SPECIALIST TUITION
American
Curriculum
Elite tutoring for the world's leading educational pathway
At Witherow Brooke, we support students across every stage of the American curriculum, from elementary to college admissions and beyond. Our services include identifying and recruiting elite tutors for full-time homeschooling, academic support and travelling tutoring roles, as well as online homeschooling with a bespoke timetable of subject specialist tutors, and flexible hourly tutoring. For all full-time and intensive tutoring roles, Witherow Brooke also provides a unique level of oversight and support to both tutors and families, including quarterly reports where progress is tracked against academic goals as well as strategy and consultancy for future educational ambitions.
The American system is distinguished by sustained breadth and academic rigor. Students study a wide range of subjects throughout high school and into college, and specialize later than their counterparts elsewhere. Depth is achieved through course rigor rather than through narrowing, with honors and Advanced Placement courses allowing a student to pursue a subject at college level while still at school. Assessment is continuous rather than concentrated: grades accrue across four years of high school into a cumulative GPA, and college admissions consider that record alongside standardized testing, essays, recommendations and extracurricular commitment.
It is taught not only throughout the United States but in American international schools across every continent, which makes it a natural choice for internationally mobile families seeking continuity of education. Our tutors work with students following the American curriculum wherever they are in the world, including those educated at home, and with families moving into the system from elsewhere.
The US educational pathway
The pathway below sets out the stages a student passes through, and the assessments that punctuate them. Not every student takes every route: entrance assessments apply to those seeking places at selective independent schools, and requirements vary considerably between states and districts.
Elementary School
Kindergarten to Grade 5, ages 5–11
Elementary school covers Kindergarten through Grade 5, when children are aged five to eleven. It is the stage at which reading becomes fluent and mathematical reasoning begins to develop. It is also a key time when a child forms their earliest understanding of education and how it fits into their wider life, developing the educational habits and joy in learning that will serve them throughout the rest of their academic journey and beyond. From Grade 3 most states begin annual standardized testing in English language arts and mathematics.
Middle School
Grades 6 to 8, ages 11–14
The transition from a self-contained classroom to departmentalized subject teaching, and the first stage requiring independent organization. Placement decisions made here shape what follows: whether a student completes Algebra I before Grade 9 may be decisive for the mathematics available to them throughout high school. Selective independent schools assess candidates through the ISEE and SSAT at this stage.
High School
Grades 9 to 12, ages 14–18
Grade point average accumulates from the first semester of Grade 9, course selections determine which subjects remain available later, and the transcript presented to colleges reflects four years of work rather than a single examination season. Support that arrives early is considerably more valuable than support that arrives late.
Advanced Placements
Typically Grades 10 to 12
College-level courses examined each May and graded from 1 to 5. APs demonstrate rigor to admissions committees, allow a student to test their appetite for a subject before committing to it at college, and can convert into college credit or advanced standing. Some college courses require particular AP subjects and scores.
The SAT and ACT
Typically Grade 11, sometimes early Grade 12
Standardized admissions tests, accepted equally by universities that consider them, with no preference between the two. Most students prepare for whichever suits their strengths. Many take the test more than once, and many institutions superscore across sittings.
The GED
An alternative route to a high school credential
For students educated outside a conventional school system, or whose schooling has been interrupted, the GED provides a recognized high school equivalency credential accepted by the substantial majority of American colleges. Scores above the pass mark carry College Ready and College Ready + Credit designations, which matter considerably for students continuing to higher education.
College admissions
Applications submitted in Grade 12
Applications are made through the Common Application or a university's own system, with early and regular deadlines through the fall and winter of a student's final year. American admissions consider a student in the round: transcript, course rigor, standardized testing, essays, recommendations and extracurricular commitment.
College study and beyond
Undergraduate study combines general education requirements with a chosen major, usually declared at the end of the second year. We support students through their degree and beyond, including graduate and professional study, admissions tests such as the GRE, GMAT, LSAT and MCAT, and professional qualifications.
The services we offer
We invest time and care into finding the right tutor for each student and family, both in terms of teaching expertise and personality to form a strong rapport with the child. Through a rigorous recruitment process and in-depth consultation, we identify educators who are not only academically outstanding but also a natural fit for your family's values, rhythm, and aspirations. We believe a tutor should educate, inspire and mentor their students.
Elite Homeschooling places a full-time, in-person educator who delivers the curriculum in its entirety, whether for a family educating outside a school system by choice, one living somewhere without a suitable school, or one whose circumstances make conventional schooling impractical. At elementary and middle school level a single tutor can teach the whole curriculum; at high school a primary tutor can be supported by subject specialists. We provide a comprehensive educational recruitment service to find the best educator for your family, and provide support and consultancy to both tutor and family over the entire engagement.
Unlike our Homeschooling service, which provides a full-time, in-home educator for comprehensive homeschooling, our Academic Support service is designed to complement your child's school education with personalized, one-on-one tutoring tailored to their specific academic needs. We conduct a global search to identify top-tier educators, involving headhunting, tapping into our vast network, and advertising on specialised educational platforms. Each educator undergoes a thorough recruitment process, including interviews with our directors, Roland and William, sample lessons, academic background checks, reference collection, and extensive background screenings.
Travelling Tutoring places a tutor who accompanies a family, maintaining continuity of education through relocation, extended travel or a competitive athletic or performing schedule. For families following the American curriculum abroad, this ensures a child stays on track wherever they are.
Online Homeschooling offers a complete timetable of online subject specialist tutors, with Witherow Brooke coordinating the program, tracking progress across subjects, and ensuring the curriculum remains coherent and on schedule.
Hourly Tutoring offers targeted support without a long-term commitment, whether that is regular weekly sessions in a single subject, concentrated preparation before an admissions assessment or examination series, or support with a specific area of difficulty.
SEN Tuition is available at every stage of the curriculum. We identify tutors who combine specialist subject expertise with experience of supporting neurodivergent students and those with specific learning difficulties, working alongside whatever provision a school already has in place.
Alongside every engagement, founders Roland and William provide educational consultancy, including advice on school choice, course selection and rigor, standardized testing strategy, and college admissions.
Our immersive process
For full time positions, how we facilitate and oversee the highest-quality tutoring for your child.
Our goal is to ensure each child transitions confidently, whether into a higher level of education,
a new school, an alternative curriculum, or more advanced tuition.
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Directors Roland & William provide an overview of our Elite Homeschooling service
International families and the US curriculum
The US curriculum is taught in American international schools worldwide, and is among the most portable systems available to families who relocate. It is also widely chosen by families outside the United States who intend their children to apply to American colleges, or who value the breadth it allows a student to maintain.
We work with families in over thirty countries, supporting students following the American curriculum abroad, students moving into it from another system, and students preparing to enter an American school from overseas. Our tutors bridge the differences between systems, identify and address gaps created by a change of curriculum, and prepare students for admissions assessments and interviews conducted to American conventions. Where a family travels or relocates frequently, a travelling tutor can maintain continuity of education throughout.
Contact us today to discuss support for your child wherever you are in the world.
K, (THE MOTHER)
“We were delighted to find your service, enabling us to travel to the places we want to whilst keeping up with B’s [the student] education. He really looked forward to his lessons with H [the tutor], and even today they are in touch.”
MEET ONE OF OUR TUTORS
Ilan Lazarus
Tutor of Mathematics
Ilan studied Mathematics at Cambridge University and currently works as a tutor and musician. He is an expert in Mathematics tuition, having taught at every age level from precocious 4 year olds in New York to 30-year old accountants in London, as well as preparing students for competitive 11+ and 13+ admissions tests in Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning. He is also a Subject Expert for the Centre of Thinking Youth in London, covering Mathematics up to Further Maths A Level.
FAQs
Can our child follow the American curriculum while living abroad? Yes, and many families do. American international schools operate worldwide, and students can also be taught the curriculum at home, sitting Advanced Placement examinations and the SAT or ACT at approved centers. A full-time or travelling tutor allows a family to maintain continuity of American education regardless of where they are living or how often they move.
When are the key decision points? Four matter most. Whether a student completes Algebra I before Grade 9 determines the mathematics sequence, and therefore the science courses, available throughout high school. Course selections each year establish the rigor a transcript demonstrates. Standardized testing usually falls in Grade 11. And applications are submitted in Grade 12, resting on everything that precedes them. Because GPA is cumulative from the first semester of Grade 9, an early difficulty carries further than most families expect.
Is the American curriculum recognized by universities outside the United States? Widely, yes. American high school diplomas and Advanced Placement examinations are accepted by universities across the world, and some UK courses require particular AP subjects as a condition of entry. Students applying to UK universities from an American curriculum apply through UCAS, where the process is narrower and almost entirely subject-specific, and we advise on how an American record is likely to be read by admissions tutors there.
Do you support students moving into the American curriculum from another system? Yes, and this is a substantial part of our work. Changing system creates gaps that are rarely obvious at first, particularly in mathematics, where topic sequencing differs considerably between curricula. Students arriving from elsewhere are also frequently unfamiliar with continuous assessment, participation grades and the weight carried by a cumulative GPA. Our tutors identify and close those gaps, and prepare students for the conventions of their new school.
How does the American curriculum compare with the British system? The essential difference is specialization. American students maintain breadth into college through general education requirements, and often declare a major only in their second year, achieving depth through course rigor rather than by narrowing. British students study broadly to sixteen, then narrow sharply to three or four A Level subjects and a single-subject degree. Neither is superior, but they suit different students: a student whose interests are still forming is well served by American breadth, while one who already knows what they want to study may prefer British depth. We advise families on this, and work with students in both systems.
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