Private tutors

A useful starting point is a task you want to handle better. That might be understanding recent classwork, preparing for an assessed course or returning to study as an adult. Write down what you can already do, where you get stuck and any deadline. This gives a prospective tutor something concrete to discuss.

For example, an adult returning to study might say, “I know the material, but my paragraphs do not explain my point.” Bring a short piece of previous writing and the task instructions. Ask whether the first priority should be planning the argument, choosing evidence or explaining how the evidence supports the point. That is a more useful starting goal than simply wanting to be better at writing.

For school pupils, recent marked work and teacher feedback can help identify the difficulty. The Education Endowment Foundation’s guidance on pupil tuition highlights identifying learning gaps and connecting support to classroom content. If there is a course or exam, include its subject, level and awarding body where relevant; for personal learning, describe the skill you want to use.

Latimer tutors offer a free introductory meeting before paid lessons. Use it to discuss goals, teaching approach and arrangements; it is normally a conversation rather than a full teaching lesson. If you choose to continue, arrange lessons directly with the tutor.

These prompts can help you move from an introduction to a clear initial plan:

Each Latimer tutor sets an hourly rate, shown on their profile. Latimer invoices after lessons on a pay-as-you-go basis. Compare the proposed arrangement as a whole: a rate tells you less about the likely spend until you know the session length and frequency.

Start with the learner’s goal, other commitments and time for practice. Ask the tutor what pattern they suggest and why, then agree when to review it.

Discuss supervision, communication and how a concern would be raised before tuition starts. The NSPCC recommends agreeing session expectations and where a parent or carer will be, ideally within earshot. For online sessions, agree a professional working space and what will be visible when screens are shared.

For parents in England, Department for Education guidance on out-of-school settings includes questions about suitability checks, child protection and additional needs. Use these to ask for specific information from a provider. Tell the tutor about the child’s practical learning needs and establish what they can support; a reassuring conversation should lead to clear arrangements.

Keep an early piece of work or a short note of the starting difficulty. At the agreed review point, compare it with a similar task and discuss the changes with the tutor. The Open University’s study guidance encourages learners to use feedback in later work and revisit their goals; these are useful prompts for your own review.

In the writing example, you might compare an early paragraph with a later one: is the point clearer, is the evidence relevant, and can the learner explain the connection without the tutor supplying it? This is an illustrative check to agree with a tutor, not a promised result. Feeling more comfortable asking questions matters too, alongside evidence in the work.