A good trial starts with two honest sticking points, written in your child’s words. You do not need to diagnose anything. You only need a short, calm conversation and a few notes.
This page shows how to have that conversation and how to turn it into an agenda with the one-hour trial agenda builder.
Why prepare at all?
A one-hour lesson passes quickly. If the first fifteen minutes go on working out what to cover, the teacher has less time to teach. A student who arrives with “I lose marks on the last part of graph questions” gives the teacher a place to begin.
Preparation also helps you. You see what your child finds hard, in their own description, before any money or schedule is discussed.
How do you start the conversation?
Choose a calm time, not straight after a bad test result. Keep it under fifteen minutes, and let your child do most of the talking.
- Ask for a recent example. “Which question last week took the longest?”
- Ask what happened. Did they not know where to start, get stuck halfway, or make a slip at the end?
- Ask what helps. Worked examples, slower pace, more practice, or someone checking the method?
- Agree on two points. Write the two sticking points as short sentences in your child’s words.
What does a useful note look like?
| Weak note | Useful note |
|---|---|
| Bad at maths | I can solve linear equations but I lose the sign when I move a term |
| Cannot write essays | My paragraphs have ideas but no example to support them |
| Weak in chemistry | I mix up when to use moles and when to use mass |
The useful version names a topic and a step. The teacher can respond to it straight away, and your child can judge whether the lesson addressed it.
Using the agenda builder
The trial agenda builder asks for the subject, two sticking points and, if your child wishes, their own notes. It then time-boxes an editable one-hour agenda that you can print. It works in your browser and does not send your notes to us.
Two things to keep in mind. First, the agenda is a planning aid, not a booking. Second, the tool does not show a price: the rate is the assigned teacher’s, it starts from RM80, and it is confirmed with you before the lesson.
What should the adults agree beforehand?
- Who speaks to the teacher. One named contact avoids mixed messages.
- What the trial is for. It is a taught lesson on real content, not a test of your child.
- What happens after. Decide together whether your child wants another lesson, and what you will ask the teacher about arrangements. See what happens after the trial.
- Privacy preferences. Read privacy and communication questions before class and note anything you want to raise.
Questions to bring to the teacher
- Which of the two sticking points did you see in the lesson, and what did you change?
- What should my child practise before the next lesson, if there is one?
- How will we arrange schedule and fees if we continue?
Fees, schedule and support after the trial are agreed directly between you, your child and the teacher. If you are unsure about something, ask before the trial, through WhatsApp.
Next steps
If you are still deciding whether individual tuition suits your child, the parents’ guide covers the wider questions. When you are ready, see how the paid trial works and how to share a page of work without uploading school records.