Getting a lesson
How quickly can we get a teacher?
It depends who is free. Your request goes to every registered teacher who is online and teaches at that level, and the first to take it starts the lesson. The request stays open for 30 minutes.
What if nobody’s available?
The request closes after 30 minutes and you are not charged. Nothing is ever held on your card unless a teacher actually accepts.
Do I need to book ahead?
No — and you can’t. loop is on demand only. You ask when you need it.
What subjects and year levels?
Mathematics, from Year 1 to NCEA Level 3. More subjects will follow. We match on year level and on whether your child is on NCEA, Cambridge, IB or homeschooling.
Can we ask for the same teacher again?
Not yet. Right now the first available teacher takes the lesson.
During the lesson
Do I need to sit with my child?
You don’t have to, and we’d rather you were nearby — especially the first time. Your child is meeting an adult they haven’t met before, online.
What do we need?
A laptop or tablet with a camera and microphone, and a reasonable connection. Nothing to install.
Is the lesson recorded?
Yes, every one. It is how we can check a lesson if you ever raise a concern, and it is where the written report comes from. Both people are told before they join and an indicator stays on screen throughout.
Who can watch the recording?
Only loop staff, and only where there is a reason to look: a safety concern, a complaint or a quality review. Who opened it and why is logged. Nobody outside loop can watch a lesson back — if something concerns you, tell us and we will watch it. Recordings are deleted after 90 days.
Money
How much is a lesson?
$30 for a 20-minute lesson, GST included. One price, known before you start — there is no meter running.
How am I charged?
When a teacher accepts, we place a $30 hold on your card — not a charge. After the lesson we charge it. If nobody accepts, nothing is ever held.
What if the lesson goes wrong?
If it ends within five minutes of starting, the block is not charged at all — automatically, without having to ask. If something went wrong after that, tell us and we will watch the recording.
Is there a subscription?
No. No packs, no minimum, nothing to cancel. Use it once a term or twice a week.
Teachers
Who are the teachers?
New Zealand registered teachers with a current practising certificate. We check the registration number against the Teaching Council’s public register by hand before anyone teaches.
Are they Police vetted?
The Teaching Council Police-vets teachers as part of issuing and renewing a practising certificate, and we rely on that rather than duplicating it. We also monitor every certificate’s expiry — if one lapses, that teacher stops receiving students that day.
I’m a teacher. Can I join?
If you are registered with a current practising certificate, yes.
Still wondering something?
Email patrick@loop.study. It goes to loop’s founder, and he answers it himself.
Teach with loop