Education Consultancy

Our educational consultants take an active interest in educational matters, and are frequently asked to comment in the press.

We have a comprehensive knowledge of the UK private education system as well as UK universities, and advise parents on their educational options. We like meeting clients face-to-face, but are always happy to assist by phone as well. We use a variety of sources to gather reliable, objective information about schools, universities, education systems, curricula, teachers and the whole gamut of the contemporary educational experience. We have also built up relationships with knowledgeable and respected members of the educational community.

We have particular experience with:

Liaising with Schools

Liaise with schools and educational professionals (including tutors) on a family’s behalf
Ensure clear lines of communication so that everyone is working towards the same goal(s)
Circulate schemes of work and medium term plans

Educational Recommendations

Assess children and establish clear, realistic ambitions for each child - and set appropriate timelines for action
Recommend schools, in good time, with clearly defined admissions procedures
Recommend universities
Recommend educational professionals, such as educational psychologists, therapists and other advisors
Recommend non-school educational opportunities: reading recommendations, holiday and course opportunities, home schooling

Educational Troubleshooting

Be a common-sense and proactive sounding board for solutions to any educational headache

“Thank you so much for your help with this process! As I am in the American system, the UK university application process was unfamiliar and confusing to me, and I would not have been able to construct an application to this standard without your help.” (Year 13 student at school in Singapore)

Advisors:

Will Orr-Ewing, Founder and Director

Will attended Harrow School before undertaking a degree in History at Oriel College, Oxford. After graduating he was a History teacher at Fulham Prep School. He has been tutoring since 2005, and set up Keystone Tutors in 2007.

It was through his tutoring work that he became interested in learning difficulties, and led him and Josh to found the SEN website dysTalk.

As well as being a governor of Westside Free School, Will is an active participant in UK education debates, appearing on Newsnight, The Today Programme and at the Wellington Festival of Education. He has advocated for the professionalization of tutoring in leading UK newspapers, and has spoken on education at institutions such as Credit Suisse and Freshfields. He is a board member for The Tutors' Association and the Harrow Association.

He writes occasionally at www.willorrewing.com and on the Keystone blog.

Ed Richardson, Director of Education

Ed read Zoology at St. Andrews University before completing a Secondary Science PGCE at Oxford University. He has since undertaken a Masters in Teaching and Learning at Oxford too. Prior to joining Keystone, he taught all three sciences to GCSE as well as A Level Biology at an outstanding state comprehensive academy in Oxfordshire.

Ed is now our Director of Education, and is primarily responsible for leading our client management team, the tutor recruitment process and generally overseeing our employed tutors' professional development. Ed also advises our families on a wide range of educational issues; he has particular experience with schools and university advice as well as home-schooling.

More broadly, Ed firmly believes that providing tutors with the appropriate levels of training better equips them to support the individual needs of their students. He recognises the value of educational literature and spends time researching current publications, in particular the nature of personalised learning and its benefit to students of all abilities. Outside of Keystone Ed is a Trustee for the Temple Grove Schools Trust and speaks for The Parent Company at a range of different companies on ‘The Importance of Parents in a Child’s Attainment’ and ‘The British Education System’. At the weekends can be found either participating or coaching on a sports field or relaxing in The Cotswolds!

Rhidian Llewellyn, External Consultant

For school placements and consultancy work outside Keystone's core expertise, Keystone Tutors refers to Rhidian Llewellyn and Llewellyn Education.

In 1986 Rhidian joined the staff of The Dragon School, Oxford and, within two years, became Housemaster of School House responsible for 80 11-13 years olds. During his five years on the staff, he taught scholarship English and edited The Draconian, in those days a termly magazine.

In 1991 he was appointed Headmaster of Papplewick, a post he held for twelve years during which time the school flourished academically and culturally while maintaining its reputation for sporting success. At a time when prep-school boarding declined, Papplewick remained consistently full.

Rhidian left Papplewick in 2003 to establish an educational consultancy for parents, schools and governors. He is a non-executive director of Creative Education Corporation and adviser to Affinity, the leading provider of financial advice to independent schools. He is a governor of three independent schools and chairman of one. He has been an ISI Inspector of Schools since 1995, served on the Boarding Schools Advisory Group from 1998 – 2002, and was appointed Lay Chaplain by The Bishop of Reading in 2002.

Christine Leslie, External Consultant

Christine specialises in helping parents find the right school for their child, utilising the experience of twenty years of headship in co-ed, girls' and boys' schools. Ensuring that each child is treated sensitively and is valued for his or her personal qualities, she ensures that destination schools are those with a positive outlook and 'can do' mentality. Christine also works as an inspector for the Independent Schools Inspectorate both in the UK and overseas.