Guide · For tutors, centres and groups

Tuition centres and the new duty: a short checklist

Tuition centres are the provider the government expects to be affected. Its own impact assessment names them. You only need to act when a council sends a notice, and the duty is not in force yet, so now is the time to get ready quietly.

Last checked 10 November 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.

Why centres are more exposed than tutors

Parents usually drop children at a centre and leave. That meets the "no parent actively involved" test straight away. So for home-educated pupils, the only open question is hours.

The checklist

Know which pupils are home educated. Add one question to your enrolment form: is your child on a school roll full-time?
Record attendance with times. Arrival and leaving, per child, per session.
Total the hours each week. The threshold may be set in weekly hours or as a share of the child's education.
Keep home addresses and dates of birth current. A notice can ask for both.
Name one person to handle council letters. Notices are sent to the place where teaching happens, so front-desk staff need to know who to pass them to.
Update your privacy notice. Tell families that you may be legally required to share limited details with a council.
Diary the deadline. A notice must allow at least 15 days. Reply in writing and keep a copy.

Pupils who attend school

If a pupil is on a school roll and attends full-time, they are not eligible for the register. You do not need to track them for this purpose.

Flexi-schooled pupils are different. They are eligible, even though they are on a school roll.

More than one branch

A notice can ask about any child you teach in England or Wales, not only those at the branch that received it. Keep records in one place so you can answer for the whole business.

What a wrong answer costs

A council can penalise incorrect information in the same way as no reply. Accurate records matter more than fast ones.