Your Guide to Finding the Perfect Tutor
Everything you need to know about finding tutors, booking sessions, and making the most of FindGrinds.
Quick Tips for Students & Parents
Creating an account is free
Filter tutors by subject, level, price & ratings
Keep all chats and payments on FindGrinds
Link parent/student accounts for oversight
Browse and purchase study resources
Reviews help you find the best tutors
All payments are secure through Stripe
Raise a dispute if something goes wrong
Why You Never Need to Leave FindGrinds
Keeping conversations here is the single biggest thing you can do to stay safe.
A record of everything
Every message stays on your account. If something ever goes wrong, there's a clear record our team can review — unlike disappearing messages on other apps.
Parents stay in the loop
Linked parents can read their child's conversations with tutors and message tutors themselves. That oversight disappears the moment a chat moves to WhatsApp or Snapchat.
Automatic safety checks
Messages from tutors to under-18 students are automatically checked for attempts to move the conversation elsewhere, such as asking for a phone number or social media handle, and flagged to our team.
No personal details needed
Messages, video lessons and payments all happen on FindGrinds, so you never need to give a tutor your phone number, email address or social media.
Your money is protected
Sessions booked and paid through FindGrinds come with cancellation refunds and disputes. Cash or bank transfers arranged elsewhere have no protection at all.
Easy to report
You can report any message straight from your inbox. Every report is reviewed by our admin team, who can suspend tutors who break the rules.
Red flag: if a tutor asks for your phone number, asks you to move to WhatsApp, Snapchat, Instagram or text, or asks to be paid in cash or by bank transfer, don't go along with it. Report the message from your inbox and our team will look into it.
Getting Started
Create Your Account
Sign up for free as a Student or Parent. Just enter your name, email, and password to get started. Students also enter their date of birth.
Complete Your Profile
Check your details and add a profile photo if you like. Your date of birth can't be changed once it's saved, so make sure it's right — if it isn't, contact us and we'll correct it. When you book, you choose the subject and level so your tutor can tailor the session to you.
For Parents: Link Your Child's Account
If your child is under 18, you can link your parent account to their student account. Your child generates a 6-character link code from their student dashboard (it's valid for 24 hours) and shares it with you; you enter it in your parent dashboard. Once linked, you can see their bookings and conversations, and book and pay on their behalf.
Browse Tutors
Use the search and filter tools to find the perfect tutor. Filter by subject, level (Junior Cert or Leaving Cert), price range, rating, area, and whether they teach through Irish. View tutor profiles to see their qualifications and experience (as described by the tutor), availability, and student reviews.
Booking Sessions
Find the Right Tutor
Take your time exploring tutor profiles. Check their reviews from other students, qualifications, teaching experience, and hourly rates. Look for tutors with a Garda vetted badge for added peace of mind — it's shown once our team has approved the tutor's vetting document.
Book a Session
Once you've found a tutor, select an available time slot from their calendar. Choose between online or in-person sessions and pick your preferred duration. FindGrinds makes scheduling flexible so you can learn on your terms.
Secure Payment
All payments are handled securely through Stripe. There are no booking fees for students — you pay the tutor's listed hourly rate for the length of the session. One-to-one sessions are paid in full when you book. For group sessions, your card is saved and only charged once the tutor's minimum number of students is reached; if it isn't reached 24 hours before the start, the session is cancelled and nobody is charged.
Manage Your Bookings
View all your upcoming and past sessions in your student dashboard. If you need to cancel, do it from your dashboard. Cancel before the tutor's notice period starts and you get a full refund automatically; later cancellations get the tutor's late-cancellation refund. If the tutor cancels, you always get a full refund.
Study Resources
Browse the Marketplace
Explore study resources created by tutors on FindGrinds — including notes, past paper solutions, study guides, and revision materials. Filter by subject and level to find exactly what you need.
Purchase & Download
Resources are a one-time purchase with instant download, and you can download them again any time from your dashboard. Prices are set by the tutors who created them. Resources are for your own study only — please don't share or resell them.
Report Issues
If a resource isn't as described or you're unhappy with the quality, you can report it directly from your dashboard. Our admin team will review the report and can issue a refund if appropriate.
Parent & Guardian Features
Why Link Accounts
Parents and guardians of under-18 students can link to their child's account for visibility and oversight. This lets you see who your child is learning with, when sessions are scheduled, and what they're spending — and book and pay for them — all from your own dashboard. Under-18 students without a linked parent can only send tutors pre-written messages; linking unlocks free-text messaging.
How Linking Works
Sign up as a Parent. Your child then generates a 6-character link code from their student dashboard and shares it with you. Enter the code in your parent dashboard within 24 hours and your accounts are linked.
What Parents Can See
Once linked, you can view your child's upcoming and past sessions, the resources they've bought, and how much they've spent. You'll always know who they're learning with and when.
See Your Child's Conversations
Linked parents can read every message between their child and their tutors, and can message tutors directly on their child's behalf. This only works because conversations stay on FindGrinds — once a chat moves to WhatsApp, Snapchat or text, you lose sight of it completely.
Managing Payments
Parents can book sessions and purchase resources on behalf of their child. All payments go through the same secure Stripe checkout, giving you full control over spending.
During & After Sessions
Joining Online Sessions
Online sessions run right on FindGrinds — no extra apps or downloads needed. A Join button appears next to your upcoming online session in your dashboard — just click it when you're ready to start. Sessions are not recorded.
In-Person Sessions
For in-person sessions, coordinate the meeting location with your tutor through the in-app messaging system. We recommend meeting in safe, public places like libraries or school study areas.
Leave a Review
After your session, take a moment to rate and review your tutor (one review per session, shown with your first name and last initial). Your honest feedback helps other students find the best tutors and helps tutors improve their teaching.
Raise a Dispute
If a tutor doesn't show up or the session quality was seriously below expectations, you can raise a dispute from your dashboard after the session. Both you and the tutor can submit your side of the story with supporting evidence, and our admin team will review the case and issue a refund if warranted.
Safety & Trust
Garda Vetting & Qualifications
Tutors on FindGrinds can upload a Garda vetting document, which is reviewed by our admin team — look for the Garda vetted badge when choosing a tutor. Garda vetting is optional, and qualifications on profiles are written by tutors and are not checked by us. Featured badges show a paid plan, not a verification.
Secure Payments
All payments are processed through Stripe, meaning no cash exchanges are needed. If you cancel before the tutor's notice period starts, you'll receive a full refund automatically, and refunds go back to the card you paid with.
Keep Every Conversation on FindGrinds
Messaging, video lessons and payments all happen on FindGrinds, so there is never a reason to move a conversation elsewhere. Staying here means there's a record of every message, linked parents can see what's being said, and our team can step in if something isn't right. If a tutor asks to switch to another app or to be paid directly, please report the message — our admin team reviews every report.
Our Support
We're here to help. If you have any issues, visit our contact page or raise a dispute for session-related problems. Our admin team reviews every case to ensure a fair outcome.
Getting Started Checklist
Make sure you've completed these essential steps