Menu ▼

English Maths Entrance Exams Accounting Arabic Art Biology Business Related Cantonese Chemistry Citizenship Classical Civilisation Combined Science Computer Studies / I.T. Craft and Design Drama Earth Science Economics Electronics English English (Foreign Language) Entrance Exams Film Studies French Genealogy Geography German Greek Health / Social Care History History Of Art Italian Japanese Journalism Latin Law Life Science Mandarin Maths Mechanical Engineering Media / Communication Studies Medicine Music PE / Sport Science Philosophy / Critical Thinking Photography Physics Polish Politics Portuguese Psychology Reading & Writing skills Religious Studies Russian Self Defense Sociology Spanish Special Needs Study Skills Turkish Urdu Website design Welsh Up to 11 years (primary) 11+ (secondary) GCSE or Standards A-Level or Highers Further/Higher (university) Adult/Casual learner

Information About Thomas:

Personal Description:

A recent graduate in English Literature and Language, I am passionate about good communication and relevancy. I have intimate knowledge of the current education system as my wife is a secondary school teacher, while my own experience of education was mixed between state primary, private preparatory, online secondary and state sixth form college, before attending a prestigious London university.

I'm a warm and caring person who is willing to tailor his tutoring to each individual pupil with patience and a professional attitude.

I also offer guitar lessons to beginners, which may work alongside pupils studying music up to GCSE level.

Teaching Experience:

I spent four terms working in a private boarding school in West Sussex. This taught me a huge amount about how the teacher/pupil relationship works, and particularly what makes the pupil want to improve and what makes the pupil lazy and demotivated. I've also had a lot of experience working with my fellow undergraduates, many of whom clearly suffered from our education system's lack of formal teaching on grammar and the importance of understanding register in academic writing. This has meant that I've become able to tutor people of my own age, or even older, without patronising them.

Tutoring Approach:

I believe in making education fun, but at the same time in achieving real results. For too long, the education system in our country has meant that pupils are encouraged to settle for second best in terms of how they understand specific subjects. In English this has meant an over-emphasis on comprehension of specific texts, without a wider knowledge of period, intertextuality and context. In History, it has meant increasing reliance on fact-based teaching, without a willingness to grapple with the real issues at stake - for example, in the rise of fascism, or the battle for Civil Rights in the USA.

I believe in educating people to think for themselves and to understand the why as well as the what.

Qualifications:

• English Literature and Language BA Hons (2:1) from University College London
• English Literature Advanced Extension Award (Distinction)
• English Literature A Level (A), English Language A Level (A), Economics A Level (B), History A Level (B)
• 10 GCSEs at A*-C grades

Further Information:

Availability:	Weekdays (evenings)
Types of Tutoring:	From their home / Online
References Supplied?	Yes
Additional Languages Spoken:	Portuguese