Strathaven Tutors & Strathaven Tuition

Personal Description:
- qualified ex-secondary MFL teacher (PGCE, QTS obtained), familiar with and taught Mandarin Chinese GCSE specifications (AQA and Edexcel), A Level Chinese specifications at UK secondary schools. My students have great exam results.
- Native Mandarin and Taiwanese speaker, Excellent communication skills
- Experienced Mandarin Tutor. I worked with pupils at different levels: pre-School/ KS1- 5/ FE/ HE/ adults/ retired/ business Chinese/ tourism Chinese, including those with SEN and from diverse cultural background using English as an additional language)
- Freelance translator (television programmes subtitles, between English and Mandarin Chinese)
- Freelance interpreter (legal/Immigration)
- Experienced in tailor-making and delivering one-to-one tutoring lessons
- Knowledge of traditional Chinese/Taiwanese culture, politics, history, geography, society and current pop culture. Also able to combine the above with Mandarin learning/teaching
- Patient, reliable and honest
- mentored PGCE student teachers, Early Career Teachers.
- conduct and co-lead research projects with IOE (Institute of Education, University College London), on Content and Language Integrated Learning, 2021 to date. Co-presented the research results at 2 international academic conferences in 2023.

Teaching Experience:
- Mandarin Teacher at University of Leeds (Sep 2008- May 2011), a private school in north Wales (Y7 and Y9, complete beginner group/individual and GCSE preparation, 2011), a grammar school on the Wirral (2015- 2020, Y7- Y13, including GCSE/A Level preparation), and a comprehensive state school in Liverpool (2020-2023).
- Author/proof-reader of online Mandarin course contents (targeting KS2, KS3, and GCSE learners); Online Mandarin Tutor (KS2 learners and GCSE candidates. One of my pupils was accepted by a Chinese undergraduate course as her first choice for Sep 2014 entry, because of my lessons); eLearning Specialist advising the management team regarding VLE/ LMS and providing training on online teaching for fellow teachers (all above under this bullet point: between Jun 2012- Jun 2014, employed by a private company in north Wales)
- freelance one-to-one Tutor of Mandarin, face-to-face and online
- University Lecturer in Audience Development in Taiwan
- University Lecturer in Arts Management in Taiwan
- University Lecturer in English in Taiwan
- Tutor of English (adult/primary/secondary level, face-to-face, individual and groups) in Taiwan

Tutoring Approach:
- Use real-Life scenario for examples and conversation practice
- Integrate Culture into language acquisition
- Offer Business/Leisure/Travel/Conversation Mandarin Lessons
- Offer Pin-Yin and Phonics; Simplified and Traditional Mandarin characters
- Lessons are tailor-made to suit different levels from beginners to advanced Mandarin speaker
- You can choose to get trained in Listening, Speaking, Writing or Reading skills, or a combination of these four
- Deliver lessons in English-only, Mandarin-only, or a combination of English and Mandarin
- Devise different learning methods/ activities/ content for each individual learner to suit their own confidence, Mandarin abilities and learning targets/ motives.
- Encourage students to participate in their own learning process actively by creating an interactive and friendly learning environment.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Oxford graduate with more than fifteen years' experience as a private tutor and consistently excellent results in Latin, Greek, Classics and English.

Studied Classics at Oxford University and awarded an academic scholarship.

Earned a Master's Degree with Distinction in Latin literature at UCL. Awarded the Dean's Prize.

Since then, I have been working as an award-winning arts journalist alongside my work as a private tutor.

Teaching Experience:
Private tutor for fifteen years, with significant experience in private tuition of Latin, Greek and English at all levels, and excellent exam results achieved by my students.

*LATIN/GREEK*

Classroom experience as teacher of Latin at a prep school and teaching assistant for primary school Latin classes.

In-depth, up-to-date knowledge of the current syllabuses for Common Entrance, GCSE and A-level, as well as all major textbooks, including Oxford and Cambridge Latin Courses, Athenaze, Greek to GCSE, Shelmerdine, ISEB Common Entrance publications and other frequently used courses. I also have a wide range of my own resources.

*ENGLISH*

English tutor for ten years, complemented by working as an award-winning arts journalist. Through this work
I've personally interviewed several of the authors on the English syllabuses, including Margaret Atwood and Arundhati Roy. I have a particular love of bringing Shakespeare alive, and I have also extensively interviewed many actors and practitioners about Shakespeare's work, including Sir Ian McKellen; I love to feed this real-world experience into lessons, to show that learning English is not just about words on a page.

Tutoring Approach:
CONFIDENCE: I love seeing students gain confidence as they study with me, and passing on my knowledge and enthusiasm until they are as excited about a subject as I am. My main focus is finding something for them to enjoy within a given subject and building our learning around that.

TARGETED APPROACH: I find out the areas where the student will need the most help, then I plan my lessons carefully to address those areas of difficulty. I always try to build on the way the student has been taught at school, so that my tuition complements their school learning rather than clashing with it.

EXAM TECHNIQUE: I also ensure that we are always working on exam and revision techniques while learning. This includes helpful mnemonics, studying past papers and mark schemes, and ensuring we are engaging closely with the relevant syllabus to pick up as many marks as possible when it comes to exams.

TIPS AND TRICKS: I like to build routine into tuition sessions, so that the student knows what to expect in each session, which helps boost their confidence, and so that grammar which can seem strange and unfamiliar at first becomes second nature. I've got plenty of tips and tricks to help with the most difficult parts of grammar and syntax. It's useful to break things down into smaller chunks - for example, the large set texts can be daunting, but they become manageable when taken piece by piece.

Above all, my approach is to be friendly, patient and knowledgeable.

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Personal Description:
I am 69 years old and retired from full time teaching in August 2014 after a teaching career of some 23 years. Since retiring I have done some part time teaching and private tuition. During the course of the last three years I have tutored some 30 students and have many written testimonials from parents regarding my tuition, you are welcome to contact current students to check the progress their child has made with my help. I am married with 3 children and live in the Chorley area. I graduated from Leeds Metropolitan University in 1979 with a degree in Construction Management and spent the first 12 years of my working life in the construction industry. I began teaching at Stockport College in 1991 and gained a P.G.C.E. in Secondary Maths shortly afterwards, I started at Oldham Sixth Form College in May 2003.
I have tutored a number of Primary School children during school closures and lockdowns and have access to a wealth of Secondary and Primary resources.
I have recently started tutoring as part of the National Tutoring Programme (NTP) giving on line lessons as part of the Government initiative to enable pupils to catch up on lost learning.
I am now offering online lessons at a rate of £25 per hour for Primary and G.C.S.E.
Levels. My Enhanced DBS is up to date and I subscribe to the updating service.

Teaching Experience:
I taught at Stockport College for 11 years retired from Oldham Sixth Form College in 2014 after almost 13 years there. I have taught a broad range of maths courses during that time and was course leader for level 2 maths at O.S.F.C. for 8 years before retirement. I have taught G.C.S.E maths for many years and have considerable experience teaching C1, C2 C3, C4 S1, S2 and D1 as part of A' level mathematics. I am familiar with both the Edexcel and AQA GCSE and A level specifications.
I have been an examiner for AQA at G.C.S.E. and am currently an examiner for The Cambridge Board marking the IGCSE and also for Edexcel marking C1 and C3, I have therefore lots of exam board experience and have many tips for maximising marks to pass on.
For students starting A level maths I have lots of bridging resources to enable students to make a seamless transition to advanced level study.
I am familiar with the requirements of the new G.C.S.E. maths 1-9 course and have access to resource bank created by AQA
I am familiar with the requirements of KS2 having marked the SATS tests for the last four years

Tutoring Approach:
I pride myself on my friendly and personable approach to tutoring endeavouring to remove the impression that maths is too hard that has grown up in the media in recent times. References are available from my past and current students.

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Personal Description:
I am a mother of four sons and have over 15 years teaching experience. I enjoy the outdoors and keep fit by jogging and practicing yoga everyday. I am highly motivated and enjoying learning new skills currently I am learning Spanish.

Teaching Experience:
I have 15 years teaching experience in biology ranging from practical experimental work through to explaining detailed molecular mechanisms at post graduate levels. I have taught school students biology as a tutor for the past 8 years.
I am currently lecture at university from 1st year through to post graduate level and I am programme lead for Food Biosciences

Tutoring Approach:
As each individual student has different needs and different learning preferences I tailor the lessons to the individual student. I generally would discuss with the student the way they prefer to learn and put together lesson plans that reflect this.

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Personal Description:
Jamie is an award winning writer director of feature films, short films and music videos incl. Radiohead & Coldplay. He has made four feature films to date, 'The Low Down' (2001) starring Aidan Gillen (The Wire/Game Of Thrones) and Kate Ashfield (Shaun Of The Dead), 'The Cry Of The Owl' (2006) starring Paddy Considine (Dead Man's Shoes) and Julia Stiles (The Bourne Identity), 'Treacle Jr' (2010) starring Aidan Gillen and 'Pickups' (2016) also starring Aidan Gillen. All his films have had cinematic releases and have been televised on Channel 4, Film 4 and the BBC.

He has directed many award winning short films. 'I Just Want To Kiss You' starring Martin Freeman won the Fox Searchlight Prize for Best Short Film at the 1997 Edinburgh Film Festival.

His music video for Coldplay's 'The Scientist; won three MTV awards in 2003, Best Director, Breakthrough and Best Group.

Teaching Experience:
Jamie has taught at Reading University for the MA Course in Film Studies, Kingston University BA Film Studies/ The Royal College Of Art, The London College Of Communication, The London Film School/ Central Film School and currently teaches at MET Film School in Brighton.

Tutoring Approach:
I teach every aspect of film making from writing screenplays to editing, shooting, acting workshops, producing and film studies. If you want to make a great short film, or music video, I can help.

I want my students to achieve their full potential. I have a very direct, honest and encouraging approach.

I still continue to make my own films. I teach because I love sharing my knowledge of the film industry.

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Personal Description:
I studied medieval languages, literature, and history at the University of Cambridge before completing an MA in Medieval Studies at the University of York. I then moved to La Rochelle (France) in 2016, where I taught English in two schools. After spending 4 months in New Zealand, I began teaching English at the Sorbonne University in Paris (2018-2020). I am now in the process of completing a PhD which focuses on medieval literature and languages (including Old French). I take a keen interest in language, especially French, and enjoy sharing this with my students.

Teaching Experience:
From October 1st 2016 until April 30th 2017, I taught English to 11-18 year olds in two French high schools. I also privately taught English to a French businessman in preparation for his travels in Australia, and to a young student studying for his baccalaureate exams. I gained a TEFL qualification in 2015.

Tutoring Approach:
I am a friendly and unintimidating person, and encourage my students to ask questions on any linguistic point of difficulty. I will adapt my lessons to my student's needs (be it to improve reading, writing, grammatical knowledge, listening and speaking skills, or all of these in turn) so that each session is productive. I will happily teach according to school curriculum requirements, and I will also create my own teaching resources if necessary. I personally find it immensely satisfying and exciting to be able to speak and understand another language, and I encourage my students to share this pleasure.

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Personal Description:
Want to take fabulous photographs, draw phenomenal portraits or create cracking collages? Well you can - and I can help you.

I'm a qualified, highly experienced and encouraging tutor who can help you improve your technique, learn new skills, achieve higher grades or simply develop and extend your love of image making.

Whilst teaching (secondary) I was Deputy Head of Department and Deputy Head of Sixth Form. I then travelled and retrained and have had a long career in the corporate sector, designing training programmes across a huge range of subject matter.

Recently I completed a diploma in Performance Improvement Coaching and I have also been exhibiting my own artwork and photography commercially.

Teaching Experience:
For several years I taught in a secondary school in Hounslow:
• Key Stages 3, 4 (GCSE) and 5 (A Level) Art & Design (Fine Art)
• Key Stage 3 Expressive Arts (Art, Music, Drama, Dance and Creative Writing)
• Key Stage 4 Photography
• Adult Evening Class
• Portfolio preparation

Tutoring Approach:
My approach to excellent tutoring and learning is pragmatic and enthusiastic:
• Me: thorough preparation and input, providing clear guidance and motivation
• You: active engagement, enthusiasm, exploration, investigation, and development of ideas
• Both of us: discussion and experimentation to refine ideas and some critical reflection

I believe it is hugely important that you feel valued, supported and comfortable enough to stretch your comfort zone and that you experience what you perceive to be success and achievement.

I charge £60 per hour for all subjects, levels and ages and I give every student the same care in preparation, tuition and support. If required, I offer free 'chats' between sessions via email.

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Personal Description:
Taken Art exam classes for 40 years. Excellent results at GCSE and A Level. 95% A*A. Last students over the last three years got Level 9 GCSE. I Teach Fine Art painting and Drawing. Coloured Pencil. Pencil. Watercolour, Acrylics, Batik and Photoshop.Art History and Research. Can upgrade student's work and I am easy to get on with and approach with any difficulties. I love helping children to analyse and improve their work often raising standards by 3 levels + I have GCSE students attending sessions on a weekly basis. 2023 GCSE students went from level 4 to level 9 this summer.

Teaching Experience:
Many years in Grammar/ Comprehensive / Secondary Education. Mainly as Head of Art but also as Deputy Head
SENco 2015-2019 did Intervention support in a Primary School for 11 terms providing support for children falling behind in Maths and English with emphasis on reading.
Teaching children to read through phonics

Tutoring Approach:
With Art
Teach basic skills first then develop at pace of student. Students should be happy and enjoy what they are doing but be challenged to improve.
If students are established and need support I can teach all skills necessary to access higher grades and be proud of their work.
I can support GCSE students with their developments across all areas especially confidence and experimenting to find the best medium for the best results. Art is to be enjoyed and to be proud of and hopefully after my sessions students will feel empowered to produce some outstanding work .

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am a French national and a qualified teacher from the University of Warwick (PGCE).

I have a real passion for teaching and have gained a lot of experience throughout my career. I always put the interest of my students first, endeavour to make them reach their full potential and give them a sense of achievement. I have often been praised for my dynamism and enthusiasm, as well as my thorough lesson planning involving differentiation and personal support. Moreover I am a very friendly and approachable individual, and make use of fun and engaging activities in class in order to create a pleasant learning atmosphere.

I have a wide experience and a huge bank of resources including examination materials. I am certain that I will find the right method that works for you. Some of my students have said to me that that they have learned more with me that with other tutors.

If you have any doubt, I will offer you a free trial lesson with no obligations.

Teaching Experience:
I have been teaching French for over 15 years. I taught 12 years in secondary schools in schools around Birmingham, West Midlands. I taught GCSE and A Level and also taught evening classes to adults.

I also taught ESOL for over 6 years at Birmingham Metropolitan College.

I have also been teaching online for over five years. I have been working with a wide variety of students from around the world from different abilities and with various objectives. I have been working with total beginners up to advanced students. I have prepared students for numerous exams such as IGCSE, GCSE, A Level, Nationality tests, DELF and DALF. All my students have always achieved excellent results in their examinations.

I have also been working with students who just want to learn the ropes of French to be able to get by on holidays or who wants to learn French. I always try o find the right method and resources for my students and can provide you with students`s references if you wish me to.

I also have worked with people who wanted to work on some specific themes such as tourism, business for instance.

Tutoring Approach:
I always try to adapt to my students' objectives and levels. I try to find the right method for each individual and I try to personalise my lessons. I provide my students with all the resources they need.

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Personal Description:
Qualified, experienced, patient tutor
An outstanding practitioner, as evidenced in inspections and lesson observations.
I have had extensive training in supporting students with special educational needs. I am able to tailor approaches and resources to suit the individual needs of every pupil.

Teaching Experience:
27 years Headmistress Primary and Secondary School, retired.
15 years private tuition experience.
35 years teaching experience.

Tutoring Approach:
27 years' experience, including as Head Of Department and Headmistress.
Qualified teacher and subject specialist.
I am supportive, warm and encouraging in my approach.

Why choose me?
100% success rate in helping pupils get into their first choice schools, including Cheltenham Ladies' College, Haberdashers', St Paul's and Westminster College.
I provide expert private tuition for 11+, 13+, GCSE, A-level and International Baccalaureate examinations.
I am experienced at teaching pupils of all ages between 7 - 18.

Testimonials

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.

S, Chesham, Bucks

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.

Rachel, Amersham, Bucks

Lovely Wendy is the most amazing and caring tutor I could ever wish for. She deserves a medal for her work and her students are so motivated in these crazy times it is wonderful to know my son is being so looked after. He enjoys every lesson.

Lucy, South Heath, Bucks.

I highly recommend Wendy. Her long experience, personal approach and carefully planned English lessons have been incredible for over two years now. She also provides excellent feedback following each session and takes time to stay close to parents to gauge how and where she can add most value. I am happy to email or speak to other parents about how she has helped us!

Sarah, Great Missenden, Bucks.

I am so delighted we found Wendy to help with my son's preparation for his GCSE in English Literature and French to A level. I thoroughly recommend her tutoring services. She is consummate and professional and well prepared for each session with a myriad of printed materials to support the lesson. She is knowledgeable about her subject and importantly about what the examiners are looking for in assessing examination answers. She is also friendly, approachable and has a rare gift for imparting her understanding and enthusiasm for literature. My son positively looked forward to both English and French studies with her - something sadly he never felt at school. He now looks forward to University with every confidence

Tokeer, High Wycombe, Bucks.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Harrison
University of Bath studying BSc (Hons) Economics
Hertfordshire/London
A Levels: A*AA (History/Maths/Economics)
GCSE's: All 8s/9s
Hobbies: Football/Gym/Cars
Tutoring for GCSE or A-Level History/Maths/Economics

Teaching Experience:
Below are 5 attributes that I hold that are essential for tutoring:

1) Expertise in the Subject: Strong knowledge and understanding of the subject you're tutoring is essential. My mastery of subject material allows me to explain concepts clearly and answer questions accurately. Thousand of hours of study for both GCSE's and A-Levels has lead me to create excellent A* level notes for students.

2) Effective Communication: Being able to explain complex ideas in simple terms is a key skill for a tutor. My ability to convey information clearly and adapt my communication style to the student's learning preferences is crucial.

3) Patience and Empathy: Not all students grasp concepts at the same pace. Patience and empathy are vital qualities that allow me to work through difficulties with students and create a comfortable learning environment.

4) Adaptability: Each student has a unique learning style. Being able to adapt teaching methods to suit the individual needs of each student can greatly enhance their understanding and engagement.

5) Active Listening: Understanding a student's challenges and questions requires active listening. By carefully listening, I can address their specific needs and tailor your tutoring accordingly.

Tutoring Approach:
Online based tutor using Zoom or Google Meet.

1) Assessment and Goal Setting: I begin by assessing the student's current knowledge and understanding of the subject, whilst discussing the student's goals and expectations for the tutoring sessions.

2) Individualised learning plan: Based on the assessment, I create a personalised learning plan that outlines the topics to cover and the order in which to address them. I consider the student's learning style, strengths, and areas needing improvement.

3) Clear Explanation: Presenting concepts in a clear, concise, and easily understandable manner whilst using real-life examples and analogies to illustrate complex ideas.

4)Interactive Learning: I encourage active participation and engagement from all students. Asking questions to check for understanding and encourage critical thinking is the best way to improve.

5) Practice and Application: I will provide practice exercises, problems, or activities that reinforce the concepts being taught. I will then gradually increase the complexity of exercises as the student's understanding improves.

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Personal Description:
Hello! I'm Dongni. UK Global Talent Visa holder for children's book authorship and illustration. Award- winning, four-time monograph published, children's picture book author and illustrator.

Teaching Experience:
I taught Chinese for both children and adults in an aritist way.
In the past 5 years:
I ran art workshops in both China and UK.
I designed art course for both adults and children.

Tutoring Approach:
I love helping students to achieve what they want in an relaxing way. So let me know what is your purpose to learn Chinese. I will make a personalized plan for you!
INTO: Art, live music, sport (swimming, Pilates, Yoga, hiking, playing basketball), museum, gallery, cooking, etc
These can be our topics in class.
Bonus:
If you choose me, you will get opportunities to read my books.
If you are into art, after language class, we can sketch together and you will get an extra art tutorial.
If you like cooking, I can share my secret Chinese recipes.

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