Cookstown Tutors & Cookstown Tuition

Personal Description:
Salut - Je m'appelle Solène ( pronounced so-len )

I was born and brought up in Paris, although much of my family roots lie in Brittany. I came to England initially to learn the language - but ended up meeting my future husband and starting a family here in Dorking, Surrey.

Teaching Experience:
Apart from the obvious fact that I am a native French speaker - I have been teaching French since 2009 in schools, including Duke Of Kent in Ewhurst and Petite Ecole in Reigate, but mainly privately to exam students or adults wishing to improve their skills. I have also been called upon to help with some translation and making phone calls to France to assist people with such issues as property.

Tutoring Approach:
Having initially gauged a student's abilities in the language - I will prepare each lesson to their specific needs & requirements - whether it be working on grammar or perhaps general conversational skills. My aim is to give people confidence and make learning enjoyable.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Extensive experience teaching secondary school Mathematics (KS3/4) and striving towards being a specialist for A-level Mathematics (KS5).

I offer online tuition with an emphasis on the students' needs. I'm flexible on approach and will gladly cater to your technological specifications. Meaning, you will not require the best microphone, webcam, feng shui background or even the fastest bandwidth to maintain an improving grade. So long as you have a pencil, paper and an inquisitive mind that is set on learning, you will walk away from our sessions academically fulfilled.

My aim is to boost your self-esteem around the subject of Mathematics. As the tutor, it is my duty to listen to you and diagnose the root of your trouble. I will forever do my utmost to openly exhibit the array of techniques Mathematics has to offer us in order to equip you with enough confidence to speak up and ask, "hey, can you help me with this, please?"

Step-by-step we will learn how to overcome and begin to finish the race at our own pace.

Teaching Experience:
My experience in education has been learnt from the ground up. Each role that I have been honoured to fulfil has blessed me with a unique insight that support roles provide; the focus has always been about the individual.

Every child comes to school wanting to learn. Creating lessons that are engaging and modified not only for their academic level but also for their interests commands respect. Using Mathematics that mirrors their world is a guaranteed method to inspire motivation for the apathetic and manage behaviour for the unruly.

Teaching is a skill that is built with time and I am proud in my ability to engage young students as presentable maturity is so repeatedly demanded.

2021 - PGCE Secondary Mathematics
2018 - 2021 Private Tutor, Mathematics
2017 - 2018 Learning Assistant, Woodfield
2014 - 2017 Maths Intervention Tutor, HGAED
2011 - 2014 Teaching Supervisor, KUMON

Tutoring Approach:
"But I very much believe that anyone can learn anything, as long as it is explained clearly enough" ~Raffi Grinberg, Real Analysis Lifesaver

In the age of online learning, explaining clearly enough is a nuanced task especially when it comes to Mathematics. I have always tailored my delivery to suit the needs of the student. The soft skills required to pick up on the preferred learning methods of each student is an ability I pride myself in. The topics covered in Mathematics for most school curriculums do not differ drastically. But what does have a lasting impression for those who hold any apprehension towards the subject is making the lesson intrinsically derived from their passions. Because Mathematics is everywhere. It is up to us educators to enlighten and embolden their world with how much Mathematics is involved in their innate interests. This wonder of discovery awaits every student. No matter how they regard their perceived natural ability towards numeracy.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am a professional piano player with a degree in Music and Music Technology from Keele University. My work includes session playing, touring theatre shows, accompanying and teaching piano, keyboard or music theory lessons.

Teaching Experience:
I have previously worked as a piano/keyboard/music theory for Telford Music School (Jan 2010 - June 2011), teaching all ages and abilities, and I have spent the summers of 2011 and 2012 as the Theatre Assistant/Musical Director for Chateaugay Summer Camp in America. I currently offer private tutoring at pupils homes to fit in with my other professional work.

Tutoring Approach:
Every student is different and requires a different approach. I try hard to adapt for each pupil but my main concern is that they enjoy what they are playing/learning. I like to let people discover their own musical tastes and preferences while still exploring and understanding a whole range of music.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am an enthusiastic and friendly person who is totally committed to ensuring that the tutee succeeds.

I have written various articles on applied linguistics and literary theory including the published book 'Intentism: Resurrection of the Author.' (Available on Amazon, W.H.Smith's etc)

I have given various lectures on linguistics and literary theory at various universities including the University of the arts, the University of East London, the University of Kent and most notably The Royal College of Art.

Teaching Experience:
In 2012 I was the Private English Language tutor for HRH Princess Sarah of Jordan. She passed her IELTS with a score of 8.5. Furthermore, I assisted her in her successful application to study at Oxford University.

I have taught at Wimbledon School of English which has been rated as the number 1 Private English language school in England by National Accrediting Bodies.

I have taught at Brunel University English for Academic Purposes (EAP) for Bachelor, Masters, and PHD students both in the pre-sessional and in-sessional courses helping them to prepare for their degrees and tutoring them during their degrees. At university level I have taught students of other languages speaking and presentation skills, seminar and note-taking skills, listening skills, reading and dissertation skills.

I have been Chief Invigilator at Brunel University for University EAP exams. I have also invigilated in CAE exams.

I have taught general English for 9 years both as a one-to-one tutor and a lecturer.

I have taught one-to-one and as a lecturer IELTS, FCE, CAE,and CPE for 7 years and Business English for 5 years.

I have specialized in teaching lessons in pronunciation, power-point presentations, speaking and debating, reading, note-taking, listening, grammar, and writing.

I have taught ESOL KET and PET delivering literacy at Croydon College for 2 years.

Tutoring Approach:
I am an enthusiastic teacher who is totally committed to bringing out the best in a tutee. My tutees always improve at a fast speed and I have very high success rates for English language exams including several 8s and an 8.5 for IELTS.

I am very encouraging and patient and enjoy helping tutees make progress in a supportive setting.

I am reliable, committed, learner focused.

I am very flexible in my approach to what we study to suit the student's needs.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I have an LLB in English and a diplome in French law. I have worked in 2 different Swiss banks as a lawyer, in Geneva and in London before starting a family. I currently work as a French and Spanish teacher at a local private school in Esher and I also teach French, Italian and Portuguese to adults and children in their homes. For the last 8 years I have helped children of all ages improve their maths and english work.
I speak 5 languages; English, French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.

I have an Italian father and a Brasilian mother who has lived in France for more then 20 years.

Seeing my nephews and own kids grow up with 2 different languages has given me the opportunity to help them with their english and with any other subject they have fallen behind in due to the language barrier.

Teaching Experience:
I have key stages 1,2 and 3 teaching experience in all subjects.

I currently teach French and Spanish at a local private school in Esher and I also tutor English, maths, French and Portuguese to adults and children in their homes. I have been tutoring for 10 years now.

Being multilingual and raising bilingual kids, I feel it is important to teach children from an early age the basics in maths and english in a fun and structured way either in their mother tongue language or in english, depending on the preference of the parents.

Tutoring Approach:
I like teaching younger children in a fun and structured way, so I use a variety of props, music, colourful stories and scenarios, all this to keep them interested and entertained.

Older children and adults I teach in a structured and varied way where my aim is for them to learn and absorb the passion I have for the subject. Each have their own lesson plan and I check their development through quizzes and tests.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I lived and worked in France and am keen to pass on my love for the language and culture of this fascinating country. I am fluent in French and have an MA in French studies. I love all things French - music, history, culture - and I love to communicate this in my teaching. I am good-humoured and patient in my approach to tutoring and love to encourage my students to try new things in their learning.

Teaching Experience:
I have taught all level of learners from little ones to GCSE students through to adult learners. I have been teaching for 10 years and have built up a wealth of experience and can recommend websites and links that will be of use to lots of different levels. I have paid for access to a language learning website and I invite my learners to register through the links I send (this is free for students - I have paid for the access).

Tutoring Approach:
My approach is very much to ensure that you are comfortable with the learning environment. I use the Gianfranco Conti method of teaching which means that I encourage speaking and listening in our classes, however, I do back this up with writing and reading exercises so that all the 4 skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening) are practised in my lessons.
I work with the student to make sure that we are approaching the learning that you need in a very proactive way.

For example: for beginner adults we can look at:
- shopping / personal opinions/directions
For more advanced adult learners we can look at
- tourist attractions/describing people and places/asking for more information
For GCSE students we can look at:
- key vocab in the exam/pas papers/key grammar structures/speaking exercises/picture card exercises

These topics are very much agreed on with you as the student and are flexible as we continue to work together

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am Greek and I live in Oxford.I am a teacher holding a QTS and I have experience in teaching French,Greek and English at all levels.I have studied French Language and literature (Bachelor with Honours) and I have completed a Masters Degree in :Teaching French as a foreign language. (MEd)

I am a Greek native speaker and I am fluent in both English and French.

Teaching Experience:
I am a fully qualified teacher (QTS) in UK and I am recently DBS checked. Since September 2021 I am part of the Greek School of Oxford teaching Greek Language and Culture to mixed abilities classes of different year groups.

I have extensive experience in teaching French to all year groups and abilities, as well as Spanish for year7/8/9. My M.Ed degree (2nd Cycle) helped me to develop expertise in teaching French as a foreign language especially for intercultural environments. I have successfully completed a postgraduate dissertation named: "Méthodes et pratiques de l'enseignement de FLE dans le cadre de l'école primaire en Angleterre." ("Methods and techniques of teaching French as a foreign language in primary schools in England".)

For the past 10 years, I was employed as an MFL teacher in secondary schools and the last few years I worked as a KS2 teacher in primary schools in London and Oxford. As a Language Coordinator, I have actively participated in redesigning the KS2 curriculum and I have a proven record of raising achievement and behaviour, most pupils made significant progress since I was there. Furthermore, I am aware of the British curriculum and the needs of every single year group. My lessons are planned to meet these particular needs but simultaneously, they satisfy the needs and interests of the different groups I am teaching each time.

I specialise in Lesser Taught Languages and serve as an examiner for GCSE/International GCSE Greek and French.

When in Greece, I worked in language schools as well as privately for more than 16 years teaching foreign languages and Greek to both children and adults.

Tutoring Approach:
I am a linguist with rich experience in teaching languages in various settings at all levels. I keep myself updated to all recent teaching approaches. My lessons are student-centred and planned to satisfy and meet each student's specific needs.

I strongly believe that the contrasting nature of my places of work has enriched my knowledge as a teacher in expanding my experience of dealing with a diverse range of young people, identities, personalities and needs.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Luke has a BA (hons) in Biblical Studies and Theology and has been reading and studying the works of the Early Church Fathers for over five years, and has recently published a book detailing the early church, "40 Days with the Father" (available on Amazon).
After being involved in various short-term missions to South Africa, he currently lives in Devon, England, where he co-founded a web development software company, with his dad, Kevin.

When not working, Luke writes frequently on his theological blog, That Ancient Faith, or spends time with his wife Lucy and his new daughter, Amelia.

Teaching Experience:
Although I've not taught in a 'formal' setting, I have been involved with, and lead, various small groups through different churches over the years, as well as being a youth leader and the occasional preaching/teaching.

Tutoring Approach:
I am quite laid back and easy-going, and understand that different people sometimes require different approaches to learning, so I'm open and flexible in that regards. I do like detail and data, so I am very thorough with my researching on topics.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I'm a lively and friendly person. I was born and raised in Malaysia. I speak fluent English. My first language is Chinese. I have a passion for teaching as the students are always keen on learning. I feel a sense of achievement every time my students learn something new which led me to wanting to teach Mandarin to all age learners.

Teaching Experience:
I once taught a group of 5 students English for five months. I am also currently teaching Mandarin on different teaching websites.

Tutoring Approach:
I am very patient and willing to make friends with my students to create a positive environment where my students are welcome to raise any questions and share their ideas. And knowing that there are different types of learners, I desire to create a positive environment to meet the students' unique needs. I always try to use different resources to help achieve the students' potentials.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I have graduated with a first MBiol (Hons) Biology degree at the University of St Andrews. I really enjoy biology and especially Ecology and Conservation but I am comfortable with most areas due to the highly integrated nature of the subject. Apart from my studies, I enjoy dancing as I did Latin and Ballroom lessons for 9 years and I am a recently qualified Ocean diver. I have finished high school with an International Baccalaureate diploma of 40/45 (higher level: Biology, Chemistry, Modern Greek/ Standard level: Maths, English B, Psychology).

I love working with younger people and aid them in the process of learning new things and make them enjoy a subject that I thoroughly love myself!

Teaching Experience:
During my final year of university, I have been involved with the Coronavirus Tutoring Initiative (CTI) which consists of volunteering to tutor biology to students that cannot afford private tutoring but were affected by the closure of schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through this position, I have taught students at A-level (both AQA and OCR boards) developing my tutoring experience and getting familiar with the specifications of different UK educational systems. Tutoring through CTI has taught me to be patient and considerate of children`s circumstances and tailor my lessons according to each person`s needs while keeping on top of the syllabus so that they can be prepared for their mocks and actual exams. Through CTI I have tutored for approximately 70 hours. I have also offered AQA, OCR and CCEA AS and A level tutoring independently. Overall I have approximately 550 hours of teaching experience.

I am currently working as an ecological consultant in the Buckinghamshire area. In addition to that, my degree had a year placement requirement, which I completed in the USA at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. In addition to this, I have had two research assistantships at my university. Through talks and presentations at both formal and informal settings, I have learnt how to tailor my knowledge to the target audience depending on their experience on the subject and their background. I also wrote publishable and concise reports which helped me on focusing on the important details of subjects.

I also have experience with a range of software and technologies, which means I can approach a wide range of lessons for all ages, with the appropriate set of tools and I can tailor each one of them to the individual`s needs effectively, and in an engaging way.

Tutoring Approach:
In terms of my approach to teaching Biology, I am trying to focus on the students` needs and what they don`t understand or need help. The student and I will discuss the subjects of interest and I`ll try to let them figure out the answers themselves rather than me giving them a ready answer. This way they will be ready to answer all types of questions rather than trying to memorise an answer and be flustered in an exam setting if something they haven`t seen before comes up. In order to achieve this, I usually prepare my lessons in advance. I give exercises to the students to complete before our sessions so we can discuss them and identify challenging topics. Once these topics have been identified, I try to explain them through audiovisual measures (diagrams and videos), as well as examples from personal experience, which places the theory in a real-life context which is more memorable. However, I understand that this method doesn`t work for everyone and therefore I am willing to adapt my teaching style to the individual`s needs.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am a current PG student in Engineering at Newcastle University, I completed my Bachelors in Engineering as well in Electronics and Communication. I've completed my high school as a Science student in an English Medium School.

Teaching Experience:
I had the opportunity to take a communication session in my college back in my undergrad days. Apart from that I had taken a few classes for some modules for my undergrad classmates.

Tutoring Approach:
Based on the students area of concern , I will start from the basics and then gradually move towards more complex lessons while ensuring I take feedback from the student on my tutoring method so I can tweak my approach accordingly.

Subjects

Personal Description:
¡Hola! Bonjour! I'm Carla, a passionate language teacher who loves helping students gain confidence and joy in speaking Spanish and French. With 30 years of teaching experience, I focus on making lessons engaging, practical, and tailored to each learner's needs-whether you're preparing for exams, traveling abroad, or just exploring a new language for fun.

I believe language learning should feel natural and enjoyable, so we'll mix conversation, culture, and a bit of humor along the way. My goal is to create a friendly space where mistakes are part of the journey and every step forward is worth celebrating.

Let's unlock your potential together-à bientôt and ¡hasta pronto!

Teaching Experience:
I have extensive experience teaching Spanish up to A Level and French up to GCSE in the UK, supporting students in achieving strong exam results while building real-world communication skills.

Tutoring Approach:
My lessons balance solid grammar foundations with interactive speaking and listening practice, helping learners feel confident and prepared.

Subjects