Change tutor or stop tutoring when the goal is met, the support no longer matches the need, teaching fit remains poor, dependency grows, practical terms no longer work or safety/conduct is concerning. First use the agreed evidence—unless a serious concern requires immediate action.

Use the five-way decision rubric

Continue

Choose this when the baseline, current evidence and next step are clear; the learner can participate safely; and support is becoming appropriately less necessary for the target.

Adjust

Change one factor when evidence is promising but the goal is too broad, schedule is unsustainable, format creates friction or practice does not match the task. Record the change and another review date.

Connect

Speak with school or an appropriately qualified specialist when evidence suggests curriculum mismatch, access/SEND/ALN needs, attendance, wellbeing or another concern beyond ordinary tuition. Do not just add more tutoring hours.

Change tutor

Consider a different tutor when:

  • explanations do not adapt to learner thinking;
  • sessions repeatedly complete work for the learner;
  • current course/board knowledge is inadequate for the job;
  • feedback and plans remain vague after a review request;
  • reliability or communication repeatedly fails;
  • the learner cannot ask questions or feels judged;
  • the match is poor despite a fair bounded adjustment.

Stop

Stop when the goal is sufficiently met, tuition is no longer needed/affordable/appropriate, the learner's schedule cannot support it, or quality/safety makes continuation wrong.

Treat independence as a success criterion

If work is correct only beside the tutor and the learner waits for prompts elsewhere, the service may be creating dependency. Ask for a fresh independent attempt and a plan to fade help. The tutoring progress tracker records help used.

The DfE school-tutoring review noted that stronger systems could determine when tuition should stop because pupils had caught up. Its programme context is different, but the principle is healthy: tuition need not be permanent.

Act differently on safety concerns

Pause or end promptly if there are inappropriate messages, secrecy requests, unexplained recording/contact, boundary breaches, dishonesty about checks/qualifications or the child feels unsafe. Preserve relevant evidence and use the provider, school, safeguarding or emergency route appropriate to the concern. Current DfE guidance for England explains questions and arrangements parents should expect in out-of-school settings.

Hold the review conversation

“Our agreed goal was ___. The baseline was ___. Current evidence shows ___. We are concerned/pleased about ___. We would like to continue / adjust ___ until ___ / conclude after ___. Please confirm the remaining sessions, materials, records and payment/cancellation steps.”

Follow the contract's notice/cancellation terms unless safety or law requires another route. Keep the message factual and do not blame the learner.

Close well

  • obtain copies of permitted learner work and progress notes;
  • confirm future bookings/payments are ended or transferred;
  • record the final capability and next independent practice;
  • tell school where useful and consented;
  • ask the learner what they want to carry forward;
  • leave open the possibility of future bounded support without implying dependence.

Use the reviewable tutoring goal before restarting with another person and the online tutor scorecard if a new search is genuinely needed.

Use five possible decisions

DecisionWhen it may fitNext action
ContinueClear progress, relevant goal, learner engagedKeep goal and review date
AdjustGoal, task difficulty, pace or communication is wrongAgree one specific change and evidence
ConnectSchool or specialist information is missingPause assumptions and contact the owning route
Change tutor/formatTeaching fit, course fit or practical delivery remains poorPreserve records and run a new safe selection
StopGoal met, support no longer useful, dependency, cost/priority decision or concernClose clearly and protect continuity

Stopping is not automatically failure. Successful tuition should be able to end.

Diagnose before changing

Ask:

  1. Was the original goal specific and evidence-based?
  2. Did the tutor teach the actual course task?
  3. Was the learner given fresh independent attempts?
  4. Did support reduce?
  5. Were concerns raised and given a reasonable response?
  6. Is the issue tuition, or does another route own it?

Do not extend a package merely because the initial goal was too vague to review.

Worked decision

A learner enjoys sessions and completes all tasks with the tutor, but school work shows no independent start. Session notes repeatedly say “excellent progress” without baseline or fresh evidence.

The family:

  1. asks for a comparable independent check and support level;
  2. agrees that the tutor will use a least-help-first approach for two sessions;
  3. reviews the fresh attempts;
  4. if dependency remains and the tutor cannot adapt, changes or stops rather than buying more of the same.

Enjoyment is valuable but does not answer the learning goal by itself.

End respectfully

Possible message:

Thank you for the work so far. At our review, the evidence shows [specific finding]. We have decided to [stop/change/pause] from [date] because [brief reason]. Please confirm any final materials, records, payment or data steps under our agreement.

Follow agreed cancellation terms. A safeguarding concern may require immediate action through the appropriate route rather than an ordinary notice conversation.

Close the learning handover

Keep:

  • original baseline and latest fresh attempt;
  • useful prompts or strategies the learner can use alone;
  • unresolved question for school or next tutor;
  • current course/board details;
  • final practical and data/recording confirmation;
  • learner's view of what helped.

Do not pass unnecessary personal data to a new tutor.

Copyable stop/change review

Goal and baseline:
Evidence collected:
Independence/support level:
Concern raised and response:
Learner's view:
Decision: continue / adjust / connect / change / stop
Practical notice/terms:
Learning handover:
Safety/data action:

Sources

  1. Department for Education — Independent review of tutoring, phase 1 (2026-07-23)
  2. Department for Education — Using tuition and out-of-school settings (2026-07-23)

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