Home education on a budget: live lessons vs private tutors vs going it alone
One of the biggest questions families face when starting home education is ‘what is all of this going to cost?’
From sourcing curriculum materials, paying exam fees, and hiring-in outside teaching support, the numbers can add up quickly - and, depending on the options you choose, rack up fast.
This guide breaks down the real costs of the three most common approaches, so you can budget with confidence rather than guesswork.
Going it alone: the DIY approach to home education
Teaching every subject yourself using free or low-cost resources is the most budget-friendly route. Families who commit fully to this approach often spend under £500 a year on books, worksheets, and printing, drawing on free resources like the National Curriculum, library books, and online materials.
The trade-off is time and subject expertise, particularly as children move into GCSE and A-level content. Without specialist teaching for subjects like Maths, English, or Science, parents often find themselves needing to learn the material alongside their child, which works for some families and adds pressure for others.
You'll also need to budget separately for exam fees if your child is taking GCSEs or A-levels as a private candidate, typically between £100 and £300 per subject. Our guide to sitting GCSEs privately covers exam centre fees and registration in more detail.
Private tutors: flexible, but their quality is unproven and costs can add up fast
Private tutoring rates in the UK vary widely depending on subject, level, and location, but typically run from around £30 to £70 an hour for GCSE-level tuition, rising to around £100 or more an hour for A-level specialists or tutors in London.
At one weekly hour per subject across a school year, you can quickly be looking at £1,500 to £3,500 a year - per subject. And, that’s before factoring in exam preparation, travel costs, missed sessions, or rate increases. For families with multiple children, and / or students studying multiple subjects costs can quickly soar.
Private tutoring also typically means one-to-one sessions, so there's no group learning element and none of the benefits associated with collaborative learning.
Finally, private tutoring quality can vary wildly. Did you know that a private tutor is not required to have any qualifications or vetting before advertising their services, and there is no national regulatory body overseeing private tuition. We’ve called for what is essentially a lawless market to be brought under control, but until that happens parents need to vet and assess tutors before hiring them - which can be a lengthy and difficult process.
Live lessons: expert teaching, without the private tutor price tag
Live lesson platforms like MyEdSpace sit between these two extremes. With us, you get teaching from qualified, vetted subject specialists, covering the full UK curriculum, without paying private tutoring rates for every hour, every subject.
MyEdSpace courses start from £45 a month and include two live lessons in each subject, every week. Plus students receive bespoke workbooks, homework, and step-by-step video walkthroughs.
Our teachers are all hired because they’re experts in their field, with a proven track record of helping their students achieve success. For example, before joining MyEdSpace, all our teachers are required to re-sit an A-level exam and get close to 100% before we hire them. You’d be amazed how many candidates are unqualified or don’t score even 50% in their chosen subject’s exam
There's also a collaborative learning element you don't get with one-to-one tutoring. Our lessons are live and interactive, with anonymous chat participation, so children can ask questions and engage without feeling put on the spot.
If you want to understand how live lessons fit alongside other home education approaches like structured or hybrid learning, our guide to choosing a homeschooling method and curriculum walks through how each option works in practice.
Mixing and matching to fit your budget
Most families don't pick just one of these approaches. A common pattern is using free resources for some subjects, and supplementing that with live lessons for core subjects like English, Maths and Science where specialist teaching matters most.
If you're only just starting out and want the full picture on getting set up, including the legal basics and building your first timetable, our guide to getting started with home education is a good next step. And for the complete picture on home education in the UK, from curriculum choices to support networks, our ultimate guide to homeschooling in the UK covers the full journey.
Get ahead and stay ahead this year
Whether your child is getting started with Year 5, preparing for the 11+, heading towards their KS2 SATs in Year 6, or moving through KS3 in Year 7, Year 8, and Year 9, starting their GCSEs or their A-levels, now is the time to get ahead.
The secret to achieving academic success in the UK? Studying with top-quality teachers and former examiners, handpicked for their ability to make things click for their students and working hard. Do that and results follow. This year, it's your child's turn to get ahead and stay ahead.
And, it’s more affordable than you might think. With us, you can get a full year of expert teaching for less than a few classes with the average private tutor.