Tutor Company Reviews

Able Tutors review

Review snapshot: Tutors were consistently rated good or very good; a rating of average was as low as it got and even here numbers were relatively small. While there’s not much by way of formal training for tutors, resources are in ample supply – Lynne is on the must-invite list of every major examining board’s…

Areas covered: North west London locals make up the vast majority of the clientele - mostly in N14, N12, N3, N2, NW3, NW4, NW11, NW2, NW9, NW7 and HA8. Online tutoring has widened the company’s reach to include Cardiff, Nottingham, Potters Bar and even Cyprus and Spain.

Athena Tuition review

Review snapshot: Founded in 2013 by Wesley Sanders and Nelson Lo – young (early 30s), driven (but never pushy) and refreshingly (especially in the world of tutoring) transparent. Wesley, finance and marketing director, deals with all the backend business, while Nelson, client service director, is the main point of contact for clients and tutors. Nelson, who speaks fluent Mandarin and Cantonese and knows the culture inside out also looks after the company’s international clients, who mainly hail from China and Hong Kong. A third member of the team, Toby Crooks (Cambridge nat sci graduate), helps take calls, interviews tutors, speaks to parents and places tutors. All three work from their respective London homes – they championed flexible home working long before Covid.

Bespoke Tuition review

Review snapshot: From Arabic to zoology, there’s no subject that Bespoke Tuition won’t teach. ‘From anthropology to Nepalese, media studies to IB Theory of Knowledge, I have never had a request for a subject for which I have not been able to find a tutor – either a tutor already on my books or, if needs be, via bespoke headhunting,’ says Emma.

Bonas MacFarlane review

Review snapshot: You instantly feel you’re in safe hands with BM. ‘I’ve worked for many of the big agencies and can tell you BM is exemplary in every way – they are forward thinking, ultra-slick and they have the personal touch and very big hearts,’ said a tutor. They cover every aspect of…

Areas covered: For ordinary hourly lessons, they cover central London and increasingly the home counties. For day-long assignments they cover a circumference of 100 miles around the capital. For weekly assignments or longer, literally anywhere, with recent examples including Mumbai and Sardinia. Online tutoring anywhere.

Bright Heart Education review

Review snapshot: A world away from tutor agencies that create dependent learners or over-teach already stressed youngsters, Bright Heart scoops up students – mainly with SEN or mental health challenges – and gets them back on the path of engagement via its nurturing, high-quality and person-centred approach. While other agencies focus on…

Areas covered: They mainly cover London (SW, S, W and central) and NE Surrey for in-person tutoring – naturally more popular among these students. Online tutoring is also available throughout the UK and internationally.

Bright Light Education review

Review snapshot: Safe hands for your primary school aged child, especially when it comes to 11+ tutoring and KS2 English courses. Clients were itching to tell us how caring the agency is – ‘they don’t give the impression that it’s all about business like some other agencies I’ve used,’ said one. Tutors appreciate…

British Home Tutors review

Review snapshot: ‘All our tutors have degrees from top universities. However, that’s not their selling point. BHT believes a tutor should know the syllabus of the subject they are teaching from A to Z. They also nearly all come from central London schools and colleges where they have a track record of good results.’

Bruton Lloyd review

Review snapshot Founded in 2006 by Russian-born friends Ekaterina Ametistova and Anna Kunitsyna, who met at Moscow State University while doing master’s degrees (maths for Ekaterina; physics for Anna).

Capital Tuition review

Review snapshot: Getting your child better grades is the raison d’être of this company, which they do through their bank of qualified teachers. So, while other tutor agencies might offer you a med student who teaches science on the side to make a bit of extra money, Capital employs actual teachers with classroom experience to…

Areas covered: Around half the tutoring happens online – these pupils mainly live in the South East, with others living all over the UK and beyond into Africa, Singapore and Dubai. The other half is in-person tutoring at the pupil’s home – mainly in London but also Surrey, Devon, Bristol, Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Northern Ireland.

Carfax Private Tutors review

Review snapshot: "International families send their children here to study on a long-term basis. Principal Rupert Alesbury was a King’s Scholar at Eton, studied French and Russian at Oxford, and picked up Mandarin Chinese, too, during a stint in China. Sartorially elegant as befits the principal of a ‘reassuringly expensive’ establishment, he is an experienced..."

Chelsea & Fulham tutors review

Review snapshot: A boutique and caring London agency run by two knowledgeable and animated women who are super-quick at matching and don’t charge the earth (compared to some other London agencies). Specialist in dealing with parents not born in the UK – though that’s not a prerequisite. Covers all educational needs, but particularly strong in…

Areas covered: There’s a 60/40 per cent split between online and in-person tutoring. For the former, clients are based across the UK and around the world including USA, Uzbekistan, Philippines and France. Hong Kong is a target area – they now have a dedicated fluent Mandarin and Cantonese speaking associate on board for these clients. For the latter, clients are mainly in SW London, but it’s creeping northwards. So, heartlands are still Chelsea, Fulham, Hammersmith, Westminster, Kensington and Notting Hill, but other boroughs include Ealing, Enfield and Lambeth.

Choice Home Tutoring Ltd review

Review snapshot: Heaps of praise for matching, which is mostly done by hand, although on occasion Choice emails all tutors to see who applies (‘so I get a wider pool to choose from’). ‘This agency works hard to match the appropriate tutor to the young person,’ said a parent while a tutor told us, ‘They carefully consider who to match you with on both skills and personality’. But while Choice claims to keep in touch regularly with clients, a few said otherwise eg ‘They haven’t rung up yet to see how it’s going, which surprised me’.

Clarendon Tutors review

Review snapshot: Tutors – a young bunch with average age of late 20s - fall into three main categories: those with a teaching background (practising teachers, those between schools or retired) who suit the more traditional tutoring jobs; postgrads who suit the more scholarly tutoring posts; and actors, musicians etc who excel at…

Areas covered: Across all London postcodes, with families in Stoke Newington to Wimbledon and most places in between. Even with online tutoring, clients tend to be mainly London based, with pockets further afield in eg Scotland, Wales, Cornwall and India.

De Silva Tutors review

Review snapshot: A warm, efficient agency that seems to sprinkle magic dust on parental stress and anxiety and turn out kids as relaxed as Craig himself, reaching their potential not through pressure but through improved confidence and a love of learning. A perhaps uniquely...

Areas covered: Covers Greater London but some will travel slightly further out into the edges of the home counties – always worth asking. Skype increasingly available and home schooling and residential are on the menu.

Enjoy Education review

Review snapshot: "Founded in 2006 by Kate Shand who is committed, passionate, energetic and hugely likeable. Clearly on a mission to deliver a top quality service to her clients – and her tutors – Kate is eloquent on the personal nature of the tutor-client-agency relationship and has a positively moral take on what she sees as her job."

ExamSolutions Review

Review snapshot: Michael Olagunju is star of the show, with a team of six (all freelance part-timers) supporting him from the wings covering everything from school liaison to website design to CPD. As far from a stereotypical maths geek as you can imagine, Michael is cool (he’s also a boxer), upbeat and fun – no wonder kids love him, although these days he’s scaling back on tutoring to focus on running the business and creating YouTube maths content.

Exceptional Academics review

Review snapshot: Not a massive number of tutors – 35 had worked with them in the year leading up to our last visit – but small and personalised is EA’s signature charm. Most tutors are qualified teachers, some having come through the competitive Teach First programme. We spoke to one who had enjoyed tutoring for EA so much that she…

Areas covered: Online tuition accounts for 85 per cent of all Exceptional Academics’ work. Most clients still London based, with smatterings from the home counties and abroad (especially India). The 15 per cent who opt for in-person tutoring are all London based – Lambeth, Kensington and Chelsea, Wandsworth, Southwark, Westminster, Richmond, Hammersmith and Fulham, Camden.

Exeter Tutors review

Review snapshot: Whether it’s bumping up grades, getting into a school of their choice or upping the enjoyment of a subject, parents overwhelmingly feel Exeter Tutors meets their needs. Because the company only works with qualified teachers with a couple of years teaching under their belt, you can rest assured that…

Areas covered: While many agencies have shifted towards online tutoring since Covid, 80 per cent of this company’s tutoring is still in-person (usually at the pupil’s home, sometimes at the tutor’s – all within 10 miles of Exeter city centre). Most online tutoring clients are still local, with a minority based further afield (eg London, Scotland) and occasionally overseas (particularly families who are looking to move to the area).

Expert Tuition Review

A highly ambitious (they're keen to grow) and aspirational (they really want their tutees to shine) belt-and-braces tutoring service.

Figtree Learning review

Review snapshot: Well over half of parents who completed our survey turned to Figtree for help with entrance exams – and this, agrees Ariana, is very much their bread and butter. Figtree also offers tutoring in all subjects right up to A level and IB (the latter is worth noting as not all tutor agencies specialise in this), spanning…

Areas covered: Around 70 per cent of tutoring is online – about half of these families are UK based, the rest live across Europe, Africa, Asia and the US, particularly Italy, France, Belgium, Nigeria, Indonesia, China and the Middle East. The remaining 30 per cent of tutoring is in-person across London.

Fleet Tutors review

Review snapshot: Big - with 930 tutors having tutored over 400 families in the 12 months leading up to our review. No wonder tutor recruitment is a major preoccupation – though just 10 per cent of those who apply every month get through. That’s even less than last time we reviewed Fleet and is…

Areas covered: Majority (60 per cent) of tutoring is online. Despite its potential reach, most of these clients are UK based, with a few expats based abroad. The families who prefer in-person tutoring are mainly based in the South East, with some pockets in other areas eg Birmingham and Manchester. Fleet also provides residential tutors for holiday or interim home schooling.

Greenhouse Learning review

Review snapshot: A very personal and flexible agency that excels at the nuts and bolts of tutoring in Bristol and the surrounding areas. A family affair, run by husband-and-wife team Chin and Rachael Tan from offices in central Bristol since 2017. ‘Very helpful,’ ‘pleasant’, ‘professional,’ ‘flexible’ and ‘quick with communications,’ say parents. Tutors say…

Areas covered: Clients are mainly based in Bristol, Bath, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, although they do some online tutoring for families in eg London and as far north as Scotland, plus a very small number overseas.

Griffin and Bell Education review

Review snapshot: Worried your chosen subject is too obscure? We doubt they’ll be fazed. ‘We have recently found tutors to teach chess, cycling and embroidery,’ says Matt. A number of tutors have experience and/or qualifications in SEN. ‘A very positive experience which could have been really stressful,’ reported one parent about her…

Hampstead and Frognal review

Review snapshot: ‘Our USP is experience. Having worked with hundreds of families over the years, we are very familiar with the entry requirements and standards that students need to gain success at different levels, and this helps us provide the best tutors for the schools and exams the students are preparing for,’ he says. ‘It also helps us provide useful feedback to parents on school choices.’

Harrison Allen review

Review snapshot: ‘They are the best employers I’ve had – and I’ve been a teacher and tutor for a very long time,’ said a tutor. ‘So helpful, respectful and efficient, while never losing sight of their main goal – to help the children,’ voiced another. Parents describe them as ‘very helpful and accommodating,’ ‘very knowledgeable and understood exactly what I was looking for’ and ‘just the loveliest most helpful people’.’

Headway Tutors review

Review snapshot: No swanky offices, no offices at all in fact – and that’s just the way they like it. Lower overheads mean lower fees for clients and more of it going to tutors and them – everyone’s a winner. Most (three-quarters at last count) of the tutors are qualified teachers, and those that aren’t…

Hyde Tutoring review

Review snapshot: Three-quarters of Hyde’s tutoring is exam prep - mainly entrance exams (7+, 8+, 10+ and 11+) but also some GCSEs and A levels. Most popular subjects are English, maths and reasoning, then sciences and languages (especially Spanish and French). The rest is tutoring for SEN…

Areas covered: Nearly half the tutoring is online, with overseas students mainly in Hong Kong and USA, while most of the UK students are in London, and a few dotted around the home counties. The rest, 55 per cent, is in person, in the client’s home. For this, the agency covers all of London (mainly north, south and west) from Muswell Hill to Ealing to Carshalton, with hotspots of Clapham, Battersea and Balham.

Inspiring Tutors Review

Review snapshot: Popular among British and Chinese families with children in UK boarding schools – now with an on-line only tutoring offering which is better suited, by the company’s own admission, to secondary school age. The company is small enough to be personal, but big enough to have a…

Areas covered: About half the tutees are Chinese (90 per cent are studying at UK schools and 10 per cent are based in China but getting ready to come over to study here), rest are British (also mainly in boarding schools).

Ivy Education review

Review snapshot: Ivy stands out for assessing every new student, with an individual education programme then drawn up. ‘The assessment was very helpful especially in lockdown when I didn’t really trust school reports because they hadn’t seen the children in so long,’ said a parent. The majority of clients are aiming for entrance to…

Areas covered: Most tutoring is in London (SW, SE, N, NW, W) and Jersey, though online tutoring has taken off especially since the pandemic and means students are now based as far away as eg China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Russia, UAE, Turkey and South Korea. Residential tuition so far in UK, Europe, Asia and USA.

JK Educate review

Review snapshot: A stand-out point is the emphasis on getting to know the child thoroughly through conversations with parents and, where appropriate, bespoke educational assessments. ‘The aim is to explore questions such as, how is the child doing nationally? Are they reaching their full potential? If not, why not and how can…

Katie Jayne Tutors review

Review snapshot: SEN is a strength, with a small team of fully qualified SEN teachers on their books – ‘we fully understand the importance of having a specialist to provide the right support for each child,’ says Katie Jayne, who has contact with ed psychs, occupational therapists and others, with plenty of referring involved in her role.

Kensington & Chelsea Tutors Ltd review

Snapshot: Any number of tutor companies have come and gone since Nevil Chiles founded this one back in 2002 and its long-standing is one of the main reasons people choose it. Tutors are mostly made up of current and retired teachers and postgraduates. Most are in their mid 20s to…

Areas covered: For in-person tutoring (the norm until Covid) they cover all of London. For on-line tutoring (the new normal) the sky’s the limit, with students all over the world (though three-quarters remain London based).

Keystone Tutors review

Review snapshot: This is the BMW of tutor agencies – wow-factor quality, innovative, always evolving, an authority in the industry. It doesn’t pretend or want to be Ferrari – rich jet-setters and Russian oligarchs aren’t their target market.

Learn & Co review

Review snapshot: Language tuition is the raison d'être of this company, with tutees comprising an even split of children and adults. The young and trendy team (with website pics to prove it) of 10 had doubled in size in the month alone that it took us to review this agency – business can’t be bad. Parents rate the…

Areas covered: Areas covered: For face-to-face tutoring they cover North, East and West London, with online tutoring spanning Greater London and beyond, although they don’t (perhaps surprisingly) do masses overseas, with the exception of Hong Kong and Singapore which is a growth area for them.

Mentor Education review

Review snapshot: ‘The first thing I noticed was how much the owner cared about the tutors, who were nearly all trained teachers,’ recalls Mary. ‘Knowing teachers were poorly paid, she gave them good quality work at a good rate. We became good friends and I bought her out in 2014.’

Minerva Tutors review

Review snapshot: A highly branded, tech-savvy, energetic tutor agency run by bright young things who have come in and shaken up industry norms. A company with a clear edge and one we would particularly recommend for home schooling.

Newman Tuition review

Review snapshot: Founded in 2014, this company cringes at the term ‘agency,’ preferring ‘network’ instead. ‘I wanted to create a tuition network that focuses on the wellbeing of students – building their confidence and self-esteem, not just cramming information,’ says founder Zac Newman. Parents say matching is a forte…

Oppidan Education review

Review snapshot: Goodbye to soulless, prescriptive, hothouse learning and hello to fun, confidence-boosting sessions that teach skills such as empathy, resilience, oracy, creativity, self-awareness, reflection and independence. The idea is that by focusing on these softer skills, exam results will naturally follow – and moreover, that the benefits will extend right through to…

Areas covered: Around half the clients are mentored online, the rest in-person. Most are UK based, with nearly all the face-to-face work within the M25. In addition, there are around 50 international clients, and Opiddan offers residentials too – one tutor told us she’d travelled to all manner of exotic destinations to work with families.

Osborne Cawkwell Tuition review

Review snapshot: Tutors pay tribute to the way they are nurtured and valued, and a happy tutor is probably a good one. Clients praise Osborne Cawkwell for being ‘very understanding,’ ‘reliable,’ and ‘going the extra mile.’ ‘At short notice, they found us great tutors who solved the very specific problems our kids were having,’ says one. ‘All the tutors they have found for us have been of very high standing and very helpful. They found the right person for us each and every time,’ comments another.

Owl Tutors review

Review snapshot: ‘Very good at comms,’ said almost every tutor we surveyed. ‘I like that they only take on teachers who love both teaching and their subject,’ was another typical comment – ‘makes me feel valued and the service feel genuinely professional.’ One tutor told us she feels ‘part of a top end tutoring offering, which…

Pegasus Tutors review

Review snapshot: Tutors rave about Alex, calling him ‘well organised,’ ‘very efficient’ and ‘extremely supportive’. ‘The amount of effort Alex puts in to ensure things are going smoothly is phenomenal,’ said one, while others said point to his ‘professional leadership’ and ‘the fact that Alex is always on hand to help with any queries or help with resources’. Clients say, ‘Alex is so efficient’ and ‘it’s such a personal service’.

Pembroke Tutors review

Review snapshot: Tutors, for the most part, feel looked after, valued, well paid and that they’re given exceptionally thorough resources. ‘They are good at matching, especially the more experienced tutors with the more demanding families,’ added another, while one told us, ‘Pembroke come into their own when it comes to international families’. There is room for improvement, however, with some tutors believing there’s need for ‘more transparency as to how tutors are assigned to certain jobs’ and ‘for them to stop just telling families what they want to hear when something goes wrong’.

Powertutors review

Review snapshot: Affordable hourly tutoring from a new-ish but fast growing company that prides itself on being caring and promoting confidence above all else. Definitely one to consider if your child has SEN. And unlike most tutor agencies, they can cope with complex needs. Autism, ADHD, sensory challenges, visual impairment and some…

Riviera Tutors review

Review snapshot: Three main types of tutoring: hourly, residential or – and this is where we think Riviera shines most brightly – home schooling which includes curriculum development, sourcing of specialist teachers and high level ongoing monitoring and support. A particular strength of Riviera is Luke’s personal touch and relationship building with families. If you…

SENsational Tutors review

Review snapshot: A set-up so superb and so clearly desperately needed that you can’t help wondering why there’s nothing else like it around. And believe us, there isn’t. If anyone knows their onions regarding SEN, it’s Joanna, who also cares deeply about the tutors and families she works with. As for conditions…

Areas covered: Across London, Surrey, Kent, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, West Sussex and Berkshire, as well as other parts of the UK upon request, internationally and online. read more

Simply Learning Tuition review

Review snapshot: Founder and MD Nathaniel McCullagh failed (Nathaniel prefers ‘underperformed’) his A levels first time round but sailed through them the second time (and went on to a viva for a first in archaeology from Durham University) because he ‘finally received brilliant teaching.’ And it was this that spurred him on to become a tutor himself, which he did for 10 years alongside a career in the film industry, before setting up Simply Learning Tuition in 2009. Big on charm and very knowledgeable about the world of tutoring and its wider galaxy of education, also well-known in the tutor industry.

Areas covered: All central London boroughs, typically zones one and two (including Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hackney, Islington, Camden) and some of zones three and four (particularly Wandsworth and Richmond-upon-Thames). Recent areas for residential tutoring placements include West Sussex, Yorkshire, Lake District and Cotswolds. Overseas clients (now mostly online but some full-time residentials) are based mainly in Europe, Monaco, Ibiza, UAE, Japan, USA and Nigeria. Singapore is a massive growth area.

Strive Tutors review

Review snapshot: Not a single fresh-faced graduate to be seen among the 120 odd tutors at Strive as the agency has stuck firmly with its ethos of only providing only trained classroom teachers. Parents of children with SEN, rejoice - at least 30 per cent of children they work with have additional learning needs. No wonder…

Areas covered: On top of the predictable in-person hourly tuition (mostly in pupils’ homes, across the whole Greater London area), Strive offers online tutoring (spanning right across the UK, including boarding schools, as well as Europe, Nigeria, China, Hong Kong, Dubai and USA), as well as residential tutoring (usually for clients with holiday homes abroad) and home schooling.

Teachers To Your Home review

Review snapshot: The upsides of the sheer size include choice and speed. ‘It’s brilliant - you get two or three high-calibre teachers to choose from within just one or two days,’ explained a parent. But be warned, while all teachers have to submit basic information in relation to their identity, experience, training, qualifications etc, it’s ultimately...

Teachitright review

Review snapshot: The bulk of their work is 11+ tuition for groups of up to 10 children. So why would you choose group tuition over one-to-one? For many parents, it’s the cost factor. Others point to the camaraderie, particularly important over a two-year school period. One parent told us, ‘This is a much better environment for learning…

Areas covered: The classes take place in 16 centres (schools, community centres and libraries) across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Surrey – and there’s a franchise in Birmingham.

The Basic Skills Centre review

Review snapshot: ‘Gillian herself is popular with clients: ‘She’s very good, always sorts things out – for instance, when I spoke to her about an issue my son was having with his tutor, she quickly rearranged for him to have another one instead.’ Tutors approve too: ‘It’s a friendly, accessible centre that justifiably prides itself on having a great team of tutors led by Gillian, who must be one of the nicest, friendliest and most knowledgeable educators I’ve met. It’s a pleasure to work there.’

The Golden Circle review

Review snapshot: Tutors told us it feels like ‘the elite end of tutoring’ but ‘without being stuffy’. ‘Although a relatively new company, Golden Circle offers world-class education’, said one.

Tutor Train review

Review snapshot: The desire to support a local company was the top reason that parents we spoke to chose Tutor Train over other tutor agencies. ‘But actually I don’t feel I could have got any better elsewhere – Praema has been absolutely fantastic,’ was a typical comment. Praema Stelling, who founded the business in 2015, comes in for particular praise for being ‘friendly,’ ‘professional,’ ‘reliable’ and ‘quick.’ With her gentle, calm demeanour and clear industry knowledge, we can see why clients feel in safe hands.

UK Study Centre review

Review snapshot: Every family we surveyed said they’d recommend the agency. ‘By far the best agency we have ever experienced – they took time to really understand our needs as parents and the needs of our children,’ said one. Entrance test preparation tops the list – mostly 11+, 13+, Common Entrance and 16+. Then it’s…

Areas covered: In-person tutoring pretty much anywhere within the M25, especially central London, plus Windsor, Ascot, Reading, Wokingham and Virginia Water. Online tutoring has proved particularly useful for their overseas clients, notably in China, where they work with a growing number of Chinese students preparing to come to UK boarding schools. ‘Now we are looking to start covering new regions such as Nigeria and Kenya.’ Residentials could be anywhere from a yacht on the Med to a country mansion (lucky tutor).

Watling Tutors review

Review snapshot: The market is a lot more crowded than when we last reviewed this company, but it still soars above the competition. Serves mainly local (but some further afield) clients who rave about Watling’s unparalleled knowledge of local schools and the quality of the tutors, most of whom are trained teachers…

Areas covered: Just over half the tutoring is in-person at the student’s home, the rest happens online. For the former, most clients live within 10 miles of St Albans, although they have clients across Hertfordshire and all north and northwest London postcodes. Even with online tutoring, clients tend to be fairly local – within a 15 mile radius, though they also have clients in Israel, Qatar and the US.