A live online lesson needs more than a working link. The learner should be able to hear, see and use the materials, understand how to ask for help, and know what happens if the technology stops working.
A short preparation conversation can prevent avoidable difficulties. Families, tutors and commissioning schools should agree the practical and safeguarding arrangements before the first teaching session, then review whether online tuition is meeting the learner's needs.
Test the actual learning setup
Use the device and connection the learner will normally use. Check sound, screen size, microphone settings and access to the approved platform. A phone may join a call successfully while making a worksheet difficult to read.
Try any agreed accessibility tools before the lesson. These might include magnification, captions or a different way to enter answers. Ask whether the learner can use the tools independently and whether the teaching materials work with them.
Check where work will be saved and how it will reach the tutor. Avoid a first lesson becoming an extended search for files or account details. Reconnect's online learning page is a useful starting point for discussing the proposed format and what preparation is needed.
Agree safe boundaries and communication
Ask which accounts and communication channels are approved. The learner and family should know how to contact the provider, report a concern and recognise a legitimate session invitation. Do not rely on informal contact through personal social media accounts.
Request the relevant online safety policy through the provider's policies and safeguarding information, and ask how it applies to one-to-one tuition. Clarify the expected adult availability, how identity is checked and what happens if a learner unexpectedly disconnects or does not attend.
Choose a suitable learning space without requiring the learner to show private areas of the home. Discuss camera use and any background settings as part of an agreed approach that takes account of access and safeguarding needs.
Recording should never be assumed. Ask whether sessions are recorded, why, who can access recordings and how the provider handles the relevant permissions and information. Schools and colleges in England should follow the applicable Keeping children safe in education guidance when arranging provision.
Make participation predictable
Tell the learner how the lesson will begin, what they will work on and how it will end. Agree a way to ask a question, request a pause or say that something is unclear. Depending on the activity, responses might be spoken, typed or written on paper and shared through the approved process.
A fictional example: a learner can explain an answer but finds switching between a video window and a document difficult. The tutor might present one task at a time and agree a simple response method, then check whether this improves access.
Use a first-session checklist:
- Can the learner open and read the materials?
- Is the audio clear enough for teaching?
- Does the tutor know the agreed participation methods?
- Is there a clear way to request help or a break?
- Does everyone know the session's finish time?
- Are support and safeguarding contact details available?
Plan for connection problems and review suitability
Agree how long the learner should try reconnecting, which approved channel to use for help and whether there is a suitable offline task. Make sure the family knows who to tell if the problem continues. Record technical barriers accurately rather than treating every missed connection as disengagement.
The DfE's remote education guidance for schools explains its place in England's education arrangements. Pupils who are absent from school and receiving remote education must still be recorded as absent using the appropriate attendance code. Joining an online lesson does not itself count as attending school. Schools should treat remote education as a last resort when attendance is not possible and review it alongside the learner’s wider education plan.
Review access, learning and the learner’s experience together. If the format remains difficult, discuss adaptations or alternatives. Our article on making online learning purposeful and personal explains how active teaching can build on a good setup. Regular review establishes whether online provision remains the right approach.