Tichborne Tutors & Tichborne Tuition

Personal Description:
I am a Chinese native speaker who is fascinated by my own culture and language and have a passion to teach this great subject and keen to share the beauty of my language with others.
I hold a master's degree in International Chinese Education, and I am also a qualify teacher in UK. I have over 16 years of teaching Chinese with experience in all aspects of Chinese language teaching. I keep up to date Chinese teaching method using course book, ppt, teaching and learning materials from website, etc. I have a good understanding of the problems which students encounter, and I am committed to helping them to achieve their aims. I have taught students of different backgrounds, ages and abilities.

Teaching Experience:
My experience included:
Teaching my own children Chinese.
As a Chinese community teacher.
As a Chinese Oral Examiner (Mandarin and Cantonese) in Excel Centre
As a Chinese teacher at a local government funding adult learning center.
Employed by different language agent as a freelance Chinese tutor.
Self employed as private Chinese tutor.

Tutoring Approach:
I would stick to one or two straightforward objectives for one lesson and kept my materials as simple as possible. I would use contrasting pictures, colour word cards and self-made flashcards in order to make the lesson interesting and easy to follow. When presenting new grammar, I always try to kept it basic and simple. Moreover, I would use self-made puzzles to guided the learners to using logic, intuition and elimination to make up a character. It is also important to make learning fun and entertaining so I would try to maintain some humour when teaching. I would like to make the lessons interesting, enjoyable and memorable and students obtain the knowledge of the Chinese language through entertaining and the subconscious way. Last but not least, I would use up-to-date course books and learning material.


**PLEASE NOTE: The tuition fees show below are based in my own home and online tuition. Travelling/time fees will be added if you require me to travel to your place. Thank you!**

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am a mature Scottish Chartered Teacher who qualified initially in 1994. I received the Chartered Teacher from the general teaching council for Scotland in 2010. I have experience of tutoring students from 2006 and I am very enthusiastic in my work. I do not watch the clock and will prepare lessons to meet the needs of the student. I gained a M.A.Ed.(Special Needs) in 2005 and have found it invaluable in identifying and overcoming barriers to learning.Presently I have a wide range of students including those with Dyslexia and Aspergers. I also tutor for a family who home school their children.

Teaching Experience:
I have tutor children and young adults from upper primary to the senior stage in Secondary. I have no preference for the stage, it is the teaching experience I enjoy.

Tutoring Approach:
I adopt a very pupil centred approach to teaching. All children are different and it is your child's needs I must meet. Some students like to work on homework others on specific parts of the course. There is no general case to consider. I will use an approach to teaching which suits the student.

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Personal Description:
I am a Polish native speaker who did a degree in Spanish at the University of Sheffield. I am passionate about foreign languages.

Teaching Experience:
I have been teaching Spanish, English as a foreign language, and Polish for many years in high schools (as a Modern Foreign Languages Teaching Assistant), privately, and in further education centres. My students come from diverse backgrounds and have varying abilities and learning needs.

Tutoring Approach:
I am a passionate linguist with 20 years of experience teaching languages. I love learning languages myself, and I regularly read research to improve my teaching methods. I believe constant quizzing and active recall are key to effective learning.

I am very patient and understanding, and I tailor my teaching approach to each student. This varies greatly depending on their experience (often negative), learning style, and individual needs. Together, we discover the best way to teach and learn in order to succeed.

I have a wealth of useful resources, and I always encourage my students to do plenty of homework and speak as much as they can-without fear or embarrassment. I focus on speaking, reading, writing, and listening, though not equally, as each student has different priorities.

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Personal Description:
My name is Laura, I'm from spain and i'm qualified as a primary teacher. I'm very enthusiastic, organised and hard working person, enjoying my passion for teaching.

Teaching Experience:
I have few years already experience after finished my degree. I worked in a nursery for a year, after i worked in Highweek Primary school for another year and currently, i work in a special school in Dawlish as full timé and in the evenings, i teach Spanish as a private tutor.

Tutoring Approach:
As a recent teacher graduated, my main goal is to motivate students to do their best and extend their own personal limits.

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Personal Description:
Hello - my name is David and I am a full-time professional tutor. I'm an experienced Maths Teacher, however I now tutor full-time. I specialise in tutoring A-level maths and also work with students at GCSE level who intend to study A-level Maths..

In the vast majority of cases students/parents are delighted with the quality of tuition and support offered. Tuition can be face-to-face or online.

Teaching Experience:
I've taught maths at various schools in the Nottingham area, specialising in A-level. I cover all A-level topics as well tutoring the Further Maths A-level syllabus. I work with students studying the AQA, Edexcel, OCR and OCR-MEI A-level specifications.

I am, of course, fully conversant with the new A-level specification (first taught from September 2017).

I have considerable experience of teaching maths at A-Level and GCSE.. In addition I have well over 10000 hours tutoring experience including online tuition.

Tutoring Approach:
I offer a friendly, effective and high quality Maths Tutoring service. My tuition is aimed at developing the student's depth of understanding and broader appreciation of mathematics. Students are strongly encouraged to develop an independent and inquiring approach to their learning. This, in my opinion, is by far the best preparation for A-level exam success and further study.

In addition I have considerable experience of tutoring adult learners who need help with maths in order to pass professional exams and progress their careers.

Students are encouraged to contact me between sessions for help with any maths questions they are struggling with.  This support is completely free for all regular students.

Tutoring normally takes place either online or at my family home in Gedling, Nottingham.

Lessons usually last 1 hour.

Please do not hesitate to contact me to discuss availability etc.

Thank you.

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Personal Description:
"The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives".

Hi! My name is Gajan and this is what I believe.

• I am a young and energetic person, able to bond very easily with my students.
• I have been there and done it before. All my recent experiences and learnings help me get through to students.
• I will not give up on anyone, no matter how hard the challenge!

• I graduated in 2009 from the University of Colombo and Middlesex University , with a First Class Honours as a Master of BIT Engineering.
• I work for a GFL company as a Civil Engineer in Wimbledon.

• I will tutor at your home and travel is included in the price.
• I am available after 5pm on ALL weekdays.
• I am available all day on weekends.
• I am eager to start ASAP.

Teaching Experience:
• My most recent students excelled in Maths and Further Maths, getting equal or higher grades than predicted by their schools .
• I have copious experience in teaching students, relatives and friends through 11plus to A Level and above.
• I provide students the understanding of the subject without giving the answers, helping them work independently.
• Detailed feedback is always provided to parents, along with frequent progress charts for student, to make sure they are developing step by step.

Tutoring Approach:
• All of us are different - and I will tailor my approach depending on each student's abilities. I have fun and direct methods that students enjoy and are guaranteed to bring success.
• I specialise in helping with exam technique, time management and confidence - all are crucial for success in exams and the real world.
• Passion and motivation is crucial, and I will help students discover their passion and the importance of education.
• I provide students the understanding of the subject with real-world examples, to help cement the knowledge into their minds.
• I set regular tests and targets to make sure students are constantly progressing, along with feedback for parents.

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Personal Description:
I graduated from the University of Nottingham in June 2012 with a degree in mathematics, with honours. I also attained A, A and B in my maths, further maths and physics A Levels, respectively.

Since graduating, I have worked in finance departments and technology, while tutoring part-time. Because my passion for helping others with their maths has grown, I have been tutoring full-time for over a year now.

My aim is always to get the student to think critically and learn the topics thoroughly, whilst inspiring them to want to learn more about the fascinating world of mathematics.

I am available for both online and in-person tutoring.

Since lock-down in March, all the students I was tutoring face-to-face switched over to tutoring online. I used Zoom for video chat and bitpaper.io for an online whiteboard. This was successful for me and my students.

Teaching Experience:
I was tutoring mathematics part-time after leaving university in 2012 and due to positive feedback, I have been tutoring full-time since last year. I tutor students from KS3 through to A Level including Further maths A Level. I am very up-to-date with all syllabuses, exam techniques and requirements.

Tutoring Approach:
Everyone learns at a different pace and in different ways. My primary goal is to listen and communicate well with each student, so that I can really understand their needs and cater for them; in turn, they get the most out of each lesson. Furthermore, I actively engage each student with what they need (or want) to learn, as opposed to them taking a back seat. I encourage students to ask lots of questions because it gives an opportunity to discuss and challenge what they know.

I motivate students to want to learn and to do well. One thing I do differently from others is I explain how what they are learning is relevant to the real world. I have found that this makes it more exciting, interesting and enjoyable for the student, and they tend to engage more in the lessons. I try and strike a balance between motivating students, but not stressing them out too much.

Working through many examples from the syllabus is important and reinforces what the student has learned. I ensure this aspect of learning is both challenging and productive, ultimately getting the student closer towards their goal of achieving a high grade in their exams.

I am efficient with time management so that each student gets the most out of each lesson. I strongly encourage them to spend time outside of the session learning, including setting them homework, because this is where they will make their biggest strides forward.

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Personal Description:
I am Ian, a friendly and enthusiastic mathematician, a former teacher of maths and physics A Levels while living on the south coast of England, now relocated to Glasgow. I believe that there is much beauty to be found in mathematics and science and try to convey this appreciation alongside the technical skills required to get you through your exams. These subjects don't have to be the impenetrable list of technicalities they are often portrayed as!

I offer tutoring for Mathematics (A Level, Higher, Advanced Higher and IB Diploma), Further Mathematics (A Level) and Physics (A Level, Higher and IB Diploma).

I can tutor at your home in the Glasgow area, at my home in the West End of Glasgow (near to Partick, Kelvinhall and Hillhead subways), or online via Zoom for students based anywhere in the UK.

I have a first class BSc (Hons) degree in Mathematics and its Applications from the University of Sussex. When friends asked me how I managed to get a first in my degree, I'm afraid I could only offer a traditional answer - hard work, and a fair amount of it. Maths is one of the hardest subjects to bluff your way through, and although it's possible to scrape by with a passing acquaintance of the concepts involved, you will never do particularly well without a deeper understanding of the subject. However, this shouldn't be taken as a cause for despair - far from it! With a proper understanding of the subject, a real empathy with the "why" rather than the "how", mathematics not only becomes far more interesting but also easier. I always aim to help students see the bigger picture and how the disparate parts of your course syllabus fit together.

Teaching Experience:
I have several years of recent experience of teaching A level Maths, Further Maths and Physics at a school in the south of England. While living in England, I have tutored students from across Brighton and Hove (and occasionally beyond), and have a good understanding of the common barriers to success that students encounter and how to help overcome them.

Tutoring Approach:
Everyone's tutoring needs are different. To make sure that I can offer you the help that you need, I usually start by arranging a visit to you at your home. For students living with parents or carers, this is an ideal chance to meet with everyone and make sure that we are all happy with the arrangements we come to. The topics we can discuss include general points (why are you considering tutoring? What would you like to get out of the experience?) and more practical issues (are you studying Highers/Advanced Highers, A Levels or taking the IB Diploma? Which exam board are you studying? If studying Further Mathematics, which options are you taking?). There is no charge for this first meeting.

If we are all happy to proceed, we can discuss the timing and frequency of tutoring sessions.

I also tutor online using Zoom - this is easy to instal and configure, and I can help you get set up with this. There is no restriction to your location with this option.

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.'

*

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.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am a well travelled 50 year old who spent most of his teaching career teaching in Asia, I am TEFL qualified and experienced in teaching at Elementary level and adult Business skills level. I have written a travel book and am currently writing children's books along with a Motorcycle racing biography . I am free during the day and some evenings. I work from home and home can be our quiet little place in the hills in the nature which I love. I have 4 children and am very patient with them as they are my main students. I am very happy in my work, kind and willing to help and answer any questions.

Teaching Experience:
I have teaching experience in Thailand,Vietnam, India, Hungary, Eastern Europe and the UK, working in large schools and 1 - 2 - 1

Tutoring Approach:
In large classes I make use of working through art dance and drama giving the children opportunities to express themselves in their own personal way, when tutoring 1-2-1 I like to use flash cards with words, pictures and a white board and also make use of every child's ability to express themselves with their own words and pictures.

Subjects

Personal Description:
My name is Pierrette and I provide excellent French and Spanish tutoring for kids and adults based around London and Essex. I am A-Level and GCSE qualified with over 20 years of experience teaching French and Spanish. I create interesting lesson programmes and my material is based on your current skills. I

Teaching Experience:
Are you getting ready for that long deserved French vacation or Spanish holiday? Perhaps you are starting a business that requires a lot of travel and foreign language skills will make things so much smoother and easier? Or you just want to learn a new language so you can add an impressive skill to your resume but you think it might be too difficult to learn? Let me show you how easy it can be to learn French or Spanish.

Tutoring Approach:
will be more than glad to work with you to discover how beautiful French and Spanish languages are. I am very patient and friendly, and I will ensure to help you progress and become fluent in speaking French or Spanish. I can also easily help you with test preparation and essay writing, as well as, reading and homework. I enjoy teaching and I always strive to be the best teacher that I can be. Be more confident in speaking French and Spanish - give me a call now, and I'll make sure to teach you in a creative way and make your learning experience an enjoyable o

Subjects

Personal Description:
LEADING BY EXAMPLE

I like to lead by example so I took a City & Guilds Functional Skills Maths exam in April 2023 and passed. Now any prospective learners who choose me to help them, can feel confident that I have up to date knowledge to help them with their Maths exams.

I TEACH:

* Functional Skills Maths Entry Level 1
* Functional Skills Maths Entry Level 2
* Functional Skills Maths Entry Level 3
* Functional Skills Maths Level 1
* Functional Skills Maths Level 2
* GCSE Foundation Level Maths (Grades 1-5 / E-C)

Teaching Experience:
WHERE WILL YOUR LESSONS TAKE PLACE?

Your lesson will take place at your nearest London public library so just include the post code in your message when you request a lesson and I'll travel to you.


WHEN CAN YOU HAVE YOUR LESSON?

You can have your lesson any time between 8am and 8pm Monday - Saturday. Please note: I do not work on Sundays.


HOW MUCH WILL YOUR LESSON COST?

£20/hour

HOW CAN YOU BOOK YOUR FIRST LESSON?

- Just send me a message and I'll reply within 24 hours of receiving your message. Thanks.


WHAT DO YOU GET AT THE END OF YOUR LESSON?

- I will email you a summary of what you have learned to ensure that you get the most out of your lessons.


WHAT DO YOU NEED FOR YOUR LESSON?

- A simple A4 notebook
- A simple pen
- A simple calculator

Tutoring Approach:
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A SILLY QUESTION

Just remember: there is no such thing as a silly question and it's never too late to learn something new. Asking questions is how we all learn and progress. I asked a lot of silly questions and now I'm in a position to help other people so it works!

Your maths lessons / tuition will take place at your nearest London public library.

Subjects