Before you pay: the warning signs on the first call
- You cannot meet the teacher. You speak to a salesperson, are told a teacher will be "assigned", and never see their face until the first lesson. UK government guidance suggests meeting a provider before your child's first session. A service that will not arrange that is asking for trust it has not earned.
- Vague answers about checks. You ask how teachers are vetted and hear "all our tutors are qualified" or "we only take the best". Ask what exactly they check: whose references, how many interviews, whether the teacher taught a sample lesson. If they cannot say, assume nothing was checked.
- No child protection policy. UK government guidance says even a tutor working alone should have a written child protection policy and be able to explain what they would do about a concern. Ask to see it.
- Pressure to pay a lot upfront. A large package "only available today", or a discount that disappears if you want to try first. A confident service lets you start small.
- No clear way to stop. Ask how much notice you must give and what happens to lessons you have paid for and not used. If the answer is unclear or not in writing, that is your answer.
- Nobody asks about your child's school. A tutor who does not ask your child's year or grade, curriculum, exam or school methods is planning to teach a general lesson, not your child's lesson.
In the lessons: what to watch and listen for
Sit nearby for the first few lessons. You do not need to hover. You need to be within earshot, which is what the NSPCC advises for tutoring at home too.
- The connection keeps failing. One dropped call is bad luck. Every week is a pattern, and your child is losing lesson time you paid for. Ask what happens when it fails and how the time is made up.
- The tutor struggles with the tech. Cannot share a screen, cannot find the document, spends ten minutes setting up. Online teaching is a skill. It should look easy.
- Unprofessional conduct. Arriving late, taking phone calls, eating, a noisy room, people walking behind the camera, or the camera off for no reason. UK government guidance on remote teaching expects a quiet space and a neutral background.
- A different teacher every few weeks. Rotating tutors means nobody knows your child well enough to see where they keep slipping. If the teacher changes without you asking, ask why.
- No plan. Each lesson seems to start from scratch, or the tutor asks your child, "What do you want to do today?" every time.
The most serious red flag: contact with your child that bypasses you
This is the one to act on immediately. The NSPCC says a tutor should always contact you, and never have direct contact with your child outside a session. UK government guidance lists adults having unsupervised one to one contact with children without parental consent as a warning sign.
- The tutor messages your child on WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat or any other app.
- Lesson links are sent to your child rather than to you, or come from a personal account.
- The tutor asks your child to switch off the camera, close the door, or keep anything from you.
- Lessons are rearranged with your child, not with you.
- Your child seems uneasy about the tutor or reluctant to talk about lessons.
Every arrangement, from times to homework to feedback, should go through you. If it does not, stop the lessons while you find out why.
After a few weeks: no proof it is working
The Education Endowment Foundation finds that tuition works best when it is linked to what the child is learning in class and when progress is monitored and the plan adjusted. A tutor who never tells you what was covered gives you no way of checking either.
| Red flag | Why it matters | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| No reports, or a one line "he did well today" | You cannot see what was taught or what is still weak | What did you cover, what did my child get wrong, what is next? |
| No assessment at the start | Without a starting point, nobody can show progress | Where was my child when you started, and where are they now? |
| Homework never set or never marked | Without practice between lessons, it is hard to tell what has stuck | What should my child do before the next lesson, and will you go through it? |
| School marks and confidence unchanged after six to eight weeks | Some progress should show by then, even if small | What is the plan for the next six weeks, and what will change? |
What to do if you spot one
For most red flags, start with a direct conversation. Tell the tutor or the company what you have noticed and what you expect instead. A good service will fix it quickly or change the teacher. If it does not, stop. UK government guidance is clear that where you see warning signs you should consider sending your child elsewhere.
If you are worried about your child's safety, do not wait. Raise it with the provider and, in the UK, you can call the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or contact your local council. If a child is in immediate danger, call the police on 999 in the UK, or your local emergency number wherever you live.
Where Masani stands on each of these
At Masani, every teacher is carefully vetted, and only the top 3% who apply are accepted. Before a teacher meets any child we take up references from two past employers, two interviews and a mock teaching session. Lessons are one to one on Google Meet using links issued by Masani, and everything from scheduling to feedback is arranged with the parent. You get a written report after every lesson, and with your consent lessons are recorded, viewable only by you, the teacher and Masani staff, and kept for 3 months. Any concern can go to admin@joinmasani.com or WhatsApp, and we reply the same day. You can change your child's teacher at any time, free, no questions asked, and you can start with a free 15 minute call.
Quick answers
Is it normal for an online tutor to message my child directly?
No. The NSPCC advises that a tutor should always contact the parent and never have direct contact with the child outside a session. If it happens, stop lessons and raise it with the provider.
Should I pay for a large tutoring package upfront?
Not before you have met the teacher and seen how lessons run. Ask what notice you must give to stop and what happens to unused lessons, and get it in writing.
What should I do if the tutor's internet keeps cutting out?
Raise it straight away and ask how lost time will be made up. If it keeps happening, ask for a different teacher or stop, because your child is losing lessons you paid for.