Matching is the most consequential decision in any placement. Get it wrong and even the best tutor cannot deliver. Get it right and the work tends to settle quickly — sometimes within the first two or three sessions.
What we mean by matching
By "matching" we mean proposing a specific named tutor for a specific child, based on a deliberate consideration of fit — not assigning whoever happens to be available in the relevant area. The distinction matters. Many tutoring providers operate from a pool model where the next free tutor takes the next case. We do not. Every placement is matched individually, named, and discussed with the family or referring professional before sessions begin.
The information we work from
To match well, we need to understand the child. We work from whatever combination of these we can get:
- The young person's age, year group and current educational setting
- Primary SEN or SEMH need, and any diagnoses
- EHCP and supporting documentation where in place
- What has been tried before and how the child responded
- Specific subject or curriculum needs
- Family or school preferences on the tutor profile
- Practical considerations — setting, timetable, accessibility
- Anything else the referrer or family wants us to know
We do not need everything before we start. Where information is partial — which is common for children mid-assessment or just out of school — we ask follow-up questions as we go.
What we match on
Match decisions weight several factors:
Specialist experience. An autism specialist for an autistic child. A dyslexia-trained tutor for a dyslexic child. A trauma-informed mentor for a child with care experience. The match is to the profile, not just the subject.
Subject and Key Stage. Where academic content is the primary need, we match tutors with the qualifications and experience to teach the relevant subjects at the relevant level.
Style fit. Some children need a quietly patient adult; others need someone energetic who can hold attention. This is harder to specify on paper than to recognise in practice, but it matters.
Practical fit. Geography, timetable, delivery setting and any specific accessibility considerations.
Specialist experience over availability
We will say no to a placement where we cannot match well — for example, where the child's profile is unusual and the right specialist is not in our network, or where the only available tutor is genuinely not the right fit. This sometimes loses us work. It is more important than the work.
The proposed match conversation
Before any session begins, we share the proposed tutor's profile with the family or referring professional. This usually covers their qualifications, relevant experience, broad approach, and why we are proposing them for this particular child. Where the family or referrer wants to ask questions, we facilitate that. Where they have a concern about the match, we propose an alternative.
This step adds a few days to placement start, but the placements that follow are substantially more likely to work. We have learned not to skip it.
What happens if the match doesn't work
Sometimes the proposed match does not work in practice — the child doesn't engage, the relationship doesn't develop, or something becomes visible that wasn't on paper. When this happens we say so quickly, propose an alternative, and re-match without fuss. There is no cost to the family or commissioner for a change of tutor where the original match has not worked. We treat this as part of normal practice, not as failure.