Cockburnspath Tutors & Cockburnspath Tuition

Personal Description:
I have a dual background in Electrical Engineering and Psychology and retired in 2007 after 20 years as a University lecturer. At different stages in my career I have taught telecommunications engineering, computer programming, software engineering, artificial intelligence and psychology. For relaxation I listen to jazz and blues.

Teaching Experience:
I have been tutoring students since March 2008 and am able to offer maths, physics and ICT from primary up to 'A' level, and general science (biology, chemistry, and physics) up to GCSE level. I have taught GCE A-level Maths, Further Maths and Physics with a number of students who have obtained places at Oxbridge/ Russell Group Universities to study Engineering, Maths, Medicine and Economics. A number of my tutees have been following courses in IGCSE Maths or Science or the IB in Maths or Physics. I have also taught students with Statements of Special Educational Need who have succeeded in obtaining qualifications in Functional Skills in Maths, English and Science. I am familiar with the 11+ exam requirements of Bromley, Bexley, and Kent education authorities and have assisted a number of pupils with their preparation for the exam. (In the absence of this category in the Subject list, my fee for 11+ preparation is 24/hour and for 13+ (Common Entrance) 26/hour.). At postgraduate level I can advise on research methods and statistics.

I am a chartered psychologist and can carry out educational and psychological assessments of both children and adults who are experiencing learning or language difficulties (however, I do not undertake remedial teaching).

Tutoring Approach:
PLEASE NOTE: FROM JANUARY 2019, I WILL NO LONGER BE OFFERING IN-PERSON LESSONS BUT CAN PROVIDE LESSONS VIA SKYPE OR (PREFERABLY) ZOOM ON EITHER WEEKDAYS OR WEEKENDS

I consider it important to assess the student's needs, strengths, and weaknesses carefully at the outset in order to develop a set of goals based on this assessment. I aim to provide well-structured and clearly presented instruction, which if the pupil is able and well-motivated will generally lead to progress. If the pupil is poorly motivated and/or has acquired unhelpful learning habits then we may need to vary the approach in order to re-engage their interest and/or find a level at which they can perform successfully, and then build on this accomplishment.

If required, I can provide references from past and present clients. I also offer a free first lesson so that the student has the opportunity to experience my style/approach before committing themselves to further lessons.

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Personal Description:
Hi,I am a Chinese national married to a British national. I have adopted the western name of Anita. I have a BA Degree in Chinese literature and language and a mandarin certificate scores 90.8. My English is fluent and also have an international English test with score 6. I am currently studying ma fashion in London. I am proud my Language and my culture . It will be my pleasure if you can give me a chance to help you improve your language skills and understand more Chinese culture .

Xiexie
Anita

Teaching Experience:
I used to assist my teacher in university with teaching Mandarin to foreign students . And also teaching students in senior school as an extra curriculum activity.
I have been teaching few students and families in UK including online tutoring last few years.

Tutoring Approach:
I would like to teach in a relaxed atmosphere . And allow the students to explore their own ways of learning Mandarin .I want learning to be fun and i want the student to enjoy the class and set themselves realistic goals.

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Personal Description:
I am a Brazilian Translator, teacher and Interpreter with a background in Law and Enviroment Managment (which can bring something extra to the classroom) with a passion for languages.

Teaching Experience:
I have over 12 years experience teaching to all levels and interests. To groups, one-to-one or via Skype.
Lecturer at Aberystwyth University - Portuguese studies

Tutoring Approach:
I believe learning languages should be fun. I am very motivated and like to make sure my students "get out of their comfort zone", learn and have a good time. I use videos, books, movies, etc.

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Personal Description:
I am French with a Master's degree in International Business. I teach adults and children, conversation, business, and exams. I am personable and patient and successful in what I do.

Teaching Experience:
I have been teaching since 1990. At first for language schools in London. I have been working for myself for many years. I teach one to one or small groups.

Tutoring Approach:
Every person is different so I adapt my style of teaching to the student. To be successful at tutoring I believe you need to listen to the student's needs and understand how they think. I am very good at that and getting on with the student is crucial to be able to impart your knowledge of the subject. Willingness to learn is key and I keep a good gradient to make sure they remain willing.

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Personal Description:
Reliable and qualified Maths Teacher with 20+ years of experience of tutoring individuals and groups. During the pandemic, I have most of my tuitions have been online.

I care deeply about teaching and learning in general and the teaching of mathematics is a particular passion for me. I am a secondary school mathematics teacher with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). I have completed a BSc in Accounting, an ACCA qualification and a PGCE course. I am currently studying for my MSc Education degree. I have 20+ years experience as a tutor and 10+ years as a teacher. I have also worked for an acounting firm for 5 years and worked as a company director for 7 years.

My first session is provided free of charge and I use this session to understand the needs of prospective pupils. At the end of the session, I have a frank and honest discussion with the pupil and/or their guardians. I use these conversations to listen to the concerns of the pupils and/or their guardians and present an outline of my assessment of the student's areas of strengths and weaknesses. I also suggest a course of action to help the pupil move forward.

Teaching Experience:
I have been providing tuition in mathematics for over 20 years and have been a secondary school Mathematics Teacher for over 12 years. I have experience teaching to individual students, to small groups and to classes of up to 35 students. I have helped four year old pupils take their first steps in arithmetic and forty plus year old students finally understand how algebra works.

I have helped students gain confidence in their own mathematical ability when they have been convinced by the academic system that they are incapable of doing well in the subject. I have also helped higher attaining students to challenge themselves and aspire to become even better. Most recently I helped 2 students achieve a grade 9, one for GCSE Maths and another for IGCSE Maths. One of these students also received an A grade for Additional Maths. Three other students, whom I started tutoring at beginning of Year 11, moved up 2 to 3 GCSE grades. Another student I tutored achieved an A* at A Level Maths. I have also helped students prepare for the Selective Eligibility Tests (SET) for Sutton grammar schools. Most of these students gained offers from the school of their choice.

Tutoring Approach:
During the last two decades I have worked with many hundreds of students and have read research studies from academics around the world on the subject of attainment in mathematics. My own experience is in keeping with all the studies I have read about this topic. The overwhelming majority of students can do well in mathematics provided they have the confidence, the techniques and willingness to work hard. Even after only six to eight weeks of tuition, all the students I have tutored have improved by at least one grade or one level.

I tell all prospective pupils there is no magic bullet or shortcut. To achieve success in mathematics a few things are key: understanding the concept well; understanding when and how to apply it in different situations; lots of practice in applying it in different scenarios and short, regular revision sessions. So my only pre-conditions before I agree to work with any student are: a positive attitude; a commitment to put in the time and effort required to bring about the improvement in their grades; and at least one ninety minute session every week.

It is important to me that students should enjoy mathematics and look forward to their sessions with me. To ensure this I use a variety of different resources to explain concepts to students and am a firm believer in using physical and computer based study tools and aides to complement the standard oral and written tools used to teach mathematics. I also believe in linking the mathematics that we study to the real world to increase students' engagement with the topic and their understanding of its relevance. I am very patient and empathetic to my student's needs and once they develop in confidence I encourage all my students to challenge themselves regularly. Depending on the amount of time available, I usually help students cement their mastery of the foundations of arithmetic and algebra before moving on to establish fluency in statistics, geometry and problem solving.

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Personal Description:
Bachelors Degree Graduate in Popular music.
Highly skilled Lead Guitarist with extensive experience as a performer, teacher and composer.

Teaching Experience:
One years experience, teaching 13 different students, with great success. Currently two of my students have joined bands and are proficiently good lead guitarists.

Tutoring Approach:
My philosophy is to make learning fun, music is a joy to the heart and soul and is a creative subject.
I'ts easy to get bogged down by the technicalities and theoretical knowledge,
however music should first and foremost, always be fun.
Learn the songs you love, while also retaining theory and building technical skills effortlessly.
I bring a teaching style that is:
Patient, understanding as well as caring, bringing a teaching style that is friendly and warm, and can adapt to suit student needs.

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Personal Description:
Tutor for the last five years specialising in maths and physics from primary to A-level. My typical student is in year 9-11.

I use Teams, Zoom or other method for online tutoring.

Extensive experience with special educational needs students, I also work as a teaching assistant in local schools .

A keen outdoor person, I enjoy the countryside, walking, cycling and cricket. Have been secretary to my local primary school's board of governors, secretary of my local cricket team and volunteer for local environmental organisations.

A couple of my most recent endorsements:-

"James proved himself to be a reliable, punctual, and a very supportive tutor. My daughter is in her final year of A levels and studies Further Mathematics which is a very detailed subject and requires a high level of skill. James is a brilliant mathematician with a high skills set and knowledge of Further Maths he quickly helped her gain confidence and she overcome difficulties within the subject. My daughter thoroughly enjoyed her lessons with James and we are hopeful for a high grade in the subject when the A level results are out in August. I would not hesitate to recommend James as a tutor to other parents. Thank you, James,". 30th January 2020.

"A lot of the time was spent on English/ English literature covering the GCSE course work. My son initially struggled with the English literature, but James always took time to make it interesting. This certainly helped him develop his skills. The English language part required a lot of essay writing which he was not keen on. However, by the end, he was writing answers to questions James set for homework as he got the hang of what was required." 3rd June 2020.

Teaching Experience:
I use Teams, Zoom or other method for online tutoring.

While I'm a tutor, I'm also a supply teacher in my local area high schools principally for maths, physics and other subjects as required.

Experience as a tutor in the last five years with students varying from primary age through GCSE (KS-4) to further maths and A-level. Have also worked with mature students at college studying for HND and university maths.

Special educational needs (SEN) students worked with including those on the autistic spectrum (ASD), Asperger's, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, dyslexia as well as OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder) and PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance).

Within schools have worked with ILP (Individual Learning Plans) for students with special educational needs.

Other topics I have tutored to GCSE level include English, geography, science, chemistry and biology.

Tutoring Approach:
All students are different, so I strive to find what interests the student and work from there. An engaged student is a keen student.

It is important that the principles are understand because all else flows from this. I use examples from the students' course work and life situations to focus on what is important to the student, to put things in a language that they can understand. This can be through explanations, sketches, diagrams etc. When this happens and the light goes on, there is great satisfaction that the student is taking an interest in the subject.

Online tutoring provided via MicroSoft Teams and other means as required.

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Personal Description:
I have been working as an independent tutor for nine years. I have an honours degree in English Literature from the University of Stirling and have almost 30 years of experience in publishing and journalism. In the tutoring sphere, this enables me to work creatively, quickly and sharply and to a deadline, which is often necessary.

Teaching Experience:
I have nine years' experience working as an English tutor. During that time, I have achieved great satisfaction in improving the performances and results of numerous tutees.The vast majority of my tutees at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher obtain an A in their examination, even those who find English difficult or a challenge.

In 2019 and in 2020, approximately 85 per cent of my tutees achieved an A. The remainder over-achieved to attain a B, with which they were delighted.

Tutoring Approach:
My intention is to make the tutee feel relaxed and that with practice they will gain the confidence to tackle all aspects of English.

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Personal Description:
A teacher with a degree in Photographic arts. Passionate and knowledgeable about digital and analogue photography, with the ability to teach post-production editing in Photoshop. I also do photography for my own enjoyment, specifically looking at landscape and architectural photography. I have freelanced previously as a wedding photographer but that life was just not for me as I much prefer teaching the subject as a career! I am very friendly and supportive of all my tutees and their parents.

Teaching Experience:
I am currently teaching at a private school, teaching A-Level and GCSE Photography and KS3 Art. I have worked with AQA and Edexcel and I am up to date on my standardisation procedures for Edexcel examing board, most recently having been on a training course in November 2023. These training courses allow me to have the best idea on what work is going to get what grade! I have been consistently getting 100% A*-B grades from my A-level students over the past 5 years.

Tutoring Approach:
I would like to know the projects being carried out, what examining board is being used (not for university) and what the student would like to achieve by the end of their course and what methods of approach they are being taught at school, so that I can help support with that. There will be a lot of chances for open discussion on how to push projects further.

All my Tutees have achieved A*-B at Alevel with my support and Grade 8-9 at GCSE. To achieve these grades is to have support and passion from myself, as well as dedication from the student to do what it takes to achieve this.

KS3 Art tuition will be based off the current project the child is currently completing in order to given them further support in their project.

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Personal Description:
I am an engineer from a top engineering college and worked at several leading organisations thereafter. My love for quantitative and analytical subjects brought me to London School of Economics (LSE) where I am pursuing a specialisation in Applied Development Economics.

Teaching Experience:
I have taught mathematics and economics to school students since past 3 years. I have also taught undergrad students during my engineering education.

Tutoring Approach:
I love mathematics. I can make someone understand the problem in simple and fun way by giving practical examples. I believe in building on basic skill set repeatedly to master the advance concepts. More you play with maths more you start learning it. My approach is to first build student's confidence in mathematics by inculcating a love for the subject. I am a strong believer in learning by doing.

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Personal Description:
I am from Malaysia, currently studying in Kings College London taking MSc Microbiome in Health and Disease.
I have experience in teaching, and I am passionate about sharing knowledge to students, and encouraging students to learn.
I believe that education takes us to places, even to territories that are yet to be ventured. Even though I have left the formal education field to pursue my interests, I believe that I can serve in the field by tutoring students in need.

Teaching Experience:
BIOLOGY TEACHER (01/2016 - 08/2021)
Sabah Tshung Tsin Secondary School, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.
Worked with Science department Head as special adviser on curriculum development for Biology programme.
Maintained positive, supportive relationships and communication channels with parents and caregivers.
Delivered lab lessons, utilising lab equipment and experiments to further student learning.
Effectively managed classroom behaviour through deescalation and redirection techniques.
Provided interactive and digital learning sessions during COVID in compliance with quality learning standards.
Supervised safe lab work, closely monitoring students adherence to all health and safety policies.
Assessed student performance, behaviour and social development and devised improvement strategies for struggling children.
Established and enforced clear class objectives and requirements to promote consistent education for all students.

TRANSLATOR/INTERPRETER (11/2014 - 12/2015)
Yu Gong Decoration Sdn. Bhd., Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Translated various documents within tight deadlines, including legal and technical content.
Proofread completed translations to catch and fix punctuation, grammatical and translation errors.
Conducted in-depth research or consulted with specialists to obtain information on technical information translation or scientific phrases.
Translated original text, ensuring perfect spelling, grammar and punctuation.
Offered quick verbal translations of documents for use by legal and business professionals.

Tutoring Approach:
Firstly I will try to understand the student's level of understanding in a particular topic.
I will also compare with the education syllabus to grasp the requirements for the student to pass with certain grade.

Once those are ascertained, I will make use of available teaching materials (such as videos, educational books) to teach the student, and even make use of drawings to illustrate my points.

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Personal Description:
**Unleash Your Potential with Expert Tutoring - FIRST LESSON FREE**

Struggling with GCSE Math's? I'm here to provide personalized and effective tutoring that caters specifically to your needs.

With years of experience and a Master's Degree in Aerospace Engineering, I am committed to guiding students to mathematical excellence. Whether you're tackling basic concepts or aiming for advanced levels, I'm here to help.

I'm offering your first lesson absolutely free to ensure your complete satisfaction!

Contact me today to schedule your first session - and it's on the house! Don't let Math's be a roadblock - turn it into a stepping stone toward success.

Teaching Experience:
Experienced tutor with 2+ years teaching and 6+ years of industry experience.

Tutoring Approach:
We're all unique learners. That's why my tutoring sessions are tailored to your individual learning style and pace, ensuring a deep understanding of mathematical concepts, while catering for all Northern Ireland Examination Boards.

I employ engaging and interactive teaching methods, integrating real-world examples to make Math's relatable and enjoyable. This approach helps to simplify complex concepts and keeps my students actively involved in the learning process.

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