Studia Tutor Onboarding
Studia Beta

You're in.

Founding Tutor Onboarding

A note from us

Welcome to Studia, officially.

Sophia and Eleanor, co-founders of Studia

We're so excited for you to build your profiles and start teaching.

Every lesson you take, every student relationship you build and every hour you put in is meaningful, and part of something bigger.

Studia is going to be the first unicorn tutoring company that makes tutoring truly accessible, and lets tutors scale like rockstars if they want to. Together we will change thousands of lives, maybe hundreds of thousands. Every lesson you teach gets us closer, and gives us the proof we take to investors.

We can't wait to see your profiles. We're in for a blast 🚀

Sophia & Eleanor, co-founders

Handle with care

We're new, and fragile.

When something breaks

We're a small, new tech platform. It's very typical, and expected, for things to break. If something stops you creating your profile, managing your calendar or teaching, email support@studia.io immediately.

Everything else

For general questions that aren't an emergency, please don't text Elena or email Eleanor. Yours might feel small, and it is, but if everyone sends one that's eighty replies Elena has to write. Send it to support@studia.io and it gets answered properly.

Step by step

Setting up your account.

Eight steps, in four parts. Creating your account takes around 10 minutes. Read the note below first, then tick each step off as you go.

Before you start

A

Use your laptop, with this page open

Create your account on a laptop, not your phone. Keep this onboarding open alongside it so you can follow each step as you go.

Writing your profile? See what a great one looks like, section by section, with examples.

Open the exemplar profile

Then the 8 steps

Step 1 of 8

0 of 8 ticked off

  1. 1Create your account

    Open your invite

    Find the email Invitation to join Studia and press Accept invite.

    Not there? Check spam. Link expired? Email support@studia.io.

  2. 2Create your account

    Add your basic details

    Use Google, Apple or Microsoft, or your name and a password. Accept the Terms, then press Continue.

    Use the same email your invite was sent to.

  3. 3Create your account

    Verify your mobile

    Enter your number, press Send code, then type the 6 digit code we text you.

    Only for booking reminders and free trial alerts. Never spam.

  4. 4Build your profile

    Edit your profile

    The first page you land on. Work through every item on the list, from your headline to your interests, pressing Add on each. See the exemplar profile for what great looks like.

    Ignore the Media section at the bottom. No photo or video needed.

  5. 5Send for review

    Press Continue

    Once you've added everything, press Continue. Your profile is sent to us for review, which takes about 24 hours.

    Don't wait for it. Carry straight on with the next steps.

  6. 6Get ready to teach

    Set your availability

    Go to Calendar and press Set availability. Turn on the days you teach and set your times.

    Don't leave it empty, or you won't go live. You can also connect a calendar here. Our tips.

  7. 7Get ready to teach

    Set your booking preferences

    Click your icon, top right, then My account and Bookings. Set your buffers, notice and how often students can book.

  8. 8Get ready to teach

    Set your rate and connect Stripe

    Click your icon, top right, then My account and Payment. Set your hourly rate, then press Connect a bank account. Without Stripe, your profile won't go live and we can't pay you.

    Rate: see the scale. Stripe: enter your own details, not Studia's. Full walkthrough.

Swipe or use the arrows. Tap a screenshot to enlarge. Ticks are saved on this device.

Setting up Stripe

Step 8, in full. Stripe is how your money reaches you. You set it up once.

From this moment on, you're making the decisions yourself, not as part of Studia.

This is how you want to set things up with Stripe for your payouts. Enter your own details, not Studia's. Stripe will ask you a series of questions about your settings, and those are yours to decide.

  1. Start from Studia

    In Studia, click your icon in the top right, then My account, Payment and Connect a bank account. This takes you over to Stripe.

  2. Answer as you, not Studia Your call

    Your name, address, date of birth and phone number. Wherever Stripe asks about a business, it means you and how you work, not Studia. Choose the answers that are true for you.

  3. Add your own bank account

    This is where your money lands. Stripe holds your bank details securely, so Studia never sees them.

  4. Finish verification

    Stripe may ask for photo ID. We can only pay you once your Stripe account is fully verified with payouts switched on. Until then your money waits, so don't leave this half done.

  5. Check it any time

    Back in Studia, Manage Stripe Connection under My account, then Payment, opens your own Stripe dashboard, with every transfer and any amount withheld.

Not sure how to answer a tax or business question? We can't advise you, as it depends on your own situation. If you're unsure, speak to an accountant. You don't need to pick a payout schedule: Studia's system handles the timing, as set out in Payment.

Your profile

Exemplar tutor profile.

What a great profile looks like, section by section. It's here to give you ideas, not box you in: you have full creative freedom, and there's no single right way. But your profile reflects your skill as a tutor, so put your best foot forward.

Before you start

Stay succinct and impressive. Put your achievements front and centre. This is not a place to be humble. It's the place to be transparent and objective about what you've achieved.

What parents look for

Your profile is your business card. Parents read it asking one question: "Do I trust this person to guide my child towards their academic dreams?" Lead each section with your most striking line. Some openings show as a headline.

How to write it

Be specific. Name the institution, the role, the result, the book. Parents trust details more than "very smart" or "passionate". Use real examples in every section, fill in every section (even optional ones), only claim what you can back up, and keep students anonymous.

Practical details

Teach IB, SAT or another curriculum? Subjects only lists the British curriculum for now. Mention it in your introduction and tailor your examples. Stuck, or want feedback on a draft? Email elena@studia.io. Ignore the Media section at the bottom of the page.

★ On your profile shows on your public profile today Coming soon saved for features we're building, still worth completing now

Profile card Setup step 4

Name and headline

★ On your profileRequired · headline 80 characters

Form prompt: "Your subject, level of study and university". This is the first thing a parent sees.

Example

Elena Radulescu
BA Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) at Oxford University

Education

★ On your profileAt least one

Still at university? Add your expected graduation year. Add your A-levels as well as your degree, with grades. Parents see both.

Example

PPE, Oxford University
Undergraduate, 2022 to 2025

Subjects

★ On your profile

Add each subject and every level you teach it at. Ask yourself: could I help a really ambitious student get the top grades in this, at this level? If not, leave it off.

Example

Economics: GCSE (years 10 to 11), A-level
Philosophy: GCSE (years 10 to 11), A-level

About you Setup step 4

Introduce yourself

★ On your profileRequired · 100 characters

The platform asks for what you're studying and where, but you've already introduced this as part of your qualifications. Use this space to pick your most impressive achievements, in one line. It's one of the first things parents read about you.

Example

Top 10 debater at the World Championships. Oxford Scholar fascinated by social and political issues.

Transformation. What do you unlock?

★ On your profileRequired · 220 characters

Form prompt: "What can students do, understand or feel more confidently because of your teaching?" Pick your strongest idea.

Prompts to get you thinking
Their exams
What do you know about the mark scheme that most students don't? Is there a technique students keep using on their own?
Their enjoyment
What do you tie the subject to: their hobbies, the news, a future career? What confusing topic makes sense after a lesson with you?
Their confidence
How do students feel walking into an exam after working with you? What do they stop worrying about?
The proof
One result, with the grade change and how long it took. No big jump yet? A predicted grade beaten, a mock improved, or a student taking your subject further all count.
Example

I start from the mark scheme and teach students how the examiner thinks. I also tie the subject to something they enjoy so they see its beauty. The grades follow: one student went from a C to an A in three months.

Common challenges you overcome together

★ On your profileRequired · 280 characters

Form prompt: "What do your students struggle with, and how do you help them through it?" Focus on the problem you're most passionate about solving.

Prompts to get you thinking
The pain point
The specific skill or topic students struggle with, a mistake you see again and again, or what parents worry about before the first lesson.
What you do about it
How do you help them overcome it? A method, routine or resource you've built?
What changes
What can they do afterwards that they couldn't before, and how do they feel about that topic now?
Example

Many students know the content but freeze when a question looks unfamiliar. We practise breaking those questions down step by step, so they walk into the exam with a method they trust rather than hoping inspiration strikes.

Teaching style, personality and experience

Required · pick from a list

Teaching style ★ On your profile

Up to 3. Pick what actually happens in most of your lessons, so it reinforces what you've written.

Discussion-ledPast-paper questionsStretch and challenge

Personality Coming soon

Up to 3. Which words would your students use? Can a parent see each one in your writing?

Confidence-buildingEnthusiastic & energeticCreative & innovative

Teaching experience Coming soon

Make sure it matches the years in your introduction.

3+ years

Experience with SEND

★ On your profileRequired

Answer yes or no, then select the areas that apply. Only select areas where you've supported a student yourself.

Example

Yes: Autism, ADHD, Slow processing

Interests Setup step 4

What's something people remember about you?

★ On your profileRequired · 280 characters

A few things you do at a high level and a few you do just for fun, each named precisely. Make them as varied as you can: it's your chance to build rapport with students from all kinds of backgrounds.

Prompts to get you thinking
Things you take seriously
What have you done outside your studies that people remember? Include the level: competitive, champion. Have you competed, performed, published or led anything?
Things you do for fun
What could you talk about for hours? Name it exactly: the author, the sport, the artist. Is there a team, game, show or podcast a student might bond with you over?
Example

I'm an avid reader, especially fiction, and Joan Didion is my favourite author. I'm also passionate about adventure sports: I used to be a competitive climber, and I've been skiing since I could walk. More casually, I play the piano and love going on long walks with my friends.

What are you most proud of as a teacher?

★ On your profileRequired · 240 characters

Show the whole transformation for one student. Don't jump straight from start to finish: the steps in between show parents how you work.

Prompts to get you thinking
Where they started
What were they predicted, and how did they feel about the subject or themselves?
What you did together
A learning plan, a tracker, a new way of explaining, weekly check-ins?
Where they ended up
What grade, offer or decision came out of it?
Beyond the grade
What did they carry with them afterwards, like confidence or self-belief?
Example

One student never imagined she could study Economics at university. We worked on her self-belief alongside the content, week by week. In the end, she got an offer from Oxford. Beyond the offer, she became an assertive, confident person.

Extra-curricular & skills

Coming soonRequired · pick from a list

Form prompt: "What can you teach outside the classroom?" Be creative: sports, music, debating, societies, anything you could coach or share.

Example

Debating, climbing, skiing, piano.

Back to the setup steps

Key information

Payment.

What you earn, and what our cut pays for. No mystery maths.

How payment works

The rate scale runs from £30 to £60 an hour, in £5 steps. You keep 70% of your listed price after VAT and Stripe fees. Set your rate under My account, then Payment.

£30 £35 £40 £45 £50 £55 £60
You're already at the top of the scale. As active tutors, we'd suggest keeping your current rate. Message support@studia.io if any concerns.

Let's talk money... we're about to be very transparent.

We started as tutors, so we know how it feels to work for a secretive company that charges parents a fortune, pays pennies and treats you like a gig worker, while the money vanishes into the pocket of some Oxford grad called Charles.

None of that here.

So we're going to explain exactly where our cut goes, because you're part of the early stage team.

Why does Studia take commission?

Studia keeps 30% of each lesson, after VAT and Stripe fees. Here's what it pays for.

It runs the infrastructure behind your one to one lessons

The video room you teach in and the recordings that come out of it, the matching that puts a student in front of you, the calendar and booking system, the payments that move money to you and the messaging with families. Running all of that reliably, session after session, isn't cheap, and it's what makes your lessons feel world class.

Exemplar pay breakdown

In this spirit, here is the exact breakdown of a lesson.

Studia Scholar £60 lesson
£34.44 to the tutor
Lesson price £60.00
1VAT −£10.00
2Studia commission −£14.76
3Stripe fee −£0.80
Tutor takes home £34.44
  1. 1

    VAT

    Twenty percent of every lesson goes straight to HMRC. It never touches Studia. We're working towards taking VAT out of the equation so you keep more of each lesson, so bear with us while we find a route through that doesn't make us illegal.

  2. 2

    Commission

    Straight back into the infrastructure behind your one to one lessons: the video room, the matching, the bookings, the payments and the support.

  3. 3

    The Stripe fee

    Lame, and completely unmovable. Yet every penny counts, so we are working on bringing it down as a by product of multiple bookings. Coming soon.

We know the take home is lower than the rate you're used to. We'd rather say that plainly than let you find it in the maths. Where the difference goes Most of it is VAT. Twenty percent of every lesson goes to HMRC before anything is split, and charging it isn't optional for us: it's what keeps us legally compliant. It's the biggest single line in the breakdown above, it never touches Studia, and it's the one we're working hardest to remove. What the rest buys you A platform instead of an inbox and a spreadsheet. Bookings, calendar, payments, recordings and support all handled, and a vetted, DBS checked environment parents can see is safe. Your profile does the selling, so you spend less of your time chasing work. And the bet we're making In a place parents trust, families book more lessons and stay longer. We think more sessions at this rate beats fewer at the old one.

How and when do I get paid?

Your money makes two moves. First your share leaves Studia for your own Stripe account, three working days after the lesson. Then every Monday at 15:00 Stripe sends your whole balance to your bank. The day you teach decides how long that takes.

Best caseFive days

  1. WedYou teach
  2. MonYour share lands in your Stripe account
  3. MonSame afternoon, it goes to your bank

Least ideal caseEleven days

  1. ThuYou teach
  2. TueYour share lands in your Stripe account
  3. MonIt waits for the next Monday payout
Why the wait at all. The three working day gap is deliberate. A family has 48 hours after a lesson to raise a problem, and holding the payment just past that window means we can sort it out before money moves. What we're working towards Paying out twice a week, so you get it quicker. We very much want to pay you sooner.

Key information

How to edit your availability.

You set it during onboarding. Come back here whenever your term, exams or plans change. Tutors who keep honest, consistent slots get matched faster and keep students longer.

How to edit it

  1. 1Go to Calendar in the navigation bar.
  2. 2Click Set availability.
  3. 3Turn on the days you can teach, set the times, and add date overrides for holidays or exam weeks.
Sync your own calendar. We'd recommend connecting your Google or Microsoft calendar from the same screen. Your lectures, labs and anything else already in there get blocked out automatically, so you don't have to do it by hand. Apple iCal is coming soon.

Our tips

Protect your own term first

Put your lectures, labs, deadlines and exam weeks in before you offer a single slot. A slot you cancel in week five costs you more than one you never offered.

Same time, every week

Families build their week around the session. A fixed Tuesday at five does more for retention than four floating slots, and it is far easier for you to defend.

Know when students are free

School finishes and the evening fills fast. After school from half four onwards, early evening on weekdays, and mid morning at weekends are where the demand sits.

Start narrow, widen later

Offer fewer slots than you think you can manage. Adding an hour once you've found your rhythm is easy. Handing a student back is not.

Your booking preferences

How much notice you need, how much gap you want between sessions, and how often a student can book you.

  1. 1Click the arrow next to your icon in the top right, then My account.
  2. 2Click Bookings.
  3. 3Set your buffer times, how much notice you need, and how often a student can book you.
The My account screen with the profile dropdown, the Bookings tab and the booking rules numbered one to three

Key information

Your DBS check.

Every Studia tutor needs an Enhanced DBS check. Schools and parents are asking for it, and it's what lets us send new students your way.

£57.20Paid up front, once
10 minsTo complete the application
48 hoursUsual result time, up to six days

Why Enhanced

Enhanced is the level for anyone working closely with children. It's the standard schools and parents expect of every tutor in the UK, and a requirement for every tutor on Studia.

A partner school wants tutors

One of our early partner schools has asked us to match its students with Studia tutors. Every tutor we put forward must be DBS checked, so a check is what puts you in line for those students.

Parents are asking for it

New parents finding us through our marketing have told us a DBS check is a requirement before they book. A clear check on your profile answers that before they ask.

A note on the cost. We know £57.20 is a cost you didn't ask for. It is good practice for tutors, and a requirement of most tutoring platforms, so it isn't unique to us, but we still didn't take the decision lightly. Here's why we think it's worth it:
  • It opens doors. School matches and new parents from our marketing go to checked tutors first.
  • It's our discounted rate. UCheck gives Studia tutors a reduced price.
  • It's yours. The certificate belongs to you, and you can take it to other work too.
  • It's a one off. One payment, and nothing comes out of your lessons afterwards.

Which applies to you?

Option A

I already have a DBS

If it's an Enhanced check for work with children, that's accepted and you don't need another one. Email support@studia.io with two things:

  • A scan of your certificate. We recommend CamScanner on your phone: it gives you a proper scan without a scanner.
  • A proof of address, such as a recent bank statement.

On the DBS Update Service? Tell us, it makes confirming it much quicker.

Option B

I don't have a DBS

You'll need an Enhanced check through UCheck, our DBS partner. It's £57.20, paid up front, and takes about ten minutes to apply for.

The five steps below take you through it, start to finish. Nothing to do yet: your application link comes to you.

How it works Option B

  1. 1

    Watch for your link

    UCheck is our DBS partner. Your application link arrives by email or text, so keep an eye on both.

  2. 2

    Pay for your check

    £57.20, paid up front, at UCheck's discounted rate for Studia tutors.

  3. 3

    Complete it and verify ID

    Passport or driving licence plus proof of address. Do it in one sitting, it takes about ten minutes.

  4. 4

    Forward your result

    Usually within 48 hours, sometimes up to six days. Forward the approval email to support@studia.io.

  5. 5

    Send us a scan

    The certificate arrives by post in around ten days. Scan it and email it to support@studia.io. Your profile can't go live without it.

On timing. Please complete your application as soon as your link arrives. We can't move you over to Studia until your check is through, and the sooner it's done, the less chance of a gap in teaching your students.

Questions we get asked

Other tuition platforms organise a clawback. Why doesn't Studia?

A clawback isn't the company paying. It's the same cost, taken back out of your first lessons, tangled up with your earnings and often with a fee on top. You still pay it, you just pay it later and with less idea of what you're paying.

We'd rather be straight with you. One payment, up front, at UCheck's discounted rate, and nothing comes out of your lessons afterwards. We're a small team putting everything we earn back into the platform, the schools work and the marketing that brings you students, so we can't cover it for you yet. What we can do is keep the price as low as we can and tell you exactly what it is.

The check is also a qualification that belongs to you, not us, and it keeps its value wherever you tutor next.

Do I actually need one?

We get it. £57.20 isn't nothing. But picture a parent raising a concern about something said in a session. The first question anyone asks, the parent, the school, us, is whether you were checked.

With a clear Enhanced DBS on file, that question is answered and the focus stays on what actually happened. Without one, we'd have to pause your lessons while it's looked into. One payment takes all of that off the table. That's the whole trade.

Can I use it elsewhere?

Yes, the certificate is yours. If you join the DBS Update Service within 30 days of it being issued, other organisations can check it online with your permission, for a small yearly fee.

The tutor help portal

Got a question? Coming soon

We know you might have plenty. Here's where they're all going to get answered.

The Studia tutor help portal

We've been building a help portal just for tutors. Every question, big or small, answered in one place, open at any hour.

It publishes shortly. Until then, send anything you need to support@studia.io and we'll get back to you.

Insider updates

What's coming next.

The newsletter is back

Monthly now, honest, and written for tutors rather than about them. Product progress, what's working in sessions, and the occasional confession.

We're working with schools

School partnerships are where the next wave of students comes from, and they tend to arrive in groups rather than one at a time.

Everything we learn, free

We're collecting what actually makes tutoring work across the cohort and giving it back to you. Stay tuned.

Last thing

Got feedback?

Got feedback on how to improve your experience? We'd really, really love to hear it. We're trying to build the best tutoring tool out there, and what you tell us is critical.

Email it to support@studia.io. It can be messy, half formed, a single line at midnight. We want to hear it.