Redditch English Tutors and Redditch English Tuition

Personal Description:
I have a Doctorate in Languages and Literatures from La Sapienza University of Rome, Italy and an MSc in Corporate Communications and Public Affairs from RGU.

I love teaching and using my communication and interpersonal skills with people of any age, nationality and background.
I enjoy helping students achieve proficiency in the languages I teach, help them become confident communicators in writing, listening and speaking whether is for work, study or leisure.

Teaching Experience:
I have been teaching to people of various ages and backgrounds since 2009 at Aberdeen College, language schools (Aberdeen Courses) and as a freelancer.
I have experience in teaching students from schools, professionals from oil and gas organisations, and other sectors.
I have helped school pupils of various ages and levels in achieving high marks in exams such as National 5, GCSE and Highers.

I also have experience in preparing for language exams and University essay writing on various authors.

Tutoring Approach:
My approach to teaching is based on the student's requirements and needs whether is for business, leisure or study.
Grammar, reading, writing exercises and developing listening and expressive skills are all at the core of my approach.
These skills are taught depending on the level and nature of the classes (business, academic or casual learning).
I am aware of all the difficulties of learning a foreign language, therefore I make sure that the students not only have an effective class but also an enjoyable time.
I make use of grammar books, exercises, audios, conversational topics, newspapers, magazines, games and more!

Subjects

Personal Description:
Hello. I am a fully qualified teacher with experience across the whole of the primary curriculum, including special needs and teaching for SATS tests . I continually update my teaching, mainly through the National Education Union online training sessions. I have had great results tutoring children extensively on a 1-2-1 basis for SATS and the 11+ entrance exam, plus have experience teaching adult literacy and English as a Foreign Language. I aim to motivate both children and adults who find reading and writing challenging, building both confidence and skills. Practical strategies and numeracy games are used to assist children to gain improved competence in mathematics. Assessment is used to inform my teaching in order to make efficient use of the tutoring time.
I enjoy running, Pilates, reading and volunteer for charity, including as a volunteer youth-worker with children and young people.

Teaching Experience:
Currently. I teach English to and host visiting international teenage students. Recently I volunteered as a tutor for the Catch Up Programme, Year 5 and 6 Literacy SATs, online with the charity Action Tutoring.
I am experienced in administering and marking voluntary SATs papers.
I have over twenty years of experience teaching in UK primary schools as a full time classroom teacher and as a supply teacher.
I was a special needs teacher in a public school for one year with individuals and small groups.
I have volunteered as an adult literacy tutor and taught Pilates to adults.

Tutoring Approach:
I have a patient, understanding approach to tutoring. Tasks are broken into small, achievable steps. Praise and encouragement are used to build self esteem and motivate learners. Your child will be encouraged to enjoy learning and to gain independent learning strategies.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I have over 20 years teaching experience, having taught at schools, colleges, and having lectured at Universities. I have been a private tutor for over 20 years and am familiar with the curriculum in the subjects of English and History, and I am also familiar with the many AS and A level courses and degree modules which are on offer in relation to these subjects. I am fully CRB checked and will provide an easy going one-to-one approach in my lessons. I have years of experience at assisting in dissertations and coursework projects - from proofreading to more creative and constructive assistance.

Teaching Experience:
I have over 20 years teaching experience in private tuition, schools, colleges and Universities. My wide range of experience enables me to adapt to the required needs of the students, and allows me flexibility in my teaching approach.

Tutoring Approach:
My approach to tutoring is relaxed and flexible, allowing the student to guide me in providing for their educational needs. I can be available at most times and have excellent references which can be submitted if needed.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am a warm friendly, patient, understanding and highly motivated tutor. I have the ability to attend to all your learning needs. I am extremely resourceful and knowledgeable on the subjects I tutor in. I will work out the best way that you learn and teach to your learning strengths. Your success is my success!

Teaching Experience:
I have been a Primary School Teacher and a teacher of English as a Foreign Language for over twenty years. I have experience of teaching all levels of English from pre-school to Business Studies and University essay writing. I have also been a Primary School Teacher for fourteen years.

I have regularly coached students for the SATS tests, 11+, IELTS and some subject specific exams.

Tutoring Approach:
My approach to tutoring is to get to know you the person a little first. I like to establish what specifically you want from the tutoring sessions. When I have established your requirements I can then start to build a profile of your learning; what methods best work for you. Your success is my success.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I want everyone to enjoy the ability to communicate with each other in English to make friends, do business together and to feel confident wherever English is spoken.
I have been made welcome by so many people from many nationalities all round the world and love the excitement of communicating with people from all walks of life.
I enjoy teaching face to face and online and to tailoring conversation and lessons to the ability and objectives of the student or students.
I am married with a family and am comfortable teaching all ages although I prefer teaching adults and young adults (16 upwards). I teach general English and specialize in IELTS preparation.

Teaching Experience:
I have taught in Europe and Asia. For six years I lived in France teaching one to one and small groups. I returned to the United Kingdom in 2012 and live and teach in the Brighton area. The last two years have been spent teaching at Varndean College, Brighton preparing Chinese students for A levels and University entrance as well as normal individual teaching work,

Tutoring Approach:
Learning a language should be both fun and serious. If my students are preparing for examinations then a concentration on course work with homework will be important.
If students prefer to develop their social conversational ability then there may be less emphasis on grammar and more on the use of English in everyday social or business situations. Each potential student is asked to complete a simple questionaire to give me a picture of their ability level and what they want to achieve.
I teach one to one or small groups (normally no more than 8 students). Price reductions for two students or more
Most online teaching is on a one to one basis using Skype.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Whilst, as an English teacher, I do enjoy a good book, my main interest lies in physical activity. I am passionate about physical fitness and everything that comes with it: flexibility, mobility and nutrition.

My main sport growing up was rugby, which has now been replaced with playing for a football team on a Saturday (much easier on the shoulders).

I am an avid traveller and love nothing more than a European city break or an adventure much further afield.

Teaching Experience:
I have worked in the education sector for twelve years, with the last seven being as a senior leader in three different schools.

As an English teacher, I have experience of teaching the full range of student ability levels, from working with students in KS3 with low literacy to leading on English Literature A Level. I have extensive experience teaching the IGCSE, AQA, Edexcel and OCR English Language and Literature exam content.

My most recent role is at a large successfully secondary in Surrey where I lead on Teaching & Learning as an Assistant Headteacher. Previously, I have ran a sixth form and led on SEN provision as a senior leader. I have worked in schools judged as Outstanding and supported others that were in Special Measures.

Additionally, I am an SLE (Specialist Leader of Education) and I have been parachuted into struggling schools to help them raise standards.

In my most recent Year 11 group, 22% of students were targeted a grade 7+. However, over 44% of my students achieved a grade 7+ in their actual GCSE exams.

Tutoring Approach:
Through a decade of tutoring experience, I feel that it is vital to first assess the student's current ability and discover their most pressing need. Once this has been discovered, we will work towards tangible targets, whilst still focusing on priorities such as vocabulary, complex punctuation and improving a student's ability to express their ideas on paper.

My sessions are as interactive as possible, to allow the students to approach their learning in a contextual way that they can relate to real-life. I also like to promote a student's ability to articulate their ideas verbally through discussion, in order to develop their written skills.

Each tutee's progress is individually tracked against their personal targets and the overarching aim of the tuition.

I feel my extensive experience at a senior level in a range of school contexts allows me to quickly adapt to the needs of the tutee.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am a successful local tutor and teacher with an MA in Education from Oxford Brookes University (2016), a Postgraduate Diploma in English and Language in Education from the University of Reading (2012). I also have a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (Secondary - English) from Oxford Brookes University (2007) and a BA Hons in English Literature (2006) as well as a Postgraduate Certificate in Children's Literature (2024). I am passionate about my subject and enthusiastic about improving both my pedagogical and subject knowledge. With A Level clients, I often re-read the key exam texts and exam specifications in order to deliver a successful tutorial. For GCSE, I am confident with multiple exam boards but, again, I take a sincere interest in changes to qualifications and specifications. I have recently led a team of ten teachers in our delivery of the GCSE English qualification through WJEC. Part of my role included observing good teaching practice and documenting this for staff appraisals.

Teaching Experience:
I have recent experience as a Senior Leader in Reading (2024) and I have also been employed as a Specialist English Teacher based in the Learning Support Department of an independent senior boys school in Maidenhead. I have also taught a range of vocational students for both Activate Learning (2013-2016) and The Windsor Forest Colleges Group (2018-2019). I was employed as a Head of English for a small multi academy trust partnered with Upton Court Grammar School (2019-2021) and I have also taught in a range of comprehensive co-educational secondary schools across Reading Borough Council (2007-2009), Wokingham Borough Council (2009-2012) and Bracknell Forest Council (2016-2018). In addition, I have previously worked as a Learning Support Assistant, at a Catholic primary school in Reading. I have also taught American children how to use movie editing packages, such as iMovie, in Maine, USA.

Tutoring Approach:
The rapport with the parent is as just as important as the tutee. In order to make a success of the tuition, it's paramount to have a good professional relationship with both. I use feedback from the tutee's parent (via a school report) and informal feedback from the tutee to create an Individual Tuition Plan which includes setting three clear targets. Depending on the key stage and ability of the tutee, this can range anything from parenthetic comma use to translating Chaucerian poetry!

Subjects

Personal Description:
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A DEDICATED, PROFESSIONAL AND EXPERIENCED PRIVATE TUTOR?

I am a highly experienced and successful private tutor in English language and literature, with over 40 years teaching experience in secondary and further education.

I have been a private tutor for the past 10 years, and find it extremely rewarding to continue to use my expertise to support students preparing for challenging English qualifications, which are so vital for success in life.

This is what the mum of one of my 2024-5 tutees has said about my support for her son, who completed his A Level English Literature in summer 2025:

"During the 2nd year of my son's A Level English course it became evident that he felt very uncertain of some areas of the English course curriculum.
He hoped that a tutor would be able to get him back on track and fill in the gaps.
My son instantly felt comfortable with Isla. He knew she would be able to help. This confidence came within one lesson as Isla asked him the right questions to ascertain his strengths, and concerns.
Isla provided the additional support that my son needed in a calm, considered way. As a parent I was also updated about the form of the lessons and my son's progress on a weekly basis.
Isla continued to support my son during the revision period and provided last minute tuition and encouragement which was invaluable.
Isla teaches passionately to the individual and has clear objectives that are communicated well. Most importantly she does this in a friendly way, in a safe and comfortable environment.
My son achieved a B for English Literature and he was delighted.
In our opinion Isla played a large part in him achieving this result."
Mrs HS, Rutland, August 2025

Here is another testimonial from the mother of one of my GCSE tutees who took his exams summer 2024:

"Isla is a wonderful, dedicated tutor and I really couldn't have wished for a better tutor for my son's GCSE English. Isla's lessons are extremely well-planned, resourced and delivered, and she has created an excellent method of teaching which helped my son to engage and focus on his preparation for the exams. Most importantly, however, was the strong teacher/pupil relationship that Isla built with my son. From the first lesson, my son had great respect for his tutor, valuing her feedback and acting upon the advice given. I realised after the first tutorial that Isla's teaching style is perfect for today's students. Thank you so much Isla for your guidance, We are grateful for all your help!"
Mrs PD, Grantham, July 2024
Footnote: this tutee who has dyslexia gained a level 6 in both English Language and Literature.

You can see more reviews in my testimonial section below.

MORE ABOUT MY TEACHING EXPERIENCE:

After I retired from full-time teaching , I decided to continue teaching by becoming a private tutor, because I love teaching.

Formerly, I taught 11 to 18 year olds : Key Stages 3, GCSE and A Level, and in my work I had an excellent track record for enabling my students to achieve their academic potential; my school pupils achieved consistently good or excellent GCSE and A Level grades and this has continued to be the case with my private tutees.

I love my subject and I am a thorough and kind teacher dedicated to raising standards of literacy through my teaching of English language and literature, and to the educational and personal development of young people more widely. Reading and writing skills are vital to success, and I want to empower my tutees by helping them to acquire those essential skills.

As well as teaching my academic subject, I was a sixth form personal tutor ( Years 12 and 13) in my school for 18 years, monitoring my students' academic progress, and guiding and mentoring those applying to university, assisting with UCAS applications and personal statements, or helping tutees plan for a gap year or for employment - a role which I found particularly fulfilling. I am available to support UCAS application personal statements. I get on very well with all my students and oerhaos especially those aged 16 - 18.

I also have experience of teaching in further education and have taught mature students from different cultural backgrounds.

I have also supervised sixth form students taking the AQA Extended Project Qualification. I greatly enjoy one - to-one tuition.

TUTORING EXPERTISE

In my long teaching career, I have built up extensive subject knowledge and teaching expertise, which I can adapt to students ranging from 11 years to adult, and taking exams with various examining boards, with my main focus as a private tutor being on GCSE and A Level.


A selection of TESTIMONIALS

I love working as a private tutor, helping my tutees to gain confidence in essential reading and writing skills and to achieve exam success.

In addition to the two above, here is a selection of testimonials from former tutees and their parents:

GCSE:

"When my daughter was about 14 it became apparent that she was really struggling with English. She had other difficulties going on that had made the subject very difficult for her. Her main problem was she didn't know how to approach answering questions and didn't understand how to structure an answer. We realised the importance of getting our daughter extra support, not only for her English Language and English Literature GCSE but as a foundation to other subjects and her future in life. We were very lucky to find Isla, who had experience of the exam board that we were using and many years teaching experience. She worked with my daughter on a weekly basis, through Year 10 and Year 11; Isla always planned our sessions and she covered all areas of the curriculum across both English GCSE subjects. By the time my daughter came to take her exams she was really prepared and had a new found confidence. I know that whatever her results are they will be better than they would have been. Do not hesitate to get support from Isla, she will work flexibly with you and listen to your needs."
Mrs LC, Stamford, July 2022
Update following exam results August 25 2022: this tutee is very pleased to have achieved a level 5 ( strong pass) in GCSE English Language and a 4 ( standard pass) in English Literature.

"My son was really struggling to get any motivation to study either English literature or language in both the first and second year of his GCSE course and so I made the decision to get him some support and contacted Isla to help him. Over a period of about 12 months Isla steadily helped Josh to work through the syllabus and both supported him and stretched him in order to help him maximise his potential. In his finals Josh received a solid B in both subjects and has gone on to study A level literature. I have no doubt he would not have achieved this without Isla's ongoing help and support."
Mrs M.M. Rutland , 2018


" Our son needed help to raise his GCSE English grade from a C to a B. We are so pleased that we found Isla to help him. He thoroughly enjoyed the sessions with Isla, which were paced at just the right level for him. He produced homework each week which was marked before his next session. He responded well to Isla's teaching methods and worked a lot harder than he had at school. Results day was brilliant - he gained an A grade. Fantastic! We would recommend Isla wholeheartedly."
Mrs J R, Rutland, 2017

Isla has helped both of our boys this year - one with his Personal Statement for his University application and one with his Dissertation for his degree. Both boys found Isla very easy to work with, approachable, friendly and very knowledgeable. Both boys have now moved on to University and work - both having benefitted from Isla's fantastic help.
Mrs J R Rutland, 2019


"Knowing her for roughly around two years, I found Isla to be a very professional, sincere, caring and accommodating teacher who has a passion to deliver the best she can offer. With no love for literature at all, my daughter struggled with GCSE English specially the literature where she would get C/low B compared to her other subjects. We were really concerned and wanted to push up her grade in English. That's when Isla came in as a great help. She quickly picked up and addressed the areas of concern and gave enough advice and support on revision techniques preparing her for the exam.. My daughter got a 9(A*)in Eng language and a 7(A) in literature in GCSE. In my daughter's own words: "Isla has been absolutely instrumental in boosting confidence within me without which I couldn't have asked for this result. No doubt - we highly recommend her."
Mrs P, Peterborough, 2017

"Isla provided excellent support during Year 10 and 11 to our daughter in relation to her GCSE studies in both English Literature and Language. This complemented her learning at school and enabled focus on those areas where extra support or explanation was needed. Isla was very flexible in her approach, tailoring her lessons to our daughter's needs and providing additional support on the run up to the exams themselves. Although our daughter isn't continuing her English studies at A Level, Isla is going continue to provide support in relation to essay structure and comprehension in the subjects she has chosen to study. We would highly recommend her."
Mrs R M, Leicestershire, parent of GCSE pupil, 2015

A LEVEL:

Isla is a very dedicated English Literature teacher. I saw the benefit of her lessons from the outset! Isla is reliable and meticulously organised as she always had the session planned which allowed us to make the most of every lesson. I am very grateful to have found Isla as I not only gained a clearer understanding of the books taught, but also my confidence in exam technique improved immensely due to Isla's support. I highly recommend Isla, she is a very kind person as well as an incredibly devoted teacher. Thank you Isla for your guidance and support.
DD, Grantham, September 2023
Footnote: my tutee DD gained a grade B in English at A Level and A grades in Mathemarics and Economics . She decided to take a gap year and is now studying for a degree in Economics at LSE.


"Isla has been a wonderful tutor for my son, and was able to support him enormously in all aspects of his AQA A level English Literature. Isla is very knowledgeable and thorough in her approach and assisted with his research and planning for his coursework, and with close study and revision of the challenging texts my son studied over the course of the 2 years, until he took his final exams in June 2019 . She also supported him in developing and writing his personal statement for UCAS, which resulted in excellent offers of university places. My son found Isla to be very approachable and very easy to work with as her teaching style is friendly, patient and clear, and she was also open to scheduling extra sessions when needed to fit around his studies. Isla"s support has been invaluable and has enabled my son to achieve a good set of A Level grades, including a creditable grade English Literature, and he is now settled into his first term at one of the top universities in the country, studying Economics. We would have no hesitation in recommending Isla as a private tutor.."
Mrs J.M., Leicester. October 2019

We turned to a private tutor because our daughter received a disappointing result in her first year of A Level English, but she knew she could do better and wanted to go to a first class University to study English. Her coursework had been excellent and most of her homework was good, too, but her exam technique was less secure. Isla definitely made a difference. She is a nurturing teacher who interacts with the student really well. Isla gave good advice about preparing for the exam paper and gave support in revision of the various texts, which boosted our daughter's confidence. Having achieved the necessary entry grades, our daughter is now at Newcastle University starting her degree course and wants to keep in touch with Isla."
Sally S, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, parent of A Level student, 2016

"As someone who wanted to pursue English at university, my grade C at AS Level was not good enough, so during Year 13 we found a private tutor to help me with my A Level English Language and Literature course. Isla put lots of time into helping me come out with an overall high grade B. She gave me wonderful advice with my creative coursework and really enhanced my knowledge of the two plays I was studying for my written exam. I am so grateful and will continue to keep in touch with Isla as I enter my degree course at Newcastle University for English Literature and Creative Writing."
Emily S, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, A Level tutee, 2016

Update from Emily S, Peterborough (above) received June 27 2019:

"I wanted to send you a quick email to let you know that I have received a First Class Honours from Newcastle University in English Literature and Creative Writing!
I am really thrilled as I wasn't expecting it!
You were a real help to me and my time with you was the beginning of me finding my feet with poetry; I went on to write a creative portfolio of poetry instead of a dissertation and received a mark of 75 for it.
So this is just to say, thank you very much!! "


"Isla has helped both of our sons this year - one with his Personal Statement for his University application and one with his Dissertation for his degree. Both boys found Isla very easy to work with, approachable, friendly and very knowledgeable. They have now moved on to University and work - both having benefitted from Isla's fantastic help."
Mrs J R, Rutland, 2018

I assisted a former GCSE resit tutee in his final year at university . This email arrived from his mother to tell me about her son's graduation:

Just to let you know that XXX got a 2.1 in his Sports Psychology degree!
We are very proud of him.
Thank you so much again for all your help and support.
June 2021

Teaching Experience:
I have been a private tutor for 9 years. Private tutoring enables me to stay in touch with young adults and to continue to use the teaching skills I have developed over a long and successful teaching career.

I greatly enjoy one to one tutoring and my students feel supported and more confident about facing their exams.

My tutees tend to be students who are struggling with the subject and have been predicted lower grades than they need.

Sometimes there is a specific issue such as spelling, or a student might struggle with a particular aspect, such as reading, or with a particular set text, or with how to write essays and exam answers that will earn high marks.

Without exception, my tutees grow in confidence amd improve their standard; they often go in to achieve very creditable grades that enable them to move to the next stage of their school career, or gain the university place they want.


At GCSE and AS/A Level my pupils have obtained consistently excellent results. I have taught a very wide range of set texts for literature and have taught courses by different exam boards, such as Edexcel, OCR, AQA, and the CIE IGCSE.

My school teaching often involved one-to-one sessions with pupils who needed extra support and I have taught those whose attainment in the subject is modest, as well as higher achievers in English.

Other teaching experience includes teaching for a total of 7 years full and part-time in further education colleges, and I have also taught English as a foreign language for the British Council in a Middle Eastern country.

Because I love teaching and supporting young people in their intellectual development, I have continued tutoring privately since retiring from full time school teaching, and I currently tutor students ranging from 14 to 18, assisting with preparation for GCSE and A Level exams.

I am able to offer both one- to- one in person teaching or teaching online.

My tutoring role includes assisting my tutees with English Language papers and with close study and revision of a wide range of set texts for Literature exams , demonstrating my adaptability in quickly grasping what different exam techniques are required. I have also given advice and support to students in higher education, pursuing English degrees.

My support for GCSE pupils enables them to achieve a creditable grade so they can proceed to the next stage of school/college. My shooort for A Lebel students often enables them to obtain the grade they need for University entrance.

Tutoring Approach:
PASSION FOR AND KNOWLEDGE OF MY SUBJECT
I prepare lessons thoroughly and imaginatively, striking a balance between getting through the necessary work - but making it varied, interesting and fun.

I begin by getting to know my pupil, their background, and specific needs.

Often, pupils needing extra tuition lack confidence and self-esteem and I care about addressing that sensitively.

In addition, I plan what needs to be covered: making sure I am fully in the picture with regard to the specific course being followed and the exam criteria, and I use the exam boards' websites to source relevant materials such as past papers and teaching resources.

In my tutoring, I aim to give my pupils more confidence in the classroom and in their written work.

BUILDING A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH MY TUTEES

I always have a clear plan for the session and an aim of what I wish to achieve in the time available.

Equally, I am flexible and nearly always end up adapting my plan to what comes up that day, in terms of what the pupil needs.

I like people and I am a friendly, outgoing person who communicates warmly with a tutee; I greatly enjoy the company of young people and am experienced in putting my tutees at their ease, reducing their anxiety and building their self-confidence, which is vital.

I form friendly, personal relationships with those I teach and am good at listening to them and assessing their needs, and adjusting my strategy accordingly.

A RIGOROUS APPROACH AND DETAILED FEEDBACK
As well as preparing thoroughly, I mark work meticulously and give very detailed and helpful feedback, both in writing and orally. I set relevant work to be completed for the next tutorial, and monitor progress closely; I stay in regular contact with my students and/or their parents via email and phone.

MY COMMITMENT TO YOU
You will find me a hardworking, and sympathetic tutor committed to the interests of my tutees; my aim is to help you to achieve your full academic potential in the subject and gain exam success. I see your progress in English in the context of the whole school or college picture and as part of your personal development. I often stay in touch with my pupils as they move on in life and take a keen interest in how they are getting on. I always treat my tutees with respect, kindness and understanding.

WHERE AND WHEN TUTORIALS TAKE PLACE
I tutor in my own home where I am set up to receive my tutees in a quiet and relaxed environment with my extensive resources and teaching materials readily to hand. During the pandemic I continued to tutor online and since then have continued to tutor online because my tutees often find it saves then travelling time and fits in with their lives better. I will consider face to face tutoring if this is required, or online only, or a combination of the two methods.

Normally I tutor on weekdays, and aim to complete my tutoring sessions by 7.30 p m but my times are flexible. I prefer not to tutor at weekends because of family commitments, though I can do so by by arrangement, with Sunday morning being a possibility.

I am usually able to tutor in school holidays, when I can offer longer, more intensive revision sessions.

I am always willing to try to fit in with a pupil's/parents' needs.


FEES

My professional fee for an hour is £45 for GCSE and £50 for A Level English and for support with UCAS personal statements.

Fees for other tutoring categories on request.

My fee include include preparation for the lesson, marking of set written homework, the actual intensive contact time with me, and follow-up emails and phone calls.

Subjects

Personal Description:
As a child, I learned by being told, by beatings, shaming and a strict examination system. As you can imagine I didn't learn much that I could later apply to my academic life. As a result, I became an inveterate learner, always interested in learning the next thing. At one point, the drive to learn was because I didn't see myself as being good enough. Later on, that drive became an interest in discovering my own abilities as well as about helping others. I have now learned so much about how not to teach that I have gained good insight into how learning happens. I am keen to ensure all my learners learn how to learn and understand how to apply what they discover.

Teaching Experience:
My background is in teaching, training and facilitation. I have over 25 years experience of teaching in different forms having worked within primary, secondary and further education settings. I am an NVQ / TAQA assessor and trained and assessed Parenting Practitioners and other candidates up to Level 5 in Health & Social Care. I have specialist skills in Personal Effectiveness subjects such as Report Writing, Speed Reading, Presentation Skills.

Tutoring Approach:
Being a private tutor used to be the preserve of only those with the highest qualifications and the greatest experience. Now all that's changed.

However good a tutor is, the learner needs to be astute in order know if the tutor is a good match for her / him. Importantly, making the right choice can be complex.
Here are three tips to help you decide if I am or someone else is right for you. The following tips describe how I teach and how I will enable you to be an independent learner.

1. Look for a tutor who can teach you how to learn
Here's a funny thing… learners study a subject, sometimes for months and years and can come away with no long-term memory of the underpinning principles of the subject. As disturbing, they have no ongoing understanding of the subject. They are unable to apply what they tried to learn. This is easily resolved by clearing up past issues with learning. In Applied Scholastics it is now well known that if as a learner, you are helped to do so, you can learn any subject. This is central to how I teach.

2. Look for tutors who understand the main barriers to learning and can help you overcome them
There are three main barriers to study. They relate to confusion over an idea, missing out critical steps and having unclear ideas about the subject under study. Gaining a day to day facility with overcoming those barriers is key to effective and efficient study. I use these methods to help my own reading and study. I will introduce them to you so that you can use them too.

3. Look for tutors who can help you find the information you need so that you keep expanding your own understanding of the subject

Sometimes, a learner during a course of study will find that s/he wants to give up. Have you ever experienced this? Whenever that happens it is because there is something - an idea, a symbol, a form of punctuation, the use of a word, or something else - that you did not understand. Without the proper factual information on this and without the correct knowledge of why and how this happens, the learner will struggle. Without knowing what remedies to apply, the learner will give up.

When you study, you are investing time and energy. In this case, money too. If you want to discover more about how you learn, what your barriers to study are and how to understand more, you will benefit from being an independent learner. That will repay your investment.

Those three critical points should help you decide if I could be right for you. They briefly describe the way in which I would work with you and enable you to be an independent learner.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am a fully qualified and very experienced primary school teacher who can provide high quality Maths and English tuition in your home for primary aged and early Key Stage 3 pupils. I love being able to work one to one with pupils on exactly what they need to help them gain confidence, understanding and make progress to achieve the best they possibly can. I treat each child as an individual and aim to make every tuition session enjoyable and successful, connecting the learning with your child's interests where possible, and always giving plenty of encouragement and praise.

Tutoring is available for children being home-schooled as well as for children requiring a little extra help out of school hours.

Teaching Experience:
I am a fully qualified teacher who taught locally in primary education for 21 years before starting to home tutor children in 2015. I have successfully taught children with a wide range of abilities, including children learning English as an additional language and pupils with special educational needs.

Tutoring Approach:
Building good relationships is very important to me as a basis of effective teaching. Parents and pupils consistently testify to my professional, patient and friendly approach. Every lesson is specifically tailored to each pupil's needs, with pupils enjoying their lessons and quickly seeing the difference that their time with me makes. As far as possible, I channel lessons through the pupil's interests as well as using games, practical resources and visual aids, amongst other resources. Plenty of praise and encouragement is given in recognition of their efforts and to help motivate pupils further. Feedback is provided to parents/ carers at the end of each lesson to keep you fully informed.

If you have any questions or would like more information, I would be pleased to hear from you.

45 minutes and one hour sessions are available - rates vary accordingly.

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Personal Description:
I have over 15 years teaching experience, the majority of my work has been at secondary level, where my specialisms are Drama, English, English Literature, Film studies and History. However, I also have extensive experience in primary education where I have taught across the breadth of the curriculum.

My preoccupation with academia was nurtured at a competitive Grammar School, RGS Worcester, a top school with high expectations. I went on to acquire a first class degree. I remain now, as I have always been, a high achiever.

I also work in the creative arts, as actor, tutor and director, inspired by performance art in all its forms. My current artistic interests include revising classics, puppetry, theatre in non-traditional spaces, and working as a freelance drama consultant to help smaller scale theatre companies realise their artistic aims and consolidate their working practices.

Recreationally I enjoy martial arts, exercise and the outdoors. As an avid reader I am particularly drawn to epic literature and sprawling worlds, beguiling first person narratives, comparative religious and spiritual studies, psychology, philosophy and history.

Teaching Experience:
Secondary Level Education:
- I worked for 6 years as a secondary school teacher, delivering Drama and English lessons, including GCSE and 'A' level, from year 7- year 13.
-I devised and delivered a formal curriculum to teach Year 9 Drama (in line with Key Stage Guidelines).
-Extensive experience in coursework, marking, moderation and exam preparation.
-On 2 separate occasions, following Ofsted observations, I was given an 'Outstanding' classification (the highest classification).
-Quantitative end of term reports always placed my classes amongst the highest in terms of achievement and student retention.

'A' level Education:
-I taught for 6 years at 2 different Further Education Colleges. I taught English Literature, Drama and Film Studies 'A' level.
-Students were offered extra-curricular tutorials to help them achieve their desired results according to their own set of educational needs.
-I emboldened students for university entrance with interview techniques, UCAS procedures and university level preparation.
-The coursework I devised with students for their final A2 Drama and Theatre Studies was picked up as an exemplar of excellent practice, and is still used to this day by Edexcel examination board.

Primary:
-I devised a range of workshops, and delivered these to selected primary schools. These workshops raised literacy levels, written and oral communication. They were delivered to year 4, year 5 and year 6 students.
-My work with Redditch Borough Council as Literacy and Outreach Officer earned me an 'Outstanding personal Achievement Award'.

Adult Education:
-I've worked with young people trying to get back into education following exclusion, this involved working with charities like CentrePoint.
-I often work with adult learners re-taking their GCSE English.
-Postgraduate students have sought my help in the past, particularly International Students looking to improve the precision of their essays.

University Level:
-Delivering Theatre and Drama lectures, seminars and workshops to students at university level, including The University of Birmingham, University of Worcester, University of Bristol, and University of Warwick.

Tutoring Approach:
My approach to tutoring involves the mutual balance of 2 equally important intentions: a sensitive awareness of what a student needs and establishing a conducive rapport.

I have a flexible communication style, informed by exposure to hosts of different students, I am adaptable and responsive, a necessity built on the recognition that effective learning can only happen when tutor and student understand each other, and are mutually inspired.

At first, my focus with a new student is to provide gentle provocations on different aspects of the subject matter- a process which allows me to see where their strengths and weaknesses lie, also allowing the student to start seeing the subject matter from varying perspectives, and to extend their range of problem-solving and communication strategies.

My approach always depends on the specific needs of the student, most commonly students ask for:
-Information building and comprehension
-Essay writing technique
-Filling in historical/ social/ political or cultural context to areas of study (particularly at 'A' level)
-Response to examination questions
-Improving literacy level, reading and comprehension, grammar (particularly at primary level)
-Extending and developing powers of expression

You will find me a generous tutor, I am not a clock watcher, it does not matter, for instance, if a class runs over. I will work hard for you between lessons, marking, researching, and developing new lessons and academic exercises. My tutoring style is tempered by profound understanding and experience of examination board and national curriculum requirements. Moreover, my many years working as an educator entailed the need to develop a flexible range of teaching strategies correspondent to the varying learning preferences of my students.

Some recent feedback:
'I wish you had been my tutor before, I feel a lot more confident'
(Chitra, GCSE English, Adult Learner)
'Great attitude and rapport with my son very engaging'
(Sarah, mother of 'A' level; Film and Studies student)
'We are delighted to have Chris helping my daughter and her friend with the written exam In the last few weeks of their Drama and Theatre `A ` level. Inspiring, flexible, fun -knowledgeable about the plays, their history and context- he is a fantastic tutor.'
(Felicity, mother of 'A' level Drama and Theatre Studies student)

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Personal Description:
A keen third year BSc Chemistry student approaching the final year. I'm a hard working individual that is willing to help students who are trying to achieve great results in their exams

Teaching Experience:
I have worked as a tutor where I use to teach Chemistry and Biology students. I have a lot of classroom based experience and have worked at Kumon tutoring center

Tutoring Approach:
It is very vital that a need of a student is understood and helped them in every possible way. I like to teach the content in full depth with homework provided to the students and some exams practice

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Personal Description:
I am an engaging secondary school teacher of English and English Literature in the Cambridgeshire area. I achieve outstanding results by making the learning relevant and easy to understand for the student. I clearly have a passion for my subject and have secure differentiation skills. I go above and beyond for my students, building a successful rapport which aids the learning experience.

Teaching Experience:
I taught at Impington Village College for 8 years, at Ely College for two years and four years at Neale-Wade Academy, March. I was nomintaed for a local hero award for contributions to teaching in 2017. I have been nominated for the Cambridge University Teaching Awards 2024.

I have a degree from Kingston University, Surrey.

I completed my Graduate Teacher Placement with Cambridge University.

I have various other teaching-related qualifications through Cambridge University.

Tutoring Approach:
Simple and memorable approaches and techniques to understanding the exam papers/tasks. Building a good rapport with the student and giving them a personalised experience in order to make good progress.

Recapping and building on the progress made in the previous lesson. Giving the students confidence with spelling, grammar and punctuation. Using effective resources and setting further learning tasks when needed.

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Personal Description:
Free 30-minute introductory session to ensure we are a good fit.

I specialise in KS2 and KS3 English and creative writing with a particular focus on 11+ exam prep. To date, my students have a 100% pass rate for their intended independent schools.

I was not a great student as a child. Rigid and rote teaching sucked all the appreciation I might have had from learning. That is, until I returned to education in my late 20s and, over the course of two bachelor's and master's degrees, discovered just how rewarding it can be. Partly because of this reason (and partly because I simply love sharing knowledge!), I began a new career in teaching and for the past 9 years - with over 600 hours of teaching logged - I have made a point of injecting colour into a learning world that, for many students, has become drab and monochrome.

Outside of teaching, I love my arts and crafts - from drawing and painting to cross-stitching and model-building. I love being creative! And that feeds into my teaching. I'm fairly laidback and relaxed and try to instil that in my students as well and give them the confidence to ask questions without the fear of being rebuked or ridiculed.

Teaching Experience:
My experience as a tutor ranges from lecturing screenwriting at Anglia Ruskin University, where I am an associate lecturer, to almost ten years of tutoring at an advanced studies summer school at one of Cambridge's prestigious colleges, and over 600 hours of private 1-to-1 tuition. In addition to these regular teaching commitments, I am often asked to give lectures on the art of creative writing to visiting international students at Cambridge University.

After some less than pleasant experiences at school, I returned to education in my late 20s. I attended an Access to HE course specialising in creative writing, English literature and journalism, from which I graduated top of my class with a distinction.
I then achieved a BA (with honours) degree in Writing and Film Studies, graduating again top of my class with a first. In addition, I was awarded the McLeod Prize for highest average mark for any student within the entire faculty of Arts, Law and Social Sciences and the award for Best Major Writing Project, which were the opening chapters of a novel which went on to win numerous literary prizes.

I followed this up with a master's degree in creative writing on one of the top master's programmes in the world (at the University of East Anglia), from which I graduated with a distinction.

Tutoring Approach:
I believe that confidence is a big part of success, and confident students make emboldened decisions in their learning, so I will be your child's biggest supporter. Every child is a unique individual who has their own way of learning so every lesson is tailored to their needs with no comparisons or judgements.

The following topics are covered in both KS2 and KS3:
Comprehension; reading; inference skills/verbal reasoning
Grammar; spelling; vocabulary expansion
Creative writing; sentence and story structure; description and characterisation.

Monthly reports will be issued to parents of students to keep you up to date with your child`s progress.

I also provide creative writing for all ages and novel-writing mentoring; and for older students: essay writing skills and editing of university papers. I am the author of eight published novels, which have won numerous awards, and one screenplay/film. I am so passionate about writing that I am constantly reading about it and keeping on top of new techniques. As a result, I have a wealth of knowledge that is wasted on just me alone and I wish to share it with equally motivated people who want to learn more about English and/or creative writing.

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Personal Description:
I am as second year primary education student at Liverpool Hope university with a specialism in special educational needs and disabilities with a passion for helping everyone find their place. Having spent much of my training during the COVID pandemic, I am well versed with teaching online as well as face to face, and I am willing to adapt to suit the needs of individual learners.

Teaching Experience:
Prior to attending university, I lived in Australia for five months, volunteering in a school as a sports assistant, where my role was to assist the full time teachers and cover the primary PE classes when the teacher was not available. Further teaching has included block placements in both the early years foundation stage and lower key stage two, teaching a range of subjects that are not limited to maths and English, providing me with a range of experience across the primary school years.

Tutoring Approach:
As a tutor, I will help identify each individual's needs and work with them to find the best solution to support them and help them achieve what they need through a variety of engaging activities. I will always attempt to provide a fun approach to learning whilst remaining approachable and professional.

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Personal Description:
I am a Qualified Lecturer of English and an Examiner for GCSE English Language & Literature.
I have 23-years experience of teaching all levels and abilities of English.

Teaching Experience:
Teaching all levels from Key stage 2 to GCSE and A-Level
I also have experience teaching ESOL since 2002
Teaching on an ASDAN programme with the PRU & NEET cohorts.
Eleven Plus tuition support also offered.

Tutoring Approach:
I enthuse, motivate, inspire and generate the best results from all students.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Finished my Higher education in 2021 and after that I started teaching students as a home tutor. I have been teaching several students throughout the years as I am enough passionate about teaching and like to share my knowledge with children. And I personally think being kind, helpful and friendly can be a key to unlock one's interest towards their goals. Life is beautiful. We can tackle everything together with love and care utmost.

Teaching Experience:
I have been teaching for 2 years and my base subjects are Math, English and natural/ Environmental Science. And mostly I have experiences for primary and secondary stages. I was registered as both a home tutor and academic tutor.

Tutoring Approach:
Children often like to do whichever they find interesting and fun. Why not study? learning and gaining knowledge has no bound. My main goal has always been to arise their interests toward education and have to prove them it can bring fun moments and it is easier that way. Also Teacher-Student relation can be friendly enough to share everything so that one would not feel burdened or has to face hardships.

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Personal Description:
I'm Oliver - I have a passion for all things English and am looking for tutees happy to work over Zoom / Teams etc, either on weekday evenings or weekend mornings.

I hold a BA in English from The University of Liverpool and an MA also in English Literature.

Teaching Experience:
I have taught English for 9 years now across a number of schools in Merseyside and London. I currently work as a Lead Practitioner of English and Lead for Key Stage 4, though I have also previously led in my school on Key Stage 5 English Literature also.

I have also marked extensively at GCSE and A Level for the AQA exam board - so I know what students need to do to achieve marks - and have had a lot of success previously with predicting exam questions for GCSE Literature.

My particular specialisms are GCSE English Language, GCSE English Literature and A Level English Literature, particularly within the AQA specifications. I can be particularly of help also with the following set texts: Macbeth, Romeo
And Juliet, A Christmas Carol, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, An Inspector Calls, Power and Conflict Poetry.

Tutoring Approach:
I conduct tutoring sessions over zoom / teams etc. ideally in one or two hour slots so that progress can be made. To make the most of your time I like to get the tutee to do small bits of work in this time so that I can offer immediate feedback. I'm also happy to share all of my teaching resources to take away and work with

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