Celebrating Seven Months of Shuhari Tuition and Looking Ahead to 2026

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By Zayna Dar, Founder, Shuhari Tuition

To celebrate the end of the year, I wanted to reflect on the past seven months, some of Shuhari Tuition’s big wins, and our plans for the upcoming year. This year, I decided to take the leap and become a full-time professional tutor. In May 2025, I founded Shuhari Tuition, as I saw first-hand the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach to learning in schools.

I noticed a gap in the market for personalised tuition that takes into account the learning style of the student and plays to their strengths. It’s been very rewarding to build something from scratch that reflects my own values and teaching philosophy. We’ve watched students grow in confidence and make significant progress because they feel understood and supported to learn in a way that works for them.

Although seven months may not seem like a long time, a lot has happened since Shuhari Tuition was founded. There have been exciting milestones, unexpected challenges, and plenty of lessons that I could only have learnt through the experience of running a business. Most importantly, there have been many moments that have reminded me why I decided to start my own company in the first place.

Founding Shuhari Tuition has made me reflect more deeply on what good tuition actually looks like. Helping students understand tricky topics and prepare for upcoming exams is important, but effective tuition should also help them become more independent learners. That idea has been at the heart of Shuhari Tuition from the beginning, and it continues to shape the way we work as we look ahead to 2026.

How we measure progress

I’ve learnt a lot over the past seven months about how to become a better tutor and businesswoman, but one of my biggest takeaways is that progress looks different for every learner and can’t be measured by grades alone. Grades are, of course, important. Exams give students an opportunity to demonstrate what they know, and improved grades are an indication that a student is making progress. However, they don’t always tell the whole story.

For some students, progress might mean managing deadlines more effectively. For another student, it could mean becoming more comfortable asking for help when they don’t understand something. Sometimes, progress is simply a student beginning to believe they’re capable of succeeding in a subject they previously thought they were ‘bad’ at.

These changes might be difficult to capture on a report card, but they have a big impact on a student’s academic progress and personal development. A student who becomes more confident and independent is developing skills that will serve them in the classroom but also later on in life.

Students make the greatest progress when they feel safe to ask questions and make mistakes, which are both essential parts of the learning process. I’ve also come to realise that emotional well-being and academic performance go hand in hand, which is why we work closely with families to ensure students feel supported academically and emotionally.

This is one of the reasons personalised tuition is so valuable. When a tutor takes the time to understand how a student thinks, what they find difficult, and where their confidence is lacking, lessons can be adapted accordingly. The tutor can then address the specific barriers preventing that student from making progress.

Fostering a growth mindset and learning how to learn

From my personal experience of struggling with perfectionism when I was a student, I’ve made a conscious effort to encourage my tutors to use mistakes as a powerful learning tool. Many students fear making mistakes, but now I can see that some of the most growth happens when we embrace them as learning opportunities.

A mistake gives us valuable information about a student’s understanding and reveals where further support is needed. This is particularly important for students who put a lot of pressure on themselves to get everything right. If a student is afraid of making mistakes, they may avoid attempting questions they find difficult, which ultimately limits their opportunities to learn.

I want my tutors to create a learning environment where students can be challenged without feeling like they have to be perfect. Developing the confidence to have a go, make a mistake, reflect on it, and try again is the kind of growth mindset I want our students to adopt.

Another important realisation I’ve come to is that many older students have never been explicitly taught how to study independently. As a result, they tend to confuse time spent revising with effective revision, which can lead to frustration and burnout because of the lack of improvement in their grades.

Spending several hours looking over notes doesn’t necessarily mean that meaningful learning has taken place. Students need to understand how to revise actively and actually practise recalling information. These are skills that can take time to develop, particularly when students have spent years being told what to learn without being shown how to learn independently.

All of these insights have helped shape the philosophy that guides the ‘Shuhari Method’ and informs how we support students to become more independent, working smarter, not harder. For me, the long-term goal of tuition should be to equip students with the knowledge, strategies, and confidence they need to take responsibility for their own learning.

Defining the Shuhari Method

One of the most exciting parts of building Shuhari Tuition has been developing the ideas that underpin the ‘Shuhari Method’ and thinking about how we can put those principles into practice. The name Shuhari comes from a Japanese concept related to the process of learning and mastery. For us, it encompasses the idea that students initially need guidance and structure before developing the confidence and independence to apply what they’ve learnt for themselves.

This is relevant to the way we approach tuition. A student may initially need considerable support from their tutor when tackling a difficult topic. But as their understanding and confidence develop, the aim is to reduce that reliance and encourage them to apply their knowledge independently. For example, that could mean helping a student break down a multi-step problem or teaching them a new revision strategy.

Eventually, we want them to be able to use those techniques without needing someone beside them to tell them what to do. This is something we’ll continue to develop throughout 2026. As Shuhari Tuition grows, I want the principles behind our approach to become even clearer, both for our tutors and for the families we work with.

Overcoming challenges

For all our successes, starting Shuhari Tuition hasn’t come without its challenges. Balancing tutoring with running a business has been difficult at times, and I’ve had to learn how to manage my time more effectively so I don’t drop the ball. From recruitment, training, and safeguarding to client communication, marketing, and strategy, running a business has many moving parts, so at times it can feel like a juggling act.

There’s a big difference between being responsible for your own tutoring and being responsible for an entire tuition business. When I was working independently, I could focus almost entirely on my students and their lessons. Building Shuhari Tuition has meant learning to think about the bigger picture as well.

I’ve had to become more comfortable making decisions without always knowing exactly how they’ll turn out and prioritising tasks when everything seems important. What I’ve learnt is to put clear systems and processes in place so that each part of the business runs smoothly and I don’t get bogged down in day-to-day tasks. This has been one of the biggest learning curves of the past seven months.

Good systems may not be the most exciting part of running a business, but they make a huge difference. They help prevent things from being overlooked and allow the business to grow without compromising the quality of the service we provide. Having these structures in place has allowed me to concentrate more on delivering high-quality support for students while building Shuhari Tuition in a sustainable way.

I’ve also had to learn that building a business takes patience. Not every idea will work immediately, and not every goal can be achieved at once. There have been plenty of moments where I’ve had to step back, assess what’s working, and make changes accordingly.

Growing our team

We’ve grown a small team of dedicated tutors who’ve been selected based on their academic credentials, teaching ability, and alignment with our values. Each tutor brings their own experience and personality to lessons while sharing the same commitment to providing personalised, student-centred support.

One of the biggest mental hurdles for me to overcome was letting go of constant oversight and trusting that my tutors would uphold the standards that I expect of them. When you build something yourself, it can be difficult to hand responsibility over to other people.

I’ve had to learn that trusting a team doesn’t mean lowering your standards. It means communicating expectations clearly and providing appropriate support, then allowing my tutors to do their jobs. That’s been an important lesson for me as a business owner, and I’m proud of the tutors who’ve joined Shuhari Tuition so far.

To date, my team has delivered 85 hours of tuition. We’ve received extremely positive feedback from parents who’ve noticed a boost in their child’s confidence, better understanding of their subjects, and more positive attitudes towards learning. In many cases, this has translated into improved grades, and we’re incredibly proud of our students whose commitment to their studies hasn’t gone unnoticed.

Behind every hour of tuition is a student who’s made the decision to persevere, even when something is difficult. That effort deserves recognition, and one of the most rewarding parts of running Shuhari Tuition has been seeing students begin to recognise that they’re capable of something they previously thought was impossible.

Building relationships with the tutoring community

As Shuhari Tuition grows, I also want us to become more connected with the wider education and tutoring community. One of our goals for 2026 is to attend more in-person outreach events. While social media and online networking have made it much easier to connect with people, there’s still a huge amount of value in meeting people face-to-face.

We want to use these opportunities to build meaningful relationships within the wider community. Connecting with people who share our passion for educating young people will allow us to exchange ideas and learn how to support students more effectively.

I’m particularly interested in meeting other tutors and tuition businesses who share our interest in personalised, student-centred education and helping students become more confident and independent learners. There’s a lot that can be learnt about different teaching methodologies, and I’m looking forward to having more conversations with industry experts.

We also want to make sure that families know more about what Shuhari Tuition offers and have the chance to speak to us directly. Choosing a tutor is an important decision for parents, and being able to have a conversation about their child’s needs is much more meaningful than simply reading about a service online. Attending more outreach events will therefore be an important part of our plans for 2026. I’m excited to see who we meet and what new relationships come from those interactions.

Plans for the new year

Looking ahead to 2026, we have big plans for the upcoming year. In terms of our ethos and defining the ‘Shuhari Method’, we’re going to continue empowering our students to take ownership of their learning so they can become more independent. As we grow, I want to make sure that this remains at the centre of everything we do. Growth is important, but I don’t want to lose sight of why Shuhari Tuition was founded in the first place.

We’ll also continue developing our approach to personalised tuition. Every student who comes to us has different strengths, challenges, and learning goals, so we want our tutors to have the flexibility to adapt their teaching accordingly. We’ll be continuing to grow our community on Instagram and share more study tips for students throughout the school year. We’ll also be publishing weekly blogs here, so check in regularly to make sure you don’t miss a post. Our aim is for our online content to be genuinely useful to students and parents.

Expanding our team and our resources hub

We’re always on the lookout for new talent, so please email zayna@shuharituition.co.uk with your CV and cover letter detailing your suitability for the role if you’re interested in working with us. As we continue to grow, finding tutors who genuinely align with our values will remain one of our top priorities.

Academic credentials are important, but so are communication skills and the ability to build positive relationships with students. We want our tutors to understand that their role extends beyond simply delivering content. They should help students understand how they learn best while building their confidence and independence.

We’ll also be adding to our resources hub with more past papers, flashcards, guides, and worksheets, so check it out if you’re a GCSE or A-level student looking for academic support. I’m really excited about expanding this part of the website because I want students to have access to useful resources outside of their tuition sessions. We hope these materials will help students consolidate what they’ve learnt in lessons and prepare for their exams.

Beyond exam results

One of the things I’ve thought about most during these first seven months is what we ultimately want students to take away from their experience with Shuhari Tuition. Of course, we want students to improve their grades. We want them to feel prepared for their exams and achieve the results they’re capable of achieving. But I also want them to benefit beyond their exam results.

I want students to become more confident in their ability to learn. I want them to understand that struggling with something doesn’t mean they aren’t capable. I want them to know how to respond when they make mistakes and have strategies they can use when they encounter something they don’t immediately understand.

Most importantly, I want students to become independent, lifelong learners who can think critically and solve problems on their own. Education should give students the confidence to eventually stand on their own two feet. That takes time, and every student will get there at a different pace, but it’s something we can work towards together. That’s what I hope will continue to distinguish Shuhari Tuition as we grow.

A thank you to our community

Before I wrap up, I wanted to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who’s been part of Shuhari Tuition’s journey so far. To our tutors, thank you for your professionalism and commitment to delivering high-quality, student-centred tuition. Your dedication and belief in our ethos make everything we do possible. Starting a business is a huge undertaking, and I’m grateful for the time, energy, and care you put into every lesson.

To the parents and families who’ve placed their trust in us, thank you for allowing us to be part of your child’s learning journey. Choosing a tuition company is a big decision, and we’re incredibly grateful for your confidence in our approach. Thank you also for the feedback you’ve shared with us. Hearing that your child is becoming more confident or enjoying a subject more is very motivating. It shows us that tuition can influence a student’s wider attitude towards learning, not just their performance during lessons or exams.

And to our students, thank you for your efforts this year. Watching you grow in confidence has been the most rewarding part of the past seven months, and it’s a privilege to support you in your learning. Every question you ask, mistake you make, difficult topic you tackle, and challenging question you attempt gets you one step closer to your goals. I hope you can take a moment to recognise how far you’ve come.

Looking ahead to 2026

Seven months ago, Shuhari Tuition was an idea that I decided to turn into a reality. Since then, it’s grown into a small tuition business with a dedicated team, motivated students, and families who’ve trusted us to support their children.

When I look back at the decision I made to start Shuhari Tuition, I don’t think I fully appreciated how much I would learn in such a short space of time. Building a business while continuing to teach has pushed me outside my comfort zone, but it’s also been one of the most rewarding things I’ve done.

There’s still a lot I don’t know, and I’m sure 2026 will bring challenges I haven’t anticipated yet. But I’ve learnt to embrace that uncertainty rather than feel like I need to have everything figured out before taking the next step.

For me, the most exciting thing about the year ahead is seeing where Shuhari Tuition can go. I want to keep building something that I’m proud of and that makes a meaningful difference to the students and families we work with. Seven months in, we’re still at the beginning of the journey. There’s plenty more to learn, plenty more to improve, and plenty of ideas I’m excited to bring to life.

I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who’s supported Shuhari Tuition so far, whether you’ve been a tutor, a parent, a student, or someone who has simply followed our journey. Thank you for believing in what we’re trying to build. I’m excited to see what the next year brings.