How to Choose Tutoring or a Private Tutor for International School Students in Tokyo: IB, IGCSE, AP and School Support Compared

First, separate out what your child is struggling with

Before you look for tutoring for an international school student, divide the difficulty into at least these four.

• Your child cannot keep up with lesson content at school
• Your child struggles with academic skills such as essays, reports and presentations
• You want to prepare for external exams or advanced subjects such as IGCSE, the IBDP or AP
• You want to build English itself: reading, writing, grammar and vocabulary

If you choose by the words "international school support" alone without separating these, it is easy to end up with a mismatch with lessons. The differences by curriculum are set out in our comparison of IB, IGCSE, AP and K-12.

School-work support

This type follows the school's homework, units, tests and projects.

When it suits

What to check is whether the tutor can explain the thinking while reading the school's assessment criteria, rather than just giving the answer.

• Your child understands the lesson content but finds it hard to organise what they have to submit
• Your child's understanding of maths or science drops when reading the problem in English
• Your child wants to practise building essays and reports to fit the school's rubric

IGCSE preparation

IGCSE is an external qualification by subject, so preparation that follows the syllabus, past papers and mark schemes is important.

In Cambridge IGCSE the method of assessment, such as written, oral, coursework and practical work, differs by subject. Some schools, such as KIST, use Pearson Edexcel IGCSE.

For that reason, even where a provider says it covers IGCSE, check which exam board and which subjects it can handle. The difference from the MYP is set out in our MYP vs IGCSE comparison.

IB support

In the IB, the support needed differs between the PYP, MYP and DP.

In the MYP, students may need to understand criterion-based assessment and learning that crosses subjects. In the DP, as well as six subjects there are TOK, the Extended Essay and CAS, and each subject involves Internal Assessment.

Rather than the single phrase "IB support", check whether it is the MYP or the DP, and for the DP, what specifically the tutor can handle, such as particular subjects, the IA and the EE. The differences between the IBDP, AP and A-levels are set out in our comparison of the IBDP, AP and A-levels.

AP and American high-school support

AP is a set of individual college-level subjects and exams for high-school students.

The expertise needed differs greatly by subject, such as AP Calculus, AP Biology and AP English.

At an American-style school, support may be needed not only for AP but also for regular High School Diploma subjects, credits and school-specific assignments.

You need to look not just at a number such as "covers X AP subjects" but at which subjects that tutor can actually teach.

The difference between English tutoring and subject learning support

A teacher who is good at conversational or general English cannot necessarily handle academic writing or IGCSE Physics.

Conversely, an advanced maths tutor is not necessarily good at explaining to an EAL student how to read and unpick a problem.

For an international school student, you need to look at both subject knowledge and the ability to explain in English.

When group classes suit

On the other hand, group classes can find it hard to fit each school's homework or small individual weaknesses.

• You want to follow a set curriculum systematically
• You want to keep pace with students taking the same exam
• Competition and the class environment motivate your child

When one-to-one suits

Even with one-to-one lessons, the tutor will not necessarily be able to cover every subject, so checking at the matching stage is important. What to check when the curriculum changes because of a transfer is collected in our curriculum checklist for transfers.

• You want to follow your child's school homework and rubrics
• Your child has moved between several curricula
• Your child's weaknesses differ greatly by subject
• You want someone to look at English ability and subject understanding together
• You want to adjust the days and the in-person location flexibly

Seven points to compare when choosing tutoring or a tutor

• Can they handle your child's current school and grade?
• Can they handle specific programmes such as the MYP, IGCSE, IBDP or AP?
• Do they have the subject expertise needed, such as maths, science and English?
• Can they give catch-up support using the school's materials and rubrics?
• Do in-person or online lessons, and the area they can travel to, fit what you want?
• After lessons, can you see progress and the next task?
• Is it clear how to change tutor, or continue, if the tutor is not a good fit?

What to check in a trial lesson

In a trial lesson, look not at whether the teacher talks a lot but at whether they can diagnose where your child currently is.

• Do they ask where understanding breaks down?
• Do they look at the school's assignment and check how it is assessed?
• After explaining, do they check that your child can solve the problem themselves?
• Can they say specifically what to fix by the next lesson?

These points are a better guide to how well you will work together once lessons continue than a teacher's title alone.

A caution when comparing specific providers

Course names, fees, curricula covered and in-person areas of tutoring and private-tutor services can change.

Even within the same service, the subjects that can be handled differ depending on the tutor.

For that reason, this guide does not guess at provider information that we have not been able to confirm and turn it into a ranking. When you compare specific services, check both each company's latest official information and a trial lesson.