What to look for when choosing a tutor for a child with additional needs
In short: The most important things to check when choosing a tutor for a child with additional needs go beyond subject knowledge, and include safeguarding, how they handle a difficult session, and whether they get to know your child as a person.
The academic side of choosing a tutor is usually the easy part to check, since subject knowledge, experience and availability are all fairly visible from the outset. The harder part to judge from the outside is whether a tutor will actually notice how your child is doing underneath the work, not just on it.
A few things are worth asking before you commit.
- Does the tutor ask about your child as a person before asking about grades?
- Is there a plan for the relationship itself, not just the syllabus?
- Are safeguarding basics in place, including a current check and a clear safeguarding policy?
- Is progress checked against your specific child, with room to slow down or change approach if something isn't landing?
- How does the tutor handle a session that isn't going well, such as a child who's shut down or refusing to engage?
You can read the Government's information about a DBS check.
Common questions
What questions should I ask a tutor before hiring them for a child with additional needs?
Beyond subject expertise, it's worth asking how they build a relationship with a child, how they handle a difficult session, and what safeguarding measures they have in place, such as a DBS check.
Is subject knowledge enough when choosing a tutor?
Not on its own. Two tutors can know a subject equally well and get very different results, depending on whether they understand how a specific child learns, copes and reacts.
Sessions built this way tend to take a holistic view, combining subject teaching with real, compassionate attention to a child's confidence and how they're coping. This draws on a background that brings together teaching and an understanding of how children develop and think, including assistant psychologist experience in a national children's clinical service, while staying a strengths-based educational approach rather than a clinical service in itself.
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