Now accepting enquiries. Agency launches 13 April 2026.

IB & IGCSE Specialist Agency

Specialist tutoring for international families.

A boutique, selective agency placing IB and IGCSE tutors with families across the world. Founded by Ashleigh Searle, a private tutor and international education specialist, with 12 years of experience at the heart of these curricula.

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We get it

International education is a particular challenge

The IB and IGCSE are demanding programmes, and finding a tutor who genuinely understands them, not just the content but how examiners assess it, is harder than it should be.

For families living abroad or with children attending international school, there is an added layer: different school systems, mid-stream curriculum transitions, time zones, and the difficulty of trusting a tutor you cannot easily meet. Most tutoring platforms were not built with any of this in mind.

Tutor Connection was founded to address exactly this. A small, specialist agency where every tutor is known personally, vetted carefully, and placed thoughtfully.

What families come to us with

What families come to us with

The curriculum feels opaque

Predicted grades, mark schemes, assessment criteria: the IB and IGCSE reward specific skills that are not always visible from the outside. Knowing what examiners are actually looking for makes a real difference.

Previous tutors didn't quite get it

Subject knowledge is not the same as assessment knowledge. A tutor who knows the content well is not always a tutor who can move a grade.

A mid-stream curriculum transition

Moving schools, changing country, switching from a national system to the IB: these transitions create gaps. The sooner they are addressed, the better.

Marketplace platforms haven't helped

Unverified profiles, no quality control, no one you can actually speak to. Most platforms offer little reassurance that the tutor is the right fit.

Ashleigh Searle

Ashleigh Searle

Founder and Head Tutor

I've been tutoring IB and IGCSE English and History for 12 years, and honestly, I still love it. Every student I work with gets me directly, not an agency match, not a stranger from a profile page, but someone who has spent over a decade living and breathing these curricula.

My results record is perfect. I'm CELTA qualified and know both the IB and IGCSE at examiner level, which means I know exactly what moves a grade and what doesn't. A lot of my clients are high-profile families for whom privacy matters as much as results — that's something I take seriously without needing to make a big thing of it.

I've worked with families across Europe, the Middle East, the UK and the US. I've also lived in Europe, in Milan, Italy, for over a decade, and, as a parent myself, I know the challenges of navigating multiple languages and school systems, not just professionally, but personally too.

Tutor Connection grew out of all of this. I still take on a small number of students personally, and I stay involved in every placement we make. I'm not someone who matches you with a tutor and disappears. If something isn't working, you'll hear from me before you even have to ask.

What we offer

What we offer

Seven subjects. Specialist tutors at every level of IB and IGCSE.

English (Language and Literature)
Taught by Ashleigh Searle
IB and IGCSE. IB: Language A, Language and Literature (SL and HL). IGCSE: First Language and Second Language English.
History
Taught by Ashleigh Searle
IB and IGCSE. All major topics across Papers 1, 2 and 3. Extended Essay supervision available.
Mathematics
Specialist tutor
IB and IGCSE. IB: Analysis and Approaches, Applications and Interpretation (SL and HL). IGCSE: Core and Extended.
Economics
Specialist tutor
IB and IGCSE. All topics. Internal assessment support and examination technique.
Biology
Specialist tutor
IB and IGCSE. SL and HL.
Chemistry
Specialist tutor
IB and IGCSE. SL and HL.
Physics
Specialist tutor
IB and IGCSE. SL and HL.
Enquire About Tutoring

All sessions online via video call.

How it works

From first contact to first session.

Get in touch

Submit a short enquiry through the form on this page, or send a message via WhatsApp (+44 07988 161974). No commitment required at this stage.

We talk

Ashleigh will be in touch directly. A short call to understand your child's situation, what they need, and what kind of support would be most useful.

You're matched

For subjects Ashleigh teaches, sessions can begin directly. For other subjects, she identifies the right tutor from the network and introduces them before anything is confirmed.

Sessions begin

All sessions run online. Ashleigh stays in contact throughout and is available whenever you need her.

Results

Hundreds of students placed at top universities and schools across four continents.

12 Years of specialist IB and IGCSE experience
100s Students placed
7 Subjects taught at exam level
10+ Countries served

Free guide

The International Family's Guide to IB Success

A practical resource for parents navigating the IB for the first time, or supporting a child through a curriculum transition. Covers how the IB is structured, how assessment works, what schools don't always communicate clearly, and how to support your child effectively from abroad.

No spam. Unsubscribe at any time.

Tutor Connection The International Family's Guide to IB Success

What families say

"Thanks so much for all your support. He really enjoyed his sessions with you and they made a huge difference. You are clearly a very talented, charismatic and effective teacher and I would have no hesitation recommending you to others."

Rupert, New York

"Ashleigh tutored me for the past 4 years and has not only helped improve my English, but also helped me develop fundamental essay writing skills and with my college applications. The sessions have been especially helpful for my exam technique and for the American SAT. This ultimately resulted in me receiving a top IB grade and obtaining a place at a top American University."

Jasmine, London

"Ashleigh was introduced to me about two years ago, as a competent and expert English literature teacher to support my son for an admission entry test at a very prestigious and renowned international school in Milan. My son passed the test and since then she has been teaching him regularly. She's got all sorts of tips and tricks to help them with the critical analysis of complex texts and with the writing of essays. Thanks to her guidance, my son feels confident and ready to take on any challenge."

Claudia, Milan

"I definitely recommend Tutor Connection, Ashleigh is incredibly capable of working with any age group. She has been tutoring my son Luca since middle school and now in high school. She managed with her unique approach of firmness mixed with a lot of patience, which has helped him excel."

Frances, Milan

Insights

Writing for families navigating the IB and IGCSE

Ashleigh publishes a regular newsletter covering curriculum changes, examination technique, and the questions international families ask most often. Read the latest editions below.

March 2026

How Tutoring Helps Students Meet IB & IGCSE Expectations

Why capable students struggle with skills-based assessment, and what specialist support actually changes.

Read

March 2026

What Most European Families Are Never Told About the Move to IGCSE and IB

Why strong students from bilingual schools struggle when the system changes, and how to prepare for it.

Read

March 2026

The Essay Problem: Why Intelligent Students Write Mediocre IB Essays

The difference between describing a text and arguing something about it, and why that gap costs grades.

Read
View all on LinkedIn

Our tutors

A small team. Every member known personally.

Tutor Connection does not draw from a large pool. Every tutor on our books has been assessed by Ashleigh directly, through a proper conversation about how they teach, their curriculum knowledge, and how they work with students under pressure.

We look for genuine experience, assessment-level knowledge of the IB or IGCSE, and the kind of professional disposition that works well with international families. We continue to work with tutors closely once they are placed.

We are building this team carefully. Tutors are added as the right people are found.

Ashleigh Searle

Ashleigh Searle

Founder. IB and IGCSE English and History.

12 years of tutoring IB and IGCSE exclusively. CELTA qualified. Lived and worked in Milan, has taught students from Geneva, Munich, Zurich, Hong Kong, Paris, New York, Dubai and London. Perfect results record.

Subjects: IB English Language A, IB Language and Literature (SL and HL), IGCSE First and Second Language English, IB History, IGCSE History, SAT English, international school entrance exam preparation.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

We currently offer tutoring in English, History, Mathematics, Economics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics, across both IB and IGCSE. Ashleigh teaches English and History directly. All other subjects are delivered by specialist tutors from our network.

Our students are based across Europe, the Middle East and Asia. All sessions take place online via video call, which suits international families managing different time zones and schedules. We have worked with students across more than ten countries.

Yes. Curriculum transitions from national systems, American programmes, or other qualifications into the IB are something we deal with regularly. The earlier tutoring begins, the better, but it is rarely too late to address the gaps.

For subjects Ashleigh teaches, we can usually begin within a few days of the initial call. For other subjects, we allow a little time to make the right match. We do not place tutors quickly at the cost of placing them well.

Yes. Many of our families are high-profile or high-net-worth, and we operate with full discretion as a matter of course. We do not share, reference, or identify any client. All references seen on the website were approved beforehand.

Ashleigh is the point of contact for all families, regardless of which tutor is delivering sessions. You will have direct access to her throughout. She is also available via WhatsApp: +44 07988 161974.

In our experience, yes, particularly for students at IGCSE and IB level who are used to working digitally. All our sessions are online, and we have seen no meaningful difference in outcomes compared to in-person work. For international families, the flexibility it allows is, in practice, a significant advantage.

It depends on the student and how much time there is before the exam. For students approaching final examinations, the early sessions focus on the areas most likely to move the grade quickly. For students with more time, we build more systematically. Ashleigh discusses this on the initial call.

Get in touch

Get in touch

For Families

If you'd like to discuss tutoring for your child, fill in the form below and Ashleigh will be in touch directly.

Alternatively: WhatsApp +44 07988 161974

Or email: ashleigh@tutorconnection.org

Your child is doing the work.

Make sure it counts.

Enquire About Tutoring