Finding the right tutor for your child can be a daunting task. After all, this is your child’s education we’re talking about!
You need someone who’s experienced, who other parents and students have loved and – most importantly – who clicks with your child.
How to find the best tutor for your child
Every parent and child is different. However, these tips will help to to find the right tutor for your child with confidence.
1. You’re in the driver’s seat!
First things first, it’s important to know that you’re in charge of the process.
So, it can look however you want it to.
Lots of parents find it useful to draw up a brief with their top criteria listed out – after all, everyone is looking for something different.
This might include requirements around:
- How much experience your tutor has
- What kind of experience they have
- Their qualifications
- Any special skills and interests
- Price
You can use our search filters to find tutors who match your criteria and shortlist as many tutors as you like. We usually recommend shortlisting three and having an initial chat with each before choosing.
But there are no rights or wrongs and you can have a free chat with as many tutors as you want before deciding. It’s all about what works best for you!
2. Find the right fit
Every child is different, and every parent has a different reason for starting their tutor search.
Perhaps your child has experienced a surprising drop in grades. Perhaps you want to give your child what one parent referred to as ‘a slice of private education.’ Or maybe your child simply isn’t being stretched enough.
Whatever your reasons, the right tutor for your child will look different from the right tutor for someone else’s.
Ask yourself…
- Will the tutor click with my child?
- Will my child feel confident asking them questions?
- Will their teaching style match my child’s learning style?
- Does their hourly rate fit with my budget?
- Would I prefer a tutor with specific skills or experience, eg. SEN?
- Would I prefer a tutor who is also a qualified teacher?
- Would my child benefit from a tutor who is also an examiner?
Having these skills under their belts can help to give you confidence that your child will be learning from a true professional who you can trust – although it’s also worth remembering that all our tutors are carefully handpicked and vetted. In fact, we only accept 1 in 8 applicants to our platform!
3. Get your child’s buy-in
The chances are that getting a tutor’s help was your idea rather than your child’s. But that doesn’t mean you don’t need your child’s buy-in.
Different parents tend to involve their children at different points in their search for a tutor. But all the parents we spoke to stressed the importance of getting their child’s buy-in at some point along the line.
Of course, that can be easier said than done, especially if your child is against the idea. But here are a few pointers.
Focus on the benefits
Have a chat with your child about how you think a tutor will benefit them – in terms they’ll care about.
For instance, perhaps a tutor will increase their confidence in the classroom, help them to wrap their head around a tricky subject or help them to obtain a specific goal.
Do some digging
If your child is reluctant, try to get to the bottom of why that is. For instance, sometimes, students don’t want their peers to know they’re getting help from a tutor – and that’s totally fine!
Hopefully, once you understand the reason behind their resistance, you’ll be able to find a solution.
Involve them in the process
Involving your child in the search for a tutor can be a really helpful way to get their buy-in.
If your child has some say over which tutor they learn from, they’ll be much more likely to go into their first session feeling happy and positive.
Negotiate
If you’re really struggling with buy-in, it could be worth negotiating with your child.
For instance, you could suggest that they try tutoring for a set number of sessions – if they’re not seeing the benefit after that, they can stop.
Don’t worry! Children normally come round after they’ve had a session or two and they’ve seen the difference that tutoring can make in their life.
4. Check they click
Again and again, parents stressed to us the importance of finding a tutor who their child clicks with.
After all, your child needs a tutor who they can relate to and not be afraid to ask questions.
It’s also important that it doesn’t feel like school.
With that in mind, we’d recommend scheduling a free video call with the tutors you shortlist.
This way, you can check each tutor’s vibe and see how they click with your child.
It’s also a great opportunity to get your child’s input and buy-in.
But in the unlikely case that you’re not feeling it after your child’s first lesson, it’s not the end of the world.
5. Hear what other families have to say
Choosing a tutor who other families have loved is reassuring.
But word-of-mouth isn’t always straightforward. The other families in your network might not have the same needs as yours.
Plus, who’s to say that the tutors recommended can fit your busy schedule?
You can also see how many students each tutor has helped and how many lessons they have under their belt. So, you can get a really clear picture of each tutor’s level of experience and how they’ve made a difference to their students’ lives.
In this way, you can get recommendations from a much wider pool of families, about a much wider pool of tutors – to help you find the perfect fit.
6. Keep it easy
Family life is hectic. Finding a tutor who can fit around your busy schedule is vital if you want to make tutoring work long-term for you and your family.
In fact, many parents who started their hunt for an in-person tutor decided partway through their search that online tutoring was a better solution for them ultimately.
Why?
Well, an online tutoring means you can say goodbye to driving through rush-hour and waiting in the car for your child’s lesson to finish.
It also means you don’t have to worry about accommodating an extra person in a hectic household that’s already full.
In brief, it’s a great way to make sure that your child’s learning fits flexibly into their busy activities schedule.
