The format question
Pre-2020, tutoring was overwhelmingly in-person. The pandemic shift to online accelerated a model that was already growing — and it's stuck. As of 2025-2026, online tutoring is the default at GCSE and A-level for many UK students, with in-person retained for younger children and specific situations.
The single most important framing: tutor quality matters more than format. A strong online tutor delivers better outcomes than a mediocre in-person tutor. Don't pick format first; pick tutor first, and let format follow.
Where online tutoring shines
Wider tutor pool
The biggest single advantage. A student in rural Lincolnshire wanting an A-level Further Maths tutor has limited local options; online tutoring opens up tutors anywhere in the UK. Same for: scarce specialisms (Latin, Classical Greek, A-level Mandarin), Oxbridge admissions, UCAT prep — supply tends to concentrate in London and a few other cities, but online levels access.
Lower cost
Online tutors save travel time and travel cost; rates typically 10-20% lower than equivalent in-person. Over 30+ lessons that's noticeable.
Scheduling flexibility
No travel buffer either side means lessons fit more easily into busy weeks. Sunday evening, before-school, after-club — easier to slot in than 4pm in-person sessions requiring 30+ minutes of travel time.
Screen-share for written work
The pandemic-era pessimism about online Maths and Science has largely faded — modern online tutoring uses graphics tablets (the tutor handwrites equations live), shared screens for past-paper PDFs, and shared whiteboards (BitPaper, Lessonspace, Bramble) for collaborative work. The friction is much lower than parents sometimes imagine.
Where in-person tutoring still wins
Younger children (Year 4 and below)
Sustained online attention is genuinely hard for primary-age children. The social cue of an adult in the room matters for engagement. By Year 5-6 most children manage online fine; by Year 7+ it's almost always fine.
Attention / focus difficulties
Students with diagnosed attention difficulties (ADHD, sensory processing differences) or just naturally restless tendency often benefit from physical presence. The tutor can read body-language cues that a webcam misses — when the student needs a break, when they're drifting, when the session needs a different pace. For students where this matters, in-person is worth the cost premium.
Final exam-prep weeks
Some families prefer in-person sessions in the final 2-3 weeks before exams: paper-based work, no laptop distractions, an environment closer to the actual exam. Not strictly necessary but psychologically meaningful for some students.
Subjects requiring physical presence
Music instrument tuition has substantial online presence now but still benefits from occasional in-person sessions. Some art subjects (sculpture, large-scale drawing) need in-person. Practical Sciences are typically already exam-paper-driven, so this is less of a constraint than it sounds.
Equipment for online tutoring
Student side — essentials
- Laptop or desktop computer (tablets work but are weaker for writing — tap-typing is slow and hand-drawn diagrams are awkward).
- Headset or quality speakers and mic — built-in laptop microphones are fine but a headset substantially improves audio clarity for both sides.
- Webcam — essential. Tutors need to see the student to read engagement and check work. Built-in webcams are fine.
- Stable internet — modern UK home broadband is plenty for video calls. Wired connection or strong WiFi.
- Quiet room without distractions — siblings, TV, family activity all disrupt. A closed door makes a difference.
Student side — useful
- Graphics tablet for Maths and Sciences — entry-level Wacom tablets £40-£80. Lets the student handwrite equations the way they would on paper, which the tutor can see live.
- Printer — for printing past papers and working on them on paper, then photographing or scanning to share with the tutor.
- Phone as document camera — instead of a printer, students sometimes prop a phone over their working paper as a "document camera" the tutor can see in real-time.
Hybrid approaches
Many families settle on a hybrid pattern:
- Weekly ongoing tuition online — content coverage, regular exam practice.
- In-person sessions at high-stakes moments — the week before mocks, the week before final exams, occasionally one per term to reset rapport.
- Hybrid tutors handle this naturally; online-only tutors typically don't.
On Tutorperch, tutor profiles state which formats they offer (online, in-person locally, both). Filter accordingly when searching.
How to decide
- Start with the tutor pool. If your child needs a relatively scarce specialism (A-level Further Maths, Latin, UCAT), online substantially expands access.
- Consider age. Year 4 and below: lean in-person. Year 5+: online is fine for most students.
- Consider attention. Restless or attention-challenged students often do better in-person.
- Consider cost and convenience. Online is typically cheaper and more flexible.
- Trial. Most tutors offer a first session at half price or with a no-commitment cancel option. Try one of each format if you're unsure — your child will quickly tell you which works.