The rise of the expat tutor

More expatriates are choosing a tutor to help get their children into the top international schools.

As entry into the top private schools becomes increasingly competitive more expats are hiring tutors. These modern tutors are often multi-lingual, artistic, sporty and accompany their charges all around the globe.

“London’s affluent expat population particularly seems to favour tutoring, which is making the market competitive,” founder and director of Holland Park Tuition, William Stadlen, told Spear’s Wealth management Survey.

“As there is now a bottleneck of kids competing for fewer places at top independent prep and public schools, people are turning more and more to tutoring.”

While tutoring often involves individual teaching on one subject, tutors for the wealthy are often expected to go above and beyond the traditional call of duty. One tutor for a well off family was taken on a skiing holiday in order to coach their daughter through her upcoming exams. He was expected to teach the girl in the early morning before she went skiing, at lunch then in the evening before dinner. He even accompanied them to the nightclub in the evening.

With school entry exams becoming increasingly competitive and top recruiters looking for the best graduates, parents are doing more to push their children to academic heights. For expats with children it can be as simple as the child falling behind with their studies due to the move abroad.

How to find a good tutor abroad

Rebecca Zook, an experienced maths tutor, offers some advice for expatriate families looking for a tutor.

• Ask around – check with your child’s teachers at school, other expat families, online expat forums, someone out there may already have a contact.
• Check online – many tutors have their own websites and advertise online. In the U.S Craigslist has many tutors advertising, this is less popular in other countries.
• Look for individuals – tutors who work independently rather than through an agency tend to have more invested in their work.
• Consider online tutoring – if you are struggling to find a suitable tutor in your new country look online for one from home. An online tutor can work with your children wherever you are in the world and even continue when you move back home.
• Speak to the tutor – once you have a list of candidates contact them and get a feel for their personality. You can also check their credentials, experience and teaching style.
• Have a trial session – Organise a trial lesson with the tutor. Get your child to bring some recent work they have struggled with to base the session on. By the end of the first meeting you should be able to gauge whether the tutor is a good match for your child.