Marketplace launch: opt-in, tutor-led discovery

Today we're opening the TutorStudio Marketplace. It's a directory where families can find tutors who want to be listed. Here's how it works and why it matters.

Tutors first

The core insight: not every tutor wants to be discovered. Some tutors are fully booked. Some tutor only friends' children. Some prefer word-of-mouth. The default should be "not listed," and tutors should opt in.

The TutorStudio Marketplace is opt-in only. You sign up, build your profile, and decide if you want families to find you. If you do, you're visible. If you don't, you're not. If your calendar fills up, you can turn off listings until you're ready again.

How families find tutors

Families search by:

• Subject (Maths, English, Science, Languages, etc.)
• Year group (KS1–KS4, A-Level, GCSE prep)
• Availability (evenings, weekends, school holidays)
• Location (online, tutor's home, student's home)
• Rate (free tier and up)
• Tutor background (qualified teacher, subject specialist, recent graduate)

No algorithmic ranking. No "trending tutors." No engagement loop. Families get a list of tutors who match their search, in order of profile completeness and average response time. That's it.

What tutors control

When you opt into the marketplace, you control:

• What you teach and who you teach
• Your rates (fixed or hourly)
• Your availability (open calendar slots)
• Your bio and qualifications
• Whether you accept first-lesson video calls (yes/no)
• Whether you prefer referrals (yes/no)

You don't control the algorithm because there isn't one. Families see your profile. If they like it, they message you. You accept or decline. Simple.

Why no algorithm?

Most tutoring marketplaces use an algorithm to boost "high-performing" tutors or tutors who get the most messages. This creates a hamster wheel: you're incentivized to jam keywords into your bio, respond immediately at all hours, and lower your rates to stand out.

TutorStudio says: no. Your profile is your profile. Families find you through search. You don't compete for algorithmic attention. You compete on quality and fit, which is what tutoring is actually about.

Rating and reviews

Tutors can ask families for feedback after a lesson. Ratings are displayed honestly (average star rating, number of reviews, recent comments). No way to delete bad reviews. No way to ask families not to rate.

We know this is a risk. Bad reviews can hurt your listing. But the alternative—fake ratings, review inflation, trust going nowhere—is worse. We'd rather be honest.

Safeguarding and vetting

All tutors listed on the marketplace go through a basic safeguarding check:

• Email verification
• Identity verification (via our partner)
• Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS, where applicable)
• Agreement to our safeguarding policies

Families can see which checks a tutor has passed. They can decide for themselves whether they're comfortable.

We don't claim to vet for quality. We can't teach a trial lesson for you. We can verify that you're who you say you are and you're not on a safeguarding list. Beyond that, it's on the tutor and the family.

What we're not doing

• Recommendation algorithms ("Tutors like Sarah also teach...")
• Promotional placements ("Boost your profile for £50")
• Gamification ("You're ranked 45th in Maths this week!")
• Surge pricing ("High demand for Maths right now—rates rising")
• Referral bounties or affiliate schemes

These all sound like ways to boost "engagement" or "platform liquidity." They're also all ways to corrupt a marketplace. We'd rather have a smaller, slower, cleaner marketplace than a big one that's rigged.

Early bird: Founder Member discounts

The first 100 tutors to list on the marketplace get 30 per cent off their subscription for life. No cap on students, no time limit. The discount is locked to the account, not the tier—it moves with you.

The longer view

The marketplace is version 1. As tutors list and families find them, we'll learn what works and what doesn't. We'll add tools: bulk messaging, calendar sync, automated invoicing. We'll refine search and filtering.

But we won't add gamification, algorithms, or the usual marketplace dark patterns. The principle is fixed: tutors should control their practice, families should control their search, and the platform should stay out of the way.

Sign up at tutorstudio.co.uk. List yourself if you choose to. Help families find you.