Why do tutors and private teachers need insurance?
Parents claim negligence
Failure to achieve a top grade in an A-level language exam leads to a student’s parents claiming you missed parts of the syllabus during private tuition. They want to take you to court for teacher malpractice, which is where the right insurance can help.
A legal defence clears you of negligence. However, your defence costs add up to hundreds of pounds. Legal fees can be covered by professional indemnity insurance for both full-time and part-time teachers.
A student’s accident
A child trips over sound-system equipment during a lesson, breaking their arm. The equipment belongs to you, their private dance teacher. The student’s parents believe you weren’t supervising appropriately and were therefore negligent.
In this case, the legal claim and settlement costs could be covered by public liability insurance. For teachers and private instructors, this can help to protect tutoring profits and your reputation.
Injured and unable to work
A cycling accident on the way to a leisure centre results in you suffering a serious injury. It means you’ll be in hospital for several weeks and unable to work for a while.
The personal accident cover you have as part of your business insurance policy can provide a weekly pay-out to help cover rent, bills and other costs. When your self-employed teacher fees aren’t coming in, this can step in instead.
What insurance is available for tutors and teachers?
Public liability insurance
If someone takes legal action against you for illness or injury, public liability insurance can help protect against claims costs.
It doesn’t matter if you teach piano lessons full-time from your home or tutor French part-time in another premises – you could face a claim if someone is injured or their property is damaged while you’re working. Public liability insurance for teachers can help to cover the cost of compensation and legal expenses.
Professional indemnity insurance
If clients claim they’re unhappy with your work, or say you’ve been negligent, you may need to defend yourself and your reputation. Professional liability claims could come from a teacher’s student, a school or an education authority.
They might claim you haven’t covered parts of the syllabus, or failed to achieve expected grades. In these cases, professional indemnity insurance for teachers and tutors can help to deal with the legal costs of defending or settling a claim.
Legal protection insurance
In the teaching profession, you could run into legal issues over things such as contractual disputes or data protection legislation. Insurance can help to protect you in cases where you or your company need to enter a legal dispute.
Whether you’re part-time or full-time, these situations can prove costly both financially and for your time. Legal protection insurance can cover you for legal costs, and provides access to a legal helpline that can offer free legal advice.
Insurance options for teachers and tutors also include employers’ liability insurance, which is typically required by law (external link) if you employ anyone but yourself. Portable equipment insurance and cyber insurance are also common.
If you’re not sure what you need, tell us a little more about what you do. We’ll help you to build your quote and explore any other insurance needs.
Build my coverInsurance for tutors and private teachers: FAQs
What insurance do I need as a teacher?
Employers’ liability insurance is the only insurance teachers will need according to law if they employ others – you can find out more on the government website (external link).
Regarding other policies, this will depend on how and where you work. For example, professional indemnity insurance may be helpful to cover you for any claims you’ve made a mistake in your teaching, or offered poor advice. Other policies, such as public liability insurance, may also be relevant to your work.
Do I need insurance for teaching online?
Insurance needs are similar for online and in-person teaching. This is because the risks when you work from home are often similar to those you’d have working from other premises.
For example, your clients can take you to court alleging poor services, whether you teach from a laptop or in a community centre. You might also consider public liability or legal protection insurance. However, if you work from home, office and contents cover may be appropriate.
Do teachers need public liability insurance?
As a teacher or tutor, you may feel it would be a good idea to have public liability insurance in place. Anyone who may work with members of the public, or people outside their business, may find it can help counter risks and cover any legal costs and claims. What’s more, some organisations, such as councils, may require you to have this in place.
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