Bonas MacFarlane Tuition
18 The Power Station
London
SW11 8BZ
Tel: 020 7223 2794
Email: info@bonasmacfarlane.co.uk
Web: www.bonasmacfarlane.co.uk
We have met with Bonas MacFarlane Tuition’s staff. In addition, 29 clients and 30 tutors have completed an on-line survey (sent to 300 clients and 75 tutors) and we have followed this up with additional short phone interviews with some of those surveyed.
BM, now based in Chelsea (accessible with parking and with quiet rooms for assessment), is directed by Charles Bonas, Will Petty and David Wellesley-Wesley, although it’s Harry Cobb who is in the driving seat, managing the business, with two assistants to help him place and select tutors. The rest of the business is made up of 18 employees, mainly based in London, the remainder spread across international offices including in Dubai and Almaty. Charles - ex-Harrow and Oxford (history), and a qualified teacher - started tutoring when he was studying law and has since clocked up nearly three decades years of tutoring experience. Although he now only tutors and mentors a handful of children, he remains hands-on when it comes to client involvement more generally. Will, also an experienced tutor, worked and trained at The Dyslexia Teaching Centre, and is now the company's chief assessor and lead consultant on school placements. David founded The Independent Schools Show and British Boarding Schools Show (their sister companies, that have enabled them to build up relationships with hundreds of schools) and works on relationship-building with schools. And Harry was a full-time tutor for nearly three years before joining BM in 2013. Three of the staff are recent Teach First teachers and another three have been senior university consultants at schools; they also have 10 school placement consultants (including an ex Harrow housemaster).
You instantly feel you’re in safe hands with BM, whether it’s with razor-sharp yet laidback Harry or more loquacious Charles who has arguably changed the face of British tutoring. Both are deeply knowledgeable about all things education related. Definitely a company you would want on your side if yours is not a straightforward, ‘Please, daddy, may I have a little help with probability?’ need, although the routine, uncomplicated tutor requests have always formed the bulk of their work. They are particularly voluble about mentoring (‘an under-rated aspect of tutoring,’ says Charles) and charitable works (they do more of it than any other tutor company we know). Clients range from middle-class professionals to the super-rich.
BONAS MACFARLANE REVIEW CONTINUED >>
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