A good tutor expects parents to ask questions before booking. The list below is the working version: ten questions, in roughly the order it makes sense to ask them, that you can paste into a first message and edit. None of them is unusual.
If you've already read how to vet a tutor, this is the practical companion: what those checks look like as actual messages.
The ten questions
You don't have to send all ten in one message. The first five are pre-trial; the back five can come either before or after the trial session.
What's your background in [subject] at [level]? Replace the brackets with your child's situation, like "GCSE Maths AQA", "A-level Chemistry OCR", or "Year 5 11+ for Kent grammars". You're asking for specifics: a degree subject, teaching experience, a prior tutoring track record. "I have a 2:1 in Mathematics from Bristol and have tutored GCSE Maths for four years" is a good answer. "I'm a Cambridge graduate" without a subject is not.
Do you have a current Enhanced DBS check, and would you be willing to show me the certificate? A private tutor isn't legally required to have one. From 21 January 2026 self-employed tutors can apply for an Enhanced DBS through an umbrella body; before that, only Basic checks were available to the self-employed. If they have one, they should be willing to show it on a video call or send a redacted scan. If they're on the DBS Update Service, you can run a free online status check yourself.
Can you provide two references from previous parents or students? Two is the working norm. Phone or video-call the references rather than relying on emailed letters. Useful follow-ups: how long the relationship lasted, whether the tutor turned up on time, whether they'd book again.
Do you offer a paid trial session, and how long is it? Most tutors offer a 30 to 60 minute trial. Some discount it, some charge full rate. A free trial isn't a positive sign in itself, since a tutor's time has value and one who charges for it isn't the problem. The point of the trial is for you to meet them, for your child to meet them, and to see how a normal lesson runs.
Where would lessons take place, and on what platform? For online lessons, the answer should be a mainstream video platform such as Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams. Lessons over WhatsApp video, FaceTime to a personal Apple ID, or social media aren't appropriate. For in-person lessons: at your home, at the tutor's home, or in a public space like a library or café. For under-16s, your home or a public space is the safer default. See online tutoring safety for the supervision norms.
Do you record lessons? If so, where are recordings stored, who has access, and how long do you keep them? Recording an identifiable child engages UK GDPR. The right answer specifies a lawful basis, usually parental consent, a retention period, and a way to withdraw consent. "I record everything for my own reference" without further detail isn't enough.
What's your communication policy between lessons? A working tutor replies to scheduling and homework messages on the booking platform, in working hours, in proper sentences. Direct messaging your child on the tutor's personal phone or social media before lessons begin isn't appropriate. Scheduled, well-bounded contact between lessons is the norm.
What's your cancellation policy, and how do you handle missed lessons? Common terms: 24 hours' notice, no charge; less than 24 hours, full charge; tutor cancels, free reschedule. The exact terms vary, and the existence of a clear policy is what matters. A tutor who can't or won't say what their policy is isn't operating professionally.
How do you typically structure homework and progress reviews? You're asking whether they have a teaching plan or just turn up. A good answer mentions diagnosis (working out where the child is), a working scope (what they aim to cover in 6, 12, or 24 weeks), homework expectations, and a review point such as a written update or a parent call every few weeks.
How would you like to be paid, and what bank details should I use? A self-employed UK tutor's invoice should arrive with a UK bank account in their name, the lessons itemised, and a sensible payment window such as 7 days. Demands for cash up front, payment to a different country, gift cards, or cryptocurrency are hard stops. See red flags hiring a tutor.
A copy-and-paste version
Here's the same list condensed into a single message you can paste in.
Hi [tutor name], thanks for getting back to me. Before we book a trial, a few questions:
1. Could you tell me a bit more about your background in [subject] at [level]?
2. Do you currently hold an Enhanced DBS check, and would you be willing to show the certificate?
3. Could you give me two parent references I could phone?
4. Do you offer a paid trial session, and how long is it?
5. Where would the lessons happen, and on which video platform if online?
6. Do you record lessons, and if so where are recordings stored?
7. What's your usual communication policy between lessons?
8. What's your cancellation policy?
9. How do you typically structure homework and progress reviews?
10. How would you like to be paid?
No rush. Happy to chat by video for 10 minutes if easier. Thanks!
You can shorten this. The first five carry most of the weight, and a tutor who answers them well will usually pre-empt the back five.
What good replies look like
You're listening for three things: specifics, ease, and consistency.
On specifics: "I have a 2:1 in Mathematics from Bristol and have tutored GCSE Maths since 2021. Recent students moved from a Grade 5 to a Grade 7 over six months." Contrast that with "I'm a Cambridge-educated tutor with extensive experience."
On ease: a tutor who answers directly, without defensiveness, "of course, here's a redacted scan of the cert", versus one who pushes back with "we don't really do those for private tutors any more", which is wrong for 2026.
On consistency: the qualifications in the reply match the profile, the bank account is in the same name, and the tutor's voice on a video call matches the tone of their messages.
A tutor who fails on one of these is sometimes just a poor communicator. A tutor who fails on two of the three is one to think twice about. See red flags hiring a tutor for the longer pattern list.
What if my child wants to ask their own questions
For older children, 14 and up, that's a good thing, and the questions worth their asking are different from yours: how the tutor explains things, whether they prefer worked examples or back-and-forth, how they'd handle a topic the student finds hard. A trial session is the natural place for that. Younger children shouldn't be the primary point of contact in pre-booking messages; that's a parent's job.