Checks you should be able to ask about
The NSPCC says a tutor's vetting should include criminal records checks and full reference checks as a minimum, and that a tutor should be able to show you up to date references and criminal records certificates. UK government guidance for parents adds an important point: there is no single check that shows a person is suitable to work with children. References and experience matter as much as any certificate.
If you use a company rather than a private tutor, ask them plainly what they check before a teacher meets a child, and in which country. A good company will answer straight away and in detail. Vague answers are a warning sign in themselves.
How lessons should be set up
- Lesson links should come from the company or from you, not from the tutor's personal account and never sent to your child. The UK Safer Internet Centre advises parents to be careful how meeting links and passwords are shared.
- Lessons should happen in a shared space, not a bedroom. The NSPCC suggests a desk or table with the door open, and you or another adult within earshot.
- Be there at the start, especially for the first few lessons. Check the call, see who is on it, and say hello to the teacher.
- Sit in sometimes. The NSPCC suggests you may want to, and a good teacher will welcome it.
- Everything about the lessons, the schedule, the payments and the feedback, should be arranged with you. Your child should never be the one agreeing changes.
Contact outside lessons
This is the rule I would hold every tutor to, without exception. The NSPCC says a tutor should never have direct contact with your child outside a session. Agree with the tutor how they will contact you, by text, phone or email, and keep it there.
UK government guidance lists adults having unsupervised one to one contact with children without a parent's consent as a warning sign, and says a provider's staff behaviour policy should cover communication, including social media. So a tutor asking for your child's number, adding them on Instagram or messaging them on WhatsApp is not being friendly. It is a line crossed, and you should raise it.
Recordings
Recorded lessons protect your child and the teacher. They let you see exactly what happens in a lesson you could not watch. If a company records lessons, ask three things: is it only with your consent, who can see the recordings, and how long are they kept. You should get a clear answer to each. A recording your child or the tutor could share freely is not a safeguard.
What to expect, and what should worry you
| What you should expect | What should worry you |
|---|---|
| Clear answers about checks before a teacher meets a child | Vague or changing answers about checks |
| Lesson links issued by the company or by you | Links sent straight to your child |
| All arrangements made with you | The tutor arranging times or changes with your child |
| Contact only through you | Requests for your child's number or social media |
| Recordings only with your consent, with limited access | No clear answer on who sees recordings |
| A named person to contact if you are worried | No obvious way to raise a concern |
Talk to your child, too
Ask your child regularly how lessons are going, not only what they learned. The UK Safer Internet Centre suggests telling children they can come to you if anything upsets them, and that they are allowed to end or leave a call if they feel uncomfortable. Children often keep quiet because they think they will be in trouble. Make it clear they won't be.
If you are worried
For smaller concerns, start with the tutor or company and use their complaints process. If you are worried about your child's safety, do not wait for an answer before getting help.
- In the UK, if a child is in immediate danger, call the police on 999. You can also call the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000, or contact the local authority designated officer at your council, who deals with allegations against people who work with children.
- In the US, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children runs the CyberTipline for reports of online enticement and exploitation of children, at report.cybertip.org or on 1 800 843 5678, 24 hours a day.
- In Canada, Cybertip.ca, run by the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, is the national tipline for reporting online sexual exploitation of children, including online luring.
- Anywhere, if a child is in immediate danger, call your local emergency number first.
How Masani handles this
Before a teacher meets any child, we take up references from two past employers, two interviews and a mock teaching session. Lessons take place on Google Meet using links issued by Masani, and everything about lessons, from scheduling to feedback, is arranged with the parent. With a parent's consent, lessons are recorded, and only you, your child's teacher and Masani staff can view them; we keep them for 3 months. If you are worried about anything, tell us at admin@joinmasani.com or on WhatsApp and we reply the same day. You can also change your child's teacher at any time, free, no questions asked.
Quick answers
Should I sit in on every online lesson?
You don't have to, but be there at the start of the first few lessons and stay within earshot. Sitting in now and then is sensible, and a good teacher will welcome it.
Is it normal for a tutor to message my child directly?
No. The NSPCC says a tutor should never have direct contact with your child outside a session, so all messages should come to you.
Is it safe for online lessons to be recorded?
Recording can protect your child, as long as it happens only with your consent and you know who can view the recordings and how long they are kept.