Terms and Conditions
Last updated: August 2026
1. Introduction
Welcome to Porterfield Education. By booking tuition or using our services, you agree to these Terms and Conditions. Please read them carefully before arranging lessons.
2. About Porterfield Education
Porterfield Education provides personalised English and literacy tuition and educational resources for primary and secondary learners in Scotland, across the UK and internationally.
3. Booking Lessons
Lessons are arranged by mutual agreement between Porterfield Education and the parent, carer or adult learner.
A booking is confirmed once the lesson time has been agreed and payment has been received.
Your monthly payment reserves a dedicated weekly tuition space. This lesson time is held exclusively for your child and cannot usually be offered to another learner at short notice. For this reason, lessons cancelled with less than 48 hours' notice remain chargeable.
4. Payment
Tuition fees are payable monthly in advance.
Payment must be received before the first scheduled lesson of each month unless otherwise agreed in writing.
A learner's place cannot be guaranteed until payment has been received.
Invoices should be paid by the stated due date.
If payment is not received, Porterfield Education reserves the right to suspend future lessons until the outstanding balance has been settled.
Fees are reviewed periodically. Should fees change, families will receive a minimum of 30 days' written notice.
5. Cancellations and Rescheduling
A minimum of 48 hours' notice is required to cancel or rearrange a lesson.
Lessons cancelled with less than 48 hours' notice will be charged in full.
If a learner is unwell, Porterfield Education will always try to offer an alternative lesson where availability allows, although this cannot be guaranteed.
If Porterfield Education needs to cancel a lesson, an alternative lesson will be offered or the lesson fee will be refunded.
6. Missed Lessons and Late Arrivals
If a learner does not attend a scheduled lesson without prior notice, the lesson will be treated as a late cancellation and the full lesson fee will apply.
Lessons will finish at the scheduled time, even if a learner joins late, to ensure that other learners are not affected.
7. Group Tuition
Group tuition sessions will continue as scheduled even if one or more learners are absent.
Refunds or replacement sessions cannot be offered for missed group lessons.
8. Online Lessons
Parents and learners are responsible for providing:
A reliable internet connection
A suitable device for online learning
A quiet learning environment where possible
Where technical difficulties occur outside the control of either party, every reasonable effort will be made to continue or rearrange the lesson.
9. Parent and Learner Responsibilities
Parents and carers are encouraged to support punctual attendance and provide a suitable environment for learning.
Learners are expected to:
Attend lessons on time
Treat others respectfully
Participate positively
Complete agreed independent learning where appropriate
Porterfield Education is committed to creating a safe, inclusive and positive learning environment. Where behaviour consistently prevents effective learning, tuition arrangements may be reviewed following discussion with parents or carers.
10. Holidays
Families will receive advance notice of any planned tutor holidays.
No tuition fees will be charged for weeks where lessons are not scheduled due to planned tutor holidays.
11. Safeguarding
The safety and wellbeing of children and young people is of paramount importance.
All tuition is delivered professionally and in accordance with current safeguarding responsibilities and good practice.
Where appropriate, communication regarding tuition arrangements will take place with parents or carers.
12. Educational Resources
All worksheets, lesson materials, presentations, digital resources and teaching materials remain the intellectual property of Porterfield Education unless otherwise stated.
Resources are provided for the personal educational use of the learner and may not be copied, shared, reproduced, distributed or sold without prior written permission.
13. Progress
Every learner is unique.
While Porterfield Education is committed to providing high-quality teaching, personalised support and expert guidance, individual progress and examination outcomes cannot be guaranteed.
14. Limitation of Liability
Porterfield Education will always provide services with reasonable care, skill and professionalism.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Porterfield Education accepts no liability for indirect or consequential losses arising from the use of its services or resources.
Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability where it would be unlawful to do so.
15. Privacy
Personal information is collected, stored and processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
16. Force Majeure
If lessons cannot take place due to circumstances beyond the reasonable control of either party, including significant internet outages, severe weather or other unforeseen events, both parties will make every reasonable effort to arrange an alternative lesson.
17. Changes to These Terms
Porterfield Education reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions from time to time.
The most up-to-date version will always be available on the website.
18. Governing Law
These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of Scotland.
19. Contact
If you have any questions regarding these Terms and Conditions, please contact:
Porterfield Education
Safeguarding Statement
Last updated: August 2026
Safeguarding at Porterfield Education
At Porterfield Education, the safety, wellbeing and rights of every child and young person are our highest priority.
We are committed to providing a safe, respectful and inclusive learning environment where every learner feels valued, supported and able to thrive. Our approach is underpinned by the principles of Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC), the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and The Promise, recognising that positive relationships are central to successful learning and wellbeing.
As a GTCS-registered English teacher with extensive experience across mainstream and additional support for learning settings, Porterfield Education is committed to delivering high-quality education while promoting the wellbeing, confidence and success of every learner.
Our Commitment
Porterfield Education is committed to:
Creating a safe, welcoming and respectful learning environment.
Promoting children's wellbeing, confidence and positive relationships.
Recognising and responding appropriately to safeguarding concerns.
Respecting every learner's dignity, rights and individuality.
Providing inclusive teaching that supports learners with a wide range of strengths and needs.
Maintaining professional boundaries at all times.
Working in partnership with parents and carers to support each learner's success.
PVG Membership
The tutor at Porterfield Education is a member of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme in accordance with Scottish safeguarding requirements.
PVG Scheme membership helps ensure that individuals working with children have been appropriately vetted and supports our commitment to providing a safe environment for every learner.
Designated Safeguarding Lead
The Designated Safeguarding Lead for Porterfield Education is:
Emma Porterfield
Founder and Tutor
Any safeguarding concerns will be taken seriously and managed in accordance with Scottish child protection guidance and relevant legislation. Where there is reason to believe that a child or young person may be at risk of harm, appropriate action will be taken, which may include sharing information with relevant statutory agencies where necessary to protect a child.
Online Safety
All online tuition is delivered in a professional and secure manner.
We are committed to:
Using reputable online platforms for tuition.
Maintaining professional communication with learners and families.
Delivering lessons in an appropriate teaching environment.
Respecting learners' privacy and confidentiality.
Encouraging learners to participate in lessons from a suitable learning environment wherever possible.
Parents and carers are encouraged to supervise younger learners appropriately and support safe online learning practices.
Confidentiality and Information Sharing
Learners' privacy is respected at all times.
However, confidentiality cannot be guaranteed where there are concerns that a child or young person may be at risk of harm.
Where safeguarding concerns arise, Porterfield Education has a professional duty to take appropriate action. Information will only be shared when necessary, proportionate and in line with Scottish child protection guidance and UK data protection legislation.
Professional Standards
Porterfield Education is committed to maintaining the highest professional standards through:
Registration with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS).
Membership of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme.
Ongoing professional learning and development.
Adherence to the GTCS Code of Professionalism and Conduct.
Compliance with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Working with Families
Positive partnerships with families are at the heart of everything we do.
We encourage open communication and value working collaboratively with parents and carers to support each learner's progress, wellbeing and educational success.
Contact
If you have any questions regarding safeguarding or child wellbeing, please contact:
Porterfield Education