Disintermediation means taking communication or payment for tutoring with a parent or private student off the MyTutor platform.
This includes moving lessons or communication to another platform, or using alternative payment arrangements outside MyTutor.
Common examples of disintermediation include:
Sharing personal information, such as your email address or phone number, with parents or students.
Sharing social media accounts or links with parents or students.
Sharing details of alternative platforms, such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
Arranging or accepting payment for lessons outside the MyTutor platform.
Why is it important not to disintermediate?
You must not disintermediate because communication outside the MyTutor platform is not monitored and can create a safeguarding concern.
Sharing personal information also breaches the MyTutor Code of Conduct and goes against KCSIE (Keeping Children Safe in Education) guidelines.
Online risks are more often caused by behaviour than by the technology itself.
What should I do if a parent asks for my contact details?
If a parent asks for your personal contact details, such as your phone number or email address, you should not share them.
You can use the following message to explain why:
Hi [parent name],
I understand that you’d like to have my [phone number/email address] to make communicating and booking lessons easier. I can’t share these details with you, as it goes against MyTutor’s Code of Conduct, which I agreed to when I joined.
The Code of Conduct is in place to make sure all lessons are safe and secure for both students and tutors.
If you’re having issues with receiving messages or notifications on your account, please get in touch with MyTutor support directly by emailing support@mytutor.co.uk or using live chat for a quick response. They’ll be able to help you.
If you are still concerned that the parent hasn’t understood why they should not share personal details, please get in touch with us and we’ll be happy to discuss this further with them.
Can my student or parent send me exam results after our lessons have finished?
Yes. Parents still have access to their MyTutor account even if they no longer have lessons booked with you.
A parent can use their MyTutor account to send you a message with their child’s exam results. This communication can continue through the MyTutor platform after lessons have finished.
You can also ask a parent or student to leave a review on your profile after your lessons have finished. This can help improve your tutor profile and stats.
What should I do if there are technical issues during a lesson and a parent asks me to continue on another platform?
You should not move a lesson to another platform because of technical issues.
If you experience technical problems during a lesson, use MyTutor's recommended quick fixes.
You can also use the Tech FAQs for information about resolving audio, video or connection problems.
Please tell MyTutor about any technical issues you experience, including how often they happen. This helps us identify and fix recurring problems as quickly as possible
Can I share my personal details or social media accounts with a university student?
No. You must not share your personal details or social media accounts with a university student, even if you are technically peers.
When you use MyTutor, you agree to follow the MyTutor Code of Conduct, which includes a requirement that communication takes place on the MyTutor platform.
Communication outside the MyTutor platform is not monitored and can therefore create a safeguarding concern, regardless of the age of your student.
Can I arrange payment with a private student outside MyTutor?
No. Arranging or accepting payment for MyTutor lessons outside the MyTutor platform is also considered disintermediation.
Payments for MyTutor lessons must be made through the MyTutor platform rather than through an alternative payment method.
You can find more helpful information in the articles below: