BISHOPS STORTFORD, UK. February 20th, 2026 – The founder of acclaimed tutoring service Your English Tutor is preparing to expand after reaching full capacity and garnering national attention for her innovative approach to English education.
The expansion comes as demand for high-quality, personalised tuition surges ahead of the crucial GCSE exam period and involves the development of a new Revision Platform to support students ahead of the summer GCSE exams.
Founder Claire Fennelly said: “The Revision Platform is something I am bringing in ready for the GCSEs and will look to do that every year thereafter, although that is something my current cohort already gets for free as part of the service. But I am at the point that I have no more live slots, I just don’t have room.”
With a nationwide audience and a growing reputation, Claire is now preparing to recruit additional teachers, drawing on her extensive network of English educators.
She added: “I love teaching, I love English, it is what I do but I couldn’t go on like I was and we know many others are in that position. This is the narrative that’s happening on social media at the moment. From my own story I am showing that it doesn’t have to be all or nothing, you don’t have to give up teaching, there is another way. And I have teachers that want to work for me, so that will be the next step. But I am not bringing them in to do it for me, I won’t stop teaching – that is the point of this business.”
Claire spent 15 years in full-time teaching, rising through the ranks to become Head of English. Her dedication to the profession was unwavering, but the strain of working over 60 hours a week led to serious health challenges, including major surgery in 2020. Despite medical advice to reconsider her work-life balance, she returned to the classroom just two weeks later, reflecting the pressures faced by many in the sector.
“My consultants all said, you’re not going to last as a teacher. You’ll just keep coming back if you continue, and obviously that’s the kind of narrative around teaching at the minute. It’s not a rare scenario,” Claire said.
The turning point came in 2023, when, while still serving as head of her department, Fennelly returned to Ireland to care for her mother. After her mother’s passing, a heartfelt letter urged her to prioritise her health and seek a brighter path. “My mother left me a letter and in the letter she’d said ‘Please start looking after your health, if you ever need me step into the brightest light in the room.’ And that’s when I decided I’m going to quit teaching fully.”
Determined not to abandon her passion, Fennelly founded Your English Tutor, inspired by the transformative impact of small group sessions she had led as Head of English. “When I was Head of English, my dream job, I ran these afterschool groups, it was free and my team did it for free, but these small sessions completely transformed the results. In one year we proved that the results improved by 20%.”
Recognition has followed swiftly: Fennelly was awarded the Biz4Biz Best New Business in Hertfordshire just months after launching and maintains a five-star rating in Google reviews. Her commitment to a hands-on, student-focused approach remains central to the company’s ethos.
As Your English Tutor prepares for its next phase of growth, Claire Fennelly’s journey stands as a testament to resilience and innovation in education. Her story offers hope and inspiration to teachers seeking new pathways, and reassurance to students and parents that quality English tuition is both accessible and evolving.
ENDS