Demand for private tuition has really taken off in recent years, and there’s a wealth of agencies, individuals and online platforms offering support. But finding the right tutor for you means remembering why you’re considering tutoring in the first place. Tutors need to be able to work around your schedule, tailoring their sessions to suit your learning style. Central to Figtree’s ethos is the idea of tailored learning, and we pride ourselves on our ability to match every student with the right tutor. That means we need to have a varied pool to draw on, so we’re always on the lookout for tutors with unusual skills, diverse experience and a broad outlook. Whether an enthusiastic graduate just starting out, or an accomplished professional seeking a career change, we believe top talent comes in many guises. But what all our tutors have in common is a shared commitment to tailored tuition. We work diligently to find the right tutor for every student, and with a dedicated support team on hand, we aim to make private tuition a stress-free, enjoyable and engaging experience for all.

Our tutors are all well-versed in the coursework requirements across the GCSE and A-level years, and with deep subject knowledge, will provide critical guidance throughout each assignment. Of course, students will be producing coursework independently – but we will be on hand to provide iterative feedback on both content and style. Our tutors are all passionate about their chosen subjects, and are always ready to recommend extra reading or resources to bring essential breadth to children’s work. And with expertise across exam boards, we understand what assessors will be looking for – giving our students critical insights to help organise their thoughts and structure their work.

Everybody learns in a different way, and private tuition can help students thrive in a setting that suits them. For children in particular, classroom-based learning can’t always deliver the one-to-one attention that’s required to cement a solid understanding of a subject. Private tuition can be tailored to meet the individual needs of each student, and with the help of more focused instruction, pupils can overcome their personal learning challenges and build their confidence across the curriculum. For families, private tuition provides a flexible way to build education into their busy daily lives. Whether online or face to face, tutors will work around your schedule to deliver engaging sessions, in a comfortable environment, that enhance the learning experience for everyone. Research suggests that students who receive private tuition can expect to see increased grades as a result. While the level of achievement will depend on each individual, it’s a logical conclusion that the more time and focus spent on a subject, the more successful the student will be. And in the competitive search for a spot at the top schools or universities, tutoring can provide that critical edge. It’s also worth remembering that tutoring is about more than just boosting grades. Even for students who are already excelling, it can provide new challenges that broaden horizons and spark new interests.

We’ve built a wide network of over 300 hand-picked tutors and consultants, with deep expertise across subjects and specialisms, so we’re confident we can put in place the right support for every student. We always take the time to get to know our clients, tailoring our approach to meet their needs. Each Figtree tutor is a specialist in their field, and arrives equipped and ready to draw on a variety of resources and examples to create inspiring, relevant lessons that are rooted in the world around us. Sciences in particular require specific knowledge and skills. Our physics tutors, for example, are all passionate scientists, and have worked with children just starting out, all the way to university students, post-graduates and adult learners. Or for those seeking biology tuition, we can support through research to fieldwork and analysis – always taking a holistic approach that draws on all three sciences. We have a strong track record in the humanities, have multiple talented linguists on the team, as well as musicians, mathematicians and artists. And if a client comes to us with a completely new request, we have the connections and alumni network to source the support they need.

Every student is different, and a good tutor should advise what’s an appropriate level of tuition to help you reach your goals. Ideally, the tutor will first conduct an academic assessment to get a better idea of your current level, and aspirations for the sessions. From there, they can devise a tailored plan that will have the greatest impact. As a general rule, sessions should be regular enough to maintain momentum, and to continue building on classroom learning. So, this might be once to twice a week during term time – with more condensed study over the holidays.

Whether you have a list of target schools in mind, or want to explore all your options, our education consultants will guide you at every step. Our initial meeting will cover your academic and personal priorities so that we can start building a profile of your child’s interests and preferences. From here, we will conduct a highly targeted academic assessment. This helps us to establish your child’s current level in order to inform our targeted, transparent advice – shaping a shortlist of schools that will meet your bespoke needs. We’ve developed our own prospectuses for the top schools, offering you a genuine glimpse into the options available. While our established relationships with many of the leading schools means we can help arrange visits beyond the scheduled open days, to allow you to explore the school’s daily routine and experience its true culture. And when the offer letters come through, we will be on hand to help you make the best decision for your child.

Securing a spot at the perfect school for your child is always competitive, and can be an emotional journey. But our experienced schools advisory service is designed to give you the competitive edge – while making the process of school selection and application stress-free for students and parents alike. We have deep understanding of the British education system, successfully guiding families through the key entry points of the 7+, 8+, 11+, 13+, 16+, as well as helping to secure occasional place entry. Our expertise extends to a range of international schools, including The American School in London, and we have a flawless track record to our name. For many children applying to an independent school, this will be the first time they’ve faced such a high-pressured environment. That’s why we strive to create a supportive space where children can practice their interview techniques, build confidence across question sets – and even start to enjoy the interview process. Removing the unknown goes a long way to allaying children’s fears, so we’ll spend plenty of time practising various interview scenarios to ensure each student makes an impression from the very first moment.

This is a very personal and important decision for students and parents alike. With an extensive network behind us, we can connect children with current students and alumni of the school, offering an unbiased and peer-based review of the experience they might expect. We’ve found that this peer support is highly valued by students, even the younger ones, as they can ask questions that parents may not have thought about – it’s a really essential addition to the decision-making process.

Yes, we regularly offer this service and are always happy to be on hand for visits across the UK. Our consultants have organised open day visits and private tours for most of our families, and have built a trusting relationship with many of the leading independent schools in the UK.

We have an outstanding track record placing students from around the world into the UK’s leading independent schools. Whether we’re helping you navigate the options on offer, or preparing you for the specific entry requirements you’ll face, our holistic approach will help secure the future you want. All our entrance exam tutors receive regular training, developed and delivered by the Figtree leadership team every other month. Leveraging exam best practice and our extensive understanding of the individual requirements of each top school, our specialist training ensures our entrance exam tutors have the techniques and teaching methods to tackle any exam, at any level. While we have an exceptional track record, this does not mean that admission is guaranteed. There are multiple factors outside of Figtree’s control which may affect outcomes, such as the quality of the other applicants, the number of places open and the fit between the student and the school. We will always do our best to help families get into their school of choice but in this very competitive environment, we are unable to guarantee admission.

Preparation is key – even if the outcome is not the one you had your heart set on. Our in-depth discovery journey will have highlighted a selection of schools which are safe, on target and within reach, with detailed insights into the likelihood of success for each. Our consulting is comprehensive and transparent, so there are always opportunities to explore if plans or circumstances change.

Yes – we have an extensive network of partners who are able to support our families wherever they relocate. We have worked with schools in the US, the Middle East and across Europe, and with a core team speaking half a dozen languages, we’re able to help families navigate their international school searches – wherever they’re headed.

Daily tuition is an invaluable supplement to school-based learning. As school classes get bigger and children’s needs become more diverse, the attention of a private tutor can see students leap up the grade tables. Top tutors will be adept communicators with all their stakeholders – from parents and prospective schools to teachers and other tutors. By recognising the blended nature of learning and working together to create lesson plans that complement rather than conflict or compete, our tutors can shape a child’s whole educational experience. We all learn, develop and thrive in our own way and children may find that some time away from the classroom is a welcome break from distraction. Parents are increasingly turning to homeschooling as a way to provide a more well-rounded education. Our homeschooling tutors will adapt their approach, drawing on various teaching techniques to bring out the best in every student. One of the advantages of homeschooling is the flexibility it provides, and to help manage a well-rounded programme, our tutors are available from first thing in the morning into the early evening, throughout the course of the week, so sessions can be arranged according to your family’s schedule. Supported by an extensive database of teaching materials and resources, homeschooling is a focused, personalised learning experience tailored to children’s needs. Daily activities like baking can be a great way to develop maths skills. Out and about, there are museums and galleries to explore – sparking curiosity and reinforcing core concepts. By enabling children to apply their studies in the real world, our homeschooling tutors transform lessons into life skills.

Our approach has always been highly tailored and student-led, and this means we’re well placed to support students with a wide range of individual needs. We want to help everyone realise their own potential, and work closely with children and families to understand what success looks like for them – before collaborating on a supportive plan to help get there. We have an established network of SEN specialists to draw on, including occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, psychologists and psychiatrists. Building a bespoke team for each student, we can address complex learning, emotional and social needs, carefully sourcing tutors with the necessary background and experience to make learning fun and fulfilling for everyone.

The journey starts with an in-depth discovery, where we’ll discuss options and outline the application and entrance process for each target university. We also spend time building an educational profile – supported by an academic assessment where necessary – to gain a complete picture of each student’s needs, and how we can best support them. We agree on a long list of universities based on the criteria discussed with the family and student – covering subject, ranking, location and type – before creating a shortlist of safe target universities, with in-reach options, for a comprehensive approach.

This is a very personal and important decision for students and parents alike. With an extensive network behind us, we can connect children with current students and alumni of the university, offering an unbiased and peer-based review of the experience they might expect. We’ve found that this peer support is highly valued by students, as they can ask questions that parents may not have thought about – it’s a really essential addition to the decision-making process.

Yes, we regularly offer this service and are always happy to be on hand for visits across the UK. Our consultants have organised open day visits and private tours for most of our families, as we understand how important it is to find the right university for every individual.

We have an outstanding track record placing students from around the world into the UK’s finest universities. Whether we’re helping you navigate the courses on offer, or preparing you for the specific entry requirements you’ll face, our holistic approach will help secure the future you want. We’ll always try to match you with a consultant that studied in the same field, or at the university you’re targeting, so they can share both their personal and professional perspectives. For us, consultancy is more than the paperwork – we want you to find a mentor, a likeminded spirit who will understand and support your learning goals. While we have an exceptional track record, this does not mean that admission is guaranteed. There are multiple factors outside of Figtree’s control which may affect outcomes, such as the quality of the other applicants, the number of places open and the fit between the student and the university. We will always do our best to help students get into their university of choice but in this very competitive environment, we are unable to guarantee admission.

Preparation is key – even if the outcome is not the one you had your heart set on. Our in-depth discovery journey will have highlighted a selection of universities which are safe, on target and within reach, with detailed insights into the likelihood of success for each. Our consulting is comprehensive and transparent, so there are always opportunities to explore if plans or circumstances change. We have also worked with students to structure gap years with relevant experience, to help build a stronger profile for re-application.