Last updated: 04/09/2026

​

These Terms & Conditions apply when you use The Centre for Education & Coaching (“The CEC”) to find, contact or book a tutor.

​

By booking a consultation, taster lesson or paid lesson through The CEC, you agree to these Terms & Conditions.

If you are booking tuition for a child, you confirm that you are the child's parent, legal guardian or otherwise have appropriate authority to arrange tuition on their behalf.

​

1. About The CEC

The Centre for Education & Coaching (“The CEC”) is a trading name of Collins Coaching and Consultancy Ltd, registered in England and Wales (Company No. 12294467).

The CEC operates an online platform that enables parents and students to find independent tutors and arrange online tuition.

The CEC facilitates tutor profiles, availability, bookings and payments. Tutors using the platform are independent tutors and are not employees of The CEC.

The tuition itself is provided by the tutor you book.

​

2. Choosing a Tutor

Tutor profiles provide information to help you decide which tutor may be suitable for your child.

Profiles may include information about a tutor's:

• experience and qualifications

• subjects and levels taught

• approach to tuition

• DBS status

• lesson duration and prices

• availability

• free taster lesson, where offered

The CEC reviews tutor profiles before publication, but parents remain responsible for deciding whether a particular tutor is suitable for their child and requirements.

The CEC does not guarantee a particular educational result or outcome from tuition.

​

3. Tutor DBS Information

Tutor profiles may indicate whether a tutor holds a DBS certificate.

Tutors who state that they hold a DBS certificate are required to provide accurate information and may be required to provide evidence to The CEC.

Unless expressly stated otherwise, The CEC does not guarantee or continuously monitor the ongoing validity or status of an individual tutor's DBS certificate.

If DBS status is particularly important to you, you may ask the tutor about this during your free consultation before booking tuition.

​

4. Free Consultations

Every CEC tutor offers parents the opportunity to book a free consultation.

A consultation gives you the opportunity to discuss your child's needs, ask questions, understand the tutor's approach and decide whether you feel the tutor may be a suitable fit.

A consultation is intended as an introductory conversation and is not a tuition session.

No payment is required to book a free consultation.

Once booked through The CEC, a consultation is treated as a confirmed booking and the tutor reserves that time for you.

​

5. Free Taster Lessons

Some tutors choose to offer a free taster lesson. Where available, this will be shown on the tutor's profile.

A taster lesson gives your child an opportunity to experience working with the tutor before you decide whether to book paid tuition.

No payment is required for a free taster lesson.

A free taster lesson is a confirmed booking once it has been booked through The CEC.

Offering a free taster lesson is optional for tutors and not all tutors will provide one.

​

6. Booking a Paid Lesson

Available lesson dates and times are shown through the tutor's CEC profile.

The lesson duration and price applicable to the tuition level you select will be displayed as part of the booking process.

Please check the lesson details carefully before proceeding to payment.

A paid lesson is confirmed once:

• the required booking information has been provided; and

• payment has been successfully completed through The CEC's Stripe payment process.

You will receive confirmation of your booking using the contact details you provide.

Please ensure that your email address and other booking information are entered accurately.

​

7. Lesson Prices and Payment

Tutors set their lesson prices through The CEC.

The price displayed during the booking process is the amount you will be charged for that lesson.

Payment for paid lessons is required at the time of booking.

Payments are processed securely using Stripe. The CEC does not require you to provide payment directly to the tutor for lessons booked through the platform.

You should not be asked by a CEC tutor to pay separately by bank transfer, cash, PayPal or another payment method for tuition booked or introduced through The CEC.

If a tutor asks you to make payment outside The CEC for CEC tuition, please contact us.

​

8. Online Lessons

CEC tuition is delivered online.

The tutor provides The CEC with the online meeting link used for their lessons. The relevant lesson information is provided as part of the booking process.

You are responsible for ensuring that the student has:

• a suitable device

• a reliable internet connection

• access to the required video-meeting platform

• an appropriate environment in which to participate in the lesson

Tutors use waiting-room or lobby controls where appropriate. The student may therefore need to wait for the tutor to admit them at the scheduled lesson time.

Please do not share a tutor's lesson link with anyone who is not entitled to attend the booked session.

 

9. Parent Rescheduling

If you need to change the date or time of a booking, you can do this through the Manage My Booking page, provided the change is made more than 24 hours before the scheduled start time.

You will be able to choose a new date and time from the tutor's current available lesson times.

Because the options shown are times the tutor has already made available, the tutor does not need to separately approve your reschedule.

Once you complete the reschedule, the booking will be updated and the tutor will be notified.

For a paid lesson, your existing payment remains attached to the booking. You do not need to pay again simply because you have changed the lesson time.

​

Parent-initiated rescheduling is not available within 24 hours of the scheduled lesson start time.

This follows the same notice period as The CEC's cancellation policy and recognises that the tutor has reserved that time for you and may be unable to offer it to another student at short notice.

If you are unable to attend within 24 hours of your lesson, the normal cancellation terms apply.

 

10. Tutor Rescheduling

Occasionally, a tutor may need to request a different date or time for a booking.

If your tutor requests a reschedule, you will be sent the proposed alternative arrangements.

You may choose whether to accept the proposed change.

The tutor's proposed reschedule is not confirmed until you accept it.

If the proposed time is not suitable, you are not required to accept it.

​

11. Cancelling a Paid Lesson

We understand that plans sometimes change.

If you cancel a paid lesson more than 24 hours before its scheduled start time, you are entitled to a refund of the lesson payment.

If you cancel within 24 hours of the scheduled start time, you are not automatically entitled to a refund.

The 24-hour cancellation policy recognises that the tutor has reserved that time for you and may be unable to fill it at short notice.

Cancellation times are determined by the scheduled start time recorded on the CEC booking.

Where a refund is due, it will be processed through the original Stripe payment method.

Your bank or card provider may take additional time to make a processed refund visible in your account.

 

12. If the Tutor Cancels

If a tutor cancels a paid lesson, you are entitled to a full refund, regardless of how close to the lesson the cancellation occurs.

The 24-hour parent cancellation restriction does not apply where the tutor is responsible for cancelling the lesson.

Where appropriate, you may choose to make a new booking with the tutor at another available time instead.

 

13. Free Session Cancellations

No payment or refund is involved when a free consultation or free taster lesson is cancelled.

However, these are confirmed appointments and the tutor has reserved time for you.

Please cancel or reschedule a free session as soon as possible if you know that you will be unable to attend.

Repeated failure to attend confirmed free sessions without notice may result in The CEC restricting further free bookings.

 

14. Missed Lessons and Late Attendance

Please ensure that the student is ready to join their lesson at the booked time.

If a student joins late, the tutor is not normally required to extend the lesson beyond its scheduled finish time, particularly where another student is booked afterwards.

If a student does not attend a confirmed paid lesson and the booking has not been cancelled in accordance with the cancellation policy, the lesson will normally be treated as a late cancellation and no refund will be due.

If a tutor fails to attend a confirmed lesson, please contact The CEC so that we can investigate and, where appropriate, arrange a refund.

​

15. Technical Problems

Both tutors and families are responsible for maintaining the equipment, internet connection and software required to participate in online tuition.

If a technical problem on the parent/student side prevents a lesson from taking place or substantially reduces the available lesson time, this does not automatically create an entitlement to a refund.

If a technical problem on the tutor's side prevents the tutor from providing the booked lesson, the tutor should seek to reschedule the lesson. Where the lesson cannot reasonably be provided or rescheduled, The CEC may arrange an appropriate refund.

Where a technical problem affects The CEC platform or booking system itself, please contact us so that we can investigate.

​

16. Behaviour and Appropriate Conduct

Students, parents and tutors are expected to communicate and behave respectfully.

Abusive, threatening, discriminatory, sexually inappropriate or otherwise unacceptable behaviour towards a tutor, student, parent or member of The CEC team will not be tolerated.

A tutor may end a session where they reasonably believe continuing would be unsafe or inappropriate.

The CEC reserves the right to restrict or terminate access to the platform where serious or repeated conduct concerns arise.

​

17. Safeguarding

The safety and wellbeing of children and young people using The CEC is important.

Parents remain responsible for determining the level of supervision appropriate for their child during online tuition, taking account of the child's age and individual circumstances.

Any safeguarding concern relating to tuition arranged through The CEC should be reported promptly to The CEC and, where appropriate, to the relevant safeguarding or statutory authority.

Nothing in these Terms prevents a parent, tutor or other person from reporting a safeguarding concern directly to the police, local authority or another appropriate organisation.

​

18. Communication With Tutors

Tutor personal email addresses and telephone numbers are not displayed publicly on CEC tutor profiles.

If you would like to speak with a tutor before booking tuition, please use the free consultation option on their profile.

Once you have been introduced to a tutor through The CEC, any personal information you receive should be used appropriately and only for legitimate purposes connected with the tuition relationship.

 

19. Keeping CEC Tuition on The CEC

Tutors and families introduced through The CEC are expected to continue booking and paying for that tuition through the platform.

You should not agree with a tutor to move CEC-introduced tuition into a private arrangement for the purpose of avoiding The CEC's booking or commission arrangements.

In particular, please do not:

• cancel a CEC booking simply to pay the tutor privately

• make direct payments for CEC-introduced tuition outside the platform

• use contact information obtained through The CEC to deliberately circumvent the platform

If a tutor asks or encourages you to do this, please contact The CEC.

 

20. Privacy and Personal Information

Personal information provided when using The CEC is handled in accordance with The CEC's Privacy Policy.

Information necessary to arrange and provide tuition may be shared with the tutor you book.

Payment information is processed securely by Stripe and is subject to Stripe's own privacy and security arrangements.

Parents should not share unnecessary sensitive personal information through the platform or with tutors.

 

21. The Relationship Between You, the Tutor and The CEC

The CEC provides the platform through which parents and independent tutors can find one another, book tuition and manage associated payments.

The tutor remains responsible for the tuition they provide, including its content, teaching approach and professional delivery.

The CEC does not guarantee:

• that a particular tutor will be suitable for every student

• a particular academic result, grade or educational outcome

• that a tutor will remain available indefinitely

• uninterrupted availability of third-party services such as video platforms or Stripe

Nothing in these Terms affects any statutory rights you may have as a consumer.

 

22. Liability

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability where doing so would be unlawful, including liability that cannot lawfully be excluded under applicable consumer law.

To the extent permitted by law, The CEC is not responsible for losses arising solely from matters outside its reasonable control, including internet failures, third-party video-platform outages or banking/Stripe processing delays.

 

23. Changes to These Terms

The CEC may update these Terms & Conditions from time to time to reflect changes to the platform, services, payment arrangements or applicable requirements.

The Terms applicable to a booking will be those in force when the relevant booking is made, unless a change is required by law or expressly agreed otherwise.

The current version will be available on The CEC website.

​

24. Contacting The CEC

If you need help with:

• a booking

• a cancellation or reschedule

• a refund

• a tutor not attending

• a problem with the CEC booking process

please contact The CEC at hello@thecec.co.uk

 

For problems relating directly to your card or bank account after Stripe has processed a payment or refund, your bank/card provider or Stripe may also be able to provide further information