Tutors playbook · 5 free jobs

AI for tutors: 5 jobs to hand to AI this week

AI makes a great teaching assistant and a terrible examiner. Use it to make materials and handle the parent admin, and check every answer it gives before a student sees it.

Job 1 of 5ChatGPTClaudeGemini

Make practice questions pitched at exactly the right level

Finding questions on one narrow topic at the right difficulty takes ages. AI can generate a graded set in minutes, if you check every answer.

Time: 10 minutes, plus checkingCost: free tools work

A free AI chat tool

Steps

  1. Choose the exact topic, exam board, tier and what the student is struggling with.
  2. Paste the prompt below.
  3. Work through every answer yourself. AI still makes maths and science mistakes, sometimes confidently.
  4. Paste the checked set into a Google Doc or worksheet for the session.

The exact prompt

Copy, paste, then fill in the [brackets]
Create practice questions for a [UK] [Year 10 / GCSE Higher / A level] student studying [exam board, subject].
Topic: [e.g. completing the square]. Struggles with: [e.g. negative coefficients].
Make 8 questions, getting harder: 3 warm-up, 3 exam-style, 2 stretch. Use [UK] spelling and units.
Give a separate worked mark scheme with method marks.
Don't copy real past paper questions.

✓ Check before you send

  • Every answer and mark scheme step is checked by you.
  • The style matches the student's exam board.
  • Difficulty is right. Adjust after the first session.

UK notes extra

Last reviewed Oct 2026. Free tools change. If a screen looks different, the steps still apply.Back to top ↑
Job 2 of 5ChatGPTGeminiCopilot

Write a short, honest progress update for parents

Parents who know what's happening keep booking. A specific monthly update shows value without taking your evening.

Time: 5 minutes per studentCost: free tools work

A free AI chat tool

Steps

  1. After each session, jot one line: topic, what went well, what's still shaky. Use the student's initials.
  2. At the end of the month, paste your lines with the prompt below.
  3. Add the student's name back in yourself and personalise.
  4. Send by email or your booking app.

The exact prompt

Copy, paste, then fill in the [brackets]
Write a short monthly progress update from a [UK] tutor to a parent.
Student: [initials], [year group, subject].
My session notes: [paste]
Structure: what we covered, what's improved (with a specific example), what we're working on next, one thing they can do at home (10 minutes max).
Honest, encouraging, no exaggeration, under 150 words. Don't predict grades unless I give one: [predicted grade or "none"].

✓ Check before you send

  • It's honest. Don't oversell progress.
  • The at-home task is realistic.
  • You only used initials in the AI tool.

UK notes extra

Last reviewed Oct 2026. Free tools change. If a screen looks different, the steps still apply.Back to top ↑
Job 3 of 5ClaudeChatGPT

Plan the next six lessons from a marked mock paper

A mock tells you where the marks are being lost. Turning that into a lesson plan is the most valuable hour of tutoring prep.

Time: 20 minutesCost: free tools work

A free AI chat tool

Steps

  1. Mark the mock. List each question, topic, marks available and marks gained.
  2. Paste the prompt below.
  3. Adjust the order to what you know about the student, such as confidence or upcoming school tests.
  4. Share a simple version with the student and parent.

The exact prompt

Copy, paste, then fill in the [brackets]
Here's a marked mock for a [UK] [GCSE/A level] [subject] student: question, topic, marks available, marks gained.
[paste]
1. Rank topics by marks lost.
2. Plan 6 one-hour lessons that win back the most marks soonest. For each: focus, starter, main activity, exam practice, homework (20 min).
3. Note any exam technique issues (e.g. not showing working, misreading command words).

✓ Check before you send

  • The ranking matches your marking.
  • The plan fits the student's exam date.
  • Lessons leave room for whatever their school throws at them.

UK notes extra

  • Exam boards publish specifications and past papers, so use those as the source of truth. GOV.UK: Ofqual.
Last reviewed Oct 2026. Free tools change. If a screen looks different, the steps still apply.Back to top ↑
Job 4 of 5ChatGPTCopilot

Set a fair cancellation and payment policy

Last-minute cancellations are tutoring's biggest income leak. A clear policy agreed upfront fixes most of it.

Time: 15 minutesCost: free tools work

A free AI chat tool

Steps

  1. Decide your rules: notice period, what you charge for late cancellations, illness, holidays, block booking and payment timing.
  2. Paste the prompt below.
  3. Remove anything you didn't ask for.
  4. Send it to every family before the first lesson and ask them to confirm they've read it.

The exact prompt

Copy, paste, then fill in the [brackets]
Write a friendly cancellation and payment policy for a [UK] private tutor. Under 200 words.
Use ONLY these rules:
- Notice to cancel without charge: [e.g. 24 hours]
- Late cancellation or no-show: [e.g. full fee]
- Illness: [e.g. move to online if well enough, otherwise one free cancellation per term]
- School holidays: [e.g. no lessons unless booked]
- Payment: [e.g. monthly in advance by bank transfer]
- Price changes: [e.g. one month's notice]
Tone: warm, clear, not stern.

✓ Check before you send

  • Every rule is yours.
  • It's fair and clearly explained before the family commits.
  • Families confirm in writing.

UK notes extra

Last reviewed Oct 2026. Free tools change. If a screen looks different, the steps still apply.Back to top ↑
Job 5 of 5ChatGPTGemini

Teach students to use AI as a study partner, not a cheat

Your students are already using AI. Showing them how to use it to test themselves, without handing in its work, is a skill parents value.

Time: 15 minutes of a sessionCost: free tools work

A free AI chat tool (check the age limits: most require users to be 13+, with parental permission under 18)

Steps

  1. Check the tool's age rules and get the parent's OK.
  2. Show the student the prompt below on a topic they've just revised.
  3. Make clear: AI can quiz and explain, but coursework and exam answers must be their own.
  4. Have them bring back the questions they got wrong next session.

The exact prompt

Copy, paste, then fill in the [brackets]
I'm a [UK] [Year 11] student revising [topic] for [exam board] [subject].
Quiz me one question at a time. Wait for my answer before giving the next one.
After each answer, tell me if I'm right, explain any mistake simply, then ask a slightly harder question.
Don't give me the answer before I try. After 10 questions, list the topics I should revise again.

✓ Check before you send

  • The student understands what counts as malpractice for coursework.
  • They check AI explanations against their textbook or notes.
  • The parent knows and agrees.

UK notes extra

  • Exam boards treat submitting AI-generated work as your own as malpractice. See the JCQ guidance on AI use in assessments, available via Ofqual and your exam board.
Last reviewed Oct 2026. Free tools change. If a screen looks different, the steps still apply.Back to top ↑

Questions tutors ask

Can I trust AI's answers to maths and science questions?

Not without checking. AI still makes mistakes, sometimes confidently. Work through every answer and mark scheme yourself before a student sees it.

Is it safe to put student information into AI?

Use initials or nothing at all. Children's data needs extra care, so keep reports and contact details in your own records.

Which AI tool is free?

ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot and Claude all have free plans that work for question sets, parent updates and lesson plans. Check the age rules before students use them directly. ChatGPT, for example, requires users to be 13 or over, with parental permission under 18.

Privacy tip: don't paste customers' full names, addresses or other personal details into AI tools unless you need to and you've checked the tool's privacy settings.