How to Choose a Good Online Tutor

Choose an online tutor by checking six areas together: the learner's goal, subject and board fit, teaching evidence, growing independence, safeguarding and practical terms. A polished profile or high grade in the subject is not enough on its own.

Start with a one-sentence brief

Complete:

“The learner is studying ___ with ___ board/tier where relevant. Current evidence shows ___. We want help with ___. We will review ___ on ___.”

If you cannot define the educational job, use Does my child need a tutor? and speak with the learner and school first.

Use the six-part scorecard

Score only after recording evidence. 0 means not answered, 1 vague or unverified, 2 clear and relevant.

Area	Evidence to request	Score
Goal fit	Restates the problem, limits and first review question	0–2
Subject/course fit	Relevant stage, board/specification and task experience	0–2
Teaching	Explains, questions, checks thinking and uses a fresh attempt	0–2
Independence	Describes how prompts will be reduced and transfer checked	0–2
Safety/communication	Clear policy, reporting, checks, contacts and online boundaries	0–2
Progress/terms	Baseline, evidence, review date, fees, cancellation and exit	0–2

The total does not override a serious concern. Treat the table as a comparison aid, not certification.

Ask for a teaching demonstration

During an introductory or trial session, notice whether the tutor:

asks the learner to explain existing thinking;
chooses a bounded task rather than performing for the parent;
gives the least useful prompt before supplying the next step;
checks understanding with a fresh item;
allows the learner to say “I don't understand”;
can explain what the evidence does and does not show.

Ask: “After you explain this, how will you check what my child can do independently?”

Verify course knowledge

For exam tuition, ask which current specification and official materials the tutor will use. A tutor should not describe one board's paper structure as universal. Strong subject qualifications matter, but teaching also requires diagnosing the next learnable step and checking it.

Check online safeguarding and boundaries

For England, use the current DfE parent guidance for tuition/out-of-school settings. Ask:

who communicates with the child and through which account;
whether a parent/carer is present or available, and at what points;
whether sessions are recorded, why, who can access them and how long data is kept;
what happens if the platform fails;
how a child or parent reports a concern;
what safeguarding policy/training and relevant checks exist;
how identity, references and qualifications were verified.

The DBS guidance current in January 2026 explains that eligible self-employed people can obtain the appropriate Enhanced or Enhanced with Barred List(s) check and a private individual can ask to view the certificate; the parent cannot apply on the person's behalf. Check the current guidance when hiring. Scotland uses PVG and Northern Ireland uses AccessNI in relevant contexts; do not collapse these into one UK rule.

Agree progress before booking a block

Ask the tutor to record:

baseline task and amount of help;
one observable capability;
what practice happens in and between sessions;
comparable evidence and review date;
what would lead to school/specialist referral, adjustment or stopping.

EEF's one-to-one tuition evidence mostly concerns education settings. Use its implementation themes—target identified needs, link to normal learning and monitor progress—as questions, not private-tuition guarantees.

Debrief the trial with the learner

Ask privately:

Could you say when you were confused?
Did the tutor help you think or mainly show answers?
What can you now try without them?
What did they say the next step is?
Did anything feel uncomfortable or unclear?

Prepare with the first-session checklist, then use how to know if tutoring is working at the agreed review.

Ask the candidate to think through one teaching moment

Give a bounded, anonymised example:

A learner can follow a worked simultaneous-equations example but cannot choose the method on a fresh question. How would you use the first sessions to understand and teach this?

Listen for:

a learner attempt before assumptions;
course/board/tier verification;
questions that expose thinking;
a small teaching decision;
reduced support on a fresh task;
evidence and a review point;
limits on what one session can show.

A polished list of techniques is less useful than a coherent response to the actual learning job.

Separate evidence from sales language

Claim	Evidence to request
“GCSE specialist”	Relevant subjects, boards/tiers, recent specifications and task examples
“Builds confidence”	How independence and learner voice are observed without guaranteeing outcomes
“Personalised lessons”	How work samples and attempts change the next teaching decision
“Tracks progress”	Baseline, comparable task, support level and review process
“Safe online provision”	Policy, communication, recording/data and concern-reporting arrangements
“Great results”	Do not infer what will happen to your child; ask about teaching and evidence

Observe the trial or first session

Afterwards, ask the learner:

Could you explain what the session was trying to teach?
Did the tutor listen to your first attempt?
Which prompt or explanation helped?
What could you do without help by the end?
Did you feel able to say you were confused?
Did anything feel uncomfortable or unclear?

Compare this with the tutor's account. A good fit should not depend on the learner enjoying every difficult moment, but their voice and sense of safety matter.

Use a weighted decision, not only a total

A scorecard can compare candidates, but treat these as non-negotiable:

safeguarding or boundary concern;
false or unverifiable identity/qualification claims;
no relevant course fit where it is essential;
refusal to explain communication, data or practical terms;
pressure to book before the family can review;
promises of guaranteed grades or results.

A high total in other areas does not cancel a serious concern.

Copyable comparison note

Learner brief understood:
Course fit evidence:
Teaching demonstration:
How prompts will fade:
How progress will be evidenced:
Learner's view:
Safeguarding/communication/data:
Fees, cancellation and exit:
Unanswered concern:
Decision: decline / second conversation / bounded trial / proceed

Sources

Department for Education — Using tuition and out-of-school settings (2026-07-23)
Disclosure and Barring Service — Guidance for private individuals (2026-07-23)
Education Endowment Foundation — One to one tuition (2026-07-23)

Frequently asked questions

Should an online tutor know my child's exam board?

For exam-specific tuition, the tutor should confirm the current awarding organisation, specification and relevant assessment materials rather than rely on generic GCSE or A-level advice.

Is a DBS check enough to show a tutor is safe and suitable?

No. An appropriate current check can be one part of safer selection in England and Wales, but it does not prove teaching quality or remove the need for identity, references, policies, communication boundaries and listening to the learner.

What should happen after a trial lesson?

Compare what the learner did, the help used, the tutor's explanation and the proposed next step against the goal and scorecard. Do not commit only because the conversation felt friendly.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

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