The first message
Keep it concrete and short, 4-6 sentences. Cover level and exam board ("Year 11 GCSE Maths AQA"; "Year 12 A-level Chemistry Edexcel"; "Year 6 SATs prep, also doing 11+ for [grammar school name]"); current attainment ("predicted grade 5 in mocks", "scored 7 in October trial paper", "school report says working at expected standard"); specific weakness if known ("particularly struggling with quadratics and rearranging equations", "writing technique on long-answer questions"); your goal ("aiming for grade 7", "needs grade 5 minimum for sixth-form entry", "wants to feel ready for May exams"); timeline and frequency ("looking to start in October, weekly through to May"); and format ("online preferred", "in-person within [town]", or "either is fine").
Don't open with "are you available?"; that's the question their availability calendar answers. Open with concrete information about what you need; their reply tells you whether they're a fit.
How to read the reply
Strong tutor signals
Asks follow-up diagnostic questions ("which topics specifically within algebra?", "what does their working look like; could you share a recent marked paper?"). This tells you they're going to engage with your child's specific situation, not just deliver a generic course. Proposes a structure ("I'd start with a 60-minute diagnostic focused on the algebra weaknesses, then plan the next 10 weeks around the three topics that diagnostic flags"). A plan means they've thought about how to make the tutoring effective. Explains pedagogy briefly ("I emphasise method-mark technique because most students lose 10-15% of available marks by jumping to answers"). You learn something about their approach. Confirms credentials concretely; names the spec code (8300, 9MA0) and cites recent teaching experience. Honest about fit; sometimes a strong tutor will say "I'm not the right person for this; try someone with [specific] background". That honesty itself is a quality signal.
Weak tutor signals
Jumps straight to pricing and availability without engaging with your description. Vague about specifications ("I teach all the boards" without naming codes). Pushes a package deal before the trial session. Offers no diagnostic and no structure for early sessions. Doesn't ask about your child's current attainment or goal.
The trial session
Most tutors offer a first session free, half-price, or with a no-commitment exit. Use it. Things to assess during the session: does the tutor lead with a diagnostic (asking your child to explain or attempt a problem) or launch into content delivery? How does your child respond to them, with engaged questions or one-word answers? Does the tutor explain the why behind methods, or just the how? How does the tutor handle confusion; patient explanation with another approach, or repetition of the first explanation?
After the session
Ask your child: did you understand the tutor? Did you feel comfortable asking questions? Did you learn something new or get something explained more clearly than at school? Would you want to do another session with them? One of these answers being weak is fine; multiple weak answers means look elsewhere.
Verifying credentials
Subject expertise
Match expertise to need. KS2 SATs prep doesn't need a Cambridge graduate; it needs someone with strong primary pedagogy. A-level Further Maths does benefit from a strong Maths-degree background. Don't over-credentialise: a £40/hr tutor with the right fit outperforms an £80/hr tutor your child doesn't connect with.
Spec and level currency
Ask which exam board they've taught most recently. Strong tutors name the spec code (AQA GCSE Maths 8300, Edexcel A-level Chemistry 9CH0) and can speak to recent specification updates. Weaker tutors deflect with "I'm familiar with all the boards".
Safeguarding verification
For any under-18 tutoring, confirm the tutor holds a current safeguarding cert: Enhanced DBS for England and Wales, PVG record for Scotland, AccessNI Enhanced Disclosure for Northern Ireland. On Tutorperch we manually verify whichever applies and display a "Safeguarding Verified" badge; see DBS verification explained, PVG verification, or AccessNI verification. On platforms without verification, you can ask the tutor to share a redacted version of their cert directly. A tutor who refuses to share or evades the question is a clear flag.
Don't over-optimise
A 90% match starting in two weeks beats a 100% match starting in three months. Tutoring time is finite and exam dates don't move. If you've found a tutor who passes the criteria above and your child clicked with them in the trial session, book the engagement and start. Searching for the perfect tutor while exams creep closer is one of the more common parent mistakes.
One more thing: payment terms
Be cautious about upfront packages before you've seen how the tutoring goes. A tutor confident in their work is usually happy to invoice per-session or in small batches (for example 4-session blocks). Tutors who require 20-session deposits before the trial session are a flag; even strong tutors don't usually need that, and bad-faith setups use upfront packages to lock in revenue before the parent realises the fit isn't right.