Who checked the teacher? Where do classes happen? Who can message your child? Ten things to check before and during online tuition, and what to do if something feels wrong.
Online tuition can be the best thing that happens to a child's studies. The right teacher, one-to-one, without a daily commute, can fix in a few months what a crowded classroom never got to. But inviting a stranger into your child's day, even through a screen, deserves the same care as letting someone into your home.
Here is a ten-point checklist for choosing an online tutor. It covers quality and safety, because in practice the two go together. Most points apply wherever you find a tutor, and we also show how each works on Education360.
Before you choose
1. Find out who checked the teacher
Ask who has checked the tutor's identity and qualifications, and how. The NSPCC, the UK children's charity, advises parents to ask for references and background checks as a minimum before hiring any tutor. An academy or platform should be able to tell you plainly how it approves teachers. On Education360, every teacher is interviewed and approved by our office before they teach.
2. Take a trial class, and watch it
A trial class tells you more than any profile. Sit nearby and notice: does the teacher explain in more than one way? Do they ask your child questions, or only talk? Are they patient when your child gets something wrong? Many Education360 courses offer a free trial class, and you can filter the catalogue to show only those.
3. Match the teacher to your child
A brilliant university lecturer may not be the right person for a Class 4 child, and the other way round. Look for someone who teaches your child's level and board. If you would like a female teacher, for a daughter or for any reason, say so. You can filter courses by level and by the teacher's gender.
4. Get the fees and rules in writing
Before you pay, you should know the fee, how often you pay, and what happens when a class is missed by either side. Be wary of cash with no receipt. On Education360 every fee is a written invoice. A booked one-to-one lesson can be cancelled for free up to 24 hours before it starts.
During classes
5. Keep classes on the platform
Lessons should happen in the classroom you signed up for, not on a video call from someone's personal WhatsApp number. A proper classroom keeps a record of who joined and when, and often a recording too. Education360 classes run in our own classroom, and teachers can share a recording afterwards.
6. Contact goes through you
This is the most important rule. The NSPCC's advice for online tutoring is that the tutor should always contact you, and never have direct contact with your child outside a session. On Education360, messages only work between families and the teachers of their courses. Phone numbers, email addresses and links are blocked, and parents can read their child's conversations.
7. Set up the space at home
Use a table in a shared room, not a bedroom, and keep an adult within earshot, especially with younger children. Headphones are fine, but make sure you can see the screen whenever you walk past. Teach your child that a good teacher never asks them to keep a secret from their parents.
8. Ask for the recording
Recordings aren't only for revision. They let you see for yourself how a class went, and your child can re-watch the part they found hard. On Education360, recordings of your child's classes appear in their account once the teacher shares them.
9. Expect to see progress
You should never have to guess whether tuition is working. Ask for attendance, homework marks and a short written update at least once a month. Education360 parents get a weekly note and a monthly report card, and can see attendance, homework and quiz results at any time.
If something feels wrong
10. Know how to raise a concern, and act quickly
Warning signs include a tutor asking to move chats to a personal number or another app, gifts or special attention, contact at odd hours, or a child suddenly unwilling to talk about lessons. Trust your instinct. Stop the lessons, keep any messages, and report it.
- On Education360: use Help and then Support in your account. Concerns about a teacher's conduct are always handled as urgent.
- Madadgaar National Helpline, 1098: free, 24 hours a day, in Urdu and English, for children facing violence or abuse.
- NCCIA cybercrime helpline, 1799: for online harassment or abuse.
- If a child is in immediate danger, call the police on 15.
The short version
- Know who checked the teacher.
- Watch a trial class.
- Match the teacher to your child's level and needs.
- Get fees and rules in writing.
- Keep classes on the platform.
- All contact goes through you.
- A shared room, an adult nearby.
- Ask for recordings.
- Expect progress reports.
- Know how to report, and don't wait.
Looking for a teacher? Browse Education360 courses, and use the filters to find a free trial class.
