When a pupil is ill: what a tutor should write down about missed lessons and fees
No law tells a private tutor what to do about fees when a pupil is ill, so your written terms decide. State whether a missed lesson is charged, reduced or made up, how much notice you need, and record each case on the day. Charges for missed lessons should be reasonable, because terms requiring disproportionately high compensation may be regarded as unfair.
What the law says about illness and missed lessons
We have not found any UK rule that prescribes how a private tutor must treat fees when a pupil is ill. The usual position is that your agreement sets the rule, and families are entitled to know it before lessons start.
Two points from consumer law are worth knowing. Schedule 2 to the Consumer Rights Act 2015 lists, among terms which may be regarded as unfair, a term requiring a consumer who fails to fulfil their obligations to pay a disproportionately high sum in compensation. A rule that charges a full fee for any missed lesson may be harder to defend than one that is proportionate.
Citizens Advice guidance for England on cancelling a service says a business could charge a cancellation fee or hold some or all of a deposit to compensate for its financial loss. The page is written for England, with separate advice for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Whether the consumer rules apply to a particular family depends on the facts, so take advice for any dispute of size.
Illness is different from an ordinary cancellation
A short-notice cancellation because a family forgot is not the same as a child with a fever. Many tutors write two rules: one for ordinary cancellations and a gentler one for genuine illness. You are free to do this, and it is easier to apply fairly when the rule is written down.
Decide in advance what you will do. Common options are to move the lesson to another day, to move it online, to give a credit, or to charge a reduced fee when notice is very short. Whichever you choose, state it in your agreement and record what happened each time.
What the NHS says about children staying home
NHS advice on whether a child is too ill for school is a useful reference point for conversations with parents, although it is written for school attendance, not private tuition. It says to keep a child with a high temperature off school until it goes away, and that children with diarrhoea or vomiting should stay away until they have not been sick or had diarrhoea for at least 2 days (48 hours).
It also says to keep a child with chickenpox off school until all the spots have crusted over, and that it is fine to send a child with a slight cough or common cold symptoms as long as they are otherwise well and do not have a high temperature.
You are not a school, and a one-to-one lesson at the kitchen table is not the same as a classroom. But if you teach in the family's home, or you are in contact with other pupils, it is reasonable to ask families to follow the same cautions and to say so in your terms. A lesson moved online is often the simplest answer for a child who is unwell but able to work.
When the tutor is ill
Illness runs both ways. Your terms should say what you do when you cannot teach: how soon you tell the family, whether you offer a make-up lesson or an online alternative, and that the family is not charged for a lesson you did not give.
If you tutor in a family's home or alongside other pupils, apply the same caution to yourself that you ask of them. Where a child has a long absence, agree in writing how the work will be caught up.
Record every missed lesson on the day
Most arguments about missed lessons are really arguments about what was said. A short record made at the time settles them. Note the date of the lesson, when and how you were told, the reason given, whether a make-up lesson was offered, what happened to the fee, and which clause of your agreement you applied.
Do not ask for medical detail. A parent saying a child is unwell is enough, and any health details you do receive are personal data to be kept securely and not shared. Our free record below covers each point on one page.
What an illness and missed lesson record should capture
A preview of our free Pupil Illness and Missed Lesson Record. The complete, print-ready version is sent to you by email.
Lesson details
- Pupil name
- Parent or carer name
- + 4 more in the full form
How and when we were told
- Told byParent or carer · Pupil · Tutor (tutor unwell) · Other
- Date and time the message was received
- + 3 more in the full form
Outcome
- Was a make-up lesson offered?Yes / No
- Make-up lesson dateDate
- + 5 more in the full form
Confirmation
- The outcome above has been explained and agreedYes / No
- Any other notesFree text
The full form has 20 questions in 4 sections, a signed declaration and space for your business details. Get it free below.
Free template
Get the print-ready Pupil Illness and Missed Lesson Record
A one-page record for each missed lesson, print-ready, with space for notice, reason, make-up and fee outcome. Free, and yours to adapt.
Frequently asked questions
Should a tutor charge for a lesson missed because a child is ill?
No law decides this, so your written terms do. Many tutors move the lesson, offer an online alternative or reduce the fee for genuine illness. A rule that is proportionate is easier to defend than a blanket full charge.
Can I ask parents for a doctor's note?
You can state in your terms what you ask for, but a note is rarely needed and health details are personal data. A message from the parent saying the child is unwell is usually enough.
What if a child is only a little unwell?
NHS advice says a slight cough or common cold is fine for school if the child is otherwise well and has no high temperature. For tutoring, agree in advance whether such a lesson goes ahead, moves online or is rearranged.
What should I do if the tutor is ill?
Tell the family as early as you can, offer a make-up lesson or an online alternative, and do not charge for a lesson you did not give. Put that in your terms so families know it from the start.
Sources
- Is my child too ill for school?, NHS
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, Schedule 2: consumer contract terms which may be regarded as unfair, legislation.gov.uk
- Cancelling a service you've arranged (England), Citizens Advice
Every document your tutoring business needs
Client agreement, cancellation policy, privacy notice and parental consent in the Starter pack at £29. The Pro pack at £49 adds safeguarding, online terms, group and exam prep paperwork. One payment, no subscription.
See the packs, from £29 →These articles are general guidance for UK private tutors, not legal advice. Our documents are editable templates: adapt them to your own tuition, check your insurer's requirements and take advice where the stakes are high.