Successful tutor placement
Keystone was founded on the belief that one-on-one tutoring is a uniquely powerful way to learn. Our years of experience have shown us that there are three essential parts to a successful tutor placement.
"They found us the perfect tutor within 24 hours and we have not looked back" - Parent
1. Consultation
Before we can help a student, we often need to spend quite a significant amount of time learning about the student's requirements. Most consultations are carried out over the phone or on a video call. They are led by our Client Managers, who collectively bring nearly 50 years of experience in education, with many having backgrounds in teaching, tutoring, and edtech.
Our students’ needs vary hugely, and we are often asked to help in intricate cases, such as setting up a home-schooling programme. Via our detailed consultations, we make sure that the objectives of each tutoring placement are well established from the outset.
If it is deemed necessary, we often arrange for students to be academically assessed. This is usually done by one of Keystone's permanent staff. The assessor helps parents set realistic goals for the tutoring, and passes a thorough report to both the tutor and parent detailing areas requiring attention.
Keystone has a comprehensive knowledge of the UK education system and during the initial consultation we often advise parents on how best to incorporate tutoring alongside the demands of school and home life. Indeed, many of Keystone’s tutors and consultants are current or ex-classroom teachers, and Keystone’s approach seeks to support the work of schools wherever it can.
2. Tutor Selection
The selection of the tutor is an integral part of our process.
Our Client Managers discuss each placement in exact detail with our Tutor Management Team. Priding ourselves on how well we know the varying strengths of each tutor, we ensure that each decision is informed by the expectation of a successful match between the tutor and student. Keystone Tutors has a rigorous tutor selection procedure and we look to ensure that we put forward the very best candidate for each role.
3. Monitoring and Feedback
We make contact with the parent after the first lesson to find out how the lesson went, and to see whether the stated objectives are realistic or need adjusting.
Tutors submit a monthly report detailing:
- the focus of that month’s tutoring
- the form of assessment used
- the student's achievements and areas for further work
- the focus for the coming month
The regular, rigorous reporting of the tutors we represent is frequently praised by parents.
"Keystone staff have been amazing in identifying our needs and dealing with them – they have always been friendly, professional and able to build trust and instil confidence." - Parent