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IGCSE·Tuition
For parents

Ask about next steps, not a package

After the trial you want to know what happens next, but you may not know what to ask.

On this page
  1. Why avoid assuming a package?
  2. What are the most useful questions?
  3. What should you not assume?
  4. How should you record what was agreed?
  5. Where does this lead?

After the trial, ask the teacher open questions about what would help your child next, and leave the arrangement open until you have heard the answers. Nothing about ongoing tuition is fixed by the trial, and fees, schedules and support are confirmed directly with the teacher.

This keeps the conversation about your child’s learning rather than about a ready-made plan.

Why avoid assuming a package?

A package answers a question the teacher has not yet asked: what does this student need? If you assume one, you may arrange more or less than is useful.

Asking open questions first lets the teacher base the suggestion on what they saw in the lesson. You can then compare it with your own goal. The post-trial reflection guide helps you line up the two.

What are the most useful questions?

Ask them in this order, and write down the answers.

  1. What would you work on first, and why? This shows the teacher’s reading of your child.
  2. How will we know it is working? A good answer names something observable, such as “she can set out a solution without prompts”.
  3. What schedule do you suggest before the exam date? Give them the date. Let them explain the reasoning.
  4. What are the fees, and how are they paid? Ask for the rate per lesson and the payment method.
  5. How do we change the arrangement? Ask about rescheduling, pausing and stopping.
  6. What do you expect from my child between lessons? Learn what your child would be asked to do.

If an answer is “we will see”, ask “when will we know?”

What should you not assume?

Do not assume that something is included because it is common elsewhere. Recordings, reports, marking of homework and support between lessons may or may not be part of the arrangement. Ask about each one you care about, and accept the answer you get.

Do not assume the price you were quoted for the trial continues. The trial is one hour at the assigned teacher’s confirmed rate, starting from RM80. Ongoing fees are confirmed separately.

How should you record what was agreed?

After the conversation, send a short WhatsApp message listing what you understood: the schedule, the fee, the payment method and the review point. Ask the teacher to confirm.

This is not about mistrust. It is how two busy people keep the same version of an arrangement.

Where does this lead?

If the answers fit, you and your child can start. If not, the notes help you compare with another option, including self-study or group classes. Either way, the conversation is easier after you have read discussing continuation directly with the teacher.

Questions about the first lesson itself? See how the trial works.

Questions people ask

Is there a standard package after the trial?

Check this on the current Cambridge syllabus or with your centre. After the trial, fees, schedules and other arrangements are confirmed directly between your child and the teacher, based on what your child needs. Ask the teacher to describe what they would suggest, in plain terms.

How many lessons will my child need?

It depends on the gap, the time available and the exam date. One lesson cannot answer that. Ask the teacher what they would work on first and when they would review progress, then decide together.

What should I write down from the conversation?

Record the fee per lesson, the schedule, how payment is made, how to reschedule, and how to stop. Confirm these in a WhatsApp message after the conversation so both sides have the same note.

What if the teacher's suggestion does not match my budget?

Say so directly. Arrangements are made between your child and the teacher, so there may be room to adjust the schedule or focus. You can also decide not to continue, which is a normal outcome.

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Your next step

Open questions let the teacher describe what your child needs first. Fees, schedule and support are then confirmed directly with them, not assumed from a package.

Paid one-hour trial at your assigned teacher’s confirmed rate, starting from RM80. Other fees, schedules and ongoing arrangements are confirmed directly with your teacher after the trial class.

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