Godmanchester Tutors & Godmanchester Tuition

Personal Description:
I am married and have two children in their twenties, both in Higher Education. I am a qualified teacher, hold an Enhanced DBS Certificate and am up to date with current safeguarding training.
I love music, cinema and theatre and have spent part of my working life in professional theatre and television both as a performer and in production. I am widely travelled and well-read.

Teaching Experience:
I am an experienced teacher, having worked in Somerset as both a full-time KeyStage 2 class teacher (including 4 years of SATs experience) and as a Supply Teacher. I also taught pupils on the One to One Programme. My Level 5 (TQUK) Qualification in Teaching English as a Foreign Language is a useful skillset to draw upon when teaching English to SATs level pupils.

Tutoring Approach:
Often the barrier to learning is a lack of confidence and self-esteem. It's also important to be clear about what is being learned and why, what's expected of the pupil and how success can be achieved and celebrated. Above all it must be fun!
My tutoring is personalised to the individual. A positive approach, balancing the correct level of challenge with a clear set of achievable next steps should motivate a learner, create a sense of progress and should foster the desire to continue to want to learn. Be positive, Build confidence, Enjoy challenge, Celebrate Success.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I have a degree in Physics from the University of Nottingham and have taught Science in schools for over 8 years. I have a wide variety of teaching experience, from teaching English as a foreign language to a small group of 6 year olds, to teaching A level Physics in college. I love teaching and especially enjoy seeing students progress, become more confident and gain a real interest and love of the subject.

Teaching Experience:
I have now been tutoring for over 3 years, helping many students to gain the grades they require in their GCSE and A level exams for Science and Maths.

Previously, I spent 7 years living in Thailand where I taught both England (as a foreign language) and Science in an International Program at one of the top government schools. I also taught English, Maths and Science as a tutor, both on a one-to-one basis and to small groups.

I gained a PGCE in Secondary Science from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2009 and worked as a supply teacher in a number of secondary schools in the Cheshire area before becoming a full time tutor.

Tutoring Approach:
I like to encourage a love of the subject and take great joy in seeing students progress and become successful. I try to be friendly and supportive whilst also striving for excellent results. I try to make sessions interesting and informative by personalising the work to centre around the interests and needs of the individual student and by making use of ICT resources.

Subjects

Personal Description:
PHOTOGRAPHY TUITION
I hold a PhD in Art and Communication with Photography as my field of specialism and a PGCE teaching certificate in Post Compulsory Education.
At the same time I am a practising photographic artist with an interest in abstract photography. I have a comprehensive understanding of contemporary photographic practices and of theoretical approaches to the subject, and also have a strong technical grounding both in traditional and in digital processes. I am experienced in all stages of the development of photographic projects, from early conceptualisation through to printing and exhibiting.I have exhibited nationally and internationally in both solo and group shows. My selection for the Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2008 Exhibition in Liverpool and London is one highlight among them.
As an artist and teacher I insist on the highest professional standards and I emphasise clear and direct communication and honesty throughout.
With 10 years of experience I offer private lessons to photography students and any other individuals who would be interested in 'how to'/technical skills sessions or in developing a photographic body of work and would be in need for some expert advice.
I am passionate about photography and about teaching everybody to learn how to `see` and `think` creatively through the lens of a camera but also without it!

GREEK LANGUAGE TUITION
I am a Greek native speaker coming originally from the beautiful island of Crete. I have been living in England for the last 16 years and I have been teaching privately for the last 10 years. I hold a PhD in Art and Communication and a PGCE teaching certificate in Post Compulsory Education. These qualifications provided me with a very good command of the English Language. I am very capable of playing between Greek and English and can help English speakers have a wonderful experience of my native language.
I offer private tuition of Greek lessons tailored to your individual needs.
I welcome all to explore the magic of Greek language and discover a huge variety of English words that come from a Greek root.

Teaching Experience:
TEACHING EXPERIENCE:
2013 -current Evolution Arts Adult Education Photography Tutor
2010-current Freelance Photography Tutor
2009-current Freelance Greek Language Tutor
2009-2016 Phoenix Brighton Adult Education Photography Tutor
2009-2010 Photography Lecturer in FE and HE courses, Northbrook College
PGCE Placement
2009 Artist assistant facilitator in workshops led by Jane Fordham in
Fabrica Gallery Brighton
2006-2013 UCA Maidstone Visiting Lecturer


UNDERGRADUATE/POSTGRADUATE PASTORAL SUPPORTt:
Have provided study support in private sessions for BA, MA and PhD students in both practical and theoretical aspects of their study


MENTORSHIP / PROJECT SUPERVISION:
Have been a mentor to adult learners guiding them towards the development, presentation and/or exhibition of their photography projects


CURATORIAL PROJECTS (acting as curator after supervising student projects):
2018, Evolution Arts Students Photography Show Case curated by Eva Kalpadaki, Brighton Photo Fringe 2018

2014, Abstraction|Reality|Process, CAC Gallery, Brighton Photo Fringe 2014, Brighton

2010, slash|line|bloom|fuzz|time - Abstract Encounters, Brighton Photo Fringe at Café Delice Gallery, Brighton


MEMBERSHIP OF PROFESSIONAL BODIES:
Society for Education and Training (former IfL- Institute for Learning) Member MSET AF001692

DBS CERTIFICATE:
Enhanced Certificate issued on 4 February 2019

SAFEGUARDING CERTIFICATE:
Safeguarding Children Level's 1 & 2 course of 2 CPD Points

Tutoring Approach:
As a teacher I insist on the highest professional standards and I emphasise clear and direct communication and honesty throughout. My lessons are tailored to your individual needs depending on the specific type of learner you are, your learning rythm, the frequency of our sessions etc. My aim is to give you the necessary support you need to achieve your goals that you set by making the most of your potential.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am an Anglia Ruskin Graduate in Communication, since graduating I have been perusing a career in Teaching Assisting. I am passionate about arts and crafts which I have been able to apply to the Brownie Club I co-run. I am experienced in working in a busy out of school club where I have gained valuable experience being responsible, entertaining and educating young people.

Teaching Experience:
I currently volunteer as a teaching assistant at a city primary school, where I have a multitude of responsibilities including small group work & offering alternative provision for students who are unable to participate in main activities.

Tutoring Approach:
I can provide a structured work time table given different needs and time frames for your child. I am patient and understanding and provide clear and well thought out examples and explanations. I am a sociable,kind, good humored person who is well loved by the children I work with.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am a qualified full time science teacher who enjoys teaching and working with young people!

Teaching Experience:
I have eighteen years experience of teaching in private schools. I have been a Head of Department/Faculty and have run many revision courses. I have also written a number of revision guides/workbooks for a leading publisher.

Tutoring Approach:
I am calm, patient and have a number of proven techniques and strategies to enable students to 'get chemistry and science' and to optimise performance in exams. I enjoy teaching and will work hard to ensure you are able to do your best. I strongly believe that if you enjoy lessons then you are less likely to find it difficult so enjoyment is important to me.

Subjects

Personal Description:
My name is Natalia. I was born and raised in Moscow. I am Russian native speaker, fluent in English. I graduated from Moscow Academy of High Commerce and worked there until I moved to England in 1996. Since then I have been living here and raising my two sons.
I was a student myself for over 10 years at Basingstoke College of Technology and completed various courses and obtained qualifications in England.
Currently, I am looking for new challenges in my life. Meanwhile, to further develop my career, I have decided to teach Russian to anyone interested improving their knowledge and fluency of the language.

Teaching Experience:
If your goal in Russian is to become fluent, I can help you to achieve that. My teaching approach will depend on each student's needs. I will tailor learning, content and tasks to individual student abilities. I can offer tutoring at all levels from beginner to advanced.

Tutoring Approach:
Although, I have no professional teaching qualification, I have been teaching the Russian language to my two sons for over 10 years. My eldest son received Grade A* at GCSE Russian two years ago and Grade A at A-level at college. I use a variety of language resources including Russian books, and the Oxford Russian language book with CDs.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I Have worked in education for 30 years. I have been involved in Support for Learning for most of this time. I have supported many students in schools at at home and have proven experience in raising attainment.

Teaching Experience:
25 years Teaching Experience in Support for Learning in both Primary and Secondary Schools. I Have specialised in working with small groups and individual students. I have expertise in Dyslexia and devising ways in which learners can overcome barriers to learning.

Tutoring Approach:
Understand importance of building up a good working relationship. Identify learners needs and style and match teaching to their requirements. Break learning down to achievable goals and talk through targets.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I have a PhD in Mathematics from the University of Cambridge. While studying in my Bachelor's program in Russia and the Master's program at Cambridge I have developed a deep appreciation of the beauty of Mathematics and decided to specialize in the area. This eventually led to creating a new mathematical theory and defending my thesis.

As much as I like pondering on math problems on my own, it is especially important in maths to be able to explain the area to others, be they your colleagues, undergraduate and high school students or interested adults. Moreover, I found teaching really exciting and always feel extremely happy to see my students succeed.

Teaching Experience:
I have a lot of tutoring experience at various levels from 10-year-old kids to high-schoolers, university students and adults. Having started by helping my classmates in high school, I never stopped developing as a teacher. I worked for various tutoring companies as well as found students on my own gaining invaluable experience. I have prepared numerous students to A-levels and GSCE and overall know a lot about the UK education system. I have also prepared many students for the SAT Math Subject Test and various mathematical tournaments.

Tutoring Approach:
I have a few basic principles when working with students although my approach varies considerably from one student to another. As a first priority, I teach students the skills they need to solve problems effectively and efficiently, which helps them both in short-term goals (exam or competition) and overall increases their mathematical ability. Although A-level and GSCE scores can increase considerably by direct memorization of methods, I mostly focus on the underlying concepts which proves to be more beneficial to my students. That is, I teach all my students to think and understand and not just to memorize!

Subjects

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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A-level results, August 2024:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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A-level results, August/September 2022:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Speaking

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reading

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

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

Writing

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

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

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

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

Why study English?

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

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Personal Description:
I have experience of working in one of the big 4 Accounting firms as well as industry as a qualified Accountant. Tutoring comes natural to me,with years of experience under my belt . I have done classroom teaching of A level students on a part time basis where i taught Accounting, i have also done one on one tutoring for subjects like Maths , English at primary level. I have experience teaching students from primary level from year 4 to year 11 up to A level as well as professional level. I also provide learning for Accounting professionals doing AAT, degree and CIMA

Growing up my parents were both in the teaching field and i acquired skills of learning and how to share knowledge with others. I endeavour to deliver the best and create a comfortable learning environment for my students. They should free to ask questions and there wont be such a thing as a silly question in other words an environment where the students can express themselves without feeling judged. I aim to get all my students to pass with flying colours and achieve their career goals.

I am available Saturdays from 10am till 6pm and weekdays after 6pm till 9pm.

Teaching Experience:
I have had over 3 years worth of experience teaching and supporting students from A level to Master degree level.

Tutoring Approach:
I use a combination of providing learning materials and also using the students learning resources. I am open to mainly online tutoring but can also do in person in areas around Leeds UK.

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Personal Description:
Bonjour!

I hold a double degree in Law and Language Studies from the University of Grenoble Alpes, along with a Master's in International Law. French is my mother tongue, giving me a profound understanding of its structure, nuances, and culture.

Fluent in French, English, Spanish, and Kurdish, I connect easily with learners from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. With over three years of experience teaching French to international students, I have helped learners at all levels achieve success, whether for exams, professional development, or personal growth. Teaching English in France further refined my ability to adapt lessons to individual needs.

Each lesson is tailored to suit your goals, whether you're preparing for exams (DELF/DALF, GCSE, A-Level), planning a trip to France, enhancing your professional communication, or simply aiming to improve fluency and confidence in conversations. My approach is flexible and focuses on delivering clear, measurable progress.

Passionate about sharing the richness of the French language and culture, I strive to create engaging, effective lessons that inspire learners. From beginners to advanced students, I am dedicated to helping you reach your full potential while making the learning process enjoyable and rewarding..

Teaching Experience:
I've had the chance to teach in a variety of settings, from large groups to one-on-one sessions. For a year, I taught English to a class of 33 first-year law students, designing lessons that focused on the specific language skills they needed in a legal context. I created activities to improve both their written and oral comprehension and regularly assigned homework, which they'd send to me for corrections and feedback.

I also taught a smaller group of 15 students twice a week for a year. This gave me the chance to connect with them more individually and adapt my lessons to their needs.

For the past two years, I've been working with individual students once or twice a week, depending on their goals and level of independence. Each lesson is tailored to their needs, with structured exercises and tasks to help them improve their written and spoken skills. I always make sure to provide regular feedback so they can track their progress and stay motivated.

Tutoring Approach:
I design every lesson to fit each student's unique needs, using a learner-focused approach grounded in proven language acquisition techniques. In our first session, I take time to understand their strengths, weaknesses, and learning style. From there, I create a structured learning plan tailored to their specific goals-whether it's building conversational fluency, mastering legal vocabulary, or preparing for exams.

To make learning engaging and effective, I use active strategies like task-based exercises, spaced repetition for vocabulary retention, and scenario-based activities that help students apply their skills in real-life situations. I also create personalized vocabulary quizzes on Quizlet, so students can practice key terms at their own pace and reinforce what they've learned. These interactive methods keep lessons dynamic and ensure steady progress.

To track improvement, I provide study guides, customized assignments, and practice tests. During lessons, I use real-time feedback to adapt our strategies as needed, ensuring each student stays on the right path. My goal is not only to help students achieve short-term success, but also to build their confidence and develop lasting language skills.

I'm flexible with scheduling and work around my students' availability to provide consistent support throughout their learning journey.

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Personal Description:
My teaching style is student focused and I focus on making the concepts clear and then engage in problem and exam questions.

My first lesson is designed to evaluate the student learning and knowledge which provides me foundation to design my lessons. I prepare lessons by following the National Curriculum of different boards or I tailor the lecture as per learning requirements of students. This means the lessons can be fully personalised as per student choice.

Teaching Experience:
I have 15 years of teaching experience.
GCSE Chemistry
A-level Chemistry
University level Chemistry

Tutoring Approach:
My teaching style is student focused and I focus on making the concepts clear and then engage in problem and exam questions.




I modify/update my lessons according to the needs and learning requirements of the students.

My priority is to make the topic easy to grasp for students which I accomplish by providing examples from surrounding systems and natural processes with which students are familiar.

I have deep knowledge of the topics set for different boards and I can prepare the students for best exam results by extensive exam preparation sessions

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