Irvine Tutors & Irvine Tuition

Personal Description:
I am a fully-qualified professional teacher with more than 30 years of teaching and tutoring experience, both in the UK and abroad. I regard myself as a friendly and approachable tutor, as well as honest and conscientious, and I pride myself on being able to communicate with students of all ages, from pre-teen to pensioner.

I am the father of two boys, and we live in the Sutton area. My wife and I successfully tutored our sons for Sutton's grammar schools (WCGS), and they have since both graduated from top Russell Group universities. My hobbies are limited to reading these days, and I am particularly fond of English Literature. Dickens and Hardy are two of my favourites, but I am also keen on modern and less serious writers, such as Tom Sharpe and the two Rankins - Robert and Ian.

Teaching Experience:
After obtaining my first degree in Spanish with Politics and Economics, I started teaching abroad; first in Spain, then in Turkey, and later in Central Asia and the Middle East. Since retraining as a teacher of English, I have taught for more than 15 years in the UK and almost 15 years abroad, where I was Head of Department at an Institute of Higher Education for three years.

Most recently I have taught English at an independent school in Sutton, and previous to that I taught Academic Writing for East Anglia University for several years. Nowadays my tutoring is split between English for the 11+ and Common Entrance (13+) exams, English for KS2 and KS3 SATs, and English, Spanish, Economics and Politics & Government for the GCSE and A-level exams (all boards).

11+ and 13+ (Common Entrance)
I am very happy to report that all but one of my twelve Eleven Plus tutees passed the SET (Selective Eligibility Test) for Sutton's grammar schools last September. Of these, 100% of them passed the second stage exam and obtained their first choice of grammar or independent school. I use a selection of published materials and those of my own creation, and insist on a high standard of weekly homework in reading, writing and language knowledge. For 11+ pupils I start tutoring in Year 4 or 5, whereas 13+ pupils begin in Year 7 or 8.

KS2 and KS3 SATs
I usually start tutoring for the KS2 SATS in Year 5, and in Year 8 for the KS3 SATs. I tend to use a mixture of focused texts and past papers.

GCSE and A-level
I am equally happy to report that all of my most recent GCSE and A-level students have passed well, with top grades from B to A* (A-level) and 6-9 (GCSE). The majority of those have gone on to their first choice of further and higher education institutes, and in most cases this has been achieved by my insisting on regular homework done to a high standard. For GCSE pupils I prefer to start tutoring at some time in Year 10, whereas A-level students typically begin around Year 12.

I also provide individual tutoring in ESSAY WRITING and STUDY SKILLS, as my experience has taught me that many students at GCSE, A-level and undergraduate level face real problems in these areas. By working together on your essays, substantial improvements can be made in style, organisation, argument, presentation, and much more. This way, I can teach you how produce more effective and mature essays, and thus help you to obtain better grades and increase your confidence in producing written work.

Tutoring Approach:
With every tutee I carry out an initial assessment of his/her needs and abilities, and my teaching begins from there. Typically I work on improving their weaknesses and consolidating their strengths, and this essentially involves them producing high-quality homework on a regular basis. I use both established published materials and those that I have created myself over the years. This approach appears to be successful, and I can provide references.

Over the past twelve years I have successfully tutored students for the following schools and universities:

Schools: Sutton Grammar, Wilsons, Wallington County, Wallington High, Nonsuch, Whitgift, Trinity, Wimbledon High, Kings School, City of London, Reigate Grammar, Caterham School, St John's, Westminster, Epsom College, Ewell Castle, and many others.

Universities: Manchester, Warwick, City, East Anglia, St Martins, Lincoln, Kings, LSE, UCL, Nottingham, Reading, Birmingham, Bournemouth, and several others.

Please note that my fees are very affordable, bearing in mind that I travel to your house and offer a personalised tutoring programme.

I currently charge between £45 and £50 per hour, depending on subject and level.

NB: Any tutoring that involves more than 6 miles travel (round trip) usually incurs a small extra charge.

If you are looking for a fully-qualified, highly-experienced and versatile tutor, you need look no further. Here are a few messages from some of my most recent successful tutees:

Hello Jeff, I just got my IELTS results and I FINALLY passed it! Listening 8, Reading 7.5, Writing 7, Speaking 7.5 and it's 7.5 overall. I would like to THANK you sooooo MUCH for your help and all advice you have given me! It would not be possible otherwise. (Vanja)

Sam got into Wilsons and we are pretty sure that his English performance carried him through. Sam said we ought to say 'thanks' to you as you made a massive difference to his standard of English in a very short period of time. Not sure how, but you made something click in his brain where his school teachers had failed! (Cathy)

Hi Jeff, hope you are well. I am extremely delighted to tell you that Rick has a place at Westminster, and we are going ahead with that. He has also had offers from HABS, KCS and RGS Guildford. Thank you so much for all your support. (Animesh)

Hi Jeff, just to let you know that Dillon got a place at Sutton Grammar on Monday. He also received places at Whitgift, Trinity and Epsom. We have decided to accept Sutton Grammar, and thank you for all your help and time.
Thanks - Paulomi and Dillon.

Dear Jeff! Thanks you so much for tutoring me last year. You have helped my English greatly and without your advice and guidance I would have had a nervous breakdown when I was given the task of an essay. You taught me about causal connectives, signpost words, paragraph structure and much more vital strategies of writing an amazing essay.
Finally, I am happy that I got a place at Wilsons and know I would have failed the English language test without what you taught me. I am very grateful that you gave up your time to help me pass.
Yours Sincerely, Makar

Hi Jeff, I hope you're well. I just wanted to let you know that Andriy got offered a place at Whitgift and we have accepted it. Thank you very much for helping and recommending this great school to us. Andriy is really excited about it and cannot wait to start.
(Oksana)

Dear Jeff, sorry for the delayed reply as we are in India. Rishi has done well, has received English Language 9 and English Literature 7, and scored 8 in six other subjects. He could achieve good results only because of your support. Thanking you.
(Chandra)

Hi Jeff, I am pleased to inform you that Mahati cleared the 2nd round. Her cut-off score is 354. We hope she gets into either of the two schools. Thanks a lot for your support throughout.
(Sassi)

Hi Jeff, Tamana's results have come in for the Sutton Stage 2 test. She has passed with a relatively good score of 315, and based on last year's stats, she should get in comfortably to Nonsuch or Wallington. Thanks for all your lessons that significantly helped her in the preparations.
(Vedant)

Hi Jeff, hope you're doing good. We have got the exam outcome, and Samrudha is able to apply for Nonsuch. Her score is 309, and the highest total score is 389. Secondly she has cleared Tiffin's Stage 1 test and has been invited for Stage 2 on November 11, and we would like to take your help whenever possible.
(Kirthi)

Hi Jeff, I just wanted to let you know that Ed passed the entrance exams for all three schools. Thank you so much for all your support! (Emma)

Hello Jeff, I hope you are well. Vivaan passed the exams for Wilson's, Wallington and Sutton. He also got through Tiffins Stage 1. Thanks very much for your help and support! His English improved massively under your guidance.
Kind regards
Jyothi

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Personal Description:
Whilst, as an English teacher, I do enjoy a good book, my main interest lies in physical activity. I am passionate about physical fitness and everything that comes with it: flexibility, mobility and nutrition.

My main sport growing up was rugby, which has now been replaced with playing for a football team on a Saturday (much easier on the shoulders).

I am an avid traveller and love nothing more than a European city break or an adventure much further afield.

Teaching Experience:
I have worked in the education sector for twelve years, with the last seven being as a senior leader in three different schools.

As an English teacher, I have experience of teaching the full range of student ability levels, from working with students in KS3 with low literacy to leading on English Literature A Level. I have extensive experience teaching the IGCSE, AQA, Edexcel and OCR English Language and Literature exam content.

My most recent role is at a large successfully secondary in Surrey where I lead on Teaching & Learning as an Assistant Headteacher. Previously, I have ran a sixth form and led on SEN provision as a senior leader. I have worked in schools judged as Outstanding and supported others that were in Special Measures.

Additionally, I am an SLE (Specialist Leader of Education) and I have been parachuted into struggling schools to help them raise standards.

In my most recent Year 11 group, 22% of students were targeted a grade 7+. However, over 44% of my students achieved a grade 7+ in their actual GCSE exams.

Tutoring Approach:
Through a decade of tutoring experience, I feel that it is vital to first assess the student's current ability and discover their most pressing need. Once this has been discovered, we will work towards tangible targets, whilst still focusing on priorities such as vocabulary, complex punctuation and improving a student's ability to express their ideas on paper.

My sessions are as interactive as possible, to allow the students to approach their learning in a contextual way that they can relate to real-life. I also like to promote a student's ability to articulate their ideas verbally through discussion, in order to develop their written skills.

Each tutee's progress is individually tracked against their personal targets and the overarching aim of the tuition.

I feel my extensive experience at a senior level in a range of school contexts allows me to quickly adapt to the needs of the tutee.

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Personal Description:
I am an experienced and qualified tutor based in London and I am offering One-to-One tuition to students of all ages and levels. I can coach you in preparation of internationally certified exams or simply help you learning a new language or improving your skills (grammar, reading, conversation, speaking...)

Teaching Experience:
I have several years experience as a tutor and private teacher for small groups, and I am confident teaching students of any age.

Tutoring Approach:
My approach varies depending on the student's needs and learning style. However my teaching philosophy is based on encouraging students to think for themselves, using real-world examples wherever possible. I start from topics the students are comfortable with and move gradually towards more complex areas as their confidence builds. I use questions and examples to check understanding continually. I usually focus on exam-style or past paper questions in order to check, practice and perfect the student's understanding and technique. I also give a lot of emphasis to some of the less obvious but vital skills such as essay structure and technique, logical thought, and the effective use of numbers and graphs.

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Personal Description:
I have master in Pharmacy from Kent University Greenwich and currently studying Medicine.
I provide excellent online tuition. I use a special program to present you with a whiteboard so I am able to incorporate diagrams and animation in my tuition. You can have a free trial to find out about the quality of my tuition.

Teaching Experience:
I have been teaching for the past 10 years teaching nurses, medical students, pharmacy students at all levels.

Tutoring Approach:
Online tuition
I use diagrams and animation in most of my lessons.

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Personal Description:
Hello, I live near the Cotswolds town of Malmesbury with my 3 children. I am an American and British citizen.

I am patient, reliable, organised, adaptable, and approachable.

Teaching Experience:
With over 10 years of experience, I am a fully qualified ESOL (English as a second or other language) teacher - having gained high grade passes in both TETYL (Teaching English to Young Learners) and CELTA (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) qualifications. I also have a BA degree in Communication and a Diploma in the Children and Young People's Workforce. I am also DBS checked.

I have experience in teaching and I am happy to teach general or academic English, as well as exam preparation including IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge, Trinity or Pearson EdExcel.

I have taught people of many different nationalities and ages including French, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Italian, Bulgarian, Chinese, Brazilian and Argentinian ranging from 6 years old to over 60 years old.

I am experienced in teaching online, 1:1, small groups and in a classroom.

I also have experience teaching online via Zoom, Teams and Skype.

Tutoring Approach:
I really enjoy teaching English as a second or foreign language and I believe in making the learning fun. I teach in the interest of the student and endeavour to develop the learning based around their interests and specific requirements. I use a variety of mediums such as; online activities, books, worksheets, internet, realia (real life objects), songs, videos, etc .

I offer private English Language lessons as well as online for all ages - both one-to-one and small groups. Lessons are taught at your preference - online, in your home, my home or can be arranged in a public place.

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Personal Description:
I want my lessons to be fun and useful. All my learners build their confidence very quickly. I tailor my tutoring on how you wish to learn and I teach in a style that you ask for to create a truly personalised approach. To add value, I use fun and personalised assessment for learning techniques with a focus on your starting points. Last year, I really enjoyed working with several students that received either A*, A, B or C. Their references and reviews are available on request.

We can set targets together around your requests with a focus on what helps you feel more confident.

My sessions will be fun and improve learning and motivation.

I have two children aged 10 and 14. I have an updated Enhanced DBS Certificate. I can supply feedback from my past and current tutees.

I believe that I can add at least two higher grade boundaries to your present results. My current tutees have all added at least one higher grade boundary with some adding 3 boundaries. All of them have improved by at least 2 grades within 3 months with a weekly session.

Teaching Experience:
I am a fully qualified teacher with 20 years experience at GCSE and A level (14 to 19 year olds), working in the UK and abroad. In addition, I have experience in financial guidance plus 3 years management of learning and assessment success in a quality standards role . I have previous roles as a teacher trainer, secondary school teacher and a tutor for special and gifted learners. I also have further experience as a GCSE and A Level examiner. All my resources are updated to meet any of the awarding body exams.

I was also a staff coach and teacher trainer for a full range of courses offered in the post 16 sector. I gained Employer of the Year in 2010 and in 2011 a Career Academy Honorary Alumni for outstanding contribution to Financial Service links between employers and young professionals.

Tutoring Approach:
We can set targets together and work on how and what you wish to learn to help build confidence and allow you to not only improve grades but also to help with your future options .

My sessions should be fun and improve learning and motivation.

I offer discounts for the first session plus further discounts for single parents in receipt of Universal Credit.

Sessions are taught over 1 or 2 hours with the option of face face or online via Teams or other online software. Many learners enjoy a combination of options.

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Personal Description:
My name is Toby, I am 19 and have just come back from a year abroad in France. I currently work as a lifeguard and musician and am heading to Reading University to study french and business in september. I am a fluent french speaker who is fresh from learning the language to fluency, so am very much in touch with the language-learning process from a student's point of view - I know exactly where the hudrles lie and how to overcome them.

Teaching Experience:
I studied french up to A Level and took a year out in France, working as an Au Pair to the Marquis de Biliotti family at the Château d'Anjou in Lyon. I was in the highest class level at my Lyon university (C1/C2 class) and learned the language fluently. I have experience teaching English to children in France, and have worked as a telephone translator and PA translator.

Tutoring Approach:
I am flexible with my sessions; I can work on specific topics with which the pupil struggles, grammar, pronunciation and phonetics, vocab etc as well as approaches to language learning; analysing areas for the pupil to work on and giving resources, apps, videos and advice to help further their independent learning.
I can also work through set syllabuses, workbooks or other related set-works with the pupil.
(I will build sessions around my current working hours.)

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Personal Description:
I studied Fine Art at Canterbury College of Art in the 1980's. As an artist I work figuratively. Through drawing in either pencil, charcoal, ink or pen I take my work forward into 3D materials and use photography as a major influence to inform my structures. I love to work with natural forms and use printing processes including lino cut, drypoint and stencil.
I have lived and worked in Lewes for the past 25 years. We have a family home on the outskirts of the town where I also teach Privately - both individually and group classes.

Teaching Experience:
I have lived and worked in Lewes as an Art and Design teacher at the local Sixth Form College, teaching both Level 2 (GCSE and BTEC) and A Level students. I also teach Creative Printmaking Evening classes to adults at college. I have co-ordinated a variety of courses including 2nd year Fine Art A Level students.
I have a BA Hons in Fine Art and a PGCE in Teacher Training plus over 25 years of teaching experience. I consider myself to be a reliable member of any teaching team and enjoy the challenge of new course specifications.

Tutoring Approach:
I enjoy teaching in both groups and individually and aim to inspire my students. My intention in teaching is to share my skills and knowledge and to empower students to continue to develop their creative skills.

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Personal Description:
I am a highly experienced educationalist with a wholistic approach and a wide range of work experience before training as a teacher.

Prior to becoming a qualified teacher my professional experience includes IT, social work, property maintenance, music, photography and education & employment while my studies at undergraduate included nine subjects. I therefore draw upon a wide range of experience, knowledge and practice and believe that personal development is one of the most important and fulfilling things we can engage with in life.

In addition to various qualifications I have gained, I self study and pursue a wide range of activities and interests which gives me an ever increasing palette to draw upon when tutoring / mentoring.

Teaching Experience:
I gained my PGCE in Secondary Education (Maths) and worked in Adult Education and Family Learning for many years whereby I delivered accredited courses in Mathematics (up to GCSE level) and non-accredited courses in English and IT. In utilising my experience of working with mental health I set up and ran the only Maths for Mental Health group in Sussex which, although successful, unfortunately was terminated due to lack of funding along with my Family Learning teaching practice.

I left the Adult Education sector when I was head hunted by a family to deliver a private Home Learning curriculum and now work solely as a private tutor; supporting students in the Maths school curriculum and delivering a range of subjects (Maths, English, German, History, Photography, Chess etc.) to students who are home schooled. I also undertake private adult learning where there is a demand, additionally designing and undertaking bespoke plans for specific skills development such as report writing for business and fundamental Maths & Physics for basic Aircraft Engineering courses.

During the time of working in the Education & Employment sector I was responsible for skills development of various special needs groups so I have a solid understanding of and experience in a wide variety of educational needs. This experience also laid the foundation for a fixed term contract at a college for SEND students where I delivered a Maths curriculum to groups of SEND young adults within the QCF accredited curriculum.

Tutoring Approach:
As a professional educator I am committed to lifelong learning myself and, while I see the benefits and necessity of having learning goals to work towards, I believe that the most important role of a tutor is to develop a healthy and respectful relationship with a student, so that learning and achievement can flow from a sense of natural enquiry into a subject in a way which engages them in life. My experience suggests that, for most students, this approach helps them achieve greater confidence, awareness and motivation to excel in their learning and understanding of the subject.

My overall experience of working with a wide range of people in diverse professional fields and having studied a multi-disciplinary undergraduate degree as well as Maths also allows me to link learning across a range of subjects and life situations. In itself, this gives me a significant platform to develop a learner's ability to grasp a 'bigger picture' and to see self development as intrinsically valuable beyond the subject or topics being worked on.

I believe that we can never truly know our potential and I approach each student with a sense of curiosity and encouragement to explore that potential through appropriate cognitive skills development, so as to build positive channels of learning while identifying and addressing any specific difficulties.

When working with students I usually discuss learning and content with them but, when tutoring young people, I also encourage regular contact with the parent / carer - after all, a parent / carer is the first teacher in a young person's life and very much part of the young person's view of the world and educational growth.

PLEASE NOTE: relevant charges and introductory sessions

(i) sessions based more than 3 miles radius from my location will incur a travel charge based on a reasonable mileage cost if I am required to travel to the tutee.

(ii) on acceptance of each other via this site, there is an immediate introduction fee to be made to the site. This can be accommodated by a single session at my usual rates where you and your son / daughter can meet me and I you.

(iii) I would ask that sessions are subsequently booked in blocks of 6 and paid for in advance. Thank you.

BRAIN TEASER: if you were to spell out the counting numbers from "one" on wards, how far would you have to go until you would find the letter 'A' in the number (this doesn't include the conjunction "and")?

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

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

Holiday tutoring available on request.

Teaching Experience:
Qualified primary school teacher of ten years.

Graduated with a PGDE Primary Education from University of Strathclyde.

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

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Personal Description:
My name is Antonia. I am from Greece and I am a passionate teacher of Ancient and Modern Greek. I am a graduate of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki with a degree in Greek Philology specializing in Linguistics and a Master of Arts in Linguistics. Enjoys sharing knowledge, and inspiring both children and adults. Now, I am Modern Greek after almost 2 years at Durham University. Besides that, I am teaching Greek as a second/foreign language to students for 4 years. Experienced in lecturing private lessons to students of secondary education in Greece. Also, I have taught ancient Greek and Latin to high school students with great results. Experienced in teaching Greek as a foreign language to all levels, from children to adults. Also, I am awarded Qualified Teacher Status for Britain.

Teaching Experience:
I have been a Greek teacher for 2 years at Durham University. Also, I have experience in teaching Greek as a second/foreign language for 4 years. I am experienced in lecturing private lessons in Ancient and Modern Greek to secondary education students in Greece.

Tutoring Approach:
I adjust the lesson depending on the level of the students and their needs. My method in Ancient and Modern Greek is to teach the grammar through exercises for better results in understanding the grammar. I use modern books and online tools such as videos. My lessons are interactive and my students have made significant progress because they really enjoy my courses.

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Personal Description:
I'm a recent graduate of the university of Liverpool having studies chemistry BSc. I picked the course since i enjoyed chemistry at both GCSE and A level, creating a spark within me and led me to picking the challenging yet rewarding course. I'm currently employed as a Data Scientist working in London, and I've decided to pass on the passion in studying science to the younger generation by deciding to tutor. I believe Chemistry and Science in general hold the secrets and answers to many of the problems we currently face on a societal level, anything from global warming to world hunger. Science has the ability to produce unique and creative solutions to paramount, complex problems, thus i chose to study chemistry at university level. I have a deep understanding of chemistry, including its diverse branches, from convoluted organic synthesis mechanisms of cancer drugs to the cutting edge of polymer/material science.

Teaching Experience:
I've tutored a number students in topics ranging from Chemistry to English Literature and helped struggling student improve maths test grades from failing to solid Bs at the GCSE level. I've taught at all levels, ranging from Primary school to the University level. I've achieved 100% client satisfaction while scheduling and teaching independently developed custom curriculums, including homework and assessments using various exam boards to provide a comprehensive learning experience. I've been able to deliver enhanced lessons through integration of innovative educational technology (i.e Microsoft teams/Zoom)

Tutoring Approach:
I'll be able to break down the issues students face in comprehending concepts, into digestible pieces, enabling them to think critically and improve their problem solving skills. I will achieve this by looking at it at different angles, in order to explain theories and concepts from a different perspective. I believe people learn best if they engage with the theory and attempt to solve a problem themselves rather than being the solution. Thus I aim to guide them in the correct direction and provide support instead of telling them the answers directly.

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