Welcome to the Tutor's Support Group

The Tutor’s Support Group is a cosy, welcoming space for those who are curious about tutoring or just starting out.

It’s the group I wish I’d had, somewhere to ask questions without judgment, get accountability, and receive monthly doses of real-world guidance from someone a few steps ahead.

I want to offer you a place to ask questions, reflect, and take the next step. I’ll be here, walking it with you.

How it all began

In 2012 a friend talked me into tutoring. Life was going through a pivotal moment, and I didn’t think I was in the right place, nor did I want to take up tutoring. However, I am essentially a people pleaser, and I didn’t have the heart or confidence to say no thanks more than once so, Starr Tutoring was born.

Starr was my maiden name, and I had lost my dad at 16, a man, to this day I admire more than anyone and naming the business like this was a nod to my dad’s memory.

The business grew quickly and in 2019 I decided to franchise. One of the first steps was to trademark the business name. Because Starr is such a popular term, when someone contested it, I was told it was going to be a challenge that could take years and potentially thousands of pounds. In the end I decided I needed to pick my battles and renamed the business Clara James Tutoring (with an angel for the logo). Clara is my oldest daughter; my lad is called Jamie – and a nod to my dad whose middle name was James. My youngest is called Angel. When the logo designer sent back the brand logo of the angel reading a book, it worked perfectly as she has been a bookworm since being very, very young.

Then lockdown happened and the world changed for so many people in so many respects.

What I Learned About Learning

At 25 I decided to return to education. I had three children under the age of 4 and Steven (my then husband) worked away, so whatever I decided to do had to fit in around the kids. Like so many women, that took me down the road of education. The journey started in early years, then as my confidence grew, I took a voluntary role in a local primary school where 4 children in the class where I worked were diagnosed as ADHD.

At the same time, I attended a course on reading and spelling difficulties at the local college, after which the tutor suggested I speak to the school about Clara Being mildly dyslexic. So, I plucked up the courage and went in. Their response was “Dyslexia is an excuse for laziness, I don’t think there is a problem”. So, lacking the faith in myself to fight my corner I decided to learn as much as I could about different learning styles. My thoughts were that I could use this knowledge to support her, but at the same time it would complement the degree that I was now doing through the Open University.

I pushed myself further and started working at a local residential hostel for children who had profound autism and couldn’t cope in mainstream schools. Everything was adapted for the child’s needs; from the environment to the staffing levels, to the work presented for the child.

Then fast forward to 2012 and it was suggested that I have a go in tutoring. From my experience of working in early years and the residential hostel (by then we had moved back down south from North Yorkshire so I had worked in several other educational environments of various types) I thought education had moved on and it was now more adapted to working with the needs of the individual, making it fun and relatable to the child.

Growing

Over the years the business has grown from just me to a team of 14 of us. There have been incredible highs but at the same time incredible lows, one that nearly cost me thousands of pounds. But I have learned so much along the way. I have met incredible people and experienced things that I could only have dreamed of when I first started (such as a Marketeers Cruise around the Caribbean).

My goal is to support as many children as possible to achieve their goals in a way that works for them, to boost their confidence as well their knowledge. To boost the confidence of those who have lost sight of their abilities because they’re not taught in a way that suits them.

The best way I can do this now is to support others in becoming successful tutors both through the “Tutor’s Support Group”, 1:1 support and in time reopening the franchise opportunity.

What You Can Expect from “The Tutor’s Support Group”

Each month, you’ll receive a Bundle of Help: a video and downloadable PDF designed to guide you through a specific part of the tutor journey.

Topics will include:

• Planning your first lesson

• Writing a profile that reflects who you are

• Setting your rates and boundaries

• Building confidence in talking to parents

You’ll find each bundle inside the membership platform, which you’ll have full access to for the duration of your membership. There’s no contract, and you can leave anytime — no pressure, no questions asked.

You’ll also be invited to a monthly Zoom call, where you can send in your questions ahead of time and I’ll answer them live. It’s relaxed, friendly, and focused on real-life challenges, not textbook theory.

And if you ever need a boost in between, our private Facebook group is open anytime. Share your thoughts, ask questions, and celebrate your wins, even if they seem tiny, they all need celebrating. You’ll always find a kind word and a listening ear.

The membership is just £9.97/month and you can learn more about it here if you are interested: The Clara James Tutor's Group

I’ve realised it wasn’t just children who needed support. It was the tutors, too. Those taking their first (often lonely) steps into this work.

That’s why this group exists.

You Belong Here

You don’t need qualifications coming out of your ears. You don’t need a perfect plan.

You just need the willingness to learn, grow, and care deeply about helping others.

So, whether you’re staring at a blank profile page, wondering if you’re good enough, or just trying to figure out what to charge, you’re in the right place.

This is where your tutoring journey begins, and I’m honoured to walk it with you.

The Clara James Tutor's Group