Petworth Tutors and Petworth Tuition

Personal Description:
A result oriented tutor who immediately creates raport with tutees. Encouraging and helps the student build a high self esteem and confidence in themselves.

Teaching Experience:
I have taught science in the main stream schools for over 30 years, but have offered private tuition for 20 years.

Tutoring Approach:
I use past exam papers for students who are preparing for final exams. For non-exam students I use activities and questions

Subjects

Personal Description:
I have a passion for teaching and helping students to achieve their full potential. I am friendly, approachable, reliable and have a positive impact on students.

I am currently teaching at "A" Level Students in a School in London.

Teaching Experience:
I have 8 years experience teaching Economics, Business Studies, Accounting and Politics at "A" level standard, as well as Maths and French at GCSE standard.

Tutoring Approach:
Creativity, motivation and flexibility are the tenets of my teaching approach. I am able to help students of different abilities to achieve their target grades. My teaching style is always tailor-made to suit the needs of individual students.

The services I offer include: revision lessons, exam techniques, catchup lessons and homework support.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I have lived and worked in Plymouth since I finished me degree in 2001. I started as a full time private tutor in 2009 and have been tutoring ever since. I absolutely love this work and am extremely enthusiastic about helping others enjoy and succeed at learning.

I am married and am a mum of two young boys. My hobbies include sports, walking, art, reading, writing and volunteer work with my church.

I am currently away on further training so can no longer do my usual face-to-face lessons, but I am looking at building up my online students.

Teaching Experience:
I have over a decade of experience of helping children, teenagers and adults with their maths and English learning. Whether it is to salvage a struggling student, to catch-up, to succeed in an exam or to excel beyond their current level, I am passionate about helping and unlocking a student's ability to understand and to enable them to enjoy learning.

I hold a BSc degree, 3 A-levels (grade B, including maths), 9 GCSEs (7 As - 2 Bs) and am a graduate of Study Technology. I have been tutoring since 2009 and specialise in the 11+.

Tutoring Approach:
My teaching style is to tailor all lessons and communication entirely to each student, as each student is unique in the barriers they encounter, and in their level of understanding of the subject. I direct the lessons at a pace, and with content, that the student can comfortably handle and make progress with. I also aim to ensure learning remains light and not too serious: I am friendly and ensure that my students are at ease in lessons so that they feel free to ask questions or to say if they don't understand something.

I aim to always make the lessons visual and interactive and set homework to reinforce what we cover in our lessons. I can post worksheets for the lesson/homework if needed.

I am happy to answer any questions you might have and I look forward to hearing from you.

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Personal Description:
I am a Primary trained school teacher with experience in both KS1 and KS2.
I am a mother with three children, one of which had learning problems as a KS1 child, and understand the frustration of the learner and anxiety the parent feels.

Teaching Experience:
Special needs teaching 1:1
1:1 private tuition
10 years Primary KS1 & KS2

Tutoring Approach:
I enjoy helping children reach their potential by being patient and understanding and helping my tutee's discover their most suited method and style for learning, in the area that they find challenging.
I teach using visual, auditory and kinesthetic methods, depending on my pupils learning style.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Online & Face to Face tutoring, located in KT3 (New Malden) and W5 (Ealing Broadway).
I`m Sam, Geoscientist and Academic Tutor, currently teaching Maths & Science at MathysicsTutor Kingston.
Having obtained my 3 degrees with scholarships in Science and Engineering at top universities, I have helped students at various level to unravel their full potentials and am determined to create enthusiasm in students to achieve the success they are aiming for.
I have experience of tutoring primary, secondary, GCSE, A level and university students with a firm knowledge of the optimal motivating and engaging approaches for each age group.

Beside tutoring, I am a knowledgeable Geoscientist and Engineer with 10 years experience in oil industry. As a Geoscientist, I combine advanced Maths, Physics and Geology in order to discover oil ad gas within the earth.

I have a strong understanding of Math, Physics, Chemistry, Geology and related subjects. I also have a B.Sc. in engineering and two M.Sc in engineering and geosceince.

As a Geoscientist, I have been responsible for managing, mentoring and training junior colleagues in a multinational team, where I have demonstrated high level of communication, interpersonal and interpretive skills. Working in an international company and also tutoring international students, has given me opportunity to work efficiently with people from variety of backgrounds.

Teaching Experience:
I was a teaching assistant during my academic years. Since graduation in 2009, I have tutored people in my social circle and since 2016 private tutoring through First tutors and other agencies with top reviews, 20% of my students come from referral. Great achievements such as:

Student admitted to King's Collage after 8 month's tutoring in Maths and Physics.

A* grade in GCSE Chemistry achieved by student after 2 month tutoring.

Experienced in tutoring University students from Edinburgh, SOAS, Kingston, Leeds and City universities in Maths, Geology, GIS and research/dissertation preparation.

My GCSE and A-level students have come from:
King's College School Wimbledon
Whitgift School Croydon
Tiffin School Surbiton
Tiffin Girls Kingston
ACS Cobham
Kingston College
Kingston Grammar
Hampton School
Sutton Grammar
Esher college
Coombe School New Malden
Surbiton High school
Wimbledon High school
Lady Eleanor Holles Hampton
Box Hill School Dorking
Royal Russell School Croydon
Nonsuch High School Cheam
Grey Court School Richmond
Twyford Church of England High School Acton
Royal Grammar School Guildford
Esher High School
Ursuline High School Wimbledon
Whitgift School Croydon
Latimer school Hmmersmith
St Dominic`s Sixth Form College Harrow
Notting Hill and Ealing High School
International School of London Ealing
Moulsford Preparatory School Oxfordshire
St John's Beaumont School Windsor


TESTIMONIALS:

"Sam goes through examples well and has a lot of practice questions ready. He explains the topic well and is very thorough with his explanations. I will continue to use him as I prepare for my A2 physics exam." Ryan, A level, Surrey

"Sam has helped my step-son with both Computing and Geology. From C grades he is now getting As in his tests. Sam is well prepared and thorough and has been a great help. I have no hesitation recommending him to other students. Sarah,A level, Purley.

"Sam helped me with maths for my last year exam he is an excellent tutor. He was very helpful and I definitely recommend him if you have any problems with maths." Tasio, University, Surrey.

"Sam is an excellent tutor who really goes out of his way to make sure you understand every aspect of the task at hand. Thanks to him I know feel far more comfortable in Maths. I would be very happy to recommend Sam and will continue to rely on him in the future." Diego, Year 12 IB Student.

Tutoring Approach:
Enriketa raised her maths grade from C to A; you can too, ask me how!

I believe the most efficient approach is the most engaging one. It is important to appreciate that students have different attitudes towards learning and hence tutoring should be about helping them to get the best out of their education through discovering their potential and developing interest in the subject.

METHODS OF TEACHING:

Online & in person

Subjects

Personal Description:
A conscientious and professional Italian native teacher, with extensive experience in teaching Italian as well as English as foreign languages to students of all ages and backgrounds.
I teach by using the direct method which is also known as the natural method, and it is used in teaching foreign languages, using mostly the target language to meet the students' needs.
Teaching focuses on the development of oral skills and teaching grammar as a consequence in order to gain all the abilities in the easiest and more interesting way for the students.
I have been teaching for the past 10 years and I love to keep training and learning new techniques and new approaches to the language. The lessons are tailored made to my students' needs. I teach one to one or small groups with a variable number of students, ONLINE ONLY via webcam. Contact me for a free introductory meeting and to discuss your learning journey. I am also a Cambridge CELTA, YL-ext and CLIL qualified teacher.

Teaching Experience:
I am an Italian mother tongue Cambridge CELTA and CELTYL qualified Teacher of English and I have been teaching English and Italian to students of all ages for the past 10 years.
Italian online tutor: individual and group courses, all levels.
One-to one or small group lessons AQA, EDEXCEL or CAMBRIDGE IGCSE specifications. I have been teaching for the past 10 years and I love to keep training and learning new techniques and new approaches.
Experience:
Aspire Sussex: teaching Italian as a Foreign Language to adults, all levels, GCSE Italian.
BHASVIC College Sixth Form: teaching Italian as a Foreign Language to adults, all levels, GCSE Italian.
PACA : teaching Italian as a Foreign Language to adults, all levels, GCSE Italian.
The Language Guru: teaching Italian as a Foreign Language to adults, all levels, GCSE Italian.
Cactus Language Training: teaching Italian as a Foreign Language to adults, all levels, GCSE Italian.
Duke of Edinburgh award tutor.
I have been working as teaching Assistant in day care and nursery with children from 2 to 4 years of age for more than 5 years.
Leading Art groups with children aged 6 to 12.
Helen Doron Early English and Teen English qualified teacher.
English as a Foreign Language Teacher in CLIL projects;
English as a Foreign Language Teacher
Courses in English Language Conversation for Tourism (Basic and Elementary Level)
English for Business: In-Company individual and group courses ranging from Beginner to Advanced levels.
English as a Foreign Language Teacher in rehabilitation centres for vocational training courses.
C.L.I.L. Methodology Course Certificate - (LCCI International Qualification)
CLIL expert in kindergarten, primary and high school;
Cambridge ESOL - YL Extension to CELTA
Cambridge ESOL - CELTA
Cambridge ESOL - Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE)
Designer of services for children according to Waldorf Education
HDEE Teaching Certificate, Early Childhood and Teenagers Education and Teaching
EFL Teacher in Early Childhood and Teenagers Education
Level 3 Award EYFS Teaching
Level 2 Teaching Assistant
Safeguarding Certificate
Equality and Diversity Certificate

Tutoring Approach:
Teacher of Italian as L2 - ONLINE ONLY -
I teach by using the direct method which is also known as the natural method, and it is used in teaching foreign languages, using mostly the target language to meet the students' needs.
Group sessions are structured around the group interests and needs, encouraging everyone to join in, while one-to-one sessions focus on meeting each student's personal needs and goals.
Teaching focuses on the development of oral skills and teaching grammar as a consequence in order to gain all the abilities in the easiest and more interesting way for the students.
- Teaching concepts and vocabulary through pantomiming, real-life objects and other visual materials.
- Teaching grammar by using an inductive approach (i.e. having learners find out rules through the presentation of adequate linguistic forms in the target language).
- Centrality of spoken language (including a native pronunciation).

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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Wendy was recommended to us by a colleague for her excellent quality of tuition. She has an extensive knowledge of the GCSE syllabus for literature and language and has considerable experience in the field. She is reliable and has a great work ethic. She has enabled my son to reach his potential and is able to focus on points of weakness, build confidence and motivate him into writing essays, which he did not enjoy or do prior to Wendy. Wendy has tailored her approach to teaching him in how to answer questions for the best possible outcome. His improvement in English has helped him progress in other subjects and is now looking at higher grades in History and RE due to a more articulate approach to answering questions. Less importantly my son has enjoyed his English lessons and always looked forward to them.

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Wendy has been such a blessing for my daughter, completely turning around her expectations with regards to her academic ability and hugely affecting not only her English results but all her other subjects. Now, thanks to Wendy, she has the right tools to construct an essay. Her marks have improved by two grades across the board. Wendy is a wonderful and inspiring teacher and I just cannot recommend her highly enough.

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First-class graduate of the University of Cambridge, I have tutored professionally since January 2023 and have worked in secondary schools in the UK between March 2017 and July 2018 full-time, working supply between February 2023 and July 2024.

I have tutored 4 students thus far, from Year 10 or 11 until their GCSE exams. My students have had great successes: my first student climbed 2 and 3 grades in their English GCSEs, passing them and allowing them to move on to sixth form without resits; another student achieved 8s in both English GCSEs, way higher than expected, and climbed grades over time in Maths; whilst another student also passed GCSE English Literature first time, with a Grade 4, well above his initial starting grade when we began tutoring.

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After graduating with a Mathematics degree I worked at the University of Manchester for a number of years and also gained an Msc in Epidemiology (Medical Statistics). I have gained most of my practical teaching experience from my time in the NHS, where I worked as an information specialist. I gained a PGDip in Management at Bradford University and went on to work at all levels in the NHS, ending as being the National Director for Analysis. In that time I have taught mathematical and statistical skills to hundreds of NHS analysts, and delivered degree level research training to staff at all levels for over 20 years,

In 2018 I set up my own training and consultancy business which aimed to teach, train and support staff at all levels in their use of data and I subsequently was awarded the Northern Enterprise Awards "Best analytics and research training provider - Yorkshire" in 2021.

This experience has made me ideally placed to understand the different ways that people learn, and the areas that can be seen as difficult. The training skills I have developed means that I approach tutoring in a different way than those with a formal PGCE which can be of great benefit.

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I have had a number of different training / teaching / tutoring experiences within my career.
I have taught on a degree level Research course within the NHS for 20 years - concentrating on research methods, data and critical analysis skills.
I have delivered lectures in data related subjects to undergraduate students at Huddersfield and Bradford Universities within the UK, and Buffalo University within the USA.
I was honorary visiting lecturer to Leeds University for a number of years.
Since 2018 I have delivered private training in analysis, data and research across the UK, as well as in the USA and Gibraltar to a wide mix of ages and professional groups.
In 2019 I lectured online for a PhD course at Fordham University in New York.

I have tutored in GCSE and A'level subjects for the last 4 years both online and face to face. (AQA syllabus, although I have access to other syllabus material such as EdExcel).

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Every learner is different, so I like to find an approach that works with each of my students. Having taught people who struggled with subjects at school I try to find easy examples to illustrate particular concepts. I also believe that humour is a key part of the learning environment, and that learning should be enjoyable as well as educational.

While I am happy to meet face to face, I find that online tutoring works equally well and has the advantage of being able to record sessions that can be used by the student when revising. The use of interactive whiteboards still provides a great learning experience, and whiteboards can also be saved for the student to use later.

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Hello! I'm Kallia, an experienced, qualified teacher. I mainly teach English and support students of ages 4-18, in a variety of skills such as reading, writing, comprehension and exam practice.

I am currently in training to become a dyslexia teacher and hopefully progress into becoming a dyslexia assessor.

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I have taught in inner city schools since 2016, when I qualified. Previously I used to work as a teaching assistant rural and city schools, starting in 2013.

My teaching experience comes from teaching across primary full time, working as a reading and numeracy support teacher with SEN children of ages 8-14 and teaching English GCSE, iGCSE and IELTS to students in the UK as well as across Asia and Europe.

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My teaching approaches depend on the needs and goals of my students. Not one approach fits all and therefore communication is key in establishing good working patterns that will support the student in progressing and succeeding.

I have the tools to adjust my lessons to meet the criteria for those with Special Education Needs.

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