Parents often choose in-person tutoring because it feels more “real”, yet GCSE Physics marks are lost in places you cannot easily see: missing units, unclear conclusions, weak command-word responses, and multi-step calculations that fall apart under time pressure. Online tutoring often works better because the screen forces visible thinking: shared working, instant retrieval checks, and recorded methods. That makes misconceptions and exam-technique gaps harder to hide, and easier to fix quickly.
If your child can do the maths but still drops marks, you are usually dealing with a mix of: (1) content gaps in specific topics, (2) misconceptions that keep resurfacing, and (3) exam technique that does not match the mark scheme. Online lessons create a record of what your child actually wrote and said, so you can judge whether time is being used well, rather than relying on “they seemed more confident” in GCSE Physics.
The real question: ‘better for what?’ (a quick decision framework for GCSE Physics)
Online vs in-person is not a personality preference. It is a question of which format makes the work visible and repeatable. GCSE Physics rewards method, structure and precision. If your child “gets it” in the session but cannot reproduce it later, the better format is the one that builds reusable methods and a tight practice loop.
Match the format to the mark-loss pattern. If marks are lost on calculations, graphs, and explaining reasoning, online is often stronger because the tutor can watch every line of working on a shared whiteboard, correct it in real time, and save the final version for revision. If the issue is engagement and your child will not work on a screen, in-person may be better, but only if the tutor still gets the student writing and answering exam-style questions.
Why GCSE Physics is different from other subjects (and why that matters for online vs in-person)
GCSE Physics is not just “knowing facts”. Many questions are two-part problems: choose the right equation or principle, then apply it with correct units, conversions and rounding. Students can sound confident but lose marks because they skip steps, mix up symbols, or write conclusions that do not match the data.
Physics also rewards specific phrases and links. For example, “Explain why the stopping distance increases” needs a chain of reasoning, not a single statement. Required practicals add variables, method critique, control measures, graph interpretation and evaluation. Online tutoring suits this because it makes the student’s written reasoning visible and editable, and it is easier to build a small library of model answers and annotated mark schemes.
The counterintuitive advantage of online: visible working and instant diagnosis
In a good online lesson, the tutor can see the student’s thinking as it happens. When a student writes on a shared whiteboard or document, the tutor can spot the exact moment a misconception appears: the wrong unit conversion, the incorrect rearrangement, or the missing statement that would earn the final mark.
Online also supports fast retrieval checks without wasting time. A tutor can run short “no-notes” questions at the start, then compare the student’s response to mark scheme language. If your child keeps losing marks on “state” vs “explain” command words, the tutor can build a checklist and apply it across topics. The advantage for parents is transparency: you can ask to see the shared notes, the error log, and the question types being trained.
Where online tutoring is usually stronger (calculations, graphs, multi-step questions, exam wording)
Calculations improve fastest when the tutor enforces a consistent layout: write the equation, substitute with units, rearrange clearly, calculate, then round appropriately. Online whiteboards and shared notebooks make that layout easy to insist on.
Graphs and data questions also suit online teaching. The tutor can share a graph, ask the student to identify gradients, intercepts and anomalies, then annotate directly on the screen. This is useful for required practical-style questions: drawing a line of best fit, calculating a gradient, and writing a conclusion linked to the trend.
Exam wording is another area where online often wins because the tutor can display the mark scheme and train the student to “write to the marks”: definitions, because-clauses, and conclusions that reference the data provided.
Handling required practicals online (what can be taught better on screen, and what needs a different approach)
Required practicals are not about owning equipment at home. Most marks come from planning, variables, risk, data handling, and evaluation. Online tutoring can teach these using exam-board style practical questions and walking through what earns marks.
What needs a different approach is the “hands-on feel” of apparatus. A good online tutor does not pretend to replicate a lab. Instead, they teach the transferable skills that appear on papers: reducing random error, spotting systematic error, choosing a suitable range and interval, and explaining why repeats and means are used.
What the First 4 Tutoring Sessions Should Look Like
Session 1 should create a clear baseline. A strong tutor will use a short set of mixed exam questions and watch how your child sets out working and answers command words, noting patterns such as unit slips, unclear substitutions, or vague explanations.
Session 2 should target the first two or three highest-impact gaps identified, with a focus on reusable methods. Session 3 should extend this into multi-step questions and exam wording: linking calculations to conclusions, and practising “describe/explain/evaluate” structures using mark schemes. Session 4 should act as a checkpoint: reattempt the same question types from Session 1 under light time pressure, review the error log, and agree the next focus based on what is still recurring.
What Good Progress Looks Like in the First Month
- Your child can reattempt the same question type a week later with fewer prompts (e.g., rearranging equations, circuit calculations).
- A clear ‘top 3’ mistake list is shrinking (e.g., unit conversions, rounding/sig figs, series vs parallel rules).
- Written answers start matching mark-scheme structure (definitions, ‘because’ explanations, conclusions linked to data).
- Homework is short, targeted, and marked with specific corrections.
- Timed mini-sets improve in accuracy or completion.
- Your child can explain a worked solution back to the tutor using correct units and reasoning.
Questions to Ask a Tutor
- “How will you diagnose what’s actually causing lost marks in GCSE Physics: content gaps, misconceptions, or exam technique?” What a strong answer sounds like: a first-lesson diagnostic using exam questions, then an error list and an exam-technique checklist (units, command words, layout).
- “What will my child produce after each session (shared notes, worked examples, an error log, a short practice set)?” What a strong answer sounds like: a shared notebook or folder, a running error log, and a small set of targeted questions with written feedback.
- “How do you teach multi-step calculations and stop the same mistakes repeating?” What a strong answer sounds like: consistent layout, explicit unit handling, and planned reattempts of the same structure.
- “How do you handle required practicals and evaluation questions online?” What a strong answer sounds like: practising variables, method critique, graph skills and evaluation points using exam-board questions and mark schemes.
- “What will you check in the first month to prove progress (and how will you show it)?” What a strong answer sounds like: before-and-after reattempts, timed mini-sets, and a shrinking error list you can view.
- “Which exam board and tier are you teaching to, and how will you adapt questions accordingly?” What a strong answer sounds like: they name the board (AQA/Edexcel/OCR/WJEC) and adapt questions to Foundation or Higher.
Red Flags to Watch For
- The tutor does most of the talking while the student watches. Why this matters: GCSE Physics improves when the student writes, explains, and corrects.
- No baseline check in the first session (or it’s just a chat). Why this matters: without a quick diagnostic, sessions drift and the same mark-loss patterns persist.
- They won’t use exam-style questions or marking-scheme language. Why this matters: Physics marks are awarded for specific points (units, conclusions, method steps).
- No system for tracking mistakes (no error log / misconception list). Why this matters: repeated errors are the main reason tutoring feels like it isn’t sticking.
- They dismiss required practicals as ‘just memorisation’. Why this matters: evaluation, variables, and graph interpretation are skills.
- They can’t explain what parents will see after sessions (notes, homework feedback, targets). Why this matters: online’s advantage is transparency.
How to set up online sessions so they actually work (simple home setup + routines)
Online tutoring works best when the student is set up to write and be corrected quickly. A laptop or desktop is usually easier than a phone because it allows split-screen: questions on one side, working on the other. Headphones reduce distractions, and a quiet table helps your child stay in “exam mode”.
Routines matter more than fancy equipment. Agree that the student will write every answer and read their final answer aloud with units. Keep a single shared folder for notes, model answers and the error log, so revision is organised by question type. You can also ask the tutor to share a brief post-lesson summary so you can see what was trained and what to practise next. If you want a clear picture of the process, check how our online tutoring works.
When in-person can still be the better choice (and how to tell quickly)
In-person can be the better choice when engagement is the main barrier. If your child refuses to speak on camera, will not write on a shared board, or gets distracted online, a good in-person tutor can rebuild routines and attention.
Even then, the deciding factor is not the room. It is whether the tutor creates visible outputs and a repeatable practice loop. Ask after the first lesson for one photographed page of working, one marked question, and one target for the week. If those are missing, the format is not the issue: the method is.
A simple ‘trial lesson scorecard’ parents can use after week 1
After the first week, you should be able to judge quality without waiting for a full mock. Look for: (1) baseline completed using exam-style questions, (2) one clear misconception identified and explained, (3) one exam-technique rule applied (for example: units and substitution layout), and (4) a short practice set set and marked.
Also check whether your child did most of the writing. Ask your child to show you one corrected question and explain what they would do differently next time. If they cannot, the session may have been too tutor-led.
Next steps: choosing the right GCSE Science support (without overcommitting)
If your child is losing marks on explanation structure, units, and multi-step methods, online tutoring often gives faster clarity because the work is visible and saved. Start with a short block of sessions and ask for specific outputs: a baseline snapshot, an error log, and a weekly set of repeated question types.
If you also want support across Biology and Chemistry, look for a tutor who can coordinate skills like exam wording and data handling across papers. You can explore broader GCSE Science tutoring, then book a free introduction to confirm exam board, tier, and whether the tutor’s online process will give you the visibility you are looking for.