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Brainhub guide

How to choose the right tutor, and what a good trial lesson looks like

Qualifications get a tutor through the door. Personality fit and teaching fit are what make the lessons work.

Written by the Brainhub Editorial Team Cites published research Updated 13 Oct 2026 6 min read

Key takeaways

1. Why fit matters as much as qualifications

A review of 99 studies, covering students from nursery to the end of secondary school, found that positive relationships between teachers and students were linked to how engaged students were in learning, and to their achievement. The link with engagement was strong. The link with grades was smaller but real.[1]

Tutoring is the most personal form of teaching there is. If your child feels at ease, they ask the questions they’d never ask in a class of thirty. That is where most of the progress happens.

2. What great tutors do differently

Researchers who studied highly effective tutors found they kept track of two things at once: what the student knew, including their mistakes and misunderstandings, and how the student was feeling, such as their confidence and motivation.[2]

Rather than giving answers, expert tutors mostly asked questions and gave hints that got gradually stronger, so the student did the thinking and corrected their own errors. They kept praise and correction low-key, so students didn’t feel judged.[2]

A good tutor makes your child do the thinking, and makes them feel safe getting it wrong.

3. Personality fit and teaching fit

Personality fit

Does your child seem relaxed, even a little chatty, by the end? Do they ask questions when they’re stuck? Do they want to go back next week?

Teaching fit

Do the explanations click, first or second time? Is the pace stretching but not rushing? Does the tutor check understanding instead of just talking?

Clear next steps

Do you come away knowing what was covered, what’s next and what to practise before the next lesson?

4. What to watch for in the trial lesson

Clear feedback on what a student is doing well and what to do next is one of the most effective things a teacher can do, worth about six months’ extra progress on average according to the Education Endowment Foundation. In a trial, listen for feedback that is specific: “your method is right, but you dropped the negative sign in line two”, rather than “good job”.[3]

A short chat with your child afterwards tells you a lot. Ask: “What did you learn?”, “Did you get to ask questions?” and “Would you like the same tutor next time?”

Good signs
Worth a second look
Your child talks and works for much of the lesson
The tutor talks for most of the lesson
Questions and hints before answers
Answers given straight away
Mistakes treated as useful
Your child seems anxious about getting things wrong
Lesson linked to the assessment and plan
Topics chosen at random
Clear homework or practice set
No clear next step

Not quite right?: That’s what the trial is for. Tell us and we’ll match a different tutor. Changing early is much better than carrying on with the wrong fit.

Try it now

Test yourself on this page

Answer in your head first, then check.

  1. 1. What did the review of 99 studies link to warmer teacher–student relationships?

  2. 2. How do expert tutors mostly help students when they are stuck?

  3. 3. What kind of feedback should you listen for in a trial?

Your next steps

  • Before the trial, write down two or three things your child finds hardest.
  • Afterwards, ask your child the three questions above.
  • Tell us honestly how it went, and ask us to rematch if it isn’t right.

Sources

  1. Roorda, D. L., Koomen, H. M. Y., Spilt, J. L. and Oort, F. J. (2011). The influence of affective teacher–student relationships on students’ school engagement and achievement: a meta-analytic approach. Review of Educational Research, 81(4), 493–529. doi:10.3102/0034654311421793
  2. Lepper, M. R. and Woolverton, M. (2002). The wisdom of practice: lessons learned from the study of highly effective tutors. In J. Aronson (ed.), Improving Academic Achievement: Impact of Psychological Factors on Education, pp. 135–158. Academic Press. Summary: University of British Columbia, INSPIRE guidelines. eoas.ubc.ca/research/cwsei/resources/INSPIRE-Guidelines.pdf
  3. Education Endowment Foundation. Teaching and Learning Toolkit: Feedback. educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/teaching-learning-toolkit/feedback

This guide is general study advice. Every student is different. A teacher can help you work out what fits.