How to Choose a Tutor: A Checklist for Parents
Short answer: The most important thing is fit: a tutor your child clicks with, who builds their confidence before tackling the hard work. Start with what your child needs, then check four more things: a current Working With Children Check (a blue card in Queensland), recent knowledge of your child's exact course, a clear plan for tracking progress, and fair terms with no long lock-in. A trial lesson is the best final test.
The checklist at a glance
- Know what your child needs before you start looking.
- Check safety. Tutoring isn't regulated in Australia, so the Working With Children Check is the main safeguard.
- Look for the right fit. This matters most: a tutor your child clicks with, who brings out their confidence.
- Check they know the course, including the current syllabus.
- Choose the format: one-on-one or group, online or in person.
- Ask the right questions before you book, and watch for warning signs.
- Give it a few weeks, then check it's working.
1. Work out what your child needs
The right tutor depends on the problem you're solving. Before you search, try to answer these:
- Which subject, and which course? "Year 12 maths" could mean Standard, Advanced or Extension, and each needs different expertise.
- What's the main goal? Filling gaps from earlier years, keeping up with school, preparing for a big exam (NAPLAN, the selective school test, the HSC or VCE), or building confidence.
- How does your child learn best? Some children focus better with a tutor beside them; others are comfortable online.
- How soon is the next big deadline? A student starting Year 11 has time to build foundations. A student a month out from the HSC needs exam practice.
Talk to your child's teacher too. They can often tell you exactly where the gaps are.
2. Check safety first
Is private tutoring regulated in Australia? Not really. Anyone can advertise as a tutor without showing qualifications, and there's no accreditation or enforced code of conduct, according to 2025 research from the University of Sydney and the University of Wollongong. Industry bodies such as the Australian Tutoring Association work to raise standards, but tutors don't have to join one.
That makes the Working With Children Check the most important thing to ask about:
- New South Wales: tutors are listed among the roles that need a Working With Children Check, and parents can verify a check on the Office of the Children's Guardian website.
- Queensland: anyone who tutors children for payment needs a blue card.
- Other states and territories have their own checks: a Working with Children Check in Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia, a Working with Vulnerable People check in the ACT and Tasmania, and a Working with Children Clearance in the Northern Territory (Raising Children Network).
Ask for the tutor's check number and expiry date, and verify it with your state's authority. For lessons at home, have an adult home during the lesson and use a shared space, such as the kitchen table.
3. Look for the right fit (the most important step)
At Rubix, we believe fit matters more than anything else. A tutor can be a wonderful person and incredibly smart, but if they don't click with your child, the lessons won't be worth it, because your child will dread going.
It's the tutor's job to make that connection, not your child's. A great tutor:
- Brings out your child's confidence first, especially in a subject they find hard.
- Creates a safe space, where it's fine to get things wrong and ask any question.
- Then goes all in on fixing the problems, once your child trusts them.
The trial lesson is where you find out. Afterwards, ask your child:
- Did you feel comfortable asking questions?
- Did the tutor explain things in a way that made sense to you?
- Would you look forward to the next lesson?
If the answer to the last one is no, try a different tutor, even if this one is highly qualified.
4. Check they know your child's course
- The exact course, not just the subject. For senior students, look for a tutor who has studied or taught that course recently, such as Mathematics Extension 1 or VCE Literature.
- The current syllabus. NSW is moving to new syllabuses: English and maths from the 2027 HSC, biology and physics for students who start Year 11 in 2027, and chemistry a year later (NESA). A good tutor knows which version your child is studying.
- Results in that subject. A good tutor or tutoring company can tell you how their students did in that subject, not just overall.
- Teaching, not just marks. A high ATAR shows a tutor did well at school, not that they can explain things clearly. A trial lesson is the best way to find out.
5. Choose the format
| Format | Best for | Things to know |
|---|---|---|
| One-on-one, in person | Younger children, and students who focus better with someone beside them | Usually costs more than online; limited to tutors who live nearby |
| One-on-one, online | Busy families, students outside big cities, senior students who want a specialist | Needs a quiet space and a reliable connection; a much wider choice of tutors |
| Small group or tutoring centre | Students who need routine and practice with core skills | Cheaper per hour, but the lesson isn't built around your child; larger groups are less effective |
Research summarised by Evidence for Learning finds one-to-one tuition adds about five months of extra progress over a year, and small groups about four, with groups larger than six or seven noticeably less effective. For more detail, see our guides to private tutors vs tutoring centres and online tutoring.
6. Questions to ask before you book
- Do you have a current Working With Children Check (or blue card)? What's the number?
- Have you studied or tutored this exact course recently? How did your students go in it?
- What happens in the first lesson?
- How will you keep me updated on my child's progress?
- How do you make sure the tutor is a good fit for my child, and what happens if they aren't?
- What does it cost, how do I pay, and what are the cancellation rules?
- Is there a minimum commitment or contract?
Warning signs
- Your child dreads going. Even a brilliant tutor isn't the right one if your child doesn't feel comfortable with them.
- No Working With Children Check, or reluctance to share the number.
- Guaranteed marks. No one can promise a band, a score or an ATAR.
- Long lock-in contracts with no way out if tutoring isn't working.
- Doing the work for your child. A tutor who writes essays or assignments puts your child at risk of breaking school and exam rules. Good tutors help students improve their own work.
- Silence. You never hear what was covered or how your child is going.
7. Give it a few weeks, then check it's working
Early lessons often go into filling gaps, and marks usually take longer to move than understanding, so give it a few weeks before you judge. Then look for these signs:
- Your child is more confident about the subject and can explain what they've been learning.
- You hear specific updates from the tutor: what was covered, what's improving and what's next.
- School feedback improves over a term, in class tests, assessments or teacher comments.
- Your child goes willingly. A good match makes lessons something they don't dread.
If it still isn't working after a term, talk to the tutor first. If that doesn't help, changing tutors is normal and often makes a big difference.
How Rubix matches students and tutors
Here's how Rubix Learning answers the checklist above:
- Fit comes first: Chris matches each student with a tutor who suits them, not just their subject. Every Rubix tutor is trained to build a student's confidence and a safe space first, then work on the problems.
- Safety: every Rubix tutor must hold a current Working With Children Check (a blue card in Queensland). It's a requirement for working at Rubix.
- Course knowledge: students are matched with a tutor for their exact course. VCE students are matched with former VCE students or tutors with VCE experience.
- Trained tutors: every tutor is trained by founder Chris Tembeleski and completes Rubix's onboarding before teaching.
- Updates: a written summary after every lesson, and a detailed progress report every 10 lessons.
- If the fit isn't right: if the first lesson isn't right and you don't continue, you aren't charged for it. If the first tutor isn't right, we trial a different tutor at no charge.
- Fair terms: no enrolment fee, lessons paid by the term, and no commitment beyond the term.
Results by subject, 2025 HSC
| Subject | Students tutored | Band 6 or E4 |
|---|---|---|
| All subjects | 288 | 241 (84%) |
| English | 103 | 81 (79%) |
| Maths | 97 | 76 (78%) |
| Chemistry | 23 | 18 (78%) |
| Physics | 14 | 13 (93%) |
Choosing a tutor: frequently asked questions
What matters most when choosing a tutor?
Fit. A tutor your child clicks with, who brings out their confidence and makes lessons a safe space, will get further than a more qualified tutor your child dreads seeing. Check safety and course knowledge too, then use a trial lesson to see whether the fit is right.
Is private tutoring regulated in Australia?
Not really. Anyone can advertise as a tutor without showing qualifications, and there's no accreditation or enforced code of conduct. The main safeguard is the Working With Children Check, so always ask for one.
Do tutors need a Working With Children Check?
In NSW, tutors are listed among the roles that need one, and in Queensland anyone who tutors children for payment needs a blue card. Other states and territories have their own checks. Ask for the number and verify it with your state's authority.
How do you know if a tutor is good?
A good tutor knows your child's exact course, explains things clearly, and gives you specific updates on progress. After a few weeks, your child should be more confident and able to explain what they've learned. A trial lesson is the quickest way to find out.
Should I choose the tutor with the highest ATAR?
A high ATAR shows a tutor knows the content, but not that they can teach it. How clearly they explain things, and how well they connect with your child, matter just as much.
Is a private tutor or a tutoring centre better?
It depends on your child. A centre usually costs less and suits students who need routine and practice; a private tutor builds every lesson around your child. See our guide to private tutors vs tutoring centres.
How long before tutoring makes a difference?
Confidence often improves within a few weeks. Marks usually take longer, so judge results over a school term rather than a few lessons.
Talk to Rubix
Tell us your child's year level, subjects and goals, and we'll suggest the right tutor, at home in Sydney or online anywhere in Australia. If the first lesson isn't the right fit and you don't continue, you won't pay for it.