Terms of business

The plain-English terms for booking lessons with me. If anything is unclear, please ask before you book.

1. About these terms

These terms apply when you book tutoring with me, Emily Costello, trading as Learn with Ems. I’m a self-employed tutor based in Tilehurst, Reading.

By booking a lesson or paying for a lesson pack, you agree to these terms.

These terms don’t affect your legal rights as a consumer.

2. Lessons and prices

Every lesson is 60 minutes, one-to-one, with your child.

A pack of 4 is designed as one lesson a week for a month. A single lesson is a good way to try things out first.

The price includes planning, any resources I use in the lesson, and travel within the area we agree when you book. There are no other charges.

3. Booking and paying

1. After our first chat, I’ll confirm your lesson day, time and place in writing (by WhatsApp or email).
2. Payment is by bank transfer. I’ll send you my details and a reference to use.
3. Please pay for a pack in full before its first lesson.
4. Please pay for a single lesson by the day before it.

If a payment hasn’t arrived, I may need to pause lessons until it does. I’ll always message you first.

4. Using your lesson pack

A pack is for one child, and its 4 lessons are used within 6 weeks of the first lesson. The extra 2 weeks leave room for a missed week.

If we agree to pause lessons over a school holiday, the 6 weeks pause too. So you won’t lose lessons to half term or the summer break.

Your regular slot is held for you while you have lessons booked. If you don’t book another pack when one ends, I may offer the slot to another family, but I’ll check with you first.

5. Rearranging or cancelling a lesson

If you need to rearrange. Give me at least 24 hours’ notice and we’ll move the lesson to another time within your pack. A single lesson can be moved, or refunded if you’d rather.

Less than 24 hours’ notice. The lesson counts as used, because I usually can’t fill the slot at short notice. Children get ill without warning, though, so once per pack I’ll rearrange a short-notice cancellation for sudden illness.

If your child is unwell. Please don’t send them to an in-person lesson if they’re poorly. If they’re well enough, we can switch to online for that week instead.

Running late. If a lesson starts late at your end, it will still finish at the usual time so the next family isn’t kept waiting. If I’m late, you’ll always get the full 60 minutes.

If I need to cancel. I’ll give you as much notice as I can. We’ll rearrange the lesson, or I’ll refund it in full, whichever you prefer. A lesson I cancel never counts against your pack.

6. Changing your mind, stopping and refunds

Your 14-day right to cancel. When you book by phone, message or email, the law gives you 14 days from booking to cancel for any reason. If you cancel within that time and no lessons have happened, I’ll refund you in full.

If you’d like lessons to start within those 14 days, just tell me. If you then cancel during the 14 days, I’ll refund everything except the lessons that have already taken place.

Stopping after that. You can stop at any time; just let me know. I’ll refund any unused lessons in a pack at the pack rate: £32.50 for an online lesson or £37.50 for an in-person lesson.

Refunds go back by bank transfer within 14 days of us agreeing them.

If I can’t continue. If I ever have to stop tutoring your child, I’ll give you as much notice as I can and refund any unused lessons in full.

7. In-person lessons

• I travel to families across Reading and the surrounding areas. We’ll confirm when booking that I can reach you.
• A parent or carer aged 18 or over needs to be at home for the whole lesson.
• Please set aside a quiet space with a table, away from screens and siblings if possible.
• If no one is home when I arrive, or I can’t start the lesson, it counts as used.

8. Online lessons

• Lessons happen by video call. I’ll send you the link before each lesson.
• Your child will need a laptop or tablet with a camera and microphone, and a reliable internet connection. A phone screen is usually too small.
• A parent or carer should be at home and nearby during the lesson.
• I don’t record lessons. Please don’t record them either.
• If the connection drops at my end and we can’t finish, I’ll make up the lost time. If it drops at your end, I’ll do my best to rearrange, but can’t always promise to.

9. Keeping children safe

I’m fully DBS checked. As a teacher, safeguarding is part of my everyday training and work, and I bring the same care and professional standards to tutoring.

• I’ll arrange lessons, and share updates, with you rather than directly with your child.
• I won’t contact your child on social media or by private message.
• Your child stays in your care during lessons. I’m responsible for teaching them, not for supervising them.
• If anything ever gives me a concern about a child’s safety or wellbeing, I’ll follow safeguarding procedures. That may mean sharing information with the right professionals, as any teacher would.

10. Everything else

What tutoring can promise. Every child is different, so I can’t guarantee particular results, test scores or school outcomes. I can promise to prepare properly, teach with care, and tell you honestly how your child is getting on.

Price changes. I’ll give you at least 4 weeks’ notice of any change. A pack you’ve already paid for keeps the price you paid.

Your information. I only use your details to arrange and deliver tutoring. My privacy notice explains how I look after them.

Changes to these terms. If I update these terms, I’ll tell you before the change applies to you. A pack you’ve already paid for follows the terms you booked under.

Questions or concerns. Please talk to me first. Call 07516 644962 or message me on WhatsApp.

Last updated: October 2026