For many students, online maths tutoring works as well as in-person tutoring, provided the lesson is interactive and the tutor can watch the working as it is written. In-person lessons remain the better choice for some children, especially the very young and those who find a screen hard to focus on.
What is ClassArc?
ClassArc is live one-to-one online maths tutoring for school-age children. One teacher and one child, for 55 minutes. The same teacher every week. Classes run inside our own classroom software, not a video call: a shared worksheet you both write on, a shared whiteboard, and answers that sync live.
The short answer
Whether lessons happen online or at the kitchen table matters less than what happens inside them. A tutor who can see each line of working, follows the school's order of topics and meets your child regularly will usually do well in either format.
Online tutoring widens the choice of tutor and removes travel. In-person tutoring makes hands-on work and concentration easier for some children. This post covers the evidence, the costs and the children for whom each option makes more sense.
At a glance
| Online tutoring | In-person tutoring | |
|---|---|---|
| Seeing the working | Depends on the tools: a shared live worksheet shows every line, a webcam aimed at paper shows very little | Easy, because the tutor sits beside the page |
| Choice of tutor | Not limited by postcode, so it is easier to find someone who knows the exact syllabus | Limited to tutors who can travel to you |
| Travel and scheduling | No travel, and easier to fit around clubs and siblings | Someone travels; short-notice changes are harder |
| Cost | Usually lower: no travel, and the tutor can live anywhere | Usually higher, set by local rates |
| Focus | Harder for some children, with other tabs a click away | Easier for most children to stay on task |
| Hands-on work | On-screen tools only | Counters, real objects and geometry sets |
| Rapport | Just as strong in time, though shy children may take a lesson or two longer | Often quicker to build |
| Reliability | Needs a stable connection and a working microphone | Needs everyone well and able to get there |
The evidence
The Education Endowment Foundation's Teaching and Learning Toolkit, the most widely used summary of this research in England, estimates that one-to-one tuition adds about five months' progress on average. It also notes that the effect in maths is noticeably smaller than in literacy (around two months against six).
On delivery, the same Toolkit entry reports that studies involving digital technology show broadly similar effects. That is encouraging for online lessons, though it is not a large head-to-head trial of online against in-person maths tuition, and we have not found one that settles the question.
One result deserves mention. An EEF-funded trial of online one-to-one maths tuition for Year 6 pupils, run in schools during the school day and reported in 2016, found no evidence of an effect on Key Stage 2 maths results, though teachers noticed better confidence and explanation. Being online does not make tutoring work on its own; what the Toolkit highlights is tuition linked to classroom teaching, experienced tutors, and regular sessions over a set period. Sources: EEF, One to one tuition; EEF, Affordable Maths Tuition trial.
Cost
Online lessons remove travel time and free a family from local rates. UK rate guides checked in August 2026 most often publish £15–40 an hour for online maths tuition, and £25–60 for private maths tutors overall. In the UAE, EdFlik's 2026 guide (a commercial price guide, not official data) quotes AED 100–200 an hour for IGCSE-level tuition, with IB higher and CBSE lower.
Where the tutor lives moves the price more than anything else. ClassArc's teachers are in India, so a 55-minute class in the UK costs from £11, and from £14 in the GCSE and A-Level years. Nobody is underpaid; a good teaching salary simply costs less there than in London or Dubai. Dirham prices are on UAE pricing.
Being honest
It is better to say this before a term of lessons than after one.
How we do it
ClassArc runs on classroom software we built ourselves. Teacher and child write on the same interactive worksheet at the same moment, so the teacher sees the step where a sign was dropped, not just a wrong answer at the bottom. A shared whiteboard sits beside it, and ArcSpace turns ideas such as fractions into pieces your child can see and move.
Classes open in the browser with nothing to install, last 55 minutes and are always with the same teacher. India is 4½ hours ahead of the UK in summer (5½ in winter) and 1½ hours ahead of the UAE, so after-school hours in London, Dubai or Abu Dhabi sit inside our teachers' working day.
With only the final answer, a tutor knows something went wrong. With every line, they know where.
Why we built our own classroomRead next
How lessons follow England's National Curriculum and your child's GCSE board, from Reception to Year 13.
See UK tutoringBritish, IB and CBSE curricula, the UAE school week, and lesson times that fit Dubai and Abu Dhabi afternoons.
See UAE tutoringThe questions to ask before paying, what to watch in a trial lesson, and the warning signs.
Read the guideCommon questions
First class
55 minutes. The real classroom. No card. We confirm details on email and WhatsApp within a day.
Last updated · May 2026
When you book a demo or sign up for classes, we collect your name, your child's name, email, WhatsApp number, time zone, and the grade you're inquiring about. That's it. We don't ask for or store any payment details on this website. We don't use trackers, cookies for advertising, or third-party analytics that profile you.
Only to schedule and run your classes, send you class reminders, share homework and progress, and answer your questions. We'll reach out by email or WhatsApp, depending on what you tell us works better for you.
Your teacher, and the small team supporting them at ClassArc. We never sell, rent, or share your information with anyone outside ClassArc. We use Web3Forms to receive form submissions, and standard email and WhatsApp for messaging, nothing else.
We treat any information about your child with extra care. We only collect what we need to teach them well, such as their grade and what they're working on. We never use a child's photo, name, or work in any marketing without the parent's explicit written permission.
You can ask us to show you what we have on file, correct anything inaccurate, or delete your data entirely, at any time. Just email hello@theclassarc.com and we'll handle it within a few days.
Email hello@theclassarc.com. A real person will reply.
Last updated · May 2026
ClassArc is a one-on-one online tutoring service. We provide live, scheduled classes between a teacher and a student, along with homework, feedback, and study support.
Each class is 55 minutes. You can reschedule or cancel a class up to 5 minutes before it starts. If you miss a class without notice, we usually credit it back to your balance and reschedule based on what works for the teacher and student.
The first demo class is free, no card required. After that, plans are billed in advance for the number of classes you choose (8, 24, or ~48). We'll send you a payment link directly once you've picked a plan.
If you want to stop classes at any point, we refund whatever class balance is left on your plan. No questions asked, no friction. Refunds are processed within 7 business days.
We expect students and parents to treat teachers with respect, and teachers to do the same. We reserve the right to end the relationship if classes become unsafe, abusive, or disruptive, with a full refund of any unused balance.
If we update these terms, we'll email you before the changes take effect, so you have time to review them.
For anything, email hello@theclassarc.com.