Questions to ask before choosing an English tutor

A tutor working with a teenager in England does not have to register with Ofsted, although most providers caring for children under 8 must. The Department for Education’s safeguarding guidance for tutors and clubs says that those who are not required to register may be able to join Ofsted’s voluntary Childcare Register, and that many tutors choose to. The Tutors’ Association, a membership body for tutors, puts it bluntly: “There is no legal requirement for a tutor even to have passed a DBS check, let alone be signed up to any sort of code of conduct”.

Questions about the teaching

Ask the school first which exam board your child is taking and which set texts, so you can check the tutor knows them.

Which exam board’s papers have you taught? If the school uses AQA, that means GCSE English Language (8700) and English Literature (8702).
Do you know the set texts my child is studying, and the poems in their anthology cluster?
How will you decide what to work on? A useful answer mentions the school’s feedback, mock papers and what your child says they find hard.
What does a typical session look like, and what will my child do between sessions?
How will you tell me about progress, and how often?

The Tutors’ Association says to expect the tutor to agree the objectives and goals with you, and to give you regular feedback. Ask for that in writing after the first few sessions.

Questions about safety

DBS stands for the Disclosure and Barring Service, which checks criminal records. GOV.UK lists the levels of check. The lowest, a basic check, shows “unspent convictions and conditional cautions”. The highest is “an enhanced check with barred lists, which shows the same as an enhanced check plus whether the applicant is on the list of people barred from doing the role”.

If you hire a self-employed tutor yourself, GOV.UK says you cannot request a check for them: they have to request one for themselves, and you check the certificate. The DfE’s guidance, updated in February 2026, adds: “Following regulatory changes in 2026, individuals who are self-employed and undertaking regulated activity, can now apply for an Enhanced with Barred Lists DBS check on their own behalf.” A tutoring agency, school or local authority that contracts a tutor can also apply on the tutor’s behalf. So ask:

Can I see your DBS certificate? Which level of check is it, and what date is on it?
Can you give me references from other families?
Where will the lessons happen, and if they are online, on which platform?
How will we contact each other?

The NSPCC’s advice for parents is practical. At home, lessons should not take place in a bedroom, the door should stay open, and an adult should be within earshot. “You shouldn’t leave your child alone with a tutor and go out.” The NSPCC also says to agree how online lessons will take place safely, and we would use the same rules for those: a shared room, with you nearby. “Make sure the tutor always contacts you and never has direct contact with your child outside a session.” And keep asking your child how the tutoring is going.

What to expect from sessions

Good English tutoring is specific: one question from one paper, a timed answer, feedback on that answer and another attempt. Expect the tutor to know the levels in AQA’s mark schemes, to tell you which level your child’s work is in, and to say what would move it up. If after a few weeks you cannot say what your child is working on, ask.

Before you pay for a tutor

Ask the school what it already runs: revision sessions, small-group support, or feedback on a practice essay. There is also plenty that is free. The free revision resources page lists past papers, texts and recordings, and our free Year 11 countdown is a twelve-week plan of about 30 minutes a day. If your child has dyslexia or another learning difficulty, talk to the school about support first; see Dyslexia and GCSE English.

Sources

Department for Education, Out-of-school settings: safeguarding guidance for providers, including the guidance document After-school clubs, community activities, and tuition (updated 9 February 2026)
The Tutors’ Association, Find a tutor
GOV.UK, Check someone’s criminal record (updated 2 December 2024)
GOV.UK, Request a basic DBS check
NSPCC, Finding a tutor for your child