Testimonials

We worked with Cornerstone Tutors for approximately three years, with both out children, in order to support and enhance their day-to-day schooling and help prepare them for the 10+/11+ exams. We appreciated Cornerstone’s approach of understanding the child, how the child likes to learn and then matching the child to the most appropriate tutor.

For us this worked well. Our children were engaged (even when the majority of lessons were online due to the pandemic), enjoyed their lessons and were ultimately successful with the outcome we had set out to achieve.

Parents of Year 6 student

I am extremely grateful to Cornerstone Tutors for the exemplary service provided for my daughter’s GCSE and Sixth Form entrance examination tuition in Maths and English.

Graeme did an excellent job in understanding her requirements and providing the right specialist subject tutors. The tutors provided invaluable help, which not only strengthened her academic performance but also provided a huge boost in confidence. My daughter excelled in both her Sixth Form entrance exams and her GCSEs, and she secured a place at her first-choice school.

I highly recommend Cornerstone Tutors and am extremely pleased with their services.

Father of Sixth Form 16+ school entrance and GCSE student

When my daughter started her Upper Sixth she wanted to increase her A-level grade prediction for Economics.  Graeme took the time to understand both her academic support needs and, most importantly, the type of person she was.  His resulting matching with one of his tutors was excellent.  My daughter came away motivated, positive and with much more confidence, and this resulted in her getting a top grade in her A-level.

Cornerstone has an excellent approach and team of tutors, I highly recommend them to support students in their studies.

Mother of A-level student

We approached Cornerstone Tutors to explore options to help our daughter prepare for 11+ exams. Graeme was very generous with his time and did a thorough job in seeking to understand our needs and those of our daughter. Graeme provided tailored, flexible options for us and at no point sought to push or pressure us into a certain choice. Cornerstone provided an excellent English tutor who was most diligent and helpful. Our daughter ended up receiving multiple school offers and she has joined her preferred senior school of choice!

Father of Year 6 student

We got in touch with Cornerstone Tutors between lockdowns for our daughter who wanted to get some help for our daughter catching up on her A-level biology course. Graeme quickly found her a suitable tutor who had experience of the syllabus our daughter’s school was following – no mean feat as it was an atypical exam board, with a different emphasis in its content and questioning.

The tutor was engaging and worked with our daughter on a weekly basis, with kindness, understanding and at a level suitable for a ‘nearly adult’. Our daughter felt very well supported, whilst having the freedom to focus on the areas of the syllabus where she felt she needed the most help. This was particularly useful for the end of unit tests at school, which counted towards her A-level internal assessment grade.

She is now studying on her chosen course at her first-choice university.

Mother of A-level student

Cornerstone Tutors helped my son navigate GCSEs and A-levels. Graeme always found the best match of tutors – excellent tutors who were very well qualified, passionate about teaching and focused on encouraging the student and building confidence. He always had a very sincere interest in my son’s success and he would regularly follow up with the tutor on progress.

Cornerstone ultimately helped my son get onto the university degree programme that he was hoping for and I strongly recommend Cornerstone Tutors to anyone who is looking for a good tutor.

Mother of A-level student

We are indebted to Cornerstone for their help with our daughter’s education. Graeme took great care to assess our daughter to match her to exactly the right tutor, who made a quantum difference in our child’s progress. Graeme kept in touch throughout the time that a tutor is retained and he was full of insights and recommendations about secondary school options. Our daughter gained a place at her first choice of school and we are very grateful for the tutor’s and Graeme’s support.

Parents of Year 6 student

Working with Cornerstone Tutors truly was a phenomenal experience. I was initially quite nervous for my upcoming 16+ exams, but during a phone call with Graeme in which he asked me about my objectives and studies, he was reassuring. He did an excellent job pairing me with a very capable tutor. The sessions were enjoyable rather than burdening, and not only provided invaluable help with understanding and skills, but helped me become increasingly confident. I was offered a sixth form place at my target school. After this experience, I would readily recommend Cornerstone Tutors to everyone!

Sixth Form 16+ entrance student

Cornerstone Tutors has been a fantastic find for us – the network was recommended to us through a school friend. Graeme asked us many questions to establish what we were looking for in a Science tutor and we were paired with a fantastic tutor for my daughter who was working towards her GCSEs. Her tutor had a wonderful love of his subject, and he made it fun and interesting for my daughter whose attitude towards the subject changed greatly with his help and knowledge. My daughter’s Science grades improved which made her very happy and us too!

Mother of GCSE student

Looking for a maths tutor for my daughter at the start of Year 11 a friend recommended Cornerstone Tutors. My initial telephone conversation with Graeme was positive and reassuring. He took time to understand my daughter’s needs and her personality and I trusted him to match her with the best tutor fit. This he did and the wonderful tutor started teaching my daughter every week.

This excellent teacher was encouraging and built my daughter’s confidence in her abilities. Her fantastic sense of fun meant that lessons at the weekend were looked forward to and it was lovely to hear laughter ring out during a maths lesson. My daughter’s progress was noted in school and by the time of the planned GCSE she was achieving higher grades. I would heartily recommend Cornerstone Tutors.

Mother of GCSE student

I had been looking for a tutor to support my son through the 11+ interview process and was recommended by a close friend to speak to Graeme from Cornerstone Tutors. Our situation was quite peculiar and given the strange Covid circumstances we were in desperate need of guidance and reassurance, not to mention the short timescale.

Our first conversation with Graeme was very comprehensive. He took his time and went into much detail to understand what my son needed. We left feeling extremely confident and reassured.

Graeme organised an excellent tutor, who was brilliant with him. The tutor helped our son with his confidence whilst preparing him for a complex and atypical extended general and skills-based interview. My son received an offer from our first-choice school on the spot.

We are extremely grateful to Cornerstone Tutors and will continue to seek help from them for our children.

Mother of Year 6 student

I cannot recommend Cornerstone Tutors enough. We have now had support from seven tutors across our three children’s A-level and GCSE subjects and they have all been excellent. I do not know what Graeme does to interview and select the tutors but whatever he does, it’s working! We like that they have all had personalities and are not nerdy – the kids respond to them rather than getting switched off.

I have seen in their performance that my children have benefitted from their Cornerstone tutors. The tutors were engaged, relevant and enthusiastic. As teachers, they knew the syllabus and they arrived promptly and prepared, and they held the teen students to account.

Mother of A-level student and GCSE student

When my daughter started her Upper Sixth she wanted to increase her A-level grade prediction for Economics.  Graeme took the time to understand both her academic support needs and, most importantly, the type of person she was.  His resulting matching with one of Cornerstone’s tutors was excellent.  My daughter came away motivated, positive and with much more confidence, and this resulted in her getting a top grade in her A-level.

Cornerstone has an excellent approach and team of tutors. I highly recommend them to support students in their studies.

Mother of A-level student

We worked with Cornerstone Tutors for approximately three years, with both our children, in order to support and enhance their day-to-day schooling and help prepare them for the 10+/11+ exams. We appreciated Cornerstone’s approach of understanding the child, how the child likes to learn and then matching the child to the most appropriate tutor.

For us this worked well. Our children enjoyed their lessons and were ultimately successful with the outcomes they had set out to achieve.

Parent of Year 6 student

Cornerstone Tutors helped my son navigate GCSEs and A-levels. Graeme always found the best match of tutors – excellent tutors who were very well qualified, passionate about teaching and focused on encouraging the student and building confidence. He always had a very sincere interest in my son’s success and he would regularly follow up with the tutor on progress.

Cornerstone Tutors ultimately helped my son get onto the university degree programme that he was hoping for and I strongly recommend the Cornerstone network of tutors to anyone who is looking for a good tutor.

Parent of A-level student

I can only thank Cornerstone Tutors for providing such brilliant tutors to support my son for his Maths GCSE and his History and Economics A-levels. Graeme’s ability to match the students to the right Tutor is second to none and I can only say that the results reflect on the quality of tutoring.

I recommend Cornerstone very highly, and thank Graeme for all his support and professionalism.

Mother of GCSE and A-level student

Looking for a short sharp boost in English in the run-up to my daughter’s 16+ applications, I contacted Cornerstone Tutors to discuss possibilities. My initial conversation with Graeme was extremely detailed, and it was clear he had a wide understanding of the process and the skills required for individual school exams. He really took time to understand my daughter’s academic strengths and areas of concern, and was able to hone in on what support would be required and what could be achieved.

The tutor Graeme found for us was simply outstanding. The personality fit worked brilliantly and the sessions have greatly boosted my daughter’s confidence in English. From English being a subject that just needed more words, she was given tools and techniques to vastly improve the content of her work and strengthen her arguments. The sessions were focused and directed, and my daughter found them stimulating and rewarding. An added extra is that she really enjoyed the sessions and now feels motivated to use the skills she has developed to improve her GCSE work.

Mother of Year 11 student

I would like to thank Graeme for his help in finding appropriate tutors for my son  for two years in the run up to my son’s GCSE exams for Physics, Chemistry and Maths. He found it extremely useful and has secured maximum grades in these subjects. Graeme was very methodical in understanding our requirement and finding the appropriate tutor. Besides, when one of the tutors was unable to continue due to a change in circumstances, Graeme was able to find a suitably excellent replacement tutor quickly. We have found the experience of dealing with Graeme very rewarding and are grateful to him for his assistance.

Father of GCSE student

Searching for a quality tutor, and one which also clicks with your child to make tutoring as effective as possible, can be a little hit and miss. We came across Cornerstone and Graeme who asked the questions others didn’t to ensure the maths tutor selected was an excellent match for our dyslexic son. He matched our son to a fantastic experienced tutor, not just of maths, but exam technique too. With a friendly and fair approach, the sessions were engaging, visual and fun which is how our son learns best. And so his confidence grew too. Four school entrance exams sat, four offers received. Great service and tutoring – thank you very much to Cornerstone.

Father of Year 6 student

We were extremely happy with the service we received from Cornerstone Tutors. This was our first experience of tutoring and we were anxious that our daughter did not feel under any pressure.  Cornerstone understood our needs and concerns and found the perfect tutor, a year 2 teacher who was friendly and approachable and very effectively helped and worked with our daughter.  She built up a great rapport with our daughter, gently challenging her. As a result of the tutoring our daughter was offered 7+ places at her two first-choice schools following her entrance assessments. More importantly, she gave our daughter back her confidence in Maths which has made for a much happier child. From start to finish Cornerstone made the whole process very simple and user-friendly.

Mother of Year 2 student

My husband and I contacted Cornerstone Tutors to help our daughter with her revision for her GCSE English examinations. Graeme spent time on the phone ascertaining in more detail what our daughter needed help with. He enquired about her interests and personality so that he could find the best match. The tutor who helped our daughter was an excellent match to our daughter’s English requirements and her interests, which meant that our daughter felt at ease with her. We were delighted with our daughter’s English GCSE results.

Mother of GCSE student

Graeme at Cornerstone Tutors came to the rescue for 11+ tutoring, providing two highly qualified English and Maths tutors at short notice. Both tutors were professional and friendly and were able to give us a clear idea of the level at which our daughter was performing. Perhaps most impressively, they were willing to say when no further tutoring was needed, showing honesty and integrity over trying to make a quick buck. Highly recommended.

Mother of Year 6 student

I would very much like to thank Graeme at Cornerstone Tutors. He was exceptionally professional and thorough in considering the needs of my son and matching these with a History tutor who helped bring out the best in him for his A-level. The study sessions were well planned and delivered, covering exam technique and organisational skills as well as covering in-depth the topics required. Our whole experience of Cornerstone Tutors was friendly, patient and sensitive. We were regularly contacted to ensure we were all happy, and we felt in very safe hands. My son is now happily settled at his first choice university.

Mother of A-level student

After a succession of ineffective student tutors for our son, I was rescued by Cornerstone who were able to provide a tutor who was an experienced and qualified teacher. The Director, Graeme Ginsberg, took time to understand our son’s needs to find the perfect match. The tutor had the necessary experience and gravitas to ensure effective, focused tuition, which lead to a happy outcome. I recommend them highly.

Mother of GCSE student

We engaged Graeme at Cornerstone Tutors to find an English tutor and a Maths tutor to help give and build confidence to our 10-year old daughter ahead of the 11+ exam cycle.  The two tutors that helped our daughter were simply brilliant and very understanding, all of which culminated in our daughter receiving multiple offers. I cannot underline enough how grateful we are to Graeme for his understanding of our needs and the recommendations of tutors he made as he / they made a potentially stressful scenario very calm!

Mother of Year 6 student

Cornerstone Tutors transformed my daughter’s GCSE grades. In her end of Year 10 exams, she was achieving levels 5 and 6 in History, English Language and English Literature.  I contacted Cornerstone Tutors and discussed some of the challenges my daughter was facing at school.  The Director, Graeme Ginsberg, recommended tutors who were both engaging and inspiring. They taught revision tactics and exam techniques and provided new information and perspectives that my daughter had not learnt at school.  My daughter consistently enjoyed the tutoring and was highly motivated to complete the homework her tutors set.

When her GCSE results arrived, she and her extended family were totally thrilled, delighted and proud that she got three level 9s.  These were in the three subjects that she was tutored in:  History, English Language and English literature.  We would not have dreamed this was possible a year earlier.

Mother of GCSE student

We contacted Cornerstone Tutors to provide a Maths and English tutor to assist our son with his 7+ exam. They work only with school teachers, and the tutor they prvided was great, and quickly engaged with our son. My son found him patient and looked forward to his tutoring sessions. The tutor was wonderfully focused on our son and was quickly able to ass’s gaps and work positively to address these.

Cornerstone Tutors were an efficient and easy company to use. They have a good selection of tutors and Graeme was very helpful when I needed assistance or advice. I would highly recommend them.

Mother of Year 2 student

Graeme at Cornerstone Tutors is a star! He found my daughter both Maths and Triple Science GCSE Tutors very quickly, after we had been let down by another tutor only months before the exams.

All it required was one phone call and within a day our tutors had been assigned. Both tutors were kind, enthusiastic and endeavoured to make the sessions fun and interesting, whilst ensuring that the work required was covered.

My daughter started with very little confidence in both Maths and Science. The tutors succeeded in making her believe that it was possible! She passed Maths and the Triple Science GCSES with great grades and without Cornerstone and the excellent tutors she couldn’t have done it!

I will be sure to use Cornerstone Tutors for my younger children and have already recommended the company to friends.

Mother of GCSE student

We decided we would like to go down the tutor route for our 10-year-old son in Year 5 to support him through his 13+ pre-test exams. Our son is dyslexic and lacked a lot of confidence in his ability in English. A friend put us in touch with Cornerstone and we haven’t looked back. From our initial telephone conversation with Graeme to our son’s offer of a place at his / our chosen senior school, our journey with Cornerstone has been nothing but impressive.

Graeme’s attention to detail in the search for a good tutor and pupil match was very much appreciated. After our initial conversation, he built up a detailed picture of our son’s interests, needs and goals and was able to recommend a tutor, who, as an experienced teacher, had excellent experience of the 11+ / 13+ process.

He tutored our son for just under a year and has been the perfect match for him. He was very sensitive to our son’s needs and both he and Graeme were always open to discussion with us with regards to lesson content and general direction.

Graeme kept up-to-date with our son’s progress throughout the year and was always at the end of a phone if we had a query or needed to discuss anything. I would not hesitate to recommend Cornerstone for anyone who is looking for excellently tailored academic support for their child.

Mother of Year 6 student

My son was struggling with his business studies, but didn’t want to drop the subject. He asked me if he could have a tutor. A friend of his had recommended Cornerstone, so I contacted them and explained our situation. He was matched to a wonderfully encouraging, supportive and inspiring tutor and very quickly I saw my son gain confidence and the ability to understand and apply what he was learning in class. His teachers at school noticed a difference in his written work straight away, and his marks improved. He ended up with a real enjoyment of the subject. He actually misses the sessions now the exams are over! So pleased to have found them.

Mother of A-level student

I would like to add that I always enjoyed the sessions with the tutor, and he made everything clear.

A-level student

My daughter and I are very grateful to our Cornerstone tutor who supported my daughter through the last 3 terms of Math A level. The tuition and support improved her confidence in her abilities and this in turn helped her to focus and work hard to improve by at least a grade on her results at the end of year 12. Cornerstone listened to our individual situation and put us in touch with the ideal tutor for my daughter who, in turn provided a nurturing and supportive environment for her to restore her confidence and reach her full potential. In terms of administration and ease of communication I would also recommend Cornerstone who efficiently managed the organisation of the tutoring.

Mother of A-level student

The Director, Graeme, was the first point of contact when I approached Cornerstone Tutors. With no previous experience of tutors, I already had preconceived ideas and expectations from the sessions (for 11+ entrance exams). Graeme was always approachable, and prepared to listen to and consider these ideas.

The same can be said for the tutor he carefully selected for our twins. He was meticulously detailed in his explanations and helped me understand that the ethos behind Cornerstone is not simply to prepare the students for a particular exam or entry for a particular school, but rather to build deep knowledge, a complete set of skills for students to keep with them forever. The tutor had very extensive knowledge of his subject. The regular planning and thorough debriefing ensured we remained informed and reassured throughout the eight months of preparation.

We are delighted that our children achieved offers at their chosen schools. I would recommend Cornerstone Tutors to any family without any hesitation – money and time very well spent!

Mother of Year 6 students

I am so happy with all services provided by Cornerstone tutors to my student. Graeme organised excellent tutors for Geography, Biology and English – subjects she was finding very challenging.

Graeme provided very helpful advice about schools for entry into Sixth Form and she was offered a place at a leading Surrey school to study for her A-levels. She performed well in her GCSE exams and went to her first choice school.

Guardian of 16+ and GCSE student

I contacted Cornerstone for a tutor because my 18 year old son was struggling with A Level chemistry.  Graeme found a brilliant tutor who was a perfect match for him. She was a fantastic teacher who supported his learning in the lead up to his final exams and gave him the extra boost of confidence he needed to excel.

I would highly recommend Cornerstone Tutors and would use them again should the need arise!

Mother of A-level student

We recently engaged Cornerstone Tutors to provide a maths tutor to assist our son with his 13+ entry pre-tests. The tutor they provided was superb and developed a strong rapport with our son who was ultimately offered places at all of the schools he applied for. We have no doubt that his tutor played a significant role in successfully preparing our son for his pre-tests as they worked together on key exam techniques as well as covering the curriculum.

Throughout the process, Cornerstone was very professional and easy to work with. Highly recommended.

Father of Year 6 student

Graeme assured me that, on the basis of what I had told him, he had the perfect tutor for our son and he was right! The tutor developed an immediate rapport with James, quickly identifying his interests and how to engage him. He brought great energy, commitment and imagination to their sessions, encouraging and challenging James, and subtly developing the areas we had been concerned about. We felt James’s confidence was boosted and James reported that he really enjoyed his lessons and that they were helping him. It seems they have – he received an excellent report in English this term!

Mother of Year 7 student

My daughter was diagnosed at 18 with ADHD so she had only a year to catch up as best she could before her A-levels. She was tutored in two subjects by Cornerstone’s tutors in the Easter holidays and was thrilled to achieve much higher results than she was expecting. This allowed her to apply through adjustment for a better university course, which has made her and us very happy! I really couldn’t recommend the tutors more highly. They were first class.

Mother of A-level student

I used Cornerstone Tutors to help my daughter with her 11+ exams. She was struggling with a fair few areas of maths concepts as her current school only taught one way, and with English creative writing and comprehension.

Cornerstone Tutors was very professional and focused on supporting and helping my daughter with the areas she struggled with. The maths tutor used a variety of different tools and different methods to help her understand. It is amazing seeing that looking at problems in a different way can aid to such a great extent with learning.

The great news is that my daughter was offered a place at four schools she applied for, so we were spoilt for choice. This would never have happened if we had not used the services offered by Cornerstone.

Mother of Year 6 student

Cornerstone Tutors found the right tutor for my son to help prepare and focus for 11+ exams. The standard of the tutor was excellent, as well as the teaching style and his calm personality. My son enjoyed his sessions, and his confidence and ability levels increased. Feedback and focus areas were discussed regularly and overall this resulted in successful 11+ exam results for his first-choice schools.

Mother of Year 6 student

I needed someone to help my daughter become more confident in her English to prepare for her 11+. I spoke to Graeme over the phone. He explained in detail about Cornerstone Tutors and I was able to describe to him exactly what we needed. He recommended a lovely tutor who tutored our daughter until the 11+ assessments.

My daughter enjoyed working with the tutor and it made a great difference to her confidence. She received offers from all three schools she applied to. I felt Cornerstone offered a very personal and bespoke service.

Mother of Year 6 student

We recently used Cornerstone Tutors to supply maths and English tutors to support our son’s preparation for his 10+ entrance exam to a competitive independent school. Graeme spent time talking to me about our son and his situation before matching us with suitable tutors. Due to the time taken to understand our needs I believe he managed to find two excellent matches for our son. They both engaged very well with him and provide just the right amount of support to get him where he needed to be without making him feel overburdened by the weekly sessions. I’m delighted to say that my son passed the exam and will be starting his new school in September….thank you to Graeme and his team!

Mother of Year 5 student

My daughter had been losing confidence during her Chemistry A-level preparation and needed some help in the Easter holidays. For the first time we decided to get a tutor. Graeme was able to recommend an energetic, approachable and very knowledgeable tutor to suit her personality.

The sessions were well planned and my daughter enjoyed the lessons, greatly benefiting from the one-to-one tutoring. Graeme provided support throughout and our daughter secured her Medical Sciences place at her first choice university.

Mother of A-level student

We contacted Cornerstone Tutoring three months before A-levels for additional Maths tutoring.  My son had hit a block on understanding Maths and was losing confidence. Graeme took considerable time to understand both ability and personality. I was impressed by his attention to finding the right fit for tutoring. She tailored both the pace and style of learning and my son found the sessions extremely beneficial, building both confidence and knowledge. It made a huge difference to stress levels, allowing him to spend time on other subjects. The quality and care spent during the tutoring process was excellent and I would happily recommend the company’s services to other parents wanting additional tutoring and support prior to exams.

Mother of A-level student

Graeme was great in finding us a tutor for our son. He fully understood our requirements, timings and what our son was looking to achieve. Our tutor is excellent and our son really looks forward to seeing her each week. They have fun and she stretches him each lesson. With the help of Graeme and our tutor our son was offered 11+ places at three top London day schools. We would highly recommend Cornerstone Tutors.

Mother of Year 6 student

We contacted Cornerstone when we decided that our son needed help preparing for his senior school entrance French exam in June.  Cornerstone were quick to understand what we needed, and at short notice they were able to connect us with an excellent tutor.  Having already been briefed by Cornerstone, she was soon able to assess what was required.  Over the course of a few sessions across the holidays she was able to work on specific areas of weakness, and more generally to build our son’s confidence.  As a result, he ended up with a good grade and a more solid platform to take forward to his next school.  Based on this experience we would highly recommend Cornerstone.

Father of Year 8 student

We used Cornerstone to find a tutor for our daughter who needed some help with exam technique. They took the time to properly understand her needs and level, and then sourced a great teacher who was just right and spent 12 sessions working on the key elements of her maths, English and interview in order to get her over the last mile. She completed her exams and passed for all the schools we were targeting. We were very pleased with everything.

Father of Year 6 student

We engaged Cornerstone Tutors to help our daughter improve her written work. Her tutor was friendly and confident, and he planned each session according to our daughter’s specific needs. She found him patient and easy to get on with, and her writing has improved massively since her tutoring began.  I would not hesitate to recommend Cornerstone Tutors.

Mother of Year 10 student

The service received from Graeme at Cornerstone Tutors throughout was tremendously professional and he found the perfect tutor for my son to gain confidence in the English paper for the 7+ exam. Coming from a state primary, my son had never encountered a comprehension or written an essay and she very quickly brought him up to speed. She was a really engaging tutor and he really looked forward to the sessions. She gave him some great interview tips and exam techniques, and he went into the whole 7+ process feeling relaxed and confident. He was in a position to show his natural skills and potential, and was offered a place at his first-choice school.

Mother of Year 2 student