How to Find a Tutor You Can Trust.

Safety, when it comes to the question “how do you find a tutor?”, is often uppermost in a parents mind. You’ll also be wondering what to look for when it comes to experience and qualifications. Finally, how good a fit the tutor is with your child.

Perhaps surprisingly, a disclosure and barring service (DBS) check (see the Gov.uk website) isn’t required for someone to work as a tutor. There are calls for private tutors to be DBS checked before working for children, the BBC have explored the issue, but this doesn’t look likely in the foreseeable future.

A tutor who is working or has worked in the teaching profession will have undergone a DBS (formally CRB) check by their school. The check determines whether they have any previous criminal convictions or have been barred from working with children. This check is now done electronically and a teacher won’t have a physical copy. In addition, parents can’t access the disclosure and disbarring service to check certificates. A teacher may be able to buy one online although that brings up other questions – what would a certificate look like and how would you know if it is genuine?

So what can you do? Often schools or local education authorities will publish guidance on employing a tutor. Southend Local Safeguarding Board, for example, have published a typical guide for parents on what to look out for.

The school is often the best place to start. Staff may know of colleagues who provide support for your child at home on a private basis. Many tutors advertise and parents considering this option should ensure the tutor is qualified, and does not present a threat to their child’s welfare.

Meet any potential candidate before hand. If the tutor is working in a local school you may know someone who knows the tutor. If the tutor is currently, or has recently been employed in a school, ask for a reference. Any tutor who is mindful and aware of current expectations of professional staff should have no objection to questions or further checks.

When you’ve contacted a tutor, have some questions at the ready.

• What are their qualifications?
• What resources would they use?
• What knowledge have they of the different exam boards?
• What experience have they in schools and education?

In the end you can follow some basic rules.

• Tutor in a public space in the house.
• Stay close by but maybe not in the room which could be uncomfortable.
• Ask your child if they feel the tutor’s approach is appropriate for the content.
• Give the tutor a trial period, you can stop at any time.
• All correspondence should come to you and tutors should never text or email your child directly.

Good luck with your search.