Who are they?
Bruton Lloyd
43 Berkeley Square
London
W1J 5AP
Tel: 0207 4935875
Email: tuition@brutonlloyd.com
Web: www.brutonlloyd.com
We have met with Bruton Lloyd’s staff. In addition, 20 clients and 25 tutors completed an on-line survey (sent to 181 clients and 75 tutors) and we followed this up with additional short phone interviews with some of those surveyed.
Bruton Lloyd staff
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).
In some respects an unlikely duo for the job, with neither having any background of working in education. But having tired of working for other people (Ekaterina in investment banking and Anna in management consulting) they decided to bring their business brains together for a new venture - supporting local Russian families who they’d heard complaining about a lack of tailored tutoring services. ‘In a way, it just happened,’ smiles Ekaterina.
A year later, the pair had enough work coming in to warrant a swanky Mayfair office, moving to larger and even more plush premises in 2011. They now employ six full time staff, some of them fluent in Russian – relevant as a significant proportion of clients are still Russian speaking. In fact under 10 per cent of clients actually live in Russia, and even this number is diminishing since the war in Ukraine and sanctions on Russian banks.
Clients say they are as friendly as they are professional. A few reckon comms can be a little slow but most report quite the opposite – ‘fast,’ ‘responsive,’ ‘quick’ etc. Tutors say they are ‘smaller and more personal than the bigger agencies.’ ‘I’ve worked for others and can tell you this one is a lot more personal in its approach – I don’t feel like a number,’ said one. Another told us, ‘They always have the attitude of being there for us, you feel well supported.’
What do they offer?
All mainstream academic subjects for 7+, 8+, 11+, 13+, GCSE, A-Levels, IB, EFL, IELTS, GMAT, ACT/SAT, Oxbridge interviews and undergraduate degrees (mainly humanities and business/management) – with EFL and GCSE and A level preparation forming the bulk of their work.
Will take children as young as three – ‘yikes’ is our usual response to agencies willing to tutor tiny tots, but they assured us it’s only for EFL, ‘nannies that help them speak English really.’ At the other end of the spectrum, they tutor some adults - again mainly EFL and usually as part of small groups including for business purposes and improving conversational skills.
Their Russian speaking clients live all over the place - Estonia, Latvia, Ukraine (until the war), Belarus, Kazakhstan, as well as in Europe and especially Britain. The rest speak a variety of languages and live all over the world (often in more than one place), especially UK, France, Italy, India and UAE. About half of all of them are based – at least some of the time – in the UK (mostly London and Surrey, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire), while the rest either have offspring educated in the UK or are preparing them to be, often at British boarding schools. Tutors are well used to liaising with teachers regarding pupil progress, attending parents’ evenings, informal meetings with school heads and academic staff. The agency can also help with guardianship.
At one time this agency stood out for residential tutoring placements all over the world – alas, Covid put a stop to that. They’ve picked up a few home schooling clients but 95 per cent of their work is currently tutoring by the hour, mostly online although some Londoners are starting to go back to in-person tutor sessions.
They have also started delivering online Cambridge International GCSE and A level classes to small groups of international students in English, maths, sciences and economics, among other subjects.
Crucially, many clients come to Bruton Lloyd for the long-haul, with several parents telling us how the company has seen all their children through their educational years – usually with the aim of getting into a particular school, then settling in and finally prepping them for top universities. ‘We’ve used them for 10 years for three children – we tried another at one point for one child but they weren’t anywhere near as good.’
SEN not a strength, although you might be ok if it’s mild dyslexia.
Background and basics
When we last reviewed this company most but not all tutors had tutoring experience – now they all do, and what’s more the vast majority have a PGCE and are currently working in (usually top) schools, tutoring during evenings, weekends and in school holidays. ‘We are lucky we attract these tutors,’ says Anna. ‘They like working for us and they tell their friends about us – in fact, almost all our tutors come to us on a referral basis from other tutors.’
Tutors (most aged 25-35) are consistently rated good or very good by clients – all the boxes (in our survey?) for average, poor and very poor remained unticked. One student who used Bruton Lloyd during her sixth form years at boarding school told us, ‘The tutors were exceptional – so well prepared and very good at creating a shift in tone or atmosphere to help me concentrate better.’
Recruitment process is standard – review of CV may lead to an interview with at least two Bruton Lloyd staff, plus mock lesson ‘so we can see their style – which really helps us when handpicking and matching tutors to clients.’ DBS checks for all tutors and copies of all qualifications and references requested, with the latter followed up.
Matching (which usually happens within a week) is Bruton Lloyd’s USP, believes Ekaterina. ‘We’ve usually had a long conversation with the family and in many cases we have interviewed the child in English to get a full picture – for example, whether this is a lazy child or a motivated one who wants everything. Couple this with the fact that we know our tutors very well and you see how we can excel in getting the right match.’ Two to three tutors are presented to the client (in person – they may even request a trial lesson from all of them) and it’s then up to the family to decide on one.
In the main, tutors say the process is comprehensive, though a few disagree: ‘I think there should be more communication with students/parents before assigning them to ensure the first lesson is undertaken with a clear idea on both sides of what the goals and expectations are,’ said one.
If a student’s academic level poses any concerns eg for getting into a certain school, Bruton Lloyd will be upfront. ‘If I can see that a student is not going to do as well as the parents hope for or that it will take a lot of work to turn this ship around, I know Bruton Lloyd will support me to tell the client so everyone is on the same page – that’s a really good thing about this agency,’ said a tutor.
No training available for tutors, but they told us they have access to extensive teaching resources and – Covid permitting - regular tutor social events which help build a sense of community. Bruton Lloyd told us feedback is expected at least once a month on both sides – tutors to clients and clients to the company – although tutors we spoke to seemed to think the regularity was left up to them.
Bruton Lloyd is a corporate member of The Tutors’ Association. The agency does some charity work – currently providing pro bono classes to Ukrainian clients who have had problems with payment since the start of the war. They have also provided free online EFL classes to a hospice in Russia.
Money and small print
No introductory/registration fees and to the tutors’ delight, they get to set their own rates - sometimes with a bit of guidance from Bruton Lloyd, but typically between £30-£100 per hour on top of which clients are charged £10-£25 per hour commission to the agency. Travel expenses usually included. Tutors appreciate getting paid on time and regardless of whether the client has paid the agency – ‘believe me, this isn’t standard and removes a lot of stress,’ said one tutor who said it contributed towards his sense of loyalty. All tutors sign a code of conduct and decide their own cancellation policy (usually 24 hours’ notice required). Clients like the online booking platform though we heard a few niggles from tutors about the extra admin involved - ‘the agency asks each customer to confirm they are happy for each lesson to proceed, which is great in theory but it’s left to me to chase it up when it doesn’t happen, which is a bit frustrating,’ said one.
Bruton Lloyd say
‘We are a boutique agency and provide bespoke services. We have the advantage of knowing our families and tutors well, having met all tutors and most clients in person. We provide tailored support to help students reach their academic ambitions, be it an application to a Russell Group university or a highly selective school.’
Remarks
There’s a whiff of exclusivity about this Mayfair agency which stands out for its personal touch. Particularly popular with Russian speaking clients and families who see tutoring as a long-term game. Excels in 16+ though covers the whole gamut. ‘I tried another company for my oldest daughter but Bruton Lloyd is definitely better - the comms, quality of service, tutoring, everything. It’s perfect!’ remarked one happy customer.