The vantage point
Private Education & Strategy
A Place of Liberated Learning
Outstanding education is not simply about achieving excellent academic results, but about developing the judgement, curiosity and intellectual confidence that shape a lifetime of learning.
Helicon View works with families who value clarity of thought, depth of insight and discretion. Whether in the home or online, we mentor our students, striving to nurture confidence and foster success.
Whether their goals are academic or artistic, and whether they wish to access new schools, universities, or creative horizons, we support our students with rigour. Greater understanding, growing self-belief and renewed momentum follow.
Our work may include:
Private tuition and assessment in academic subjects and the creative arts
• Developing a bespoke educational strategy
• Mentorship that engages the family
Helicon View is based in London and integrated deeply into the UK education network. We work tirelessly with families here and around the world to guide them on their academic journeys.
Our Philosophy
Mount Helicon was the place where the muses lived in the ancient mythology of Greece.
These denizens of learning and inspiration surveyed the landscape around them, secure in their ability to bestow knowledge and wisdom to those who sought it.
Mount Helicon was a place where intelligence and creativity could meet. At Helicon View, we are as concerned with how a student thinks as with what they know.
Mentorship and personal development are central to our ethos, extending to adults as well as younger students.
Helicon View opens a vista over the changing educational landscape, to help you chart a course for your family.
We believe that, through adventures of the mind, we fulfil our potential.
Our Founder
Helicon View was founded by award-winning author, poet and photographer Matthew Smith, who has worked as a tutor, mentor and consultant in London for over 16 years.
Matthew leads our educational strategy. At the heart of a network of tutors and consultants, he supports students at the highest academic levels, as well as those pursuing creative and unconventional paths. His work is shaped by a belief that rigorous academic thinking and creative perception are not opposites, but essential complements.
He works closely with school consultant Dee Francken – the former head of North London Collegiate Junior School – and many other advisers, to guide families in London and around the world.
Matthew is the father of two girls, based in Hampstead, London. He read English Literature at Christ Church, Oxford University.
You can find out more about him at Matthew Smith Works
matt@heliconview.com
Private Tuition
All subjects, arts and age levels are covered. We have specialists in school entrance, Oxbridge and university entrance.
Over the years, we have come to understand the unique ways in which private tuition can support classroom learning or, in the form of immersive tuition and homeschooling, provide a programme of education in its own right.
Every engagement begins with a conversation to understand the student, the family and the wider context. We use our experience to provide an intelligent link between the needs of students and the capabilities of the tutors we work with.
We work with families in the UK and internationally, including those navigating relocation, travel, or schooling overseas, recruiting tutors for both short- and long-term roles as needed.
The majority of our tutors went to either Oxford or Cambridge. The rest have attended the best universities in the world, from the Sorbonne to Harvard. They all have a proven ability to teach.
Educational Strategy
We work closely with families who think deeply about their children’s growth and future, helping them to shape an education that reflects both their ambitions and their values.
We believe that a family’s greatest legacy is the fulfilment of its potential. Every engagement begins with a conversation, from which we develop a tailored educational strategy and, where appropriate, assemble the right network of tutors, mentors and specialists to bring it to life.
Educational
Assessment
Understand your child’s strengths and potential.
Full academic assessment with written report and follow-up discussion
Ideal for those embarking on school entrance preparation for 7+, 11+, 13+ and 16+, UCAS, SAT or wishing to gauge progress at any academic level
Initial guidance on schools and/or universities
Educational
Review
We develop a long-term educational strategy tailored to the student’s strengths, ambitions and circumstances.
Includes Educational Assessment
School, sixth form and university guidance
Recommendations for mentoring, tuition and specialist support
Reading, cultural and intellectual development
Consultation with specialists where appropriate
Written educational roadmap
Educational
Advisory
A bespoke advisory relationship supporting the student’s long-term educational journey.
Includes Educational Review
Regular review and refinement of the educational strategy
Guidance through significant educational decisions and transitions
Recommendations for mentoring, tuition, homeschooling and specialist support where appropriate
Continued guidance on intellectual, cultural and personal development
Consultation with external specialists where appropriate
