Our Schools
Team
Our Schools Team
Poppy Dundas, Head of Homeschooling and Courses
Poppy joined Keystone in January 2017 as the Office Manager before becoming one of our Client Managers. She is now Head of Homeschooling and Courses.
Poppy studied at Leeds University, graduating with a degree in History of Art in 2014. She previously worked as a teaching assistant at Thomas's Prep School in Fulham, helping her gain experience of the London education system.
Poppy heads up the homeschooling programmes at Keystone, looking after the students and co-ordinating timetables. She also leads our in-school services, helping academic leaders at schools explore which our offerings might suit best and providing ongoing support once sessions begin. Alongside this, she runs our Revision Courses which take place throughout the year.
Holly Hewitt, Homeschooling and Courses Manager
Holly joined the Keystone Team as the Education Administrator in September 2022 and became our Homeschooling and Courses Manager Manager in January 2024. She studied at Bristol University, graduating with a degree in Childhood Studies.
Holly’s degree allowed her to develop a holistic understanding of childhood, with a particular emphasis on Education and Psychology. Holly collaborates closely with Poppy, the Head of Homeschooling and Courses, to ensure effective delivery of our Courses and Homeschooling offerings.
Ed Richardson, Managing Director
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.
Previously, Ed served as the Director of Education at Keystone, where he led the client management team, oversaw the tutor recruitment process, and was responsible for the professional development of Keystone's employed tutors. Now, as Keystone's Managing Director, he is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations and strategy of the company.
Ed firmly believes that providing tutors with appropriate levels of training better equips them to support the individual needs of their students. He recognizes the value of educational literature and spends time researching current publications, particularly on the nature of personalised learning and its benefits for students of all abilities. Outside of Keystone, Ed is a Trustee for the Temple Grove Schools Trust and speaks on a variety of educational topics from 'The Importance of Parents in a Child's Attainment' to ‘The British Education System’.
Jenny McGowan, Director, Asia
Jenny read Zoology at the University of Leeds and subsequently worked as a qualified science teacher for several years after completing a PGCE. To further her understanding of how children learn Jenny undertook a Masters in Child Development at the University of Oxford which led her to stay at Oxford and study for a PhD in Education.
Jenny became a Professional Keystone tutor in 2014 and has worked closely with many Keystone tutors in her role as Head of Science. She has developed lasting relationships with many families and has built a strong understanding of the UK education system and how best to support students through tutoring.
Jenny moved to Hong Kong in 2018 to head up the Keystone office there. Outside of the office Jenny loves to travel and aims to visit several new countries each year.
How our
Tutoring Works
Step 1: Initial Consultation
You can book in for a free consultation here, where we discuss the situation, and explain how we are able to support.
Step 2: Proposal
We will follow up after this call with a full proposal, and then can work to create a tailored timetable based on the child's specific needs. We will also recommend tutors for each subject, and you will get a chance to read about their experience and why we feel they are suited for the job. Within this proposal we can also outline term dates, and holiday breaks. We can follow traditional school terms or adjust, depending on requirements of the family.
Step 3: Programme begins
We can start at any points in the year, picking up where the child got too in their learning.
Ongoing support
Through the programme we will provide regular reports, as well as parents meetings and student check ins (if required).
Finding the right tutor
for each child
Step 1: Detailed Consultation
Before we can help a student, we often need to spend a significant amount of time learning about the student's requirements. Most consultations are carried out over the phone or on a video call.
Step 2: Academic Assessment (optional)
Students sit our custom-made academic assessments to indicate their level in relation to their peers, and in order to identify suggested areas to work on. Parents also seek academic assessments for their children to determine their general strengths and weaknesses, and decide upon a set of objectives for the course of tuition.
Step 3: Tutor Selection Process
The selection of the tutor is an integral part of our process. 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.
Step 4: Regular Progress Monitoring
After the first lesson, one of our dedicated client managers will contact you to find out how the lesson went. Our client managers are always available at the end of the phone and they are frequently praised for their efficiency, dedication and responsiveness.
Step 5: Monthly Reporting & Feedback
Tutors submit a monthly report detailing the work done in the month; the successes and areas to work on; and the work for the coming month. Our regular, rigorous reporting is frequently praised by parents.
FAQs
The tutors we represent are dedicated to their work, and receive outstanding evaluations from their students. After a strenuous screening process, we tend to choose intelligent and likeable tutors who enjoy relating to, and setting high standards for, their students. While it is a truism that intelligence does not make you a good tutor, we like tutors to be passionate and knowledgeable about their subjects so that they can field the most curious of questions from their students. Self-confidence and inspiration derive from such strong relationships we feel.
Professional Tutors
Keystone is singular in its commitment to professionalise tutoring. Rather than having a loose body of tutors, we have pioneered the first professional tutoring contracts in the UK. We have attracted tutors who see tutoring as a career, and behave accordingly. They train regularly, always looking for ways to improve their craft; they have access to materials that Keystone has developed in-house; most importantly, they have a long-term, committed professional disposition.
Teachers
Keystone is also fortunate to have a number of ex- or part-time teachers amongst its ranks. The combination of their teaching experience and subject knowledge enables teachers to be highly effective in the one-to-one environment.
Tutors
Most of Keystone’s tutors are committed to tutoring for the longer term. They are usually well aware of their plans for the next two or three years, at least, and use tutoring as their main source of income around vocational plans.
In its ambitions to professionalise tutoring, Keystone Tutors only represents tutors who can commit for more than two years. We do not train all of the tutors we represent. Our teachers, or those tutors who have already been tutoring for more than ten years, do not need it (though they get a good briefing from us before each lesson). Our Professional Tutors go through a rigorous on-going training programme; this training is modular and unique.
All training sessions are designed and delivered by experienced educational professionals, including our Managing Director, Ed Richardson.
We think that educational materials for tutors and parents are one of the most important and exciting developments for the sector.
Keystone has designed many of its own proprietary and professional materials.
We also have an extensive library of school-specific past papers to which tutors have access.
Where we have not written our own materials, we have an exhaustive database of recommended materials. Galore Park is great in many cases, but will not suffice for home schooling, for instance.
We make contact with the parent and tutor after the first lesson to discuss the reactions of both, and to see whether the stated objectives are realistic or needs adjusting.
Tutors are expected to submit a monthly report detailing the work done in the month; the successes and areas to work on; and the work for the coming month. Our regular, rigorous reporting is frequently praised by parents.
The simple answer is yes. Many children around the world benefit enormously from online tutoring, for the same reasons as those who receive in-person tutoring. Expert teaching, advice, and guidance, tailored to your child’s specific educational needs and goals, will make a difference to their academic performance no matter the format used to deliver it.
The key factor, whether online or in-person, is the tutor in question - are they able to build trust, truly understand your child’s needs, and deliver engaging and effective tuition? Good online tutors understand the need to do this and take pains to ensure that though their tuition may take place at a distance, its impact on your child should be just as keenly felt.
Keystone Tutors has a rigorous selection procedure. We are frequently told by tutors that we are the hardest agency to join. Besides the essential background checks (Enhanced DBS including Children's Barred List), verifying qualifications and collecting references) the selection process is as follows:
- Tutors submit an application and are judged on their experience, how long they can commit for (we only take tutors who can commit for over two years), and their academic record. Tutors are also asked what their TED talk would be on, and their answer is discussed at the beginning of the interview.
- All tutors we take on are interviewed. Tutors have an interview that assesses both character and academic ability. Prospective tutors are required to teach a practice lesson and are judged on their preparation and delivery. They are also required to sit an academic assessment.
Yes, we offer a trial lesson. With Keystone, you are not required to sign up for any minimum number of lessons, and we offer one-off paid trial lessons so that your child can determine if the fit is right for them. This allows students and parents tutoring through Keystone before committing to regular sessions. The trial lesson is charged at the tutor’s full hourly rate and there is no obligation to continue if you feel it's not the right match.
