialists may be zero. In-person keeps the edge for younger children, students with attention difficulties, and anyone for whom the kitchen-table ritual is the discipline. Whether tutoring works at all — and the research behind it — is worth five minutes before spending anything.
The five questions that find a real maths teacher
- "Which exam board do you teach most?" Edexcel, AQA and OCR differ in style and mark schemes — a tutor fluent in your child's board teaches to the actual exam, not maths in general. It's the first of the questions worth asking before hiring anyone.
- "Walk me through how you'd fix a gap in algebra." Good tutors describe diagnosis — finding where understanding broke — not just "we'd practise past papers." Past papers polish; they don't repair foundations.
- "What happens between lessons?" The difference between £30 and £50 tutors is often homework setting, marking and progress notes — the structure that converts an hour a week into a habit.
- "Can we do a trial lesson?" Chemistry matters in maths more than any subject — a student who feels stupid asking questions learns nothing at any price.
- "Are you DBS checked?" Non-negotiable for one-to-one work with children — what the DBS rules actually say is covered in our guide.
When to start — and when tutoring is the wrong tool
The best value tutoring starts early in Year 10 or Year 12, when there's time to repair foundations before exam pressure — panic-buying in the February before exams pays premium rates for damage limitation. And an honest caveat: if the problem is motivation rather than understanding, group tuition or a tuition centre sometimes outperforms one-to-one, at lower cost — the peer effect does work one-to-one can't.
On the "premium" A-Level market: the £60–£75 rates for Further Maths specialists reflect genuine scarcity, not vanity pricing — universities produce few maths graduates who tutor, and A-dependent offers make parents inelastic. If the budget resists, a strong undergraduate at £30–£40 with a recent A in the same syllabus is the established value play.
The bottom line
Budget £25–£50 an hour at GCSE and up to £75 for A-Level specialists, take the online discount unless there's a reason not to, and interview for teaching, not just mathematics — the five questions above filter fast. Start terms early rather than exam-season late. Compare vetted maths and science tutors near you here.
Frequently asked questions
In 2026, GCSE maths tuition averages £25–£50 an hour, with online lessons 10–25% cheaper at typically £25–£45. A-Level and Further Maths specialists with strong degrees command £60–£75 online, while newer tutors start around £15–£25. London in-person rates run 30–50% above the national average.
For most secondary students, yes — shared whiteboards suit step-by-step maths, lessons can be recorded for revision, and the national tutor pool matters at A-Level where local specialists are scarce. In-person keeps the advantage for younger children and students who need the physical routine.
Ideally early in Year 10 — with time to diagnose and repair foundation gaps before exam pressure builds. Tutoring booked in the final months before exams costs the same per hour but can only do damage limitation rather than genuine repair.
Scarcity: few strong maths graduates tutor, Further Maths demand keeps rising, and A*-dependent university offers make families willing to pay. The value alternative is a strong undergraduate with a recent A* in the same syllabus at £30–£40 an hour.