Billsborrow Tutors & Billsborrow Tuition

Personal Description:
I had been a qualified teacher of English in China for nearly four years before i came to the UK. I can speak good English and Madarin and Contonese. I have been working as a voluntary teacher teaching kids mandarin every Sunday. I have just got a master's degree in language learning and education at the university of york in November 2012. I am currently working as a Chinese tutor.

Teaching Experience:
April 2009-present,
Voluntary worker
Work as a voluntary teacher teaching kids who want to learn Chinese every Sunday
August 2005-March 2009, TAI SHAN NO.1 High School Guang Dong China
English teacher
Worked as a full-time English teacher teaching students aged 16-18 who are going to enter the universities. Gave two or three classes every day on English words, grammar and English cultures etc.

Tutoring Approach:
face-to-face tutoring. Flexible pedagogy is adopted according to students' needs.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am a current mathematics teacher with a strong mathematical background (3 A-Levels in Maths, Degree from Cambridge).

I am available in school holidays (only) and am located about 12 mins walk from Farncombe train station. I can also tutor online via 'zoom' where travel is prohibited / unwise (we have been teaching via zoom for the last two months at school).

Teaching Experience:
16 years teaching secondary (GCSE / A-Level / IBDP) mathematics (and further mathematics); Currently teaching at Charterhouse School. 3 years teaching GCSE and A-Level Computer Science.

Tutoring Approach:
Tailored to the needs of the individual in question.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am a native speaker of Russian, currently living in Manchester, university educated with years of teaching experience of Russian and English as a foreign language. I offer high quality Russian language courses via Skype for foreign students of all levels.
I will help you choose an appropriate individual educational program, and the quantity of hours per week. Whether you are a beginner, or at an intermediate or advanced level, I can offer Russian language courses suitable to you.
I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Best regards,
Oxana

Teaching Experience:
I am passionate about teaching. I hold 9 years of experience in teaching pre-school Russian and English (for children aged 3 to 5), General and Business English and Russian for employees of different companies and Russian as a foreign language online and offline as well as Russian for bilingual children. I can also help with preparing for GCSE and A - levels.

Tutoring Approach:
I use the communicative method. The main focus is on using the language. You start speaking Russian from the very first lesson, even if you`re a beginner.
Russian grammar will be introduced to you in a clear structured format - you will see that there is an understandable logic. You will not be overloaded with grammar tasks and will learn only as much grammar as you need in order to speak and understand Russian.
If you`d like to use a book during the course, together we can choose a book that will best address your needs.At the same time, most lessons are held without the use of a book. The book would mainly be used for reference, providing structure, and homework material.
I like the idea of total immersion because we all really learn by doing, and the more you practise Russian, the more you will learn.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am a mother of four sons and have over 15 years teaching experience. I enjoy the outdoors and keep fit by jogging and practicing yoga everyday. I am highly motivated and enjoying learning new skills currently I am learning Spanish.

Teaching Experience:
I have 15 years teaching experience in biology ranging from practical experimental work through to explaining detailed molecular mechanisms at post graduate levels. I have taught school students biology as a tutor for the past 8 years.
I am currently lecture at university from 1st year through to post graduate level and I am programme lead for Food Biosciences

Tutoring Approach:
As each individual student has different needs and different learning preferences I tailor the lessons to the individual student. I generally would discuss with the student the way they prefer to learn and put together lesson plans that reflect this.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I completed my undergraduate studies (English Language and Literature) in Greece, and my Masters studies in London. I have been passionate about the English language since I was very young, and was awarded the Cambridge University Certificate of Proficiency in English at age 15. When it comes to Language Teaching, I consider my exceptional level of English, my teaching skills, acquired during my Bachelor studies, as well as my experience of eight years of teaching to be my greatest assets. Offering private lessons of Greek and EFL in London and online. All ages and levels welcome. Flexible timetable.

Teaching Experience:
8 years of teaching experience in Greece and the UK, privately and in schools, all levels of English and Greek, including English Literature and IELTS preparation. I have worked both with children and adults, especially second generation Greeks and Cypriots.

Tutoring Approach:
Every lesson is tailored to the needs of the student. The use of specific handbooks is determined by each client's desires and needs. Extra material provided by the teacher. To support, encourage and help the student achieve his or her goals has always been my number one objective when teaching.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am patient, calm and relaxed to enable the student to feel comfortable to engage in their learning quickly.

Lessons are dynamic and interactive with a multimodal approach to learning using electronic and interactive materials.
Student say that they enjoy the lessons as they are dynamic and active, packed with great content. Parents appreciate the open communications and updates about their child's progress. They agree their focus improves as they start to take control of their studying, planning their time as well as developing their own independent approach to their learning.
Each Student improves and achieves when they apply themselves to the process of step by step learning.

Teaching Experience:
Solid 25 years experience of teaching English language and Literature to all levels since qualification from Cambridge University in 2007.
Over 12 years tutoring 11+ entrance exams and the AQA, EdExcel and Oxford GCSE, Cambridge IGCSE and A level
English Literature and Language. Essay writing and Academic skills for all exams and extra support with nuero divergent methodologies in understanding process and creative writing, reading comprehension, and verbal reading study skills.

Addiditionally, I am a fully qualified English language teacher with over 20 years experience of training for the academic English at university, the entrance IELTS examination in all four skills, listening, reading writing and speaking. I also lecture and teach Academic English at university.

I also have a post graduate diploma in people and employment law management, adult learning, psychology and development. I have trainer skills delivery experience of over 25 years as well as teaching junior staff in writing skills and effective communications. I have professional Membership of the chartered institute of personnel and development.

I am currently researching creativity and movement in neurology and the positive effects on learning.

I volunteer as a English tutor for disadavantaged children, support creative arts and movement sessions with learning and physically disabled people in theatre and dance.
I have a protective behaviours certificate, safeguarding and A wide experience of working across diverse groups.
I am a qualified facilitator in conflict resolution for international ONGs.
I speak Portuguese and Spanish having lived in both Brazil and Colombia for several years working with the communities through the arts And English in esucation to initiate social change.

Tutoring Approach:
My students success is due to the interactive process I deliver with them.

Depending on need and level the lessons are always personalized with materials to suit the individual as it is student centred.
We plan homework together with taksks broken down into manageable chunks whether that be crafting fun stories with year 5-6's to develop narrative and creative writing techniques to formal essays for exams.

I offer bespoke support in English for academic synthesis and analysis depending on level and need. A little or more practice daily.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Fun and friendly primary school teacher offering private tuition after school, weekends and holidays in and around the Edinburgh area.

Available from 4pm Mondays to Thursdays and from 1pm on Fridays. Weekends available between 8.30am and 3pm

Holiday tutoring available on request.

Teaching Experience:
Qualified primary school teacher of ten years.

Graduated with a PGDE Primary Education from University of Strathclyde.

Tutoring Approach:
I like to approach tutoring in a fun and relaxed way using a variety of resources to positively engage the student.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Ciao! I'm Esmond. I'm a writer, composer, director and artist, and prizewinning History finalist at the University of Oxford, with experience of a broad range of learning environments and teaching styles, and substantial industry experience in music and the creative arts. Deeply passionate about my subjects, I'm dedicated to each of my students and enthusiastic about sharing the joy of learning with them. I tutor History, Music, History of Art and Latin to A-Level, IB and equivalent, and English, Design and Technology (Graphic Design route) and Maths to GCSE/IGCSE. I also provide mentoring, including guidance on personal statements, submitted work, admissions tests and interviews, for students applying to study History and related subjects at both Oxbridge and other universities. More broadly, I work with students at all levels to develop essay writing, research, problem-solving and study skills.

Currently a final-year historian at the University of Oxford, I hold both academic and music scholarships. I attained a Distinction in the First Public Examination, ranking equal fourth across the University. Besides history, my degree has also involved considerable interdisciplinary work in the visual arts, literature, music and folklore, and substantial language work in Latin, French, Italian and Middle English, in which I have research-level proficiency. I have A-Levels in Music, Latin and History (all above 90%), an AS-Level in Maths (A), and 11 A*s at IGCSE and GCSE. I have extensive knowledge of a broad range of history, music, art and literature, with particular expertise in the medieval, Renaissance and early Modern periods, the eighteenth century, the European folk revival, and - in music - post-tonal and contemporary composition, although I also teach more broadly, including on modern topics. I share details of and blog about medieval and Renaissance Italian art, drawing on my own photography and travels in Italy, at Treasures of Renaissance Italy.

My teaching in Music and Design and Technology is further underpinned by extensive industry experience in music (as a composer, director, producer and singer), graphic design and the creative arts more broadly. I produced and artistically directed my first opera production, Monteverdi's L'Orfeo, in 2016, with an international cast of singers from several leading British and European conservatoires, and I'm currently Artistic Director and co-Musical Director of the semi-professional early music and early opera ensemble, Theatron Oneiron, which I founded as a first-year undergraduate. As a freelance composer, my compositions have won competitions at a national level and been performed by such artists as the BBC Singers. I'm also a classically trained, semi-professional singer, currently a Choral Exhibitioner in the Choir of The Queen's College, Oxford, and formerly a Choral Scholar at Guildford Cathedral and Exeter College, Oxford, and member of the Iken Scholars among many other ensembles; and I frequently perform as a recitalist and as a soloist in oratorios and opera productions. I previously studied both piano and violin. In art and design, my experience encompasses both artistic and technical drawing, product design, poster design, and production design for the stage, and my work includes an award-winning scaled model and card model kit of Guildford Cathedral.

Teaching Experience:
I have substantial experience of a range of learning environments and teaching styles, including home education, project- and inquiry-based learning, the Oxbridge tutorial format, and classroom-style teaching in both the private and the state sectors.

I worked as a Teaching Assistant at Chelsea Academy, London, in 2013-14, as part of RGS Guildford's Outreach Scheme there. I have led and assisted classes for year groups and ability levels from Year 7 to GCSE and top to bottom sets, and previously provided mentoring to Oxbridge applicants. More recently, my experience includes one-to-one tutoring in humanities subjects, English as a Second Language, and Music Theory. I have further developed creative and effective coaching and teaching methods in the course of work as both a musical director and stage director, and clear and engaging communication of content and ideas through seminar talks and presentations in the course of my own studies.

Tutoring Approach:
My own teaching style is greatly influenced by my own fruitful experiences of home education (to age eleven) and the Oxbridge tutorial format. I prioritise the greater scope for intellectual flexibility and curiosity, intrinsically-motivated learning, and heightened freedom to range across subjects and pursue individual topics in greater depth according to each student's interests characteristic of both of these learning environments. I combine these foci with rigorous, comprehensive attention to exam syllabi to ensure that teaching and learning remain carefully targeted towards my students' desired grades in any traditional summative assessments such as school entrance exams, GCSEs or A-Levels.

All my tutoring is student-centred, guiding and facilitating my students in their own learning, in contrast to traditional teacher-centred instruction. I work with each student to tailor lessons to their individual learning style and priorities (whether understanding subject material, exam content, or honing particular skills such as analysis or argument). I place particular emphasis on developing a deep-seated passion for learning in my students and on encouraging them to think independently, critically and originally. I am, moreover, dedicated to seeing tangible improvement in each and every one of my students and will always put in extra effort to achieve this end.

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.

*

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.'

*

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.'

*

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.'

*

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!'

*

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.'

*

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.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I have always been fascinated with numbers and mathematics was one of my favourite subjects at school. I had the privilege of having a private mathematics tutor and I am eager to give others the support that I received.

Teaching Experience:
During the last five years I have become highly experienced in tutoring at the primary, KS3 and GCSE levels. I also have a strong overall knowledge of the current A level syllabus and I am now looking to gain experience in tutoring at this level also if given the opportunity.

Tutoring Approach:
I would first ask the students if they want to look at any particular topics. If the answer is yes, then I would prepare the necessary material (unless they already have their own material). If the answer is no, then we would follow a more general pattern of study. When I show them a question, I would first allow them to choose if they wish to attempt to answer it, or if they wish for me to help them. If it is the latter, then I would show them a method and then give them a similar question to attempt in order to ensure they understand it.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am a dedicated and passionate educational professional with extensive experience teaching in a range of secondary schools. Outside of the classroom, my skills as a climbing and mountaineering instructor help to enhance my practice and bring a fresh perspective to the material studied within an academic context.

On a personal level, I get great satisfaction from helping students progress and seeing consecutive generations achieve the academic qualifications that allow them to progress onto the next step in their lives.

Teaching Experience:
I have 7 years of experience in the English classroom; teaching across all secondary age ranges of KS3, GCSE and A-Level. I have a record of consistently excellent results with all exam classes I have taught, combined with a strong rapport built with students from every age range.

Tutoring Approach:
My teaching style is dynamic, adaptable and underpinned by a passion for the subject. I can accurately assess and analyse the greatest needs of a student, and then tailor a bespoke package of learning sequences based upon this analysis. Most importantly, I can draw on a deep understanding of what delivers results for students within the classroom, and then provide this as a bespoke and tailored service for any tutee.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am a native Greek speaker, specialized in Greek Language and teaching. I have been teaching Greek as a seond/foreign language for the last 11 years in various contexts. I have had students inside my classrooms or through a one-to-one teaching that had from 0 to 10 motivation/prior knowledge/time to study/talent in learning foreign languages. However, all of them made progress, all of them learnt Greek to some level and achieved their personal goals with my guidance. My theoritical and practical experience, combined with the fact that teaching is what I love to do, make me a tutor you will enjoy having by your side as you start this beautiful journey of learning the Greek language.
PHD: Greek Modern Literature and History ( Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences)
MASTER: History, Civilisations, Culture (University of France Comte)
MASTER: Political Science and Sociology (National Kapodistrian University of Athens)
Bachelor in Greek Philology Thesis on "Greek Modern Literature" National Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
Interculturalism (Seminar): Teaching Greek Language as Foreing Language, University of Thessaly, Greece

Teaching Experience:
Technical Supervisor, Education and Integration Department , Metadrasi , Athens
Educator Teaching Greek Language ( public schools)
Educator-Teaching Greek Language at accompanied children and adults, NGO Metadrasi
Volunteer Educator Teaching Greek Language on young refugees. Social School of Athens, Greece

Tutoring Approach:
Language for me is not just grammar or spelling. Language is communication, culture and immersion in a new context. That's my approach in teaching. At my lessons I utilize the most modern language learning methodologies, while also teaching about the Greek culture, history, music and all sorts of arts. Whatever your motivation to learn Greek is, I'm sure I can offer you a fun, engaging and meaningful lesson! I adapt my lesson to the needs of each student, offering a customized plan to make sure your goals are met.

Subjects