Downpatrick Tutors & Downpatrick Tuition

Personal Description:
I am an experienced tutor. I have studied modern languages, art and design and I also have qualifications in law. I have had a varied career encompassing language teaching, translation, publishing and work in the charity sector. My wide interests and enquiring nature are invaluable assets in my teaching.

Teaching Experience:
English as a Foreign Language teaching experience in the UK and abroad, including for large schools and within companies, and private tuition 1-to-1. Adults and young learners.

Providing corporate training in Polish to groups of adult learners and also private tutoring to individuals.
I have been learning and translating Polish for 20 years, and I have lived and worked extensively in Poland. I have Polish family links.

Coaching for 11+ grammar school entrance exams. I have also provided general teaching support up to GCSE level in English and French to private students.

Tutoring Approach:
Friendly, encouraging and approachable, but thorough and focussed on successful learning. Very adaptable, and able to tailor lessons to suit individual learning styles, abilities and preferences.

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Personal Description:
I have taught English and modern languages for many years.

Teaching Experience:
I taught Russian and French in secondary schools in UK (1995-1999), Russian and Serbo-Croat for the Ministry of Defence (1980-2006), Basic Skills English at Bedford Prison (2007-2008) and English as a foreign language in Kishinev (Moldova,1993), Odessa (2008) and Moscow (2008-2010). Between 2006 and 2011 I taught Russian at the University of Essex and University of East Anglia summer schools and am currently teaching English as a foreign language on skype and Russian.

Tutoring Approach:
I favour a relaxed, communicative approach to language learning reinforced by a thorough understanding of all structures used.

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Personal Description:
I am an experienced tutor with a wide range teaching experience over the last fifteen years, including the following subjects: English Literature, English Language, English as a Second Language, IELTS, Creative Writing, GCSE, A Level, PSHE and Drama. I completed my PGCE with QTS in Secondary English in 2020, working across two schools in Cornwall, before moving to Bristol to teach full time. I have a Master's in Creative Writing at Kingston University and a BA(Hons) in English Literature with Creative writing. I also have a TESOL qualification certified by Trinity College, which is one of the highest acclaimed foreign language qualifications. I am British but I grew up in Hong Kong and Thailand, so I really enjoy working with people from different backgrounds.

Teaching Experience:
I taught years 9 through to 13 at Clifton College for the last five academic years, where I was responsible for multiple GCSE and A Level Groups, seeing them all through successful examination results. I taught Edexcel IGCSE for first language English and Pearson Edexcel A-Level, studying a range of non fiction texts, poems and other literature such as To Kill a Mockingbird, The Merchant of Venice, A View from the Bridge, Jekyll and Hyde, King Lear, The Handmaid's Tale and Frankenstein. I was also responsible for English as a Second Language GCSE groups, using the Cambridge IGCSE exam, as well as teaching IELTS for several years.

I started teaching when I was 18 years old and so have a range of experience in teaching English at all levels and for a range of purposes. I have taught in Thailand and Australia, as well in London, Cornwall and Bristol. I have been a private tutor for almost as many years and I am comfortable with working with all ages and abilities. I have successfully carried students through the 11+ entrance exams for private schools in London.

Tutoring Approach:
I begin tutoring sessions with an informal meeting where we get to know each other. Tutees will complete a language assessment questionnaire which will help me determine what level they are at. By finding out tutee's strengths and weaknesses as well as what they want to achieve, I can create lesson plans beneficial to their learning.

One of my main aims when teaching English is to try and foster a love for reading in my students, so that they can approach language and writing with enthusiasm and confidence. I also try to encourage creativity at every opportunity and will often include exercises for students to produce their own pieces of creative writing, so they can implement the techniques and language they have read in books. This can be an incredible confidence boost for children and adults alike to see that they can produce their own creative and engaging pieces of work.

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Personal Description:
I previously worked as a global spokesperson for the United Nations and consultant to governments across the world for over a decade and am a graduate from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). I am available for tutoring on a variety of subjects, particularly politics, economics, journalism, history, philosophy, media and communications and general writing skills. I am particularly adept at helping students develop their essay writing skills, with a structure and tone that secures high grades. I'm also available to provide help with exam revision, revision techniques, entrance exam preparation, university applications and general reading and writing skills.

Teaching Experience:
I have multiple years of experience of tutoring social science subjects to students from a range of different nationalities and backgrounds. I have a strong track record of improving grade scores and passing exams first time. I have proof-read essays for a large number of students who have all subsequently scored top marks for spelling and grammar. I have also formerly proof-read documents in a professional setting for businesses from across Europe and Africa.

Tutoring Approach:
I am flexible in my approach and am happy to adapt to any student's needs. I look to work on all aspects of a student's approach, including revision technique, writing style and exam preparation. My preference is for committed students who will practice and implement what is learnt outside of lessons. I typically set students exercises for completion before the next lesson in addition to revision work for practice essay questions. The more committed a student is to our classes, the more they will gain from them.

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Personal Description:
I am an A level biology examiner as well as being a fully qualified science teacher with over nineteen years of experience.

Teaching Experience:
I have taught science to GCSE level and A level biology for over ten years in secondary schools. Since relocating to Stroud, I have tutored students in A level biology for the past nine years. I have taught a number of students via on-line lessons for the last three years. I am also an examiner for OCR A level biology. The experience of marking A level papers has enabled me to help my students effectively prepare for exams.

I am currently fully booked but am happy to talk about the possibility of tutoring from after the summer exams.

Tutoring Approach:
The style of tutoring needed by individual students will vary. It may start with ensuring understanding of the key concepts in biology at an appropriate level. The jump to A level from GCSE is quite considerable and even the brightest students can struggle initially. Another essential skill needed is the ability to pull together biological content taught in different parts of the syllabus. As exam time approaches, a student has to apply their knowledge and understanding to real exam questions. Practice of exam technique is often a large part of a tutorial session in the run up to A level exams. This is an even more important aspect of my tutoring approach since the A level course recently changed to being examined solely at the end of two years. Using the insights I have learnt from being an examiner I am able to give feedback on individual questions to enable a student to improve their answers.

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Personal Description:
I am a friendly, welcoming, enthusiastic person with excellent communication skills that provides individuals with help concerning courses such as biology and microbiology.

Teaching Experience:
Tutored primary students age 7-11 , Secondary students 15-18 and University students.

Tutoring Approach:
I aim to provide good understanding of the subject to the student while paying close attention to the individual and also encourage the student to think for themselves. My approach however vary depending on the students learning style and needs.

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Personal Description:
Learn English at your home or work.
Personalised lessons for individuals and small groups.
General English / English for work / Citizenship Test Preparation / Cambridge English Exam preparation

I am a qualified English teacher (English as a Second Language), teaching adults at all levels from beginner (A1 : Elementary) to advanced (C1).

If you have come to the UK to live, work or study, I provide private lessons for individuals and small groups to help improve your use of English according to your particular needs.

Teaching Experience:
I have 14 years full time teaching experience in General & Business English for adults in Brazil, Italy, Switzerland and the UK.

From 2005 to 2010 : Full time Teacher of General and Business English in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Individual and group lessons both privately and working with private language schools.

Language schools : Link Idiomas, Alt Idiomas, Bridge Lingua-Tec

From 2010 to June 2015 : Full time teacher of general and business English in Northern Italy and Switzerland.
Individual and group lessons with private language schools, companies and at University.

Language Schools : Linguapoint (Reggio Emilia) / Corsi di Lingue (Varese)
University : University of Parma : Teaching Business English for the Masters in Marketing Management (2011- 2013)

Principal Companies : Ermenegildo Zegna (Lugano, Switzerland),
IBSA Pharmaceuticals (Lugano, Switzerland),
Max Mara (Reggio Emilia, Italy),
Vodafone (Varese, Italy),
Carl Zeiss (Varese, Italy)

From September 2015 to Present : Teaching private English Lesson in the UK.

Tutoring Approach:
Real life communication is central to the lessons and I always aim to make lessons as interesting, useful and relevant to the individual student as possible.

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Personal Description:
Dedicated educator qualified in the UK and Australia. Passionate about working with young and adult learners. Strong commitment to individual development of each student through fostering positive learning experiences. Effective communicator across cultures and age groups. Taught in Sydney, Australia, Krakow, Poland and London, UK.

Teaching Experience:
English as a Foreign Language teacher (2005 - current)

• Thoroughly, holistically and continuously analysing individual needs of every student and creating a learning programme to meet their needs
• Working with adults and young learners one-on-one and in groups
• Assisting students in integrating into the British culture by providing systematic practice of speaking in various social scenarios
• Consistently providing students with homework and extensive feedback on their speaking and writing skills

• Subjects:
- English for Specific Purposes (e.g. English for scientists, medical professionals, psychologists, educators, businessmen, accountants, geologists, UX designers, interior designers, engineers; marketing, branding, and HR professionals)
- ESOL - English + cultural integration
- General English
- Business English
- English for Academic Purposes
- IELTS General and Academic
- TOEFL iBT
- PTE Academic
- A2 Key exam (KET), B1 Preliminary exam (PET), B2 First, C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency
- OET - Occupational English Test

• Teaching methods used:
Content-Based Instruction, the genre-based approach, Task-Based Language Teaching, Text-Based Instruction, Situational-Language teaching, the Audiolingual Method, Communicative Language Teaching, the Direct Method, and Total Physical Response

Academic writing and study skills tutor (2016 - current)

• how to structure: essays, reports, and presentations
• grammar, style, coherency and clarity of written work and presentations
• how to reference sources correctly
• how to make the most out of the writing cycle: first draft, research, proofreading, editing and seeking feedback
• time management and study skills strategies

English language tutor (2016 - current)

• Working with learners aged 5 - 16 years old one-on-one and in small groups
• Key Stage 1 (Year 1 and 2): phonics, reading comprehension, broadening vocabulary, writing skills, handwriting practice, communicating clearly
• Key Stage 2 (Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6): writing stories, information reports, persuasive writing; practising a range of grammatical structures
• Key Stage 3 (Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9): engage with rich literary landscape; imagine stories and rely on facts to compose fictional and non-fictional texts
• Key Stage 4 (Year 10 and Year 11): practising recognising and effectively using a wide range of literary techniques
• The Perse Prep School Cambridge Year 3 (7+) Entrance Test preparation
• Year 3 (7+), Year 5 (9+), Year 6 (10+) and Year 7 (11+) - preparation for Entrance Examination - English
• Mentoring learners on how to build relationships with peers at school and how to work cooperatively with peers and teachers
• Updating parents on their child's progress

Art educator (2015 - current):

• Working with adults and young learners
• Drawing and painting techniques: portraiture, figurative, landscape, cityscape, and still life
• Experimenting with art genres: realism, impressionism, expressionism, surrealism, cubism, abstraction, conceptual art, minimalism and relational art
• Clay sculpture
• Watercolour, acrylic, oil, pencil, charcoal, ink and mixed media techniques
• Art history and theory
• GCSE Art and Design - exam preparation
• A Level Art and Design - exam preparation
• A-Level History of Art - exam preparation

Russian language tutor (2011 - current)
• Absolute beginners, intermediate and advanced level learners
• Lessons for adults and young learners: focus on speaking skills, memorisation skills, accurate pronunciation, reading comprehension and writing skills
• GCSE (9-1) Russian - exam preparation
• The Test of Russian as a Foreign Language - test preparation


English as a Foreign Language Instructor (January 2023 - current)
The University of Cambridge
• Classes for learners with beginner - advanced levels of English to practise speaking in work-related and personally-relevant situations

ESOL Teacher (February - March 2025)
Orchard Park Community Primary School
• Worked with adult learners to practise speaking skills in a range of social scenarios

EFL Teacher (February 2025)
GL-Abroad
• Taught English to learners aged 12 - 13 years old
• Incorporated Cambridge-related cultural knowledge in a gamified form

EFL Teacher (July - August 2019)
International House London, Ellesmere, UK
• Taught English and art to learners ages 8 - 16 using project-based learning

Casual/Relief Teacher (July 2017 - July 2018)
NSW Department of Education, Sydney, Australia
• Taught visual arts, English, history, geography, PE, drama
• Worked in primary and secondary schools

Classroom Teacher (October - December 2017)
Chatswood Intensive English Centre, Sydney, Australia
• Taught: art, English, ICT and music to students aged 12 - 18 years old

Russian Language Teacher
BigWorld Pty Ltd (August 2013 - September 2017)
• Taught classes to learners with beginner and intermediate levels of Russian

Tutoring Approach:
• Using visual and audio material to accelerate learning
• Catering for a diverse range of learning needs in an interactive way that promotes students' engagement
• Analysing individual needs of students and meticulously tailoring lesson plans to address these needs
• Consistently providing students with homework and extensive feedback
• Assisting students in their careers

One-on-one lessons

30 minutes (under 8 y.o.): £25; 5 lessons: £115 | 10 lessons: £225
45 minutes: £35 | 5 lessons: £165 | 10 lessons: £315
60 minutes: £45 | 5 lessons: £210 | 10 lessons: £400
90 minutes: £60 | 5 lessons: £285 | 10 lessons: £540
120 minutes: £80 | 5 lessons: £380 | 10 lessons: £720

Please, enquire about group lessons as the rate will depend on the number of students in the group, on the location of classes, and on learning objectives of the group.

Lessons with 2 or 3 learners are also possible, please enquire.

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Personal Description:
My name is Eduardo and you can call me Edu. I'm native from Ecuador and I love to teach people how to communicate in my language. I can teach you via skype or whatsapp, I'm very felxible with my schedule. We can improve your language skills in conversatión, reading, writing and latin american culture. I manage many South American slangs if you travel to a specific country so you won't be lost!

Teaching Experience:
I taught to people from europe when I was living in Ecuador, Chile and Argentina and now from here I can give you all the tools you need to improve your spanish skills or just from the beginning.

Tutoring Approach:
We can arrange the modality you want and need.
no problem with the schedule, we can arrange that too

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Personal Description:
I am 43 years old and live at home with my partner and our two boys, both aged 6 and 8.

Teaching Experience:
I have nine years teaching experience in good and outstanding secondary schools. I have taught key stage 3, GCSE/IGCSE, A Level and IB maths and further maths. I have experience of the AQA, Edexcel and CIE specifications.

Tutoring Approach:
I have a calm approach to tutoring. I try to make students feel comfortable. I use a lot of praise and encouragement and really try to improve their confidence.

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Personal Description:
I am a native Polish speaker with years of experience teaching Polish as a foreign language to teenagers adults as well as preparing students to Polish GCSE and Polish A Level exams.

I am DBS checked

Teaching Experience:
I have been working with students of various ages and nationalities. For a few years I have run classes for one of the local Adult Education providers in Cambridge teaching foreigners interested in the Polish language and culture.

I also teach foreign professionals, privately and through international companies, who live and work in Poland and need Polish for both private and business reasons.

I have been working with private tutees and a few English schools preparing the students to Polish GCSE, Polish A-Level exams, also conducting and assessing the exam papers.

Tutoring Approach:
Most of my current students learn Polish because they have got a family or friends of Polish origin. Whatever your reason is to learn Polish I can personalise the lessons to your needs, focus the course on your preferred skills and make the targets achievable.

In my lessons I use a lot of modern, effective and fun interactive materials which prove to be successful and loved by the students.
I am looking forward to meeting you!

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Personal Description:
As a youngster I always enjoyed art and sold my first paintings in my early teens. I then trained and studied the history of art at Maidstone College of Art and at The University of Wales.

After a career in graphic design & communications I re-started my career as an artist in 2014. I have been a member of various art groups for several years and I have been fortunate to win awards at local art exhibitions.

I paint landscapes and figurative subjects in a suggestive and vibrant style, and draw inspiration from mood and atmosphere in the world around me. I exhibit and sell locally and my work is gaining in popularity in local galleries. I also run workshops.

I am inspired by my contemporaries who push the boundaries of their respective media. I am also often reminded of my early successes and the artists who inspired me as a student. My goals are to find new surprises by combining persistence with experimentation and 'happy accident'.

Teaching Experience:
I have been running weekly adult acrylic painting mini-workshops since February 2022. These have proved popular with beginners and experienced painters alike. I have also given one-to-one private tuition to several adult students.

Tutoring Approach:
My emphasis is on discovering and learning and breaking down barriers in a relaxed and friendly environment. Painting should be fun, and limitation of technical skill should not be a barrier to expression. I encourage experimentation and offer guidance. I am not a 'paint like me' tutor, but rather, I want to help you recognise 'you' in your work. I have many years experience in many varied arenas, from fine art, graphics, photographic and digital art. The fundamentals of good draftsmanship, composition and colour are at the basis of all good art, and I will always try to help my students establish a strong foundation in these areas.

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