Choosing an online tutor for your child can feel surprisingly difficult.
Type “online tutor” into a search engine and you will find hundreds of people offering tuition, promising excellent results, personalised lessons and experienced teaching. But when your child lives overseas, the decision can be a little more complicated.
Perhaps they attend an international school in Dubai. Maybe they are following the British Curriculum in Abu Dhabi, studying Common Core in Saudi Arabia, or moving between educational systems because your family is relocating. Perhaps your child has ADHD, dyslexia, autism, dyscalculia or simply needs a little more confidence.
So, what should you actually look for?
Having worked with students in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other countries around the world, I have found that the best online tutor is not necessarily the person with the longest list of qualifications.
For me, one quality stands above the rest: flexibility.
Look for a tutor who understands your child’s curriculum
International families do not all follow the same educational pathway.
Some children study the British Curriculum, whilst others follow an American curriculum or another international programme. I have worked with students in Saudi Arabia following Common Core English and Mathematics programmes, as well as learners in the UAE whose schools approach certain areas of mathematics differently. I have also supported students preparing for GL Assessments and studying iGCSE English Language.
This experience has taught me that curriculum knowledge matters.
A tutor should understand what your child is being asked to learn, the terminology they are encountering and the expectations of their school. However, they also need to recognise that two children studying the same subject may have very different educational experiences.
For example, a child preparing for an assessment in Riyadh may need a different approach from a child preparing for a similar assessment in Bedford.
The underlying skills may be similar, but the route towards developing them can be completely different.
Look for flexibility rather than one fixed teaching method
This is probably the biggest lesson I have learnt from working with international families.
A tutor who rigidly follows one programme or one teaching style may struggle when a child’s circumstances change.
A flexible tutor can adapt resources, explanations, lesson structure and activities according to the learner sitting in front of them.
This is particularly important for children with additional learning needs.
There is no such thing as a “typical” child with ADHD. My own ADHD looks different from another person’s ADHD, and the same is true of children. Some learners need movement and discussion. Others need visual structure and predictable routines. Some thrive when lessons are highly interactive, whilst others need quieter periods to process information.
I have always felt that different minds sometimes need different routes to reach the same destination.
That is why I would be wary of any tutor who insists there is only one “right” way to learn.
Consider whether they understand neurodivergent learners
For families of children with ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia or autism, this can be particularly important.
A child may be perfectly capable of understanding a concept but struggle to demonstrate that understanding because of working memory, attention, processing, confidence or executive functioning difficulties.
I know this personally. I was diagnosed with ADHD at 31, and looking back at my own education, I can see that I was never lacking intelligence or enthusiasm. I loved learning. What I sometimes struggled with was working memory, multi-step instructions and maintaining focus when something failed to capture my imagination.
That experience has influenced the way I teach.
I believe a tutor should look beyond the difficulty and notice the child behind it.
For an ADHD learner, that might mean breaking a large task into smaller steps. For a dyslexic learner, it might mean using visual, creative or multi-sensory approaches. For another child, it might simply mean giving them enough time to think before expecting an answer.
The important thing is not to assume that every child needs the same support.
Look for someone who builds confidence
Academic progress is important, but confidence matters too.
I have worked with children who have become so accustomed to getting things wrong that they begin to avoid trying altogether. Sometimes the biggest breakthrough is not getting an answer correct. It is seeing a child put their hand up, have a go or say, “I don’t understand that yet.”
The right tutor should create an environment where mistakes are safe.
Children need to know that getting something wrong does not mean they are bad at the subject. It simply gives us information about what needs more practice.
This is particularly important for international learners who may already be adapting to a new country, school, language or curriculum.
Good tutoring develops skills.
Great tutoring can also help rebuild a child’s belief in their own ability.
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Look Beyond the Lesson Itself
Another important consideration for international families is whether the tutor can help a child make connections between learning and their wider educational journey.
A student may be preparing for a GL Assessment, moving towards iGCSE, changing schools or simply trying to catch up in an area where they have lost confidence.
In these situations, tuition should not feel like an isolated extra lesson added to an already busy week.
The tutor should understand the bigger picture and help the child see how the skills they are developing now will support them later.
In my experience, this can be particularly valuable for international families, where children may move between schools, curricula or even countries during their education. A flexible tutor can provide a sense of continuity when everything else around the child is changing.
Check that they understand the realities of international education
Online tuition has one enormous advantage for international families: geography is no longer such a barrier.
From Bedfordshire, I have been fortunate enough to support children in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Thailand and many other parts of the world.
But working internationally requires more than simply opening a laptop.
Families may have different school calendars, different holidays and different daily routines. A UK summer holiday does not necessarily coincide with a child’s school holiday in the Middle East.
I have found this particularly interesting when working with families in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. There have been occasions when children overseas were preparing to return to school whilst UK pupils were still enjoying their summer break. At other times, international students have had a quieter period when we could focus on confidence-building, revisit difficult areas or simply enjoy learning without the pressure of a busy school term.
A good online tutor needs to understand this rather than expecting every family to fit around the UK school calendar.
Communication with parents matters
When you live thousands of miles away from your child’s tutor, communication becomes even more important.
Parents should feel comfortable asking questions and discussing how their child is progressing. The tutor should be able to explain what they are working on, where difficulties are appearing and where they have noticed progress.
This does not mean parents need a lengthy report after every lesson.
Sometimes a simple conversation is enough.
For international families especially, good communication helps everyone work towards the same goal. When the child, parent and tutor understand what they are trying to achieve, learning becomes much more consistent.
Look for the right person, not the most impressive profile
Qualifications matter. Experience matters. Subject knowledge matters.
But I would not choose an online tutor purely because their profile looks impressive.
I would ask:
Will my child feel comfortable with this person?
Will they be able to admit when they are confused? Will they feel able to make mistakes? Will the tutor notice their strengths as well as their difficulties? Will they adapt when something is not working?
These questions are particularly important for children with dyslexia, dyscalculia and other learning differences because there is no single approach that works for everyone.
Sometimes the tutor who looks perfect on paper is not the right person for your child.
And sometimes the tutor who takes the time to understand your child’s personality, interests and individual way of learning turns out to be exactly what they needed.
Final thoughts
Working with international families has taught me that children are remarkably adaptable.
Whether a child is learning persuasive writing in Dubai, developing reading comprehension in Riyadh or strengthening mathematical reasoning somewhere else in the world, the fundamental goal remains the same: helping them become confident, capable learners.
Curricula may change. School systems may change. Time zones may change.
But children still need encouragement, understanding and someone who believes they can succeed.
For me, that is what good online tuition is really about.
At Kite Tutoring, the online division of Bedford Tutor, I have supported children in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other countries around the world, alongside families throughout the UK. My online lessons are designed to be flexible, personalised and engaging, with support tailored to each learner’s educational background, learning profile and goals.
Whether your child follows the British Curriculum, American Curriculum or another international programme, is preparing for GL Assessments, needs support with English or maths, or simply needs someone to help rebuild their confidence, finding the right tutor can make a remarkable difference.
Here at Bedford Tutor, I have supported home-educated learners across the UK and around the world for many years. From Functional Skills English and Maths to personalised learning programmes for children with ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia and autism, I have developed a flexible and engaging approach that helps students build confidence whilst developing the essential skills they need to thrive.
To find out more, please see below:
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