Over the past 3 years, there has been an increasing number of tutoring websites where kids can learn different skills. This trend is set to continue in 2023, and Outschool.com is one of the websites many parents will be considering. In this Outschool review, you’ll learn more about Outschool, its tutors, the courses they offer, and how you can get started.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Outschool has a wide range of subjects to choose from. Students can learn subjects like math to improve their school performance or learn dancing to improve their social skills.
- Outschool has over 10,000 teachers who teach more than 140,000 classes. Thus, parents and students have a wide range of classes to choose from.
- Outschool teachers are well-trained professionals who have been vetted to ensure they are able to handle classes with kids.
- Teachers are allowed to set their own rates, which means parents can search for the best price for their budget.
- Parents and students are allowed to leave reviews on the teachers’ pages. These reviews are visible to everyone, which allows prospective learners to make an informed decision on their preferred tutor.
- Classes can be fixed to fit into your schedule.
Cons
- Some parents believe Outschool’s customer service can be better. They think Outschool doesn’t provide satisfactory answers to their questions and queries.
- Outschool is an online learning marketplace, and like with most marketplaces, you’ll have to do a bit of work to find the best offers and services.
What Is Outschool?
Let’s begin with the question, what is Outschool? Outschool is an online learning platform where kids can take video-led interactive classes on different subjects. Unlike many online learning platforms, Outschool isn’t just a place where kids can learn STEM subjects. It’s an online marketplace where you can find instructors who teach life skills like cooking, karate, and critical thinking.
Outschool started as a website where homeschooled kids could get additional lessons and resources to boost their education. But it has since grown into a platform where children between ages 3 to 17 can learn anything from normal school subjects like math to social skills like dancing. Some lessons are taught as live one-on-one classes, while others are held for groups.
Who Created Outschool.com?
Outschool was co-founded by Amir Nathoo, Mikhail Seregine, and Nick Grandy in 2015. Before Outschool, Nathoo was a software developer who built Trigger.io, a mobile development website where developers could create mobile apps. Meanwhile, Mikhail Seregine was one of the brains behind Amazon Mechanical Turk, while Nick Grandy is a project manager and was the first engineer at Airbnb.
According to Amir, the idea behind Outschool was to create an innovative platform where kids could fall in love with learning. They wanted to create a marketplace where kids could access live online classes on core school subjects and other disciplines not taught in traditional schools. Amir called it “Airbnb for kids classes.”
How Much Does Outschool.com Cost?
Depending on the subject you’re signing up your child for, Outschool classes cost between $5 and $33 on average. For example, you can get your child into a Dog man reading comprehension club for just $9. Meanwhile, it will cost you around $34 to sign up your child for a private guitar lesson class.
Since it’s a marketplace, the teachers set their own prices. This means there isn’t a set price for classes, and teachers with better reviews mostly charge more. So, if you think a tutor’s rate is a bit too high for you, other tutors may charge a slightly lower rate. Other factors that influence the cost of classes in Outschool are time, age, and content.
How Does Outschool.com Work?
Outschool works like any other marketplace. On the website’s homepage, you can browse through the subject categories to find the one you want. There’s also a search bar where you can find classes in a specific subject.
Some of the classes differ in focus. For example, people looking for classes in business can find a tutor offering a class on how to start a business and others who teach business growth. Once you choose a class you think is right for your child, you’ll work with the tutor to find a convenient time to hold the classes and choose suitable duration of each session.
You can sign up for private one-on-one classes or as part of a group. The classes are taught via zoom, so your child will need a computer to access them. Some teachers allow parents to stick around for the classes, while others don’t.
Outschool doesn’t offer free trial classes, but you can negotiate with a tutor to have a trial lesson for a lower fee. Depending on the subject, your child can complete a course on Outschool in 2 to 4 months.
What Subjects Do They Offer?
Outschool offers many subjects, from conventional school lessons to life skill classes. Below are some of the subjects you’ll find on the platform:
English
Under the English section, this platform offers tutoring in different areas, including creative writing, grammar, literature, writing, and reading comprehension. Some tutors offer book club meetings where kids can review books.
Math
Whether your child is in elementary or high school, you’ll find numerous math tutors who can help improve a kid’s math skills. On this platform, there are tutors for calculus, trigonometry, statistics, counting, addition, and subtraction.
Arts
There’s a wide range of lessons available under the art category. Outschool art classes include lessons on acting, animation, architecture, and crafts. You can also find music teachers, magic teachers, and teachers of fashion design and drawing.
Life Skills
Like school work, learning life skills is important for kids. Parents who want their children to pick up some essential life skills as they grow can sign them up for careers classes, handwriting classes, personal finance classes, and sewing classes. Outschool also has tutors who can teach kids manners, social skills, time management, and even how to tie their shoes.
Science
Some science classes in Outschool include astronomy, animal science, earth science, climate change, and life science. Other science classes are biology, chemistry, physics, physical science, and neuroscience.
Coding & Tech
Outschool has tutors who can teach your child how to code. There are special classes for kids to learn about cryptocurrency, internet safety, robotics, video games, and building computers. There are also beginner coding classes for kids from ages 7 to 14. Your child can also learn to build websites or create podcasts.
Health & Wellness
There are many health and wellness classes on outscore. The lessons include sports, nutrition, neurodiverse, and physical education. Some tutors teach your kids about emotions and how to control them. They can also learn about puberty and mindfulness from professional teachers worldwide.
What Ages Is Outschool.com Appropriate for?
Outschool is appropriate for children between the ages of 3 and 18. There are classes for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten kids between ages 3 and 6 with full curriculums and circle time. You can also find guitar classes for kids from ages 7 and college preparation writing classes for children between ages 13 and 18.
Who Are Outschool.com Tutors?
Outschool.com has over 10,000 teachers from different countries. Teachers don’t need formal credentials but will need to satisfy the teaching requirements set by Outschool. The requirements include:
- Teachers in Outschool must be at least 18 years or older.
- Teachers must be from the United States, Australia, Canada, Wales, New Zealand, or England.
- Teachers must have at least one skill to base their classes on and technical ability to conduct lessons.
- They must have a good command of spoken English.
- Teachers must pass through a criminal background check and verify their identity.
From all indications, Outschool teachers are well vetted and pass through a stringent requirement process to ensure they’re fit to teach kids. Also, the teachers and their classes are rated by kids and parents. These ratings appear on their profiles.
Hence, you can check the ratings of any class to see what others are saying about it before you decide if the one is the best for your child. Teachers also put up introduction videos for each class they teach and are available to speak with parents before lessons are booked.
Outschool.com Customer Reviews
Outschool reviews by customers are generally positive. Many of the parents who reviewed the platform spoke highly of the tutors and the quality of the classes. This sentiment seems to be supported by the number of good reviews on the profiles of most of the tutors.
On Trust pilot, Outschool has a 4.7 stars rating from over 2000 ratings, which represents an overwhelmingly positive rating. Most of the reviews in Trust pilot praised the tutors, their classes, and their teaching method.
That said, there were a few negative reviews that were quite critical of the Outschool customer support services. Some parents complained about their inability to get satisfactory answers to their questions and queries.
Outschool Teacher Reviews
Most of the outschool teacher reviews on Reddit are positive. Many of the teachers had good things to say about the platform. They seemed to like the flexibility which allows to set work time to fit one’s schedule and the freedom to set their own rates.
Outschool teacher reviews on indeed.com were more of the same. However, some teachers didn’t seem to like that the work was inconsistent, which is one of the major drawbacks of selling your skill in a marketplace. But with over 1 million learners drawn from around 183 countries, there’s no shortage of students, and the best teachers on the platform are in high demand.
Is Outschool Legit?
Yes, Outschool is a legit platform for your kids to learn online. The platform is safe for kids as the teachers are vetted and go through a criminal background check before they are allowed to handle classes. Also, if you’re not comfortable with your child having zoom video classes with their cameras on, Outschool allows you to turn off the video and use a picture of you and your child on the screen.
This platform has appeared in high-profile publications like Forbes and Wall Street Journal. On the Outschool careers page, you’ll find a long list of contributors, which includes Y Combinator, Common Sense Growth, and Union Square Ventures. They have also enjoyed lots of positive reviews from parents and teachers, so you can rest assured that the site is legit.
Conclusion
Outschool is an online learning marketplace where kids can learn different things. This platform is quite different compared to most learning websites. They have more subjects, more teachers, and flexible prices.
The customer reviews from parents are mostly positive, and the website has grown in leaps and bounds since it was first established in 2015. With so many classes to choose from and professional teachers handling them, this website has proven to be a great online learning platform for kids.
FAQ
Is Outschool.com Safe for Kids?
Yes, Outschool.com is safe for kids. The platform conducts training and runs criminal background checks of potential teachers to ensure they are qualified to work with children.
Does Outschool.com Have a Referral Program?
Yes, Outschool.com has a parent and teacher referral program. Parents get a $20 credit bonus when they refer someone to the platform and another $20 credit when that person takes a class. Meanwhile, if a teacher refers their friends to Outschool, they get paid $200 as soon as their friends earn their first $100 on the platform.
Does Outschool.com Have a Physical Learning Center for Offline Classes?
No, Outschool.com does not have a physical learning center for offline classes. All classes are held online via zoom calls and can only be accessed on the website.
Can Outschool.com Fit into a Homeschool Curriculum?
Yes, Outschool can fit into your child’s homeschool curriculum. They are pre-approved for more than 50 homeschool charter schools in Arizona, Wisconsin, Alaska, California, and Canada.
Does Outschool.com Math Comply with Common Core Standards?
Yes, many tutors on outschool.com offer math classes that comply with common core standards. They usually indicate this in the class description.
Do They Provide Promo Codes or Coupons?
Yes, Outschool provides promo codes and coupons that provide discounts on classes.
With schools across the country moving to online learning, parents are looking for supplemental educational opportunities to supplement their child’s education. One option that has gained popularity is Outschool, an online platform that offers live video classes for kids 3-18 years old. But is Outschool worth it? Compare Varsity tutors prices, Juni Learning reviews and what is Outschool mathematics. Here’s what one parent had to say.
