Questions families ask before they begin
How Inspire works, what our policies are, and what to expect. Answered plainly, by the same small team that answers your messages.
Booking and first steps
How families begin, what the free assessment leads to, and who Inspire is for.
How do we book our first class?
Bookings go through our student coordinator. Reach out by WhatsApp or email and they handle the language, level, teacher matching, and scheduling.
Once your first session is confirmed, your weekly timeslot and class link stay the same. There is nothing to rebook week to week.
What happens after the free language assessment?
You receive a written report from your child’s teacher: their current CEFR level, strengths, areas to develop, and a recommended starting point. No obligation to enrol, and no sales call.
If you want to go ahead, your coordinator helps you pick a plan and schedule the first session. If not, the report is yours to keep.
What is the minimum age for Inspire classes?
We welcome students from age 4. Our youngest learners work with educators experienced in early-childhood language, so sessions are playful and built around short bursts of engagement rather than formal instruction.
If you are unsure your child is ready, the free assessment is the best way to find out.
How is Inspire different from a marketplace tutor like Preply or italki?
Marketplace tutors work independently, with no shared curriculum and no progress documentation. If your tutor leaves the platform, you start over with someone new.
Inspire is one organisation: a CEFR-aligned curriculum, certified teachers and DELF examiners, a report every 12 weeks, and a coordinator handling admin. The trade-off is that we are not the cheapest per hour.
Sessions, cancellations, and changes
How classes are managed around real family life, and what happens when plans shift.
What if we need to cancel or skip a session?
Our cancellation policy works in two parts:
We make exceptions for genuine emergencies. Reach out as soon as you can.
What if the teacher has to cancel?
If your teacher cancels for any reason, the session is credited in full with no expiry. The coordinator reaches out to reschedule, and where possible offers a priority slot.
Do classes run during school holidays and breaks?
Inspire does not follow a school calendar. Sessions run as usual through most holidays, breaks, and PD days, so your child’s learning does not stop when school does.
If your teacher takes leave, you are told well ahead and the session is rescheduled or credited, never simply lost.
Can we change our regular weekly timeslot?
Yes. For a permanent change, we ask for at least 2 weeks’ notice so we can adjust your teacher’s schedule. For a one-off swap to another day that week, 48 hours usually works.
Who do we contact for schedule changes, the teacher or Inspire?
All scheduling and admin goes through the student coordinator, not the teacher. Your teacher focuses on teaching, and you have one clear contact for everything else.
You can reach the coordinator by WhatsApp or email, usually with a same-day reply during business hours.
Does a parent need to be present during the session?
You are welcome nearby but do not need to be in the room or on screen. Children often speak more freely without a parent on camera.
For very young children, ages 4 to 6, it is fine to sit nearby off-camera for the first few sessions while your child settles in.
Billing, invoices, and refunds
How and when you pay, what an invoice shows, and what happens to unused sessions.
Do I pay before or after sessions?
All sessions are paid in advance. By plan:
- Flexible: each session is paid before it takes place.
- Regular: billed monthly, covering that month’s sessions.
- Intensive: billed every two weeks, covering eight sessions, to keep each payment manageable.
You always see what you are paying, and when, before a charge is processed.
What payment methods do you accept?
We accept credit and debit cards, processed securely through our payment platform. All major cards work.
We do not take cash or e-transfers. Paying digitally means you always have a transaction record, which helps families using ESA or other funding programs.
What is included in our invoices?
Every invoice shows:
- Inspire’s company name, address, and website
- Session type, such as French FSL, Immersion Support, or DELF Prep
- Session length and number of sessions
- Hourly rate, total, and the date range covered
What is your refund policy?
The policy is meant to be fair to both sides:
We do not issue cash refunds for unused sessions, but they are never forfeited. If your situation does not fit the above, reach out and we will find a workable solution.
ESA accounts and education funding
What documentation we provide for reimbursement programs, and how payment records work.
Do you work with ESA accounts and education funding programs?
Yes. Many of our families pay through an ESA account or another education funding program. Because every payment runs through our card platform, you always have a clear digital transaction record to submit.
Tell your coordinator which program you use and what it asks for, and we will match the paperwork to it.
Can you provide extra documentation for reimbursement?
Yes. Beyond the standard invoice, we can supply course descriptions, learning objectives, and hours-of-instruction summaries on request.
Let the coordinator know what your program requires and we will prepare it. We cannot guarantee a particular program approves the expense, since that decision sits with the program, not with us.
Lessons, materials, and what we teach
What a session looks like, whether you need a textbook, and how the curriculum is built.
Do you set homework, or help with school assignments?
Either, and it is personalised to your child’s goals. Some families want structured practice between sessions; others want help with specific school assignments. Your teacher takes their lead from you at the start.
We do not hand out generic worksheets. Any practice is chosen for that student.
Do we need to buy textbooks or workbooks before starting?
Not necessarily. Inspire has its own curriculum and resources, so no purchase is required.
Many homeschool families prefer a workbook alongside sessions, and we are happy to use one. Share it with us, or ask your teacher to recommend one for your child’s level.
What curriculum does Inspire use?
Inspire’s own curriculum is aligned to the international CEFR framework. It covers six levels per language, from A1 beginner through B2 upper-intermediate, with four pillars at every level: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
It was built by qualified curriculum writers rather than assembled from third-party resources, so it is cohesive and level-appropriate. For students preparing for DELF exams, AP Spanish or French, or provincial FSL requirements, sessions are also aligned to those specific frameworks alongside the core curriculum.
Devices, links, and recordings
How online sessions run, what you need to join, and how we handle recordings.
How are sessions run, and is the link always the same?
Sessions take place on Zoom. Once your first session is confirmed, your child gets a permanent class link: same link, same time, every week.
Your coordinator sends the link directly before the first session.
Do I need a paid Zoom account to join?
No. Inspire holds the Zoom subscription; your family just clicks the link. No account or app purchase is required.
If the device does not have Zoom, your child can use the free app or join from a browser.
What device works best for sessions?
A laptop or iPad works best. The larger screen makes it easier to see materials and to read or write with the teacher. Phones connect, but the small screen tends to make sessions less effective.
The setup matters more than the device:
- A quiet space with little background noise
- A stable connection, wired if possible
- Good lighting so your child is clearly visible
- A seat at a desk or table, not a sofa or bed
Are sessions recorded?
Yes, automatically, as a standard safeguarding measure for working with children. Recordings are stored securely and never shared with other families, third parties, or anyone outside Inspire.
This is set out in our Terms of Service, which families acknowledge at enrolment.
What languages does the student coordinator speak?
Our coordinator works fluently in English, French, and Spanish. Correspond in whichever your family is most comfortable with.
We are enrolling two siblings. Is it all managed in one place?
Yes. With more than one child you have one coordinator, one WhatsApp thread, and one invoice covering both, even across different languages and schedules.
The second child enrolled also gets 10% off every session, applied automatically. Just mention siblings at booking.
Ask us, or Book a 30-Minute Assessment
If your question is not above, tell us a little about your child and what you are looking for. The same small team replies, usually within one business day.
- 1
A real person replies
Usually within one business day. No bot, no call centre.
- 2
No obligation
Ask anything. Many families reach out well before they decide.
- 3
Three languages
We answer in English, French, or Spanish, whichever suits you.
Where families go next
Pricing
Three plans in USD. ESA-friendly. No contract.
Read upArticles
Guides for immersion, homeschool, and exams.
FrenchFrench Immersion
Support for immersion families, in English.
SpanishSpanish Immersion
The same one-on-one support for Spanish.
Talk to usContact
Reach a real person on the Inspire team.
Ready to see where your child stands?
Start with a free assessment. No payment, no obligation, and a written report you can actually read.
Book a 30-Minute Assessment