Inverclyde Tutors & Inverclyde Tuition

Personal Description:
I am expert mathematician with double degree in mathematics from prestigious UK university and full time tutor for more than 14 years of teaching experience. I am fully experienced in building student confidence to solve challenging maths problem at GCSE, A level and university level. Last year I have achieved above 90% success rate in exams through result-orientated teaching methods.

Teaching Experience:
Key stage 3 and GCSE level- 14+ years
A level - 14+ years
Undergraduates 6+ years

Tutoring Approach:
I am offering online one to one and small group tuition to GCSEs, A-levels and undergraduates. My method of teaching mathematics is based upon rigorous practice on exam style questions.

My in-depth subject knowledge and mentoring experience means I can approach problems multiple ways and select the methods best suited to my student. Above 90% of my students achieved their target grade or better result last year. Biggest gift I can give to student is confidence to solve problems and manage time to relief exam stress so that they can focus on gaining maximum mark in the exam.That is why my focus is on guiding student to the solution by promoting independent learning and research skills.

I am discounting all my fees in order to help students stranded at home by ongoing corona pandemic. Please contact me as soon as possible to take advantage of this discount.

CRB checked: Yes
References will be provided upon request.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am 60 years old, originally from a business and finance background, and retrained as a teacher from 2008/9, completing a PGCE. I am QTLS qualified and a member of the Tutors' Association which promotes professional standards in the tutoring industry.
I operate as a freelance/private tutor specialising in mathematics and have experience in teaching all ages from primary up to GCSE. I also have several years' experience teaching basic numeracy and literacy to adults.

Teaching Experience:
From 2007-2009 I worked as a volunteer/trainee teacher for a further education college and from 2009-2012 was employed as a basic skills tutor travelling throughout East Anglia teaching adult numeracy and literacy in the workplace. Since January 2012 I have worked as a private tutor teaching mathematics to 5 - 16 year olds whilst continuing to work as a part-time Functional Skills and GCSE mathematics tutor for a local college.

Tutoring Approach:
I believe that all teaching should be learner-centred so learning is enjoyable and effective. Teaching should be individually tailored to each learner, whose needs should always come first.I aim to help learners overcome their fear of maths and build up confidence by patience and quiet encouragement.

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Personal Description:
Dear Parent / Guardian,
If you value a teacher's qualifications and experience,
If you appreciate the many years of hard work the teacher has done to get them,
If you're happy to pay a reasonable fee for that experience,
If you want a friendly, patient tutor with a traditional approach to teaching,
Then you could be my ideal parent !
And I'd love to hear from you

My name is Michael,
I'm a specialist teacher and tutor in Physics and Maths online.
I am a fully qualified (+ enhanced DBS certificate), professional teacher and tutor of Maths and Physics - with 25 + years experience of teaching to to Key Stage 2, Key Stage 3, GCSE, IGCSE, AS / A2 - Level, as well as considerable experience as an examiner.
For 15 years I have offered tuition from my home in Twickenham, Richmond and online.
Online works very well for most students.

Teaching Experience:
With 25 + years of classroom teaching and tutoring across the full ability range from 8 years old to Adult,

Over the last 9 years I have developed my resources so that I can offer the same top quality tuition ONLINE to students anywhere in the UK and abroad as I can to face - to - face students.

Tutoring Approach:
Online, by discussion with the student and parent I establish the learning needs of the student.
I work with the student to devise teaching and learning strategies to suit the student.

We use Zoom for conversation. I share my qualifications, my certificates, my CRB / DBS, my references, and discuss the student's educational needs, just as I would do if face-to-face.

Together - the student and I - we compose our lesson notes which I write out and - at the end of the lesson - I scan the notes and send them to the student.
We can also use and share an interactive online whiteboard, just like a sheet of paper between us, and of course screen - sharing technology to bring our tuition notes to the home of the student.

We try to make the online learning experience and working relationship as similar as possible to the face - to - face experience.

I offer a top quality tuition package - friendly, patient and reliable - to meet the needs of the individual student who wants to improve her / his grades and is prepared to work hard.

Whether the student needs help with homework, coursework guidance, specific topics, revision strategies, or exam technique and practice at past exam papers, etc. . . help is available, and the student and parents WILL see improvement.

The fee covers not only the hour of tuition time, but also:-

pre-lesson preparation time;
providing personalised lesson notes at the end of each lesson;
setting homework or past exam paper;
marking homework or past exam paper;
providing online support between lessons;
providing feedback to students and parents.

So, when you consider the full package, you will see that each lesson means you get at least 2 hours of a specialist teacher's time and the benefit of his years of work and experience as a teacher. I believe that the tuition "hourly" fee is actually very good value for money and compares well with fees charged by similarly qualified and experienced tutors. I hope you will agree and I look forward to hearing from you..

I am available for tuition during the day as well as after school.

I am based in Whitton, Twickenham.
I offer tuition online.

Thank you for taking the time to read my profile

If you would like further details or to discuss your individual learning needs or to arrange an online Zoom consultation meeting please contact me.

Michael.
{B.Sc. Physics and Maths (Hons)., M.Sc., PGCE., Enhanced DBS

Subjects

Personal Description:
Retired, deputy headteacher of a primary school in London. I have been tutoring now for 10 years.

Teaching Experience:
Taught in primary and secondary schools for 34 years. Over 20 years experience as a deputy headteacher. Have taught the full age range of primary school but mostly KS2 (age 7-11). My main role over the last 15 years has been a Year 6 SATS teacher so I have lots of experience for SATS preparation. I also did a lot of work in booster groups in Maths and English, moving children from level 3 to level 4. I have now been tutoring for a year with children aged between 7 and 14. For the last 3 years I have been a Key Stage 2 SATs marker. I can also tutor GCSE maths foundation level.

Tutoring Approach:
My main aim is to improve the ability of the children in the subjects chosen. Most of my tutees find the one-to-one personal touch invaluable because it allows me to quickly identify the areas of difficulty and devise a learning programme to meet these at a pace which the tutee finds comfortable. Many of the parents have commented that one-to-one sessions have rapidly improved the tutee's confidence and has frequently resulted in them being moved up groups in the classroom. Other parents have asked me to prioritise my teaching time working with their children on school homework. I like to create a friendly but purposeful atmosphere. I always give time to the parents at the end of each session so they are kept completely informed about my aims and strategies. I have years of experience and all the relevant materials to support the children in these subjects.

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Personal Description:
I am a very positive person and have full empathy with students barriers to learning.
I am friendly and approachable and like to aim to raise student self-esteem and attitude to learning, focusing on positive recognition of achievements and constructive reinforcement of learning strategies.

I work just as easily with adults as I do with children.

Teaching Experience:
I have over 30 years of teaching experience teaching from pre schoo level up to GCSE level and adult learning for returning to work.

I also teach children within the care system who have missed a lot of the early building blocks through lack of education as opposed to lack of ability. This also includes overcoming huge barriers to learning !

Tutoring Approach:
I aim to develop an individual learning strategy to accomodate the students learning style and empower them to achieve and gain confidence through a positive learning programme suited to their individual style and needs.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Hi,
My name is Madusha, an energetic, keen enthusiastic young female completing my degree in Optometry in Cambridge.

Teaching Experience:
Music - Piano/Viola

• Passed my Piano Diploma-Trinity (March 2017)
• Performed as the lead violist at the Royal Festival Hall with the London Philharmonic Orchestra
• Took part in a tour to Berlin with Sutton Youth Symphony Orchestra in (July 2015)
• Played for social events at Banstead Downs Golf Club, carol services and for various charity events
• Frequent voluntary commitment to play piano for fund raising events in Morrison's - Sutton and for the Macular Society at Salvation Army

Tutoring Approach:
I am friendly and flexible with your needs and will be offering to teach piano to primary school children and teenagers up to Grade 4.
I am happy to teach anyone with no experience or if you would like to learn only the basics.
I assess student teaching styles prior to commencing lessons and offer personalised programmes to cater for each individual needs.

Subjects

Personal Description:
My name is Irene, I'm 26 and I'm from Murcia, Spain. I am a hard-working, creative and full of energy candidate looking for a job related to education field. I enjoy teaching new knowledge and abilities to the students as well as I enjoy learning with them.

Teaching Experience:
I studied a degree in Primary Education and a master degree in Bilingual Education, so I'm a qualified and professional Spanish teacher with more than 3 years of teaching experience in Spain. Nowadays, I am working as teacher in London in the mornings.

Tutoring Approach:
My lessons are made for all type of students, from ''zero'' Spanish to advanced, so don't worry about your level. I am quite fluent in English that means I can help you if you are struggling. I've been through the same process with English.

In my teaching I use a good range of materials and resources to support students. I try to create an atmosphere that makes learning enjoyable and effective, using a variety of resources, for instance; pictures, games, songs, PowerPoint presentations, newspapers, Internet and books.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Background:
• BA (hons) Fine Art,
• Master of Fine Art Photography
• Photography teacher with 20 + years experience.

Enhanced DBS (on update service)


Please contact me if you are struggling to access tutoring financially as I may be able to offer discounts.

Please Note: Any tutoring must be booked within 3 months of request

Teaching Experience:
Experience in Levels:
• GCSE, AS, A2, City & Guilds
• Outreach, youth work, Access (to degree)
• BA photography.
• MA / MFA photography

Subjects Offered:
• Digital photography
• Analogue film photography and alternative processes.
• Art and design
• Reading and writing

Key Skills:
• Adult Mental Health Aware (MHFA England)
• Safeguarding Essentials (CYLiX)
• Emergency First Aid in the Workplace (St. Johns' Ambulance)
• Adobe Suite
• Microsoft Office Suite


Work Place Experience:
• Tutor / technical instructor BA/MFA - University for creative arts (UCA Farnham)
• Photography teacher - The Royal School, Haslemere, Surrey.
• Photography teacher / outreach placements - Alton College, Alton, Hampshire
• Facilitator art-based workshops - community hubs in Surrey and Hampshire
• Outreach Youth Hubs - Hampshire Youth Service

Tutoring Approach:
With a strong foundation in teaching, creative practice, and hands-on support roles, I offer a compassionate, adaptable, and proactive approach to education.
I've worked across a wide range of settings, from secondary and further education to 1:1 tution, SEND, hub-based art and craft sessions developing excellent communication skills, emotional resilience, and the ability to manage complex responsibilities with empathy and professionalism.
Learning should be fun and relaxed, and as such my approach is very practice based.

Subjects

Personal Description:
PLEASE SEE 'TUTORING EXPERIENCE' BELOW FOR THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS OF THIS PAGE, THE RESULTS AND FEEDBACK

I am an Oxford graduate (English language and literature, first class), as well as a qualified English teacher, and have been tutoring since 2013. My specialism is A-level English literature.

Please get in touch for online English tuition, particularly if you are or your child is

• Preparing to take A-levels in 2026/27
• Doing coursework
• Working on the basis of continuous assessment, mocks, etc.
• Or planning to do / doing an English degree

I graduated from the University of Oxford with a double first in English language and literature, winning the prize for the best performance in English finals at Mansfield College, and the college essay prize. At school, I was awarded eleven GCSEs at A-star and three A-levels at A.

As well as tutoring, I have worked as a researcher, a copywriter, and a proofreader. I have also completed a PGCE in secondary English at the UCL Institute of Education, the highest-ranking college of education in the world ('QS World University Rankings'), during which I taught all age groups at two west London secondary schools, and received A's for my master's-level assignments. I am currently pursuing a PhD in English literature at the University of Buckingham.

As well as English tuition at any level, I can help you or your child with the following:

• Oxbridge entrance (the admissions process, practice interviews, the ELAT, etc.)
• Essay surgery - how to structure and write an essay
• How to revise - note-taking, organisation, making connections, committing to memory
• Grammar, punctuation, and style (a.k.a. 'usage and abusage')
• Speech-writing and public speaking
• Proofreading and redrafting essays
• Suggested reading and resources, including access to my library of 'TES' resources
• Creative writing
• How to annotate, analyse (and enjoy) English literature - sometimes known as 'close reading' or 'practical criticism'
• If you'd specifically like written feedback on your writing - more like a correspondence course - then I can also provide that.

In my spare time I enjoy cycling, writing, and photography.

Teaching Experience:
I have been tutoring since 2013, teaching English at all levels (including degree level), as well as A-level religious studies and classical civilisation. I have taught AQA, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC/Eduqas, and CAIE (Cambridge International), and am constantly familiarising myself with the new texts that my students are studying. I have experience helping students who have autism and ADHD. And I am interested in the role of generative AI and large language models in education, not to write students' essays for them, but as research assistants for students and teachers alike. It is of course important that students do not get the likes of ChatGPT to write their essays for them, among other reasons because they will not be able to do so in the exams. Tutoring is well placed to discourage this, since it has always been my practice to ask my students many questions about every essay they write.

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A student, June 2025: 'thank you very much for all the sessions! It has not only boosted my confidence in English literature but they really reminded me of how much I love the subject. It's always a pleasure to discuss nuance readings of the texts, and it has been a great help leading up to my exams.'

Charlotte, a parent, June 2025: 'Thank you so much for all your help and support for [L.]. We are so grateful for everything you have done with him and wish you all the best.'

Ann, a parent, June 2025: '[Z.] has thoroughly enjoyed her lessons with you and has gained so much from your guidance. We're very grateful for all the support you've given her.'

A parent, May 2025: 'Thank you so much again for everything you've done to help [G.] prepare for these exams - he has really enjoyed his sessions with you and he and we really appreciate your support'.

A parent, May 2025: '[N.] just received the below. It's an A* if the grade boundaries is same as last year. She couldn't have done it without your help. We really appreciate it.'

A parent, February 2025: '[S.] is really enjoying studying with you and has gained a lot of confidence in English. I truly appreciate the effort and dedication you put into teaching.'

A student, January 2025: 'thank you ever so much for your kindness and creative encouragement the past months. What is very special about you as a tutor is that you have never told me "what to write". Instead, you have asked me questions about my work that have led me to discover what I truly wish to write'.

Kate, a parent, December 2024: 'We're so pleased [G.] is enjoying his sessions and seems to be really motivated to read widely in between sessions, is making useful structured notes (which he didn't do before) and his confidence and awareness of what he needs to do when essay writing is really building. Thank you!!!'

Eleni, a parent, December 2024: 'I just wanted to let you know that [D.] received an offer […] today! She is super happy! […] I wanted to thank you again as [D.] found your sessions incredibly helpful and inceased her confidence during the exams process.'

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A-level results, August 2024:

'I wanted to write to say a huge thank you to you for all the help, support and inspiration you have given [E.] over the past year. You have not only given her the technical advice and support to help her make the most of her essays and exams, but more importantly you have helped her keep the love of the subject alive. I know a big part of the reason she is so excited to study English at university is because of how much she has enjoyed your conversations, and how you have helped her to consider texts in a way that the rather narrower scope of teaching at school does not allow. I am so very grateful to you and I really appreciate all the time and effort you put into her sessions - thank you so very much. […] You've been so great, and any other student/parent would be lucky to have access to your teaching.'

'I have just opened my results and am happy to confirm that I am off to Bristol this September with an A* in English! I just want to thank you again for making this possible.'

'I got an A in English, and will be going to Exeter, so mission accomplished. I wanted to thank you for all your help, not only for helping me to get what I needed, but for giving me back my confidence and enjoyment of the subject in the process.'

'Just to let you know [I.] got her results this morning and achieved an 'A' in English. We are over the moon […] Thank you again for all your help with the English, it's much appreciated.'

'thanks for your help this past academic year! Got two A*s in English and Philosophy'.

'I got a B and I was accepted into my firm university (Durham) which I am very happy! Thank you for all your help and support.'

'I was really happy to receive […] A in English Literature […] I secured a placed at my firm university. I will be studying English Literature at Durham University this September and I am very excited! Thank you so much for all of your support, I really appreciate it!'

'i got into Warwick with […] an A* in English!!!!! I am very happy :) Thank you for all your hard work, wisdom and wit over the last year or two'.

'Thank you so much for all your coaching and advice that you shared with [L.], it made such a difference to his confidence leading up to his exams. He is (as are we) delighted with his English result.'

'an A awarded in English […] so she is off to her first choice of Edinburgh University to study History of Art and English Literature.'

'Results day went well and I'm going to the university of Kent. Thank you so much again for all the time spent helping me to prepare for my exams it means a lot I'm very excited to continue my English literature journey.'

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A student, June 2024: 'Thank you so much for being the most amazing English teacher! It has been an immensely rewarding and interesting journey exploring so many books […] I have learnt so much from GCSEs to continuing with more amazing literatures in A-levels'

A student, June 2024: 'I […] wanted to say thank you for the tremendous help you have provided with the English content throughout the A level period. The resources that you provided for me were quite helpful in refining my knowledge in many areas of the syllabus so thank you very much.'

A student, May 2024: 'I've just received the results for my english coursework and wanted to thank you for all the help and feedback!!'

A parent, February 2024: 'your help has kept her love of the subject and her enthusiasm alive and I can't thank you enough for that.'

A parent, February 2024: 'You were such a huge help to [S.], we will always be very grateful to you.'

Kath, a parent, February 2024: 'We would both like to thank you for all your invaluable help, especially all the helpful feedback on the coursework essay. [S.] has definitely learnt a lot and grown in confidence, especially in her knowledge of Twelfth Night.'

A student, January 2024: 'I just wanted to let you know that I got an offer from Oxford! Thank you so much for checking over my personal statement and all the help that you have given me since GCSEs. I really enjoy our sessions every week, the discussions keep me constantly creative and thinking.'

A parent, January 2024: 'Thank you as always for all your continued help and support for [E.]. I know she gets a tremendous amount from your sessions and I'm very grateful.'

A student, January 2024: 'Just emailing to let you know I did get an offer from […] Cambridge yesterday so thank you so much for all your help! It is really appreciated and I'm really looking forward to starting my degree in October!'

A student, December 2023: 'So thank you so much again for all your help; your insights have been very useful and I have really enjoyed talking about literature with you.'

Tara, a parent, November 2023: 'you are really helping [R.], he is becoming much more confident. Thank you so much'.

Paula, a parent, November 2023: '[M.] is always delighted with your teaching. You are asking questions no one else does. My husband and I see her grow academically after every session with you.'

Liz, a parent, October 2023: 'Thank you so much for all the work you have done with, and the kindness you have shown, [E.] to date. She really enjoys her sessions with you, and you've helped keep her enthusiasm for English very much alive. I'm so grateful.'

Kim, a parent, August 2023: 'I cannot tell you how happy we all were and your help was clearly instrumental in that. Not sure if he told you but he got 12 points above an A* and it was his best A level result!'

A student, August 2023: 'I really enjoyed our lessons and think it has really helped prepare me for the Oxford style tutorials.'

A student, August 2023: 'wanted to let you know I ended up getting an A* in English, thanks so much for all the help!'

Mark, a parent, June 2023: 'Many thanks josh for your help this year. [E.] has said to me it has really helped, you started assisting her at a time when she felt behind her class mates for the whole of the first year, having switched to English half way through term one.'

Melanie, a parent, June 2023: 'Thank you so much for all your time and effort with [T.]'s English literature. She really enjoyed your sessions together and it really boosted her confidence and inspired her to think more deeply and critically about the texts. It also confirmed that she is happy and excited to study a literature based course at degree level.'

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A-level results, August/September 2022:

'[L.] came home from university yesterday to attend her school prize giving ceremony, and this morning as she was leaving she asked me to let you know that she won a special prize in English […] Until last night, she wasn't aware of any of her awards, apart from her scholarship, so it was all a lovely surprise. Furthermore, the essays she wrote in her A level English exams have somehow found their way into her teachers' hands; they told her, with beams of pride , that the three marks dropped overall were actually in her *non exam* assessment, so 30/30 in all questions across all papers under exam conditions, something she had never achieved before. She had admitted to me in the aftermath of the exams that when she was writing her English papers she had really enjoyed the process, her thoughts flowing pretty effortlessly on to the paper. But she had also worried this stream of ideas might not be fit with the mark schemes. […] she […] wanted you to know about her prize, as she thought you'd be pleased, and she also wanted to say thanks one last time for your inspirational teaching that led to it.'

'I got AAA* for my results much higher than my predicted! particularly for english'.

'[G.] got an A star in English. And is off to Oxford. […] Thanks so much for everything - you were honestly amazing and really helped her get there'.

'[L.] got 3 a stars and an A star as well in her EPQ. Her highest marks were in English Literature ( 197/200)'.

'I achieved 4A*s in my Alevels - one being in English Literature. My teachers also let me know that I got full marks in both the exam papers'.

'[T.] smashed English Literature, A* […] she is absolutely over the moon . Thank you so much for all the work you put in with her !'

'I got a D[distinction]2!!! […] I got full marks on my PI!'

'I got an A* in English!!! Thank you so much for all of your help I wouldn't have been able to do it without you!'

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A student, January 2023: 'Just wanted to let you know I got an offer from Cambridge, thank you so so much for all your help.' And Kathryn: 'You were such a great help to [E.] in her preparation for the Cambridge application and interview and we were all delighted when she was offered a place this week. Thank you for all the support you gave her.'

Shaun, a parent, January 2023: '[E.] has found the sessions really very helpful (and has enjoyed them!)'

Guifang, a parent, December 2022: 'From what I hear from [S.], she really enjoys her discussions with you, it's really one of the highlights of her week.'

A student, November 2022: 'I'm extremely happy to tell you that I received an 8.3 for the literary review […] Thank you for explaining to me what a literary review is […] I remember whilst working on it I was so worried about my grade, but it appears I've survived.'

Deborah, a parent, September 2022: 'a huge thanks again to you for all your work with [S.]. I know he has been in touch to let you know that he got 9s in both English Language and Literature. He was over the moon - well beyond his best hopes, so thank you again for being instrumental in helping him attain those grades.'

Karen, a parent, August 2022: 'Both my girls really like your way of teaching and talking to them, they feel really listened to and respected for their opinions (as well as respecting yours obviously), so thank you :)'

Helen, a parent, July 2022: 'Thanks so much for all the help you gave [J.], he really benefitted from the sessions he had with you.'

Tara, a parent, June 2022: 'Thank you so much for all your help and patience - I think you have been brilliant for her confidence. She found English exams really very difficult before she started talking to you and it's amazing to see how much calmer (relatively speaking!) she has been going in to her A level English papers. Whatever the result, her sessions with you have definitely helped her to enjoy English again and I'm really grateful.'

A student, June 2022: 'This is incredibly insightful and thought provoking feedback. Thank you so much.'

Mei, a parent, June 2022: 'She found your lessons very helpful and always remarked to me how much you went the extra mile for her ; looking up and sending on links to whatever you'd been discussing. Much appreciated!'

Marguerite, a parent, June 2022: 'Thank you so much for all you've done for [T.] in the past year . […] you are a very talented teacher.'

Monica, a parent, June 2022: 'You have been an absolutely wonderful tutor to [L.], and how time has flown since she first met you! […] Many a time she has needed someone to talk to, not so much about AO1-5, but rather about the beauty and burden of literature and life. You have always been willing to do that, and she is richer for it.'

A student, June 2022: 'Thank you for teaching me for the last year; I have enjoyed our lessons and I feel I have grown as an English student, with thanks to your teaching.'

A student, April 2022: 'I received an 8 for my essay!! I want to thank you for your tutoring on Keats and Wordsworth- I wouldn't have gotten such a grade without it!! […] I learned tons because of you.'

Ngozi, a parent, March 2022: 'Thanks for everything that you're doing for [G.] - it has been very helpful.'

A student, February 2022: 'Really, thanks so much. Was such a good and efficient service. Your feedback looks really good and I'm going to implement it today. […] Thanks again for doing this on such short notice'.

Deborah, a parent, October 2021: '[S.] said you make it really fun - he said at school his energy goes down in English lessons and with you it goes up! So that is praise indeed from a teenage boy!'

A student, August 2021: 'I got the A grade ! I'm so pleased, thank you for all the help and the essays really paid off :).'

Monica, a parent, July 2021: 'As would be expected from his first class qualifications, Josh is extremely intelligent. However, in my opinion, he has a a very particular advantage over others of a similar academic background, namely his ability to exhibit an authentic interest in the ideas his students express. He is always kind and encouraging, but without sacrificing rigour; this approach has had a hugely positive impact on my daughter when speaking, writing and reading. Furthermore, Josh has introduced her to a range of authors, poets , films and philosophical thought, thus enriching her far beyond the school curriculum. In the future, my daughter will undoubtedly look back on her time with Josh with both fondness and gratitude. I have no hesitation in recommending Josh as a tutor'.

Guifang, a parent, July 2021: 'I have know Joshua for 2 months and He has been supporting my daughter excellently through her GCSE courses, helping her to achieve a 9 in predicted grades. From this, Joshua has always been very serious with the work, needless to say, always punctual and gives detailed homework feedback. I know him to be a wonderful tutor to my daughter.'

Susan, a parent, May 2021: '[T]hank you so much for all your help with [N.] […] [N.] found your lessons extremely helpful which enabled her to enjoy and understand English in a greater depth […] it was excellent tuition . Thank you'.

Jamal, a parent, May 2021: 'Thank you Josh for all your efforts, you have greatly assisted [S.] in better understanding English Literature as whole.'

Zahed, a parent, May 2021: 'We are grateful for all your help and support. We are in no doubt that [A.] has improved a lot in English Literature under your guidance.'

A student, May 2021: 'I just got my coursework back and got an A in it. Just thought i should let you know thanks you!'

Margaret, a parent, March 2021: 'Thanks for helping [M.] to improve her English understanding. She really enjoys her lessons and chats!'

Chris, a parent, March 2021: '[R.] is benefiting immensely from your lessons and is definitely getting more confident in expressing his thoughts in writing! Thank you.'

Amanda, a parent, December 2020: 'Josh has really helped join the dots, encouraged a depth of questioning and ways to interpret and compare ideas, extracting and bringing fresh meaning to narrative styles and creative use of language. Josh has been a great support and steered [R.]'s confidence to look more thoroughly and develop a greater understanding all round. Josh has a kind, approachable style and encouraged [R.] with debating aloud and suggestions for further reading which all continue to be an invaluable help and inspire greater confidence in approaching exams and further reading in future!'

A student, December 2020: 'He helps focus my understanding and makes sure i understand the topic we are learning before moving on. Josh will make sure to ask you questions throughout the process and is always ready for your ideas even if you think it's wrong. He will set homework but makes sure to switch it up each week to make it more interesting and gives his feedback to help me understand what i need to do to improve.'

Diana, a parent, September 2020: 'Josh worked with my daughter for her A Level in English Literature. He was outstanding with his ideas and expanding her critical thinking. He went above and beyond to develop her analytical skills and as a result helped her obtain an A*. He is an absolutely lovely, gentle but dynamic and reliable tutor who has a rare ability combine his academic achievement with a natural talent for teaching. A real gem and we cannot thank him enough.'

A parent, September 2020: 'Joshua is an excellent tutor with great communication skills . He is very patient , helpful , approachable and takes time to explain everything clearly to my daughter . Joshua has been able to breakdown and explain in full detail all aspects of the A Level content.'

A student, June 2020: 'it's been great being taught by you, I've learned so many critical thinking skills in such a short space of time.'

A parent, March 2020: 'I can't thank you enough for everything that you've done for her - you've been the best English teacher she's ever had and she has loved her time with you.'

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During my teacher training, I taught all age groups at two west London secondary schools.

While at Oxford, I was part of an 'e-mentoring' scheme to help candidates from schools without a history of Oxbridge applications.

At Christ College, Brecon, I ran two series of seminars, for sixth-formers studying RS and English literature. In English we covered 'The Tempest', Gothic literature, Pat Barker's 'Regeneration', 'Jane Eyre', Wilfred Owen, and 'The Canterbury Tales'.

Tutoring Approach:
I try to combine three things that I want my students to do, which are three forms of thinking: speak about complex ideas, read high-quality material, and write essays for which they will receive detailed feedback. For obvious reasons, lessons are weighted to speaking, and homework to reading and writing.

Speaking

Pedagogy's holy grail is measuring progress, which is difficult in a classroom and impossible in a lecture. Happily, the tutorial system allows this to occur continuously and efficiently via dialogue. Can a student re-express an idea they have heard or read in their own words? If the answer is yes, they have probably understood the idea. Hence the constant questions!

As well as understanding the ideas of others, speaking is essential for students to develop their own. I love the quotation from the novelist E. M. Forster, 'How can I tell what I think till I see what I say?' We improve the quality of our ideas through the process of articulating them.

For my part, quite a lot of what I say is explaining what texts mean. This might sound obvious, but great works of literature are complex, so, to understand their meaning, one's own interpretation probably needs the support of others' prior interpretations.

I sometimes like to break the question of a text's meaning into two: What's it about? And what's it really about? Answering the first question is comprehension, a necessary first step. To answer the second question is to understand. In 'A Streetcar Named Desire', for example, Blanche goes to live with her sister in New Orleans. She expresses a strong dislike of her surroundings and is frequently associated with images of water. She declines mentally and is eventually taken away. So what's the play really about? Blanche is a Romantic idealist who is disappointed with her life but still tends to imagine things in their perfect form. The play is about the human soul conceiving of things being as good as they could be (as if cleansed by water), reaching for the conception, and failing to grasp it - shuttling back and forth, in other words, on the streetcar named desire.

One thing I frequently encourage is making the link between those oft-cited elements of a good essay, themes and quotations. These are not unrelated ingredients, they are the text itself viewed from different distances. A theme (the desire to be cleansed) is a wide shot, and a quotation ('the land of the sky blue water') is a close-up. So the student of English has to practise their ability to zoom in and out.

Another way I try to support my students' studies is by making connections between the texts they are reading, which in my experience doesn't happen that much at school. Particularly at A-level, there are often many fruitful connections between the half-dozen or so texts being studied: the Romantics were devoted to Shakespeare and Milton, the Gothic is an aspect of the Romantic, the Aesthetic Movement drew on particular strains of Romanticism, etc. When these connections get made with reference to particular writers, they are no longer just isms. They make the material deeper and easier to understand at the same time. Towards the end of their school careers, students of the humanities should be able to get the sense of taking part in 'the Great Conversation that began in the dawn of history and that continues to the present day' (Robert M. Hutchins).

Reading

I regularly give my students PDFs of high-quality secondary material pitched at their level or just above it. Explanatory notes, commentaries, and essays can help with understanding, particularly when it comes to context. (And all exam boards have assessment objectives relating to historical context.) To know that a text was written during a particular period and what characterised that period is to have a mental scaffold that does not limit movement but frees it. In studying the humanities we are studying human culture, and no one can do that without a bit of structure. It also helps when thinking about texts in relation to each other - when writing a comparative essay, for example. I like to think of honing in from context to text, e.g. Romanticism (late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries) > William Blake (1757-1827) > 'Songs of Innocence and of Experience' (1794) > 'The Tyger'. (What's 'The Tyger' about? There's a question!)

In my experience, knowledge acquisition operates according to the Matthew principle, named after a verse in the Gospel of Matthew: 'unto every one that hath shall be given'. In other words, the more you've got, the more you'll get. Every time you learn something about Romanticism, the greater will be your understanding of the poetry of William Blake. Your internal bookshelves expand - more connections, greater understanding. Reading secondary material is obviously 'extra', but it works to enhance students' understanding of set texts rather than crowd them out. Homer Simpson said, 'every time I learn something new, it pushes some old stuff out of my brain', and we laugh because it's not true. You can't fill up a brain, so the cliché about people's (particularly young people's) limitless potential is true. Every time you learn something new, you enrich your contextual understanding of everything else you have ever learnt. '[E]very moment is a new and shocking / Valuation of all we have been', as T. S. Eliot put it in 'East Coker'.

Writing

Speaking and reading are in a concrete way preparation for writing. If you think and make notes while speaking and reading, by the time it comes to writing an essay, the question should not be about what to say, but how to arrange the things you want to say. So annotation is an important skill. It's a bit like getting 'in the zone' for a sportsperson - students must practise getting there and staying there. I model the annotation process something like this:

Read with a pencil in your hand. What makes you underline? Something fires in your brain, so that you have a response - you spot a developing theme, you're reminded of another book, you agree or disagree, there's a word you don't know and need to look up, you like the way a sentence sounds. It could be anything. Read until you've underlined twenty words or sentences. Work out the three or four connections between the things you have to say, and you've got a paragraph plan. Work out the main thing you have to say, and you have a thesis for your essay, which, as you aim your paragraphs at it, will accumulate force.

A lot of learning (and life) is about noticing connections, so getting into the habit of doing so is something like learning how to learn. If a student has developed this habit, they shouldn't really have to think 'What shall I write?' in front of a blank sheet of paper or screen. The content of the essay will be a sort of emanation of prior thinking.

When it comes to giving students feedback, I keep in mind one of the best incites I heard early in my PGCE: attend to your students' writing as you would a piece of literature. This way, the marking progress becomes analogous to the writing process. What are all the things that could make this essay better? And is there a connection between them, i.e. what's the main thing this student needs to focus on? (I usually give feedback using comments and 'track changes' in Microsoft Word.)

Why study English?

It has been said that 'If you can think, and speak, and write, you are absolutely deadly', and I think that's right. Learning how to construct and articulate good arguments is learning how to impose ideas on the world. To the extent that English is about feelings, it is about their articulation, and there is a great deal to learn about how feelings have been and can be articulated. Moreover, because English is the medium of instruction in all other subjects, command of it confers a freedom to range through the history of ideas and discriminate between reliable and unreliable, including online. Language is a prerequisite for thought - doing English properly is learning how to think better.

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Personal Description:
I'm 26 and recently discovered my love for tutoring after volunteering to take responsibility for my nephew's home schooling during lockdown. I currently study at The Open University towards a BSci Hons Natural Sciences degree. I have first hand experience of being the student and the tutor and found this invaluable when working with my nephew towards his learning aims.

Teaching Experience:
One year zoom tutoring, KS2 and KS3, all subjects.

Tutoring Approach:
I work with a high level of emotional intelligence and feel the child is happiest and most open to learning without the pressure of feeling responsible for their learning. I will only use positive reinforcement to encourage learning and find having set prizes to earn to be very effective for motivation. What I take the most joy in is tailoring lesson content to the interest of the child, enabling the child to fully engage and enjoy my lessons rather than view them as a chore.

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Personal Description:
Hi there ... Assalamu Alaikum 👋
I am Ali from Egypt , native Arabic speaker.


I have been tutoring students for almost 2 years.
I have taught students from 4.5 years to 70 years old , from Uk Usa Canada, Malaysia and Kenya.

My Qualifications :
◾ Hold a bachelor degree from Al Azhar
university.
◾ Memorized the whole Quran in my
childhood.
◾ Hold a license "Ijazah" in Hafs Rewaia to
teach the Quran.
🔸 long experience in teaching Qur'an and
Arabic language.

I am willing to expertly craft my skill sets to fit whatever method your child needs to retain his/her studies to the best of their capabilities

Teaching Experience:
I have been tutoring students for almost 2 years.
I have taught students from 4.5 years to 70 years old , from Uk Usa Canada, Malaysia and Kenya.

Tutoring Approach:
I am teaching the below courses :
🔹 Read Quran properly " in short time".
🔹Read QURAN fluently with deep
knowledge " a bit long time".
🔹 Tajweed rules.
🔹Qur'an memorization.
🔹Qur'an recitation.
🔹Basic Quran vocabularies.

My process of teaching :
_ For Quran memorization :
- Review the past " every class" .
- Read the new part " 10 times".
- Send you an image and record of this part.
_ For Proper recitation :
- Discuss the lesson by the latest
methodology of education.
- take examples to apply the lesson.
- send you an assignment to confirm it in
your mind.

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Personal Description:
I am a PhD candidate at Cardiff University, where I research contemporary forms of subtitling. I have a Master's Degree in Translation Studies - for which I received a high Distinction and Best Postgraduate Dissertation - and a Bachelor's Degree in French and Spanish - for which I was awarded First-class Honours and an Excellence Scholarship. I have also been awarded a Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy in recognition of my teaching contributions at Cardiff University, where I have taught undergraduate French and Spanish language, history, and culture for four years.

I have lived in both Toulouse, France and Barcelona, Spain, where I was able to immerse myself fully in French, Spanish, and Catalan language and culture respectively. My passion for languages has very much informed my choice of career so far, both academic and professional.

I know from first-hand experience that learning a language has the most profound impact, giving the learner an insight and a pathway into entirely new cultures, perspectives, and ways of life. This is an experience that I have been fortunate to have for myself, and therefore wish to help others to discover for themselves.

Aside from work, I am a keen athlete and photographer. I spend most of my free time swimming, doing sport, or adventuring with my film camera in hand.

Teaching Experience:
I have amassed a broad range of teaching and coaching experiences in recent years. These include, most recently, preparing and delivering seminars on Spanish and French language, translation, and culture to undergraduate students at Cardiff University. This has entailed gauging and adapting to the varied abilities of an entire cohort, producing learning materials that will guide and challenge different students appropriately, and providing bespoke, individual feedback to ensure each student's personal development. I am currently performing this teaching role face-to-face, but had until recently done so online due to the pandemic. As such, I feel comfortable engaging with my students in either setting.

I am also employed as a mentor and tutor for students enrolled in an online translation course on the Futurelearn platform. This course attracts thousands of students from around the world, and so gives me the opportunity to teach and to facilitate discussions between individuals with a fascinating range of perspectives, experiences, and abilities. Again, this role requires me to find a balance between delivering a general syllabus at the right pace so that every student is challenged and fulfilled, and, simultaneously, taking the time to adapt and engage with people on a personal, one-to-one basis. Building on this, I have also tutored talented young research students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds through the internationally acclaimed Lumiere Scholarship Programme.

I am a Fellow of Advance HE (formally the Higher Education Academy), a not-for-profit organisation which trains and awards educators in contemporary teaching methods and theories, and which is universally reputed across the higher education sector. The portfolios that I have produced and the training that I have completed for these awards has honed my investment in centring EDI in my teaching practices; my primary focal points have been accessibility, student transitions, and digital literacy.

Thanks to my love of sports from a young age, I have over a decade of coaching experience, ranging from football and rugby to ultimate frisbee. While not directly related to academic learning, I have always found a valuable crossover in the dynamic between player and coach and that between student and teacher. Both involve accepting (and, I believe, finding the joy in) the responsibility you have for guiding and shaping someone else's growth. This is an aspect of teaching and coaching that I have always found hugely fulfilling and rewarding.

In my time at university, I have occupied a number of wellbeing- and support-related roles. I believe that a focus on mental and physical health is essential in any educational setting.

Tutoring Approach:
As I have alluded to, I believe in the value of engaging with students on an individual level. By adapting different teaching methods and elements of the relevant content according to the learning style and existing knowledge of the student in question, you can always find the best approach to the subject matter for them personally. In my experience, this leads to a fairly free and engaging learning environment, while also maintaining a necessary level of proximity to the syllabus.

Most importantly, though, this approach means that the student is more likely to genuinely enjoy their learning. In education as in any area of life, the best results come when you love what you do.

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