Golden Circle stands out for its home schooling. Parents tell us they have had a ‘profound impact on our academic journey’ and, in one case, ‘literally saved us’. Well worth considering for hourly tutoring too, if only for the sheer calibre of their tutors and knowledge of (especially the London) schools. ‘Golden Tutors really do hold a spark of magic – not quite sure how they do it,’ said one parent. The elite end of tutoring without being stuffy.
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Overview
We have met with Golden Circle’s staff. In addition, 26 clients and 25 tutors completed an online survey (sent to 210 clients and 178 tutors), with at least eight of these respondents also interviewed briefly by phone.
- Type of tutoring offered
- In-person
- Online
- Home schooling
- UK residentials
- Overseas residentials
- UK areas covered in person
- London
- Home Counties
- The South
- The North
- Midlands
Who are they?
A family business, with tutors and clients claiming it’s particularly ‘friendly’ and ‘personal’ as a result. Hannah Titley BA (biological sciences, Oxford), MA (public policy, King’s College London) PGCE was first on board, having founded the
What do they offer?
Home schooling is their bread and butter, accounting for well over half their clients. A handful are in school some of the week (so-called flexi-schoolers) but most learn entirely from home, with Golden Circle creating a bespoke daytime curriculum
- Education levels
- Primary
- KS3
- 7 Plus
- 8 Plus
- 11 Plus
- 13 Plus
- Common Entrance
- GCSE
- A Level
- IB
- Uni Application
- Oxbridge
- Uni Tuition
- EAL
- Subjects available include
- English
- Maths
- Sciences
- Computing
- Humanities
- Languages
- Other
- Other subjects
- Critical Skills
- Creative Thinking
- Entrepreneurship
- Coding
- Debating
- Teamwork
- Current Affairs
- Vlogging
- Personal Statement Support
- Epq
- SEN
- Support for students with special educational needs
The finer details
All of Golden Circle’s 300 tutors are qualified teachers, almost all of them having been through the Teach First programme (the rest come from their referrals). ‘It means we’re guaranteed great tutors because Teach First recruitment is rigorous,
- Tutor Association
- Member of The Tutors’ Association
- Hires only qualified teachers
- Yes
- Charitable/pro bono work
- Financial donations to charities
Costs and conditions
Not cheap. One-off registration fee of £180 for after-school tuition and £500 for home schooling. Hourly tutoring rates from £85 (£95 for in-person) to £155 (£250 for in-person), depending on the level of education. Home school packages also
- Cost
- £85-250/hour
£180 registration fee
What the tutor company says
'We believe our greatest success is not the excellent exam results students achieve but the positive, intellectually curious and independent learners that graduate from our home school programmes. Many of these students have had a negative experience
The last word
Golden Circle stands out for its home schooling. Parents tell us they have had a ‘profound impact on our academic journey’ and, in one case, ‘literally saved us’. Well worth considering for hourly tutoring too, if only for the sheer calibre of their
