T Dronfield Tutors and T Dronfield Tuition

Personal Description:
I am an MFL teacher with bags of enthusiasm and an immense passion for education and children. I currently work part-time in a secondary school in Surrey, and have previously in a Boys Grammar School in North Kent, as well as having enjoyed spells living in Quebec and Aix-en-Provence in the past. I find empathising with students easy, and have girls and boys between 6 years old and adult on my books. I currently tutor in French, Spanish, English, Maths and 11+ preparation.

In my free time, I enjoy going to the gym, reading and cycling, having recently completed the London to Brighton cycle in aid of the British Heart Foundation.

Teaching Experience:
I currently work part-time in a secondary school in Surrey, and have previously in a Boys Grammar School in North Kent. I have also done a year's supply in South Yorkshire, as well as in a primary school in France. I have held departmental and pastoral TLR positions at various schools, and have tutored for over ten years. References available.

Tutoring Approach:
I like to support students in their learning by being thorough, professional, but approachable. My effective tutoring in the past has helped students to feel more confident, happier and ultimately this shows in their results. I am often very proud of my students when they make progress in areas such as confidence, as well as ability.

Subjects

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 50:50 between English for the 11+ and Common Entrance (13+) exams, 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.

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

Subjects

Personal Description:
I have been privately teaching music theory and instrumental based music around the midlands area for the last 4 years. I have experience teaching all age ranges and abilities including children with learning difficulties.

Teaching Experience:
I have taught with in schools "Blakedown C of E Primary School" "Sutton Park Primary School" Music academies "Sounds Electric Music academy" and i also teach privately at home.

Tutoring Approach:
I use a taylor made course to suit the individuals needs so they can control what areas they would like to focus on most. i am friendly and will always try my best to aid the pupils so they get the most from there tuition.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Hi, I'm a professional engineer with a passion for developing the next generation of STEM leaders. I've worked in both the Aerospace and Automotive industries with companies such as Airbus, Rolls-Royce, Bentley to name a few and I've given talks at universities nationwide about engineering. Tutoring is something I did for many years as a student with great success and I relish the opportunity to get back into it.

I graduated from The University of Sheffield with a Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering. Alongside this I partook in several leadership roles such as Academic Officer for the Aerospace Society and pursued my passion for music as part of the jazz band.

I play a variety of instruments including Drums (Traditional and Western), Piano/Keyboard, Guitar and Saxophone. If this goes well enough, I may even be able to quit the day job and go full time with my band!

Teaching Experience:
11+

Maths A-Level.

Physics GCSE

Experience with dyslexia

!!!100% Pass Rate!!!

DBS Checked

Tutoring Approach:
Nobody wants to be in school outside of school; so in knowing this, I like to have an initial consultation whereby I listen to the student's interests, concerns and preferences to ascertain their preferred learning style. I apply real-world practical examples from my experiences to provide greater appreciation for what is being taught as context helps with not only retention but also understanding.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Spanish (Castellano) mother tongue from South America. Vast knowledge of the South American region and culture and also a lot of the Iberian Peninsula as I travel there very often to visit friends and family members living there. I have lived in Rome, Italy for more than 15 years and also travel there very often for work or other personal reasons.

Teaching Experience:
More than 20 years. I have experience teaching in Universities in South America and as a private Language Tutor in UK and in Italy. In England for the last 15 years I have been working teaching Spanish and Italian.

Tutoring Approach:
I adapt my lessons to the student needs, skills, abilities and interests. I use a conversational approach than includes the comprehension of the grammatical rules of the language. It is also important for me to communicate aspects of the cultural and social reality and the History of the language studied.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I did M.Sc in 1989 from the university of Punjab,Lahore,Pakistan in first class and joined a well reputed English medium school system, Beaconhouse School System, registered with the British Council, Lahore. This school offers O level GCSE from CIE and I taught Maths and Physics to O level classes. I attended different teachers training workshops organised by the British Council. I also completed a one year certificate in professional education (CPEd) offered by St Mary & St John College, University of Plymouth UK in 2009.

Teaching Experience:
I had been teaching Maths, Physics and Statistics grade 8 to graduate level for more than 20 years. Besides my regular school teaching job I used to teach Maths in the evening academies and taught Maths of different age groups from 14 years to 20 years.

Tutoring Approach:
I used to teach a student of grade 8 level in Hartlepool.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Hi! I'm an Oxford graduate with a 2:1 in English Language and Literature. I graduated in 2013 and went on to study an MSc in Psychology at Oxford Brookes, in which I achieved a distinction. I am now a published author, and split my time between writing novels and tutoring. Tutoring has always appealed to me as a rewarding way to put the skills that I learnt during my degree and masters to good use. Reading English at Oxford honed my critical thinking, analytical abilities and study skills, while my masters gave me experience in data analysis and conducting research. My day job as an author has also deepened my understanding of how to write effectively. I enjoy tutoring others and helping them to develop these skills too! In my spare time, I like to read and play boardgames. I'm highly experienced in teaching both in person and via Zoom, Skype and Teams. As well as tutoring, I also specialise in editing, copy-editing and proofreading academic essays, job applications and CVs, and articles. I offer creative writing coaching to writers of all ages.

Teaching Experience:
I have been tutoring for over ten years and have worked with lots of students of all ages. Many of my students have worked with me through the transition from primary to secondary school, or through their GCSEs and on into their A Levels. I am particularly experienced in helping students to prepare for secondary school entrance exams, GCSEs, and A Levels.

I successfully completed an assessment for the selective tutoring agency Blue Tutors. During the assessment I had to demonstrate my tutoring ability to a trained assessor, who described my communication skills as 'excellent'.

In my final term at Oxford, I volunteered with Schools Plus, a program which runs after school tuition sessions for struggling students in areas of economic disadvantage. I spent half a term working with GCSE English students, tutoring them on an individual basis in the run up to their January modules. As part of the selection process for the program, I also attended tutoring training.

When I was in the 6th form (in 2009), I also volunteered as a classroom assistant in my school. I was working with students who were having difficulty with essay-based subjects like History and English. I worked with two students in their History classes, helping them to understand the work they were set in class and working through it with them. I had to use my knowledge of French to help one student who had not yet learnt to speak fluent English, translating the teacher's instructions for her and helping her with words she did not understand. Between 2009-10, I helped to run two after-school classes for Key Stage 2 pupils, one in Literacy and Art and another in Drama. This involved planning and delivering lessons to classes of about 5-10 children, and keeping them engaged with the topics they were learning through activities designed to both teach and entertain.

Tutoring Approach:
My experience of tutoring has shown me the importance of patience and respect in teaching. Especially in essay-based subjects, it is crucial that a teacher allows their pupils space to develop their own ideas, and respects their independent thought. Learning by rote has only limited usefulness: the best way to excel at a subject is to understand it, so I always explain concepts as fully as possible and move at the tutee's pace, making sure that they have properly grasped each concept or issue before moving on to the next. My Schools Plus training emphasised the idea that the goal of tutoring is to help a student to help themselves, enabling them to tackle problems rather than solving things for them. I think that this is fantastic advice, and it is a rule which I always try to bear in mind when tutoring.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I have a BA History (2:1) degree from Plymouth University. In October 2014 I will be studying the Graduate Diploma in Law at BPP University in Bristol.

Teaching Experience:
I am a confident new English teacher. I am CELTA qualified (May 2014). I am working this summer at the Language Study Center in Bristol with 11-18 year old`s.

Tutoring Approach:
*Available August 2014* Conversational/everyday English.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I have recently graduated from LAMDA which is a professional acting school in London. I can help with monologues in Shakespeare/contemporary or any text you desire to work on. I would be happy to help on anything!

Teaching Experience:
I have taught children from the age of 5-17 at two different acting schools - I love seeing children improve in confidence and ability.

Tutoring Approach:
My approach is simple but effective. You must strip everything back and play the real truth of the character to convey the real emotion, then this will affective the audience. I like to work in a fun and safe environment but which also challenges you to achieve the best of your ability.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am passionate about languages and enthusiastic about teaching language. I teach Italian and English as a foreign language to all levels and learning purposes. Before being a teacher I was a student myself and I understand how difficult can be to learn a foreign language. My lessons are tailored according to my students' needs, learning styles and personalities.

Teaching Experience:
I am a qualified teacher specialised in Modern Languages (PGCE with QTS). I have been teaching and tutoring for several years. I had the opportunity to teach in different contexts, cultures and to different ages and levels. I have taught Italian to individual students and corporate clients with different language requirements and purposes. I have also conducted a preparation course for Italian GCSE and A level exams in schools across London. Previously, I taught English (EFL) to high school students and to primary school teachers in Italy. Courses included preparation for Cambridge English language examinations.

Tutoring Approach:
Some students come to me feeling unconfident and generally struggle to remember grammar rules or vocabulary, some others may not feel confident to express themselves. This is why I ensure my lessons are always motivating and fun!
I use a communicative approach where my students take active part in the lesson through understanding, thinking, eliciting and producing. My role as a teacher is to guide them through their learning process, considering their learning styles and personalities and making sure they always feel comfortable and engaged. Some activities I use include role plays, games and situational activities. Finally, one of my main goals as a teacher is to enable my students to enjoy the
experience of communicating, thinking and reacting in a foreign language.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Hello,
I'm Alessandra, I'm Italian and I am here for you if you want to learn my beautiful language or you need just some practice for conversation.
I have a real passion for teaching and I worked as Teaching Assistant for children with special needs here in the UK.
I'm a patient person, I like to make people feel at ease when I teach Italian or any other subject. I really think that nothing is hard to learn and I like to make concepts really easy to understand. If you think the Italian language is too hard to learn or it's giving you a bit of trouble....well, let's try to learn it together and give me a chance to prove you the opposite.
I'm patient, calm and determined to help you reaching your goal.

Teaching Experience:
In Italy I always gave lessons to pupils (Primary and High school) that needed an extra support in mastering the Italian language (grammar, writing and speaking) and all the school subjects.
As a Teaching Assistant I worked with children/teenagers with learning disabilities and autism in a Special Needs school. I've improved my communication skills and learnt new ways to teach and understand my students'needs first of all.
Currently I am working as Italian Teacher both with children and adults. I work with group classes of 15 people and also with single students.

Tutoring Approach:
This experience has been wonderful because taught me to approach students on the base of their understanding level with enthusiasm, patience and using creative methods.
When I teach I try to be clear and make things as easy as possible.
I prioritise visual and audible resources over the others as my goal is to use my students' visual and emotional intelligence making connections with everyday life (hobbies, personal skills, family, work, etc.).
Practise is the key and I make sure we do it together through quick exercises, repeating grammar rules, providing more examples and comparing the solutions. There are NEVER silly questions and I'm happy to reply to all of them.

I am available to do 30, 45, 60 minute lessons.

1:1 lessons:
45 minutes = £22
60 minutes = £27

Group classes:
60 minutes = £13

Subjects

Personal Description:
Head of Physics at Independent school, experience teaching, tutoring and examining A level Physics all exam boards including IB.

Teaching Experience:
20 years experience, 15 as Head of Physics

Tutoring Approach:
Either online through zoom and interactive whiteboard software or face to face. One hour sessions based on filling in gaps in knowledge and exam practice.

Subjects