Thorner Tutors & Thorner Tuition

Personal Description:
I am a graduate in Physics with Astrophysics, which was a four year degree, which included me living and learning in Italy. My degree was challenging yet enjoyable, and contained a lot of Maths, which to me was great! As a born communicator writing and teaching have always appealed, and having spent the last decade tutoring and working for the Institute of Physics, I can definitely say I enjoy it as much now as I did when I started.. I also have a qualification in teaching English as a foreign language.

Teaching Experience:
For the last 12 years I have taught a wide variety of learners from the age of 6 all the way up to 45! This includes Maths, physics, and EFL at all levels, as well as English language/literature and Biology and Chemistry up to GCSE. I also taught children EFL for 6 weeks over a summer. Whilst at university I tutored 1st and 2nd years in Physics, which included a lot of Maths. I taught English as a foreign language whilst I was in Italy. I am very comfortable in a one on one environment, and enjoy preparing all ages for exams- I have had a lot of experience at running courses with an exam in mind.

Tutoring Approach:
As a keen learner myself, I understand what it is to learn. My vast experience tutoring has given me a good body of knowledge to call on, as well as confidence in my ability to communicate complex ideas to students, especially those who are struggling with them. Always patient I can push without pressuring and make you feel more confident in your ability. I am also keen to know what and how my pupil wants to learn, and can listen as well as I can communicate.

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Personal Description:
I am an experienced tutor and have been tutoring for the past 20 years. I am friendly and supportive and tailor learning according to the pupil's individual needs. My specialism is 19th & 20th century history and I am especially knowledgeable about British and American history. I teach pupils essential research and study skills including effective exam techniques. I have also tutored English language at secondary and GCSE level with good results. I aim to inspire confidence in my pupils and promote enthusiasm for learning in a supportive environment.

Teaching Experience:
I have been a tutor for over 20 years. I have also helped out in primary schools on a voluntary basis and I have part completed a PGCE in Upper Primary (1999). I am have completed a PGDE at Bury College so I am qualified to teach in further and higher education.

Tutoring Approach:
I am supportive and caring and I encourage pupils to take responsibility for their own learning. I aim to inspire confidence by teaching them essential study skills and exam techniques. I teach pupils to break down learning into manageable chunks and teach them to analyse and revise their work. I make my lessons interesting and I am warm and friendly which puts pupils at ease. I also have a good sense of humour and aim to build up a strong rapport with pupils. I ask pupils to contact me between sessions if there are any concerns and I fully update parents on their child's progress.

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Personal Description:
I am an aerospace engineer by qualification with a Bachelor's and Masters degree from the University of Leeds in Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering. I joined the automotive industry in 2015 and have since worked in engineering. Being an engineer and coming from a family of engineers, Maths is naturally my favourite subject and my strength. I have completed my GCSE with 8As (including Maths & Additional Maths) and I scored 596 out of 600 in GCE Edxcel Pure Mathematics (A) and Further Pure Mathematics (A) in 2010. I have a long history of tutoring Maths, Physics and English since 2008.

Teaching Experience:
I have been tutoring GCE & GCSE level Maths and Physics since 2008. I offer both one-to-one tuition and studying in a groups, both online and in-person. Generally, I recommend 1.5 hour or 2 hours per week per student, covering one topic per session and complementing the session work with homework for practice. I often use AQA, Edexcel and CIE past papers for revision and exam preparation. I also prepare my own mock papers and exam style questions depending on students' abilities. Lesson structures of course vary to cater to each student's needs.

Tutoring Approach:
All subjects are taught through explanation, reasoning, examples and home practices. Science is taught through understanding of the theory and practising problem solving while Mathematics is taught by showing the simple steps and with easy tips & tricks to remember the method or to remember common values such as sin 30=0.5. Primary English as a foreign language is taught through reading to expand vocabulary, writing to improve spelling and grammar as well as conversing to bring proficiency and comfort. After every session, the topic related exercises and homework are given for better understanding and to build student's confidence to solve any problem relating the topic.

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Personal Description:
I am a fully qualified economics and business teacher with 20 years' experience in secondary schools, and now as a full-time tutor. I've provided over 9,000 hours of private tuition to 400+ UK and overseas students. I have an economics degree from Liverpool University. Prior to teaching I worked in advertising for 10 years. I also own two online businesses. I live in Bristol, am married with 3 teenage children, and I am passionate about helping young people achieve their potential.

Teaching Experience:
I taught economics in secondary schools for over 10 years, but I am now a full-time tutor. I typically tutor 40 to 50 students across an academic year, and they consistently perform above expectations; for example the majority of my 2024 students achieved at least a grade B, with several gaining an A*. However, my main focus is adding value, and all my previous students have improved at least one grade since I began working with them. Indeed many have improved by 3 or more grades. I teach all the major exam boards (International Baccalaureate, Cambridge International, Edexcel, Edexcel International, AQA, Eduqas, OCR and WJEC) and am an experienced economics examiner. I also have a current CRB.

Tutoring Approach:
I will always begin by discussing my tutee's individual requirements and areas of the syllabus they would like to focus on. Students may ask to recap concepts and theories that aren't fully understood, however in my experience most require help with exam technique, and how to translate their knowledge into a high grade answer. I therefore place a great emphasis on guiding students through the process of answering past paper questions, across all topic areas. In our sessions I will help with essay structure, illustrate how to use higher order analytical and evaluation skills, and crucially, how to apply an answer to information in a case study, or how to bring in real world examples.

Over the years I have taught an increasing proportion of students online, so that currently about 90% of my tutoring is done this way. I use Skype/Google Meet/Zoom and Google Docs, which students can also access. This makes the sessions as interactive as meeting face to face, and it also means I can tutor students from anywhere in the world (I have taught people in South Africa, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Spain, France, Serbia, Russia, Montenegro and Bermuda). I always encourage students to provide feedback so that they receive maximum benefit from their teaching.

Below are some testimonials from past students (many more can be seen in the reviews section):

"Ian tutored my daughter prior to her A Level exams in the summer of 2024. She had been predicted a B grade, but needed an A for her university offer. Ian covered content as well as exam technique with her, they also worked through past papers together and Ian on request would mark some of her written work. My daughter achieved an A☆ in economics… This was beyond her expectations, and we are extremely grateful for Ians tutoring and guidance." - Mrs De Simone - Cambridge

"My son initially struggled with the subject gaining an E grade in his mock exams but with Ian's help he managed a grade B in his AS level and attained an A grade in both A level papers. This was a huge improvement over the two years and I doubt it would have been possible without Ian's help, both with weekly tutoring and the all important pre-exam revision days. Ian's approach was personalised and intensive and my son's needs we're concentrated upon fully. Ian was always punctual and organised and struck up a good relationship with the whole family. I would happily recommend him." Mrs W - Redland, Bristol

"Matt only got an E grade in his February A2 mock exam and the school predicted he would get a C grade at A2. With the significant assistance from Ian, Matt achieved an A* at A2. In his other two A levels, Matt achieved Bs (he also had tutors for these). There are several reasons why Ian made the difference: 1.Being taught on Skype. Matt was initially very apprehensive about being taught on Skype rather than in person. But Skype proved really beneficial. Firstly it enabled Matt to fit in tuition at times that would just not have been possible if travel had been involved. Secondly it enabled Matt to have additional lessons when he had spare time. 2.Focussing on how to structure essay answers. The school just didn't put anywhere near enough emphasis on this crucial area. 3. Essay marking. A key aspect of A2 is exam practice. We paid Ian for essay marking which meant that Matt was effectively maximising his time with Ian. 4. Not accepting mediocrity. The school said that Matt should not retake his AS exams as he had a good B grade. Ian said he should retake as he could do better. 5. Providing positive encouragement. Matt has always lacked belief in himself and Ian gave Matt the confidence that he could achieve a good result.
We would strongly recommend Ian as an Economics tutor" Mr P - South Gloucestershire

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Personal Description:
Hi there,

Whether you just need just some extra help for exams or need that A in GCSE's or A-Level I'd love to help you.

Teaching Experience:
Teaching for 5 years in West London. 6 months in Midde East teaching. Experience teaching across KS3, KS4 and KS5.

Tutoring Approach:
From teaching experience I know what the main misconceptions are and use this to base my teaching on. So before we begin a topic I try to tease out any difficulties a student may have and go forward. For me building confidence in maths is one of the main building blocks to helping a student improve substantially.

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Personal Description:
I have a PGCE in Science, a BSc(Hons) in Physics, a Ph.D ( in High Energy Physics) both from Liverpool University.
My teaching style can be described as relaxed, rigorous and mainly encouraging pupils to achieve their potential and realise their hidden talent for the subject.

Teaching Experience:
All my lessons are online via Zoom. I have taught Physics and Maths over many years both privately and as my day job as a teacher of Physics in an outstanding school.

Tutoring Approach:
My approach to tutoring can be described as relaxed, rigrous and mainly ecouraging pupils to achieve thier potential and realise their hidden talent for the subject.
All lessons are online via Zoom.

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Personal Description:
I am a native Arabic language tutor with over 25 years' experience teaching Arabic from absolute beginners to university level in UK . I teach adults and children online only

I teach Arabic (Modern / Classical) from complete beginners level, all the way to an advanced level, for both adults and children. Students learn all aspects of the language: reading, writing and speaking (general communication). I apply modern teaching techniques, which make the learning process appealing and enjoyable at each lesson. Recently I did different training with British council and Edexcel training online for New GCSE Arabic language.
First lesson is free.

Teaching Experience:
I have a huge wealth of experience in teaching Arabic to Adults and Children in the UK over a period of nearly 25 years. I started teaching Arabic to children privately (individually and in small groups) in the UK since 1992. I then extended my offering, by teaching adults in one of the Adult Community Colleges in the North of England. I then moved to London, and taught two courses of Arabic at Brent Adult Education Services from 1999 to 2001. During that period, I also completed my basic teaching training at Stanmore College in1999.
I then moved to Sussex and restarted in 2008 my Arabic teaching at Sussex Adult Education Services. I continue to teach there until March 2017 as I was the only Arabic Language Tutor at college. Besides that, I kept my private teaching to adults and children, either in person or through Skype, Zoom and Team.
My wealth of experience in teaching Arabic is manifested by the following:
1) I use a wide range and varied teaching materials: books; dialogues; MP3 sound files; card games; CDs; computer games; videos; and worksheets. All of these are at different levels - from absolute beginners to advanced learners. I have created and developed some of these materials, while I have carefully selected the others to suit my teaching at different levels.
2) I plan and develop suitable materials to teach individual students, according to their abilities and understanding. I don't just follow one or two text books, or a computer program to teach the language. I create a session plan for each individual lesson, and when I teach a small group of students, I use suitable differentiation methods to cover the different needs of the students. For example, I currently teach two young children (brothers) at different ages and one of them has a disability, so my teaching materials are different to suit each of them, in order to keep both of them enjoy and benefit from the lessons.
3) Teaching students with different abilities and backgrounds, as well as disabled students. For example, I taught a partially blind adult student, as part of a large group, and then individually. She enjoyed the lessons and continued learning Arabic. My students are at different ages; different professions; different backgrounds; and with different objectives to learn Arabic. I currently teach teenagers at GCSE level; several male and female adults (different professions); and a retired people.
4) I also teach at different levels. For beginners, I teach them the Arabic letters (pronunciation and writing) and communication skills in different day-to-day topics such as buying food and asking for directions. For the more advanced adult learners, I prepare them to be able to read, listen and understand the news in Arabic as well as reading stories, and debating topics. This gives them a good foundation if they want to work in Arabic speaking countries; work with NGOs where Arabic is required; and conducting business in the Arab world.
5) As a College Tutor, I have gone through several inspections / observations of my teaching. I used the feedback from these inspections to improve my teaching methods, style and materials. The feedback from my last observation session (in October 2016) was excellent, and I got the highest grade for a teaching session. The inspection report was full of positive feedback statements, such as:

"The tutor has a very high level of subject knowledge and communicated this in a calm and reassuring manner throughout. There was good rapport between the tutor and students which created a very supportive environment";

"Delivery methods were varied and included tutor presentation, use of sound files, handouts, speaking practice with the tutor, pair-work and some students using ICT resources. Tutor spoke clearly and utilised facial expression to good effect to demonstrate subtle differences in long and short vowel sounds. The pace appeared to be appropriate to all and differentiated learning activities enabled students to progress at their own pace. There were frequent opportunities for repetition. Handouts were either dual language (English / Arabic) .

"A range of assessment methods were in evidence including Q&A, quiz sheets and individual conversation between student and tutor in target language. Positive verbal feedback was given by the tutor throughout the session.
The tutor was well aware of the differing starting points of the students and the tutor had devised an excellent range of individual activities concerning Arabic to meet the needs of each learner. (One had matching cards, 2 played snakes and ladders, one had activity on iPad and one an activity on the computer.)";

"All learners were confident to speak in target language during Q and A sessions";

"Very clear differentiation was evident as the range of students was quite wide including absolute beginners alongside at least one student who had some previous knowledge to the extent that he could read/recognise written Arabic".

Tutoring Approach:
I teach online only, and have a good experience with this method (I taught last year an IGCSE student in the Middle East, and currently teach GCSE to 5 young persons, all online). I usually offer a free trial lesson for assessment purposes and to make sure the student is happy with teaching online.

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Personal Description:
My name is Jose and I love this country. I like travelling, cooking, teaching, kids... This is my 8 time in London, but it is the first for working.

Teaching Experience:
I am currently working in a SEN school, like teacher assistant. In Spain, I have worked more than 5 years in primary and secondary schools and more than 10 years in after school clubs and tuition 1 to 1.

Tutoring Approach:
I am looking some tuition for the Easter holidays, because I will not have any job that period of time. But in advance, I can teach after 4.00 pm and weekends.

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Personal Description:
I have over thirty years experience of teaching Latin, English, French and essay-writing skills, both in schools and as a private tutor. I specialise in helping students write their Personal Statements when applying to university or to postgraduate courses.

I am the mother of five grown up children, three of whom went to Cambridge, one to KCL and one to Oxford, and I have also guided many other students into achieving offers from top universities, including many to Oxbridge.

After graduating from Cambridge with a degree in English and Classics, I taught for 2 years before going to Drama school, then moved to Granada TV as a researcher and presenter. The next 14 years were spent working for various TV companies, while also writing for national newspapers and magazines.

In 1992, I moved with my family to Salisbury and went back to teaching, first in a college of Further Education, then at a prep school, and subsequently in independent schools: nine years at St Mary's Calne from which I retired in 2015. I was then invited to , come out of retirement to teach at St Swithun's in Winchester and The Oratory School Oxford.

I no longer teach in the classroom, but continue to offer tutoring in Latin, English, French and Writing Skills. A particular speciality is Personal Statements - helping students with their applications to university. I have helped very many students (both pre-university and postgraduates) write successful personal statements for their chosen courses.

As well as the academic subjects mentioned above, I help with any writing task from an A level or IB essay (especially Theory of Knowledge) to university theses and dissertations. I specialise in Oxbridge help, including suggestions for reading, preparation for entrance tests and interview practice. So far I have helped over 20 students gain places at Oxbridge.

Teaching Experience:
Personal statements

I have helped very many students write their personal statements for application to university - both at undergraduate and postgraduate level. This does NOT mean writing the statement for the student - I do not have the breadth of knowledge to write about Astrophysics or Zoology, but it does mean helping the student clarify his or her thoughts, explain what has prompted the interest in the subject, how he or she has developed this interest, what extra-curricular choices have been made, and why, and how current A levels (or degree subjects) have prepared the student for this application.
For many students, the Personal Statement is the first time they have have to talk about themselves, and for many, it is bewildering knowing how to approach it and what to include and what to leave out.

I help the student by asking him/her to fill in a preliminary questionnaire, (Why this subject? What sparked the interest? Why it's important for the student and for society etc). Next, I ask for a first draft - it doesn't matter how bad or poorly expressed this is. Then, I work with the student - either at home or by Skype/Zoom, talking through the first draft and suggesting adjustments, improvements etc. Next the student writes a second draft, and the process continues until the students is totally happy that the statement says exactly what was intended, and show the student at his/her best.
I have many testimonials from happy students (including over twenty five to Oxbridge) which I would be happy to share on request.

Latin
I teach Latin at Latin Common Entrance, GCSE, A level, and university level. The great majority of my students achieve 9s at GCSE, and As and A*s at A level. Many have gone on to read Classics at university.

English
I teach English literature and language - both critical analysis of texts and and writing skills - from GCSE to university level and beyond. Many students whom I have helped with A level essays have come back to me for help with their university dissertations, applications for Masters, or covering letters for postgraduate job applications.

Essay writing
As well as helping with A level essays in all the humanities (RS, Philosophy, Psychology, History etc) I am an experienced tutor for IB Theory of Knowledge and Extended Essays. I have also advised and guided many students with their EPQs.

French
I teach French to A level and

I teach Classical Greek to GCSE.

Tutoring Approach:
1. My first priority is to let the student know that they are not alone - I am here to help. Just being told this can be immediately reassuring, especially if the student has been worrying for about a subject or project for a long time.

2. The next step is to establish exactly how much the student already knows. Nothing surprises or shocks me, but I have come across students seeking help who haven't got a copy of the relevant book or haven't read beyond the title page. I understand this - life is busy.So I am never critical or judgmental, I am always on the student's side. If necessary, I will provide a copy (years of teaching and a large family mean I usually have several).

3. The next step is to encourage the student into thinking of the subject as interesting. This may mean overcoming any resistance, by chatting, discovering how much they already know (always more than they think - another source of encouragement) and relating it to other areas of interest. One ideas have started to flow the student will begin to realise that not only might this subject/essay not be as bad as feared, it's possible they might find something enjoyable about it.

4. Now we look at the project and ways of approaching it. The key here is structure. Quite often the student's lack of confidence has led to panic and accompanying lack of organisation. So I help sort out files, help put notes in order, and encourage the student recognise which bits of paper are/aren't relevant to their work. This is mental housekeeping - and once order has been established, the student is in a better frame of mind for doing the work.

5. The next step varies according the to the subject.

LATIN.
I ask the student translate until he meets a problem. I then explain the topic- taking care to base it only on what the student already knows and feels confident about. If there are big gaps in knowledge, I start filling them, teaching vocabulary, grammar and syntax in an orderly way and asking the student to record what we have covered in his own written file.We then continue the translation, making sure the student has understood everything we have covered so far. This process is designed to lift the fog and give the student the tools needed to translate confidently

WRITING.
If it's an essay, I encourage the student to look at the title and think about (a) what is it really asking and (b) what ideas can he or she think of in response? These can be written down in any order - at this stage it's a question of getting the thought processes going.
We then discuss how to organise the student's thoughts into a coherent whole. This can be painstaking process - it involves teaching essay structure, and and sometimes even working backwards - going from conclusion back to introduction - but we always finish by knowing exactly what direction the essay is taking.
The final step is to ask the student to write something for next time. It doesn't matter if it's short or badly-expressed, and I always make it relevant to school work. The reason I ask for a piece of writing is
a) the act of writing enables a student to know what he/she wants to say
(b) seeing a student's writing shows me how to approach the next lesson. I can see what element of the writing need work, and plan my lesson accordingly.

OTHER IDEAS FOR READING ETC
I often recommend extra-curricular ideas to make the subject more engaging - films, YouTube extracts, magazines, even books - the student doesn't have to read a whole book - even dipping in and out is helpful and there is nothing more deadening to the love of books than being told you HAVE to read them.

STUDENTS WHO ARE STRUGGLING.
. I do not only help academic high-flyers. I am also offer warm and sympathetic help to students who - for whatever reason - find academic study challenging. I help develop study skills, suggest organisational strategies (for student and parent) and above all, restore lost confidence by showing the student that he really can tackle - and overcome - any problem - just by taking it slowly and making sure he or she understands each step before going on to the next.

WELCOME TO MY HOUSE.
, I'm a great believer in the comforting powers of a cup of tea and a chocolate biscuit, as well as the presence of my 2 cats (who, despite being to every lesson I've given, are still rubbish at Latin). For allergic pupils, however, the cats are banished to the garden.

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Personal Description:
I am a qualified Accountant with years of one to one teaching experience. I worked for Greater London Tutorial Agency in the past and can confidently confirm that I assisted degree level and professional accountancy students. I also have years of practical experience in the following areas:

Management Accounting
Financial Accounting
Taxation
Information Technology

Teaching Experience:
I have also done one to one teaching (i.e. visiting or being visited by students). My teaching experience with Greater London Tutorial Agency commenced in 2003

Tutoring Approach:
I approach every assignment by first getting to know every potential student's requirements (i.e. the areas of their studies that they find very difficult to handle). Working with the student, I concentrate on those areas with a view to getting them ready for their exams.

Since the outbreak of Covid-19, I have been available for remote (on-line teaching).

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Personal Description:
I'm a 4th year medical student with a strong passion for education and helping others achieve their goals. Alongside my medical studies, I've dedicated my time to tutoring students across different levels and backgrounds. I enjoy breaking down difficult topics and making learning an engaging and rewarding experience.

Teaching Experience:
I've tutored students from primary school all the way up to A-levels, covering subjects such as Maths, Science, and English. I've supported high-achieving students aiming for top grades as well as those needing extra help to build confidence. I also run my own tutoring company, where I manage a team of over 30 tutors and have helped hundreds of students succeed academically.

Tutoring Approach:
Every student learns differently, so I make sure to adapt my sessions to each individual's needs. I focus on building a solid understanding of core concepts, boosting confidence, and preparing students effectively for exams. My approach is patient, structured, and encouraging-creating a space where students feel comfortable asking questions and motivated to improve.

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Personal Description:
I am a graduate in Physics from University College London (UCL) and am currently pursuing a Master's degree in Clinical Science (Medical Physics) at King's College London (KCL) as part of the Scientist Training Programme. With a deep passion for mathematics, I am eager to share my enthusiasm for the subject through tutoring, helping students appreciate its beauty and complexity.

As an approachable, engaging, and supportive tutor, I have consistently achieved A grades in both my GCSEs and A-Levels, and I am committed to helping my students reach the same level of excellence. I specialise in tutoring Mathematics and Physics, both of which are second nature to me, and I am confident in my ability to teach these subjects to a high standard.

Maths is often a challenging subject for many, and I can relate to those struggles. Initially, I found myself more drawn to literature and the humanities, but with the support of exceptional tutors and teachers, I uncovered a genuine passion for mathematics. It is this transformative experience that I hope to replicate for my students, guiding them to find their own connection with the subject.

I believe in a personalised, one-on-one approach to tutoring, recognizing that each student is unique. I strive to tailor my teaching methods to meet individual needs, ensuring that every student receives the support required to succeed.

Teaching Experience:
5 years experience
Tutored online for 4 years and tutored with Explore Learning for 1 year in person and online both. I tutored GCSE to a level maths and Physics.

Tutoring Approach:
Initial lesson for mathematics involves an assessment - this can be through a past exam paper. This allows me to determine what level the student is working at currently and also what topics need to be focused on more than others. From this I pick a topic to base the next lesson on. The lesson compromises of exam questions and taught material.

For physics I ask the student which exam board they are studying and which topic to focus on for the first session. I then plan a lesson on the topic by doing a question-answer session (It will be like recapping then topic with the student through questions used to prompt their memory). Normally questions are in flash card form. Then for the second half of the session I do exam questions from the exam board the student told me. These are topic based so each lesson will have questions focused on what was covered on the day. I send the notes from the lessons to the student as pdf files too. I write reports after I complete a lesson so parents know what the lesson covered and what to expect for upcoming sessions too. The more fluent a student becomes in answering questions- that shows progress is being made.

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