Cancellations are where an agency's three relationships meet. The family wants flexibility, the tutor has set aside the time, and the office is left to make a judgement call, often at the end of a long day and often with a parent it knows well.
A clear policy takes that decision off your desk. It doesn't have to be strict. It just has to answer the same questions the same way each time.
The four questions a policy must answer
- How much notice counts as on time?
- What does a family pay if they cancel later than that?
- What does the tutor receive?
- What are the exceptions, and who decides?
Set one notice period
Choose one window and state it in hours. "24 hours before the lesson" is clearer than "the day before", which leaves room for argument about a Monday morning lesson cancelled on Sunday night. Think about how realistic it is to fill the slot: a longer window gives a tutor more chance to reuse the time, while a shorter one feels kinder to families.
Say how a cancellation must be made as well. A message in one agreed place, with a time on it, settles most disagreements before they start. A text sent to a tutor's personal phone doesn't.
Decide what families pay
| Approach | In its favour | Against it |
|---|---|---|
| Full charge | Simple, and the tutor can be paid in full | Can feel harsh for a one-off |
| Part charge | Feels like a fair middle | More to explain and calculate |
| A free one each term | Generous, and clear for a family with a real emergency | Someone has to keep count |
| Rearrange instead | Keeps the lesson and the income | Only works if a slot is available |
Whichever you choose, the charge should reflect a real cost. You're paying for a slot that a tutor kept free, and it's easier to hold to a policy when you can explain it in those terms.
Decide what tutors receive
This is the part that's easiest to leave unwritten. Tutors want to know that a lesson cancelled at the last minute won't simply disappear from their income. The simplest rule is that the tutor is paid whenever the family is charged. If you charge a family in full and pay the tutor in part, or the other way round, be clear about why and make sure the tutor knows before it happens.
Put the rule in writing where tutors will find it, alongside how you pay them, so that nobody learns it from their first cancelled lesson.
No-shows
A no-show is different from a late cancellation, because the tutor has actually turned up. Your policy should cover:
- How long the tutor waits. Give a set time, and say what they should do during it, such as messaging the family and telling the office.
- Online lessons. Agree what counts as attending, and what happens if the connection fails on either side.
- The charge. Decide whether a no-show is charged like a late cancellation, and say so.
- The record. Log it in the same way each time, so that a pattern is easy to spot.
When the tutor cancels
A policy that only covers families won't feel fair. Say how much notice tutors must give, what you'll do to find cover or rearrange, and confirm that the family isn't charged for a lesson that didn't happen. A policy that runs both ways is easier to explain and easier to defend.
Plan for exceptions
Illness, bereavement and family emergencies will happen. You don't need to list every case. You do need to say who can waive a charge, and to record it when they do. That way, a kind decision for one family doesn't quietly become a different rule for another.
When you waive a charge, decide what happens to the tutor's pay too. If the office chooses to be generous, it's usually fairer for the agency to bear that cost than the tutor.
Write it so people read it
- Keep it short enough to fit on one page.
- Use plain language and real situations rather than legal phrasing.
- Show it when a family signs up, not after the first problem.
- Repeat the key point where it matters, such as in lesson reminders.
- Give tutors the same wording, so that they can answer questions confidently.
Your cancellation terms form part of your contract with families, so they need to be fair and clear. The Competition and Markets Authority publishes guidance on unfair contract terms. It's worth having your terms checked by someone qualified before you rely on them.
A short checklist
- One notice period, stated in hours
- One agreed way to cancel, with a time on it
- What families pay, written down
- What tutors receive, written down
- How long a tutor waits before a no-show
- What happens when a tutor cancels
- Who can make an exception, and how it's recorded
- The policy shown to families when they sign up