Returning to Normal Learning – Our Plan

A letter from our founder, Andy Williamson.

We thank you for your ongoing support during this time. I’m sure you’re all as burned out from Zoom as we are, and are looking forward to the prospect of ditching the screens in favor of some human contact.


In tutoring, as in everyday life, we believe in planning for the worst and hoping for the best. We remain cautiously optimistic about the prospects of resuming some level of normal learning throughout the course of the next few weeks and months.

As such, we’ve mapped out what that may look like, using a four-Stage process (see the final page for those four Stages). As and when the Washington State governor begins to relax restrictions, we’ll move to different Stages, allowing us ever-greater opportunities to return to the pre-coronavirus situation. Obviously, that will be a slow process, but below we outline how we can do this.

Again, as with tutoring, this process is very much a partnership between us and you. We will ensure our coaches and students are as safe as they can be. Below is information on how we can all do this at each Stage of the ‘Returning to Normal Learning’ plan.

Important Information

  • All of our policies will be guided by scientific and governmental recommendations. The Stages will all be set in accordance with the WA Government regulations and recommendations.
  • The actions described at each Stage are the maximum permitted. We won’t force anyone (student, parent, or coach) to undertake actions with which they are not comfortable. All changes in meetings will be at the discretion of both coach and parent/student.
  • Hampton Tutors will not charge a cancellation fee for any student as a result of coronavirus. If a student, anyone in the household, or anyone the student has come into contact with shows symptoms, cancel or rearrange the lesson as soon as possible.
  • This whole period has shown the value and importance of teamwork. We will endeavor to keep things as normal, organized, and smooth as possible, but sometimes things may have to be a little ad hoc. We are happy to be flexible when it comes to lesson times, duration, and logistics, and we hope you are too.

What we will do:

  • General
    • We will monitor WA Government regulations on a daily basis, and set our Stage level accordingly. (Stages may fall as well as rise.)
    • All administrative employees will continue to work from home.
    • Each day of in-person tutoring, the coach will be asked to complete the Symptoms Questionnaire (below).
  • Personal Protective Equipment
    • We will provide masks and hand sanitizer to all of our coaches who request them.
    • We will provide masks and hand sanitizer to all students who attend in-office meetings.
  • In-office
    • We will provide in-office workspace allowing for a 6-foot distance between coach and student.
    • We will sanitize each office teaching room after every lesson.
    • There will be no waiting available in our office – parents or guardians must drop their students off without entering the building.
    • We will provide a no-touch temperature reading for everyone entering our office. Anyone demonstrating a temperature above 100.4 Fahrenheit will not be permitted entry.
    • All in-office sessions will have staggered start and finish times to minimize unnecessary contact.

What you should do:

  • If hosting in-home sessions, please provide a space where maintaining a six-foot or greater distance is simple (i.e. either end of a dining table).
  • If hosting sessions in an outdoor space, please ensure that chairs are set at least six feet apart.
  • Allow the coach the ability to enter your home while coming into contact with as few people as possible. This may mean using a side entrance. We won’t take it personally!
  • Please minimize the number of people in and around the teaching space – this means siblings, parents, or other family members. The coach should only be around the student in order to minimize the potential for transmission.

Symptoms Questionnaire:

Each day of an in-person meeting, please go through the following questionnaire with your student. If the student answers Yes to any of the following, please arrange for an online meeting or cancel the session (you will not be charged a late cancellation fee for this).

  • Have you been in close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19?
  • Are you experiencing a cough, shortness of breath, or sore throat?
  • Have you had a fever in the last 48 hours?
  • Have you had new loss of taste or smell?
  • Have you had vomiting or diarrhea in the last 24 hours?