With the vast amount of information on the Internet, it can be overwhelming making choices about good service providers, and tutoring is no exception. Here are some practical tips to ensure you are choosing a safe and reputable tutoring agency for your child.

1. Safety first

Where did you find the tutor? Are you entrusting a stranger with your child? The first thing to check is that the tutor has a current Police Clearance and Working With Children Check. This is a legal requirement for all people working with children in Australia but you should not take it for granted that the checks are in place, especially if it’s an independent tutor you found online. All accredited tuition centres must provide proof of these clearances, so they are always the safest bet.

2. Qualifications

It’s important to see proof of relevant qualifications and experience. For primary school students, it’s essential the tutor is a qualified primary school teacher because they have been taught the necessary early learning and teaching techniques, as well as what is in the curriculum, and how it should be taught. For example, a tutor who is a qualified primary school teacher will be able to explain how to do a Maths problem the way the teacher at school does.

For high school, it is important that the tutor has recent and relevant knowledge of exam expectations and content, and plenty of experience in how to approach study, essay writing, problem-solving, sitting exams and more. They need to be skilled teachers too – to be able to develop rapport, maintain professionalism, explain concepts clearly and hold their students accountable. This takes experience!

3. Environment

However, just because a teacher is qualified doesn’t mean they will be able to give your child the best learning experience! A teacher working within his or her own home, or yours, will not provide the optimum learning environment for your child, and may not have all the necessary resources at his or her fingertips. An online program is certainly a great support option, but a dedicated classroom is the ideal environment for your child to learn. This is because they get into the learning ‘headspace’ the moment they walk through the door, they are encouraged by peers who are also there to learn, and they are working in a purpose-built space.

4. Professionalism

If the business is professional, and the tutoring organisation has the relevant accreditation the services will most likely be more expensive, but with good reason. Clients can rest assured that their children are in safe hands and that they are receiving the best value for money and time. These kinds of agencies have done the background work such as interviewing, to ensure every tutor works professionally.

Rachel Hayes