A private tutor in Norway should suit your child’s subject, age and language needs. Start with the school, explore free homework help and then compare paid services. Agree on goals, price and follow-up before buying many lessons.
What does your child need help with?
Choose a private tutor based on what your child does not understand, rather than just the school subject’s name. A child may understand maths but struggle with Norwegian words in the question.
Ask the class teacher to show a specific example. Ask whether the difficulty concerns subject content, reading, Norwegian or study habits. Then write one goal: “My child should be able to explain how they solve word problems.” This makes the search more precise than “better grades”.
Tell the private tutor your child’s school year and the learning materials used at school. Also describe which languages your child understands. Someone who explains well to adults is not necessarily suited to a primary school pupil.
If Norwegian is the main difficulty, read SamfunnPrep’s guide to special language support at school. Private lessons should support the school’s work without making the school’s responsibilities unclear.
Can your child get free homework help first?
Check the school’s and municipality’s services before booking private lessons. Free homework help may be enough when your child needs support with ordinary assignments.
As of 13 October 2026, the municipality must provide free homework help for pupils in compulsory education. The municipality decides which school years and how many places the service covers. This does not mean every child automatically has a place. This follows from Utdanningsdirektoratet’s explanation of section 4-4 of opplæringsloven, the Education Act. Utdanningsdirektoratet is the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training.
Røde Kors offers free online homework help. Røde Kors is the Red Cross. The service is described as anonymous and requiring no login. Check current opening hours and whether the help suits your child’s age and assignment.
A single conversation about an assignment and a regular teaching programme meet different needs. Ask the school to explain what the free service provides. If your child needs a regular person and a clear plan, paid lessons can supplement it.
Where can you find a private tutor in Norway?
You can find private tutors through a teaching provider or by contacting tutors directly. Compare these options with free services before choosing.
| Search route | Suitable when | Check before starting |
|---|---|---|
| School or municipality | Your child needs help with schoolwork | School years, available places and what the service covers |
| Røde Kors online homework help | Your child needs support with a specific assignment | Opening hours and suitable communication |
| Teaching provider | You want a regular tutor and an agreed programme | Tutor’s experience, price and replacement arrangements |
| Direct contact with a tutor | You want to agree on the content yourselves | Identity, references and written terms |
MentorNorge describes individual homework help at home or online. This is one commercial example, not a ranking. Ask for information about the specific mentor who will teach your child.
For direct searches, you can use “privatlærer matematikk” along with the city and your child’s school year. Add “tospråklig”, meaning bilingual, or the language you want if needed. A recommendation from another parent is a starting point; assess whether the tutor suits your child’s task.
How do you assess the tutor’s skills?
Ask for relevant experience and an example of how the tutor would explain your child’s assignment. Subject knowledge, teaching ability and safe contact with your child must be assessed separately.
Ask specifically about:
- experience with the relevant school year and subject;
- experience with pupils learning Norwegian as a second language;
- relevant education and references;
- how the tutor checks that your child really understands;
- how you receive updates on progress and the next step.
Ask the provider how identity and suitability for working with children are checked. Agree who will be present at the first meeting. For online lessons, a parent or guardian should help the child with the first login.
Send only information the tutor needs. Start with an anonymised assignment rather than the whole pupil file. If the tutor wants to record lessons, ask about the purpose, access and deletion before agreeing.
What should a trial lesson show?
A trial lesson should show whether your child understands the explanation and gets to work independently. Clarify in advance whether the trial is free or paid and how long it lasts.
Let the tutor work on one familiar assignment. See whether your child can explain their thinking and whether the tutor adjusts the explanation. A tutor who solves everything themselves shows little about your child’s learning.
After the lesson, ask your child what became easier. Also ask the tutor to describe one specific next goal. Agree when to assess the programme, for example after a few lessons, instead of waiting until the end of a large package.
Many factors can affect grades. Be careful with services promising a particular grade. Instead, look for a clear plan, realistic goals and explanations your child can use without help.
How do you compare price and agreement?
Compare the full cost and the content of lessons. A low advertised hourly price can lead to a different total when preparation, travel or a package is included.
Ask for written answers about lesson length, lesson count and the price for the whole agreement. Ask whether materials and preparation are included. Clarify cancellation deadlines, payment for absence, changing tutor and what happens to unused lessons.
MentorNorge’s terms describe packages, agreed preparation and supplements for attendance in person. As of 13 October 2026, ending within the validity period can also change the hourly price for lessons used. Ask for a calculation for the offer you actually receive.
What do you write in the first enquiry?
Send a short description of the subject, school year, language and desired goal. Ask for a suggested tutor and the full price before sending further documents.
You can write: “We are looking for maths help for a pupil in lower secondary school. Our child understands the subject better in Polish and needs support with Norwegian word problems. Do you have a tutor with relevant experience? We would like online lessons and information about lesson length, a trial lesson and all costs.”
If your child cannot follow ordinary lessons because of their Norwegian skills, ask the school to assess language support. Utdanningsdirektoratet explains the right to special language support. A private agreement does not replace this assessment.
On SamfunnPrep, you can also find tools for organising everyday life in Norway. Keep contact with the school, the agreement and your child’s learning goals in one place so your family can follow up the support.
