Comparing UK's Top Private Tutoring Consultants: Witherow Brooke vs Bonas McFarlane vs Keystone Tutors

As education trends change, more families are seeking personalised learning. No longer are schools limited to the walls of a classroom, as pupils and parents seek higher-quality education, even from the comfort of their homes.

With private tutors, students get personalised attention and focus, along with a customised learning experience suited to their individual needs. This also allows them to be well-prepared for various key school exams, such as A-levels and GCSEs and for university preparation.

As parents, if you’re ready to enrol your child for private tutoring, the most important question remains: How do you select the right tutor or tutoring service?

This article will help you make an informed choice as we compare three of the most respected private tutoring consultants in the UK: Witherow Brooke, Bonas McFarlane, and Keystone Tutors.

Tutoring Consultant Profiles

Witherow Brooke

Witherow Brooke is an established educational consultant in the UK, specialising in private tutoring services for families in the UK and abroad. They’re known for headhunting the finest elite tutors on demand, helping you find the best academic support and mentorship, elite homeschooling tutors, travelling tuition, and tutors for Special Education Needs.

Bonas McFarlane

Based in Chelsea, Bonas McFarlane is a full-service educational consultant and a part of Next Step Education, a larger group focused on educational advice and support. From 1-1 tuition to academic mentoring, they have a large team to offer a range of tutoring and mentoring services to families in the UK and around the world.

Keystone Tutors

Keystone Tutors is a London-based private tutoring and consulting provider set up in 2007. They are an established agency with a global reach, with offices in Hong Kong and Singapore.

Comparison Table

Here’s a helpful head-to-head comparison of these top three private tutoring consultants:

	Witherow Brooke	Bonas McFarlane	Keystone Tutors
Specialisation	Elite, bespoke private tuition Full or long-term hires for homeschooling Combines recruitment and educational consultancy	Private tuition with school placements, mentoring, and consultancy	Private tuition, homeschooling, consultancy
Curriculum Coverage	UK and international curricula for elite families in the UK and abroad SEN support	UK prep to sixth form Oxbridge, Ivy prep SEN support	British curriculum GCSE, A-level, & entrance exams
Tutor Selection	Highly selective, multi-stage recruitment Three-candidate shortlists Stringent checks	Selective process	Professional & rigorous recruitment Full-time UK-based tutors Freelance tutors
Tutoring Options	In-person and online elite homeschooling Full or part-time elite tuition to support traditional schooling Elite hourly tuition SEN support	1-1 tuition Online tuition Home schooling Full-time tutors Art tutors	Online tutoring Primary tutoring GCSE tutors IGCSE tutors Graduate & Postgraduate tutors SEN support
Typical Costs	Hourly tuition starts from £85 Full-time private tuition teacher salary starts $120,000/yr with 25% agency fees	Registration fees £192 Hourly tuition starts from £70	Premium pricing

 

3 Key Consideration Factors

Keep these 3 key factors in mind when searching for the right private tutor.

1. Scope of Services

Witherow Brooke

Witherow Brooke is a boutique agency offering end-to-end provision for elite families. Catering to the long-term needs of learners, they provide a wide range of tutor sourcing services, including tutors for full-time/residential homeschooling, travelling tutors, and SEN support.

Their flexible approach allows families to work closely with educational consultants who design bespoke academic plans aligned to every child’s specific strengths, interests, and ambitions.

Bonas McFarlane

Bonas McFarlane’s combined tuition and educational consultancy allows them to offer one-to-one tutoring across ages and subjects. They also offer homeschooling, residential tutoring, short courses, and academic mentoring.

Keystone Tutors

Keystone is known for its one-to-one tutoring services across ages and subjects. It also supports learners with homeschooling, courses, and consultancy support.

2. Tutor Support

Witherow Brooke

Witherow Brooke follows a very stringent, multi-stage recruitment process, receiving up to 200 applicants per role. Their tutor selection also follows rigorous vetting and checks with up to three candidates in a shortlist. They take a lot of effort and care into finding a qualified tutor that best fits the student’s needs and aspirations and their family’s values.

Unlike other agencies, their founders believe in maintaining a hands-on, close involvement in the process, with guidance and reporting that follows even after the tutor is placed.

Bonas McFarlane

Bonas McFarlane’s tutors have experience as independent school teachers or full-time professionals in education. They also follow a stringent approach to hiring tutors.

Keystone

Keystone works with tutors who follow their structured professional development programme and work exclusively with them. They also have a selective pool of freelancers.

3. Service Flexibility

Witherow Brooke

This elite private educational consultant drives a flexible approach towards learning. With travelling tutors and global searches, Witherow Brooke designs hourly, full-time residential and bespoke homeschooling offerings for both domestic students and learners who need international access.

Their flexible services are ideal for families looking for elite tutors for homeschooling, travelling tuition, SEN support or a bespoke curriculum.

Bonas McFarlane

Bonas McFarlane offers families a wide choice in terms of learning services. From hourly and daily tutoring to homeschooling and advisory services for school and university, Bonas McFarlane is suitable for families who want a single provider across different learning phases, from prep to higher education.

Keystone

Keystone Education offers in-person and online tutoring in the UK and its Hong Kong and Singapore hubs. Following an employer-tutor model, Keystone supports consistent learning timetables.

How to Choose the Right Private Tutoring Consultant?

For parents, personal assistants, or family offices, selecting the right tutoring consultant can make all the difference in a learner’s journey.

Subject Matter Expertise

It’s important to find a tutor who knows the subject well enough and has relevant experience teaching it. This ensures your learner receives quality instruction and guidance.

Teaching Style

No two students are alike, nor are the ways they learn. For example, visual learners learn better through visual aids and diagrams. So choose a tutor that matches the learner’s learning style.

Flexibility

Make sure you choose a consultant who offers flexible learning options, including online or travelling tutoring.

Reviews & Recommendations

Personal recommendations and online reviews from friends and family can sway your decision in a tutoring agency’s favour. Find a consultant who comes with excellent reviews and follows an uncompromised approach in vetting the qualifications and experience of tutors thoroughly.

In Summary

Whether it’s for school tutoring, exam preparation, personalised learning, or distance learning, finding the ideal private tutoring consultant makes a significant difference in a student’s academic life. Each of these firms has its own special learning services, educational approach, tutor strength, and flexible learning options. While they differ in many factors, they share a common objective: delivering excellent education to help students grow and achieve their goals.

Choose wisely, because investing in a reliable and established educational consultant will give you access to the best tutors and expert educational guidance.