Lybster Entrance Exams Tutors and Lybster Entrance Exams Tuition

Personal Description:
Recently retired. Able to work away from home and willing to travel but charge £1 per mile to cover car expenses and time travelling. You can come to me. Married with son and grandchildren.

Teaching Experience:
35 years' teaching in junior and secondary schools. Head of English, Schools' Inspector and consultant. Dip. Sp.L.D. qualification. Recently, eight years' tutoring.

Tutoring Approach:
One-to-one, perhaps in your house. friendly, individual, personalised service, according to need and based on assessment and pupil or parent wishes. Normally one hour per week. Preferably for a year, at least, to achieve best results.

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Personal Description:
NEW AVAILABILITY - FROM SEPTEMBER 8TH 2025.

SPECIAL OFFER ++++ 2 STUDENTS TUTORED ONLINE TOGETHER IN ENGLISH - £17.50 EACH ++++

SPECIAL OFFER ++++ 2 STUDENTS TUTORED ONLINE TOGETHER IN MATHS - £17.50 EACH ++++

A LEVEL ENGLISH, POLITICS AND PSYCHOLOGY.



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I have been teaching GCSE and A level students with enthusiasm and passion for more than 20 years - and I achieve great results.

I currently tutor students in English Language, English Literature and Maths - in the evenings and at weekends.

I am familiar with all of the English prose and play texts, as well as poetry anthologies and tutor students for both GCSE and IGCSE English Language and Literature.

I also tutor students in GCSE and A level Maths - and am familiar with all of the syllabi (Edexcel; AQA; OCR).

I have successfully coached a number of students for Entrance exams in Coventry and Warwickshire - for Warwick, King's High, the merged Bablake & King Henry Schools and Solihull School.

I attained my English degree (BA Honours) from Stirling University in central Scotland.

In addition to my English degree, I have a second degree in Education (1st class Honours) from Stirling University, which allows me to teach GCSE Mathematics, Sociology, Psychology and Politics.


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Teaching Experience:
I have been teaching GCSE and A level English, Drama and Creative Writing for 20 years.

I was one of the 'pilot tutors' on Warwickshire County Council's Tutoring Programme for Children in Care, tutoring teenagers across Warwickshire in literacy.

I write all of my own lessons.

Tutoring Approach:
My style is engaging and enthusiastic. I have a passion for creative writing.

I tutor in the evenings and selected weekends, and set weekly written tasks to monitor students' progress.

A normal GCSE lesson lasts one hour, but I can offer 90-minute or two-hour sessions for AS/A level students.

I also specialise in creative writing workshops, and am a published author, contributing to a number of paid-for UK magazines.

I also tutor online via SKYPE and MICROSOFT TEAMS.

I have had excellent recent successes. In the most recent 2024 summer exams, four of my GCSE students scored A** (level 9) grades in Language.

All of my last four A level English students scored A grades.

I have also successfully tutored many students who have been accepted into Solihull School. Warwick School and King Henry/Bablake School in Coventry.

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Personal Description:
I am an experienced tutor. I have studied modern languages, art and design and I also have qualifications in law. I have had a varied career encompassing language teaching, translation, publishing and work in the charity sector. My wide interests and enquiring nature are invaluable assets in my teaching.

Teaching Experience:
English as a Foreign Language teaching experience in the UK and abroad, including for large schools and within companies, and private tuition 1-to-1. Adults and young learners.

Providing corporate training in Polish to groups of adult learners and also private tutoring to individuals.
I have been learning and translating Polish for 20 years, and I have lived and worked extensively in Poland. I have Polish family links.

Coaching for 11+ grammar school entrance exams. I have also provided general teaching support up to GCSE level in English and French to private students.

Tutoring Approach:
Friendly, encouraging and approachable, but thorough and focussed on successful learning. Very adaptable, and able to tailor lessons to suit individual learning styles, abilities and preferences.

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Personal Description:
I am a fully-qualified professional teacher with more than 30 years of teaching and tutoring experience, both in the UK and abroad. I regard myself as a friendly and approachable tutor, as well as honest and conscientious, and I pride myself on being able to communicate with students of all ages, from pre-teen to pensioner.

I am the father of two boys, and we live in the Sutton area. My wife and I successfully tutored our sons for Sutton's grammar schools (WCGS), and they have since both graduated from top Russell Group universities. My hobbies are limited to reading these days, and I am particularly fond of English Literature. Dickens and Hardy are two of my favourites, but I am also keen on modern and less serious writers, such as Tom Sharpe and the two Rankins - Robert and Ian.

Teaching Experience:
After obtaining my first degree in Spanish with Politics and Economics, I started teaching abroad; first in Spain, then in Turkey, and later in Central Asia and the Middle East. Since retraining as a teacher of English, I have taught for more than 15 years in the UK and almost 15 years abroad, where I was Head of Department at an Institute of Higher Education for three years.

Most recently I have taught English at an independent school in Sutton, and previous to that I taught Academic Writing for East Anglia University for several years. Nowadays my tutoring is split between English for the 11+ and Common Entrance (13+) exams, English for KS2 and KS3 SATs, and English, Spanish, Economics and Politics & Government for the GCSE and A-level exams (all boards).

11+ and 13+ (Common Entrance)
I am very happy to report that all but one of my twelve Eleven Plus tutees passed the SET (Selective Eligibility Test) for Sutton's grammar schools last September. Of these, 100% of them passed the second stage exam and obtained their first choice of grammar or independent school. I use a selection of published materials and those of my own creation, and insist on a high standard of weekly homework in reading, writing and language knowledge. For 11+ pupils I start tutoring in Year 4 or 5, whereas 13+ pupils begin in Year 7 or 8.

KS2 and KS3 SATs
I usually start tutoring for the KS2 SATS in Year 5, and in Year 8 for the KS3 SATs. I tend to use a mixture of focused texts and past papers.

GCSE and A-level
I am equally happy to report that all of my most recent GCSE and A-level students have passed well, with top grades from B to A* (A-level) and 6-9 (GCSE). The majority of those have gone on to their first choice of further and higher education institutes, and in most cases this has been achieved by my insisting on regular homework done to a high standard. For GCSE pupils I prefer to start tutoring at some time in Year 10, whereas A-level students typically begin around Year 12.

I also provide individual tutoring in ESSAY WRITING and STUDY SKILLS, as my experience has taught me that many students at GCSE, A-level and undergraduate level face real problems in these areas. By working together on your essays, substantial improvements can be made in style, organisation, argument, presentation, and much more. This way, I can teach you how produce more effective and mature essays, and thus help you to obtain better grades and increase your confidence in producing written work.

Tutoring Approach:
With every tutee I carry out an initial assessment of his/her needs and abilities, and my teaching begins from there. Typically I work on improving their weaknesses and consolidating their strengths, and this essentially involves them producing high-quality homework on a regular basis. I use both established published materials and those that I have created myself over the years. This approach appears to be successful, and I can provide references.

Over the past twelve years I have successfully tutored students for the following schools and universities:

Schools: Sutton Grammar, Wilsons, Wallington County, Wallington High, Nonsuch, Whitgift, Trinity, Wimbledon High, Kings School, City of London, Reigate Grammar, Caterham School, St John's, Westminster, Epsom College, Ewell Castle, and many others.

Universities: Manchester, Warwick, City, East Anglia, St Martins, Lincoln, Kings, LSE, UCL, Nottingham, Reading, Birmingham, Bournemouth, and several others.

Please note that my fees are very affordable, bearing in mind that I travel to your house and offer a personalised tutoring programme.

I currently charge between £45 and £50 per hour, depending on subject and level.

NB: Any tutoring that involves more than 6 miles travel (round trip) usually incurs a small extra charge.

If you are looking for a fully-qualified, highly-experienced and versatile tutor, you need look no further. Here are a few messages from some of my most recent successful tutees:

Hello Jeff, I just got my IELTS results and I FINALLY passed it! Listening 8, Reading 7.5, Writing 7, Speaking 7.5 and it's 7.5 overall. I would like to THANK you sooooo MUCH for your help and all advice you have given me! It would not be possible otherwise. (Vanja)

Sam got into Wilsons and we are pretty sure that his English performance carried him through. Sam said we ought to say 'thanks' to you as you made a massive difference to his standard of English in a very short period of time. Not sure how, but you made something click in his brain where his school teachers had failed! (Cathy)

Hi Jeff, hope you are well. I am extremely delighted to tell you that Rick has a place at Westminster, and we are going ahead with that. He has also had offers from HABS, KCS and RGS Guildford. Thank you so much for all your support. (Animesh)

Hi Jeff, just to let you know that Dillon got a place at Sutton Grammar on Monday. He also received places at Whitgift, Trinity and Epsom. We have decided to accept Sutton Grammar, and thank you for all your help and time.
Thanks - Paulomi and Dillon.

Dear Jeff! Thanks you so much for tutoring me last year. You have helped my English greatly and without your advice and guidance I would have had a nervous breakdown when I was given the task of an essay. You taught me about causal connectives, signpost words, paragraph structure and much more vital strategies of writing an amazing essay.
Finally, I am happy that I got a place at Wilsons and know I would have failed the English language test without what you taught me. I am very grateful that you gave up your time to help me pass.
Yours Sincerely, Makar

Hi Jeff, I hope you're well. I just wanted to let you know that Andriy got offered a place at Whitgift and we have accepted it. Thank you very much for helping and recommending this great school to us. Andriy is really excited about it and cannot wait to start.
(Oksana)

Dear Jeff, sorry for the delayed reply as we are in India. Rishi has done well, has received English Language 9 and English Literature 7, and scored 8 in six other subjects. He could achieve good results only because of your support. Thanking you.
(Chandra)

Hi Jeff, I am pleased to inform you that Mahati cleared the 2nd round. Her cut-off score is 354. We hope she gets into either of the two schools. Thanks a lot for your support throughout.
(Sassi)

Hi Jeff, Tamana's results have come in for the Sutton Stage 2 test. She has passed with a relatively good score of 315, and based on last year's stats, she should get in comfortably to Nonsuch or Wallington. Thanks for all your lessons that significantly helped her in the preparations.
(Vedant)

Hi Jeff, hope you're doing good. We have got the exam outcome, and Samrudha is able to apply for Nonsuch. Her score is 309, and the highest total score is 389. Secondly she has cleared Tiffin's Stage 1 test and has been invited for Stage 2 on November 11, and we would like to take your help whenever possible.
(Kirthi)

Hi Jeff, I just wanted to let you know that Ed passed the entrance exams for all three schools. Thank you so much for all your support! (Emma)

Hello Jeff, I hope you are well. Vivaan passed the exams for Wilson's, Wallington and Sutton. He also got through Tiffins Stage 1. Thanks very much for your help and support! His English improved massively under your guidance.
Kind regards
Jyothi

Subjects

Personal Description:
Friendly private tuition available from highly experienced PhD qualified, DBS certified tutor and examiner from the award winning top 3 private tutors in Oxford
Maths, further maths, science, engineering, statistics, computer, Economics, Business studies
Essay/thesis structuring and editing
FACE-to-FACE/ ONLINE tuition

For GCSE, igcse, A-levels, IB, HND, diploma, University and adult learners

Common entrance exams- GMAT, GRE, SAT, STEP, GAMSAT, UKCAT, BMAT,
psychometric test, interview preparation

Teaching Experience:
I have been teaching for more than ten years.

Do not provide academic essay writing services or services that allow people to hire others to take standardized tests for them.
Is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all to share this commitment.
Supports Pratham UK, a charity organization for children, which works to help make a difference through educating children.

Tutoring Approach:
I am very friendly and patient.

Service offered
Special attention to students with learning difficulties i.e. dyslexia
After school support/ homework help
Help in UCAS application
Entrance/ mock exam preparation
Interview preparation
Thesis writing and structuring
School/ University/ Course selection
Motivating students to be more focused and organised
Unique strategy for individual student based on their ability and requirments
Ready to travel to students place

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Personal Description:
Super-tutor with a 1st Class Masters from Cambridge University and over 14 years of experience.

I have tutored internationally for high-profile and UHNW families, but also work online with students on a weekly basis. My style is fun and engaging, with a focus on confidence-building as well as achieving academic results.

Teaching Experience:
- 1st Class B.A. (Hons) in Education Studies with English and Drama from the University of Cambridge, 4 As at A-level (English, Biology, Geography and Theatre Studies) and 11 A*s at GCSE.
- Over 14 years (4000+ hours) experience as a Private Tutor.
- Have tutored around the world, travelling with families and living with them domestically.
- Extensive experience with students suffering from dyslexia, petit mal, ADHD and anxiety.
- 100% success rate in improving GCSE and A-level students' performance by a minimum of 2 grades or to the top possible grade.
- Successfully helped students get into schools including Eton College, Harrow, Westminster, Kings (Wimbledon), Sevenoaks, Winchester, St Paul's Girls, City of London, Godolphin & Latimer, Francis Holland School, Harrodian, Sussex House and Putney High School, and universities including Cambridge, Bristol, Edinburgh and Georgetown, US.

Tutoring Approach:
I am the tutor who is also the friend, always working to ensure the child learns to love the subject and want improvement for themselves, not because I demand it of them. As a result of my time, I want the child to develop positively as a person as well as within the subject we are working on.

Firstly, I will always aim to find the areas the child is having the most difficulty with and break it down to its simplest form to help them understand. Once a child has understood the basic principle of what we are learning, I aim to push them as far as I can with their learning - my memory of the best teacher's I had at school were the teacher's who pushed me even further than I needed to go, and who gave me more knowledge and information than I needed to know. I then found that I entered my exams relaxed and confident, knowing that I had excess knowledge. Rather than learning just to answer set questions in an exam, I felt I truly understood those subjects.




TESTIMONIALS:
"Thank you for working so hard with Annabel. She has improved so much and genuinely enjoys all her sessions with you, which is a huge achievement for time spent doing maths and english in my view!"
Mother of Annabel (11+ Preparation)

"Lucy has been the best teacher ever and has taught me so much. If I pass any exams, it will be because of her awesome advice!"
Hana (11+ Preparation)

"I would like to thank Lucy for giving Julian such a thorough preparation so that he had confidence to deal with the tasks. His brilliant results are largely thanks to her help."
Mother of Julian (English Lit GCSE)

"Cecilia is deeply dyslexic and Lucy was able to take her from a modest level of writing to an A in English Literature. She was absolutely amazing, the best tutor my daughter ever had. Her ability to organise and simplify the work were crucial in achieving this result. But more importantly she was able to give Cecilia the self confidence she was lacking."
Mother of Cecilia (English Lit A-level)

"It was fantastic having Lucy here with us and she slotted into everything with such ease. She was a delight to have around."
Father of Etta and Artie (Year 2 homeschooling, domestic)

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Personal Description:
I am an enthusiastic, young and passionate tutor with much experience in the field of teaching. With my confidence and ability to teach at varied ages I feel that I am a competent tutor for students struggling with any facet of the education cycle in schools.

I only teach females.

Teaching Experience:
I am the Head of English at an all-through school in East London. I have a varied and wide experience with teaching students of all abilities and backgrounds.

I am a qualified teacher who enjoys a challenge and has a passion for helping others reach their fullest potential.

I have experience with students all ages and abilities.

Tutoring Approach:
I feel that teaching learners at a personal level requires a particular mindset, the pedagogical approach would be catered to my learner's needs and ability. I would first take a diagnostic test of my student and then proceed with the best course of action for this tutee, using my experience from my PGCE year and my current teaching practice, I would teach accordingly.

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Personal Description:
I have been working as a highly successful English tutor since 2007. Additionally, in 2012, I worked three days a week in an independent girls' school in Exeter, providing one-to-one support for a girl in Year 9 and also taught English Literature to Year 7 & Year 13 classes. I live near Bridport in Dorset.

I have a passion for the written word and its performance in poetry and drama.

I have grown-up children and grandchildren, and am very interested in how young people view and contribute to the world in which they live.

I gained an MA (with Merit) in Postcolonial Studies from SOAS, University of London in 2015 and a First Class Joint Honours BA in English and Classics from the University of Reading in 1996.

I teach online via Skype and other platforms, often incorporating Google Documents. Skype has proved to be a highly successful way of teaching and I now teach across the globe using this medium.

Teaching Experience:
I have been a highly successful English tutor for many years. Most of my client base is private but I also work for a top London tuition agency. I am a highly experienced tutor and currently have students in English Language & Literature from KS 2 to 'A' level/IB. I specialise in 11+,13 + and Common Entrance exams. My students have been awarded places at many schools, including Eton, Harrow, Winchester, Sevenoaks, The Perse Cambridge, Magdalen School Oxford, Oxford High School for Girls and grammar schools in London.

I also work with undergraduates & postgraduates in various disciplines, providing guidance in the structure of their essays, particularly dissertations, and academic writing. In 2019, the two undergraduate students I have supported (at the University of Exeter and University of Edinburgh) have each gained First Class classifications, both in their dissertation and overall degree.

Additionally, in 2014/15 I tutored the complete AQA GCSE Classical Civilisation syllabus to a Year 9 student via Skype, who obtained an A as her final grade.

I also have experience in helping adults with their business English and have written marketing copy for the commercial sector.

Tutoring Approach:
When I tutor a student, I search for a 'tailor-made' way to help increase their self-esteem and confidence. This enhances the learning they already receive in the classroom. The study of texts offers student and tutor alike not only an opportunity to develop communication one with another but also insight into the life experiences of others, both in past generations and the wider world today.

I have helped numerous students to achieve higher than their predicted grades at both GCSE, IB and 'A' level and have many excellent references available. I work with students in the independent and state school sectors and with varying levels of academic ability.

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Personal Description:
I am a british born multi-skilled Business Management Post-Graduate with a flexible and proactive approach to work. I hold many transferable skills gained in positions, detained alongside studies since leaving school. I am a friendly, approachable individual with a smart appearance and professional manner. My fee is dependent on lesson plans, books/course materials required, travel time/expenses incurred and the number of hours requested.

Teaching Experience:
I have been working as a p/t Tutor for 7 years, Assisting primary school students up to Key Stage 3 in English, Maths and preparing for 11+/SATS Exams. I have also worked at various tuition centres and colleges.

Completed:

Safeguarding Children & Vulnerable Adult's training
Child Protection training
Childcare & Classroom Work programs
Support Work in Schools course
Training, Assessment, Quality & Assurance course
Enhanced CRB
Employment Related Services course

Additionally, I help adults with ICT, Business studies and Employment Advice e.g CV'S, Cover Letters, Application Forms and Proofreading. I am based in Kings Heath but can also do home visits. Please email me for further information.

Tutoring Approach:
I am passionate about helping pupils and strive to improve their learning. I have a strong belief in getting students to reach their full potential and even exceed it. I can build good relationships with students and have a caring nature. I believe that every child matters and that understanding a child's individual needs is paramount to their academic success. I also believe that confidence in their ability has a lot to be accounted for. Therefore, I offer not only a boost to their ability but to increase their academic success!

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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.

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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:
JULIA
Drama, Performance and Voice Tutor
English Tutor

I am an enthusiastic and dynamic individual and am passionate about all aspects of performance. As well as going to the theatre I enjoy singing and going to festivals
I gained my LLAM Diploma from London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in 2003 and since then I have been teaching hundreds of students across the country.

I can tutor English Key stage one and two. Each lesson will be a combination of grammar and writing.

Are you keen to learn more about acting but not sure where to start?
Desperate to perform but too shy to audition?
Do you need help to improve your public speaking and presentation skills?
Does your voice require further development and training?
Interview skills need further attention?
Struggling with GCSE or A level drama?
Do you want help with drama school auditions?
Do you want to enter drama examinations and festivals?

I can help with all these.

Teaching Experience:
In 2000, I created "Stand and Deliver" Drama Schools which I ran for 15 years.I have taught Speech and Drama at a number of major schools in Bristol and the South-west including Taunton Preparatory School, Red Maids School, Redland High School and Clifton College, For the past 15 years I have been a Drama, Performance and Voice Tutor at Bristol Grammar School. I also ran my own boutique theatrical agency in London and Bristol. Many of my students appeared on television and in theatre. Credits include "Skins", E4, "Larkrise to Candleford", BBC1, "Mistresses", BBC1, "Billy Elliot", West End Production,

In January 2019, I formed Stand and Deliver Youth Theatre and now have 2 successful youth theatres in Bristol. I also tutor from home,

Tutoring Approach:
Teaching English and Drama is not a job but is a passion for me - I believe every student has a unique voice and that is my philosophy when teaching. My dynamism and passion is infectious and promotes excellent learning. My aim is to ensure that students have the same passion as I do, by fully involving them in all aspects of my sessions.
.

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Personal Description:
I am a fully qualified science teacher based in London. I thrive when helping my students to reach their full academic potential. Whilst science can be a challenging subject for students to grasp, I find it highly rewarding when pupil have the "lightbulb moment" of understanding they are working to master.

I am hugely passionate about maths and science, stemming from my own educational journey culminating in my degree in biology. Even outside of formal learning, I enjoy staying up to date on the latest scientific news and research. I believe it is essential to link the work of my students to the world around them, which makes their studies more relevant to their day to day lives, increasing engagement and improving results.

Outside of school teaching and tutoring, I enjoy rowing, running and reading.

Teaching Experience:
I am a qualified secondary biology teacher and have taught both science and maths in UK secondary schools. I am familiar with all major examination boards, as well as the national curriculum for primary and KS3 students. I have taught a range of pupils including those of very high ability and those with special educational needs. Due to the disruption to education this academic year, I also have experience of 1 to 1 intervention catch up sessions with pupils most impacted by lost learning time this year.

I have tutored primary school, KS3, GCSE and A level maths and science students. I have provided 1 to 1 support for students of varying academic ability, with some pupils striving for top grades whilst others needing support to achieve a pass grade. The students I have taught have varying levels of motivation when it comes to their education. I have found that 1 to 1 tuition has a positive impact on students' attitude to learning, as it provides them with clear structure outside of the distractions that can come with a classroom setting.

If you would like any further information on my experience relating to your child's educational needs please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Tutoring Approach:
My approach is informed by the latest educational research, with a focus on traditional learning methods which prioritise understanding and application of knowledge.

After discussing goals with the student and parents, I design a long term lesson plan in order to maximise session time and help track the progress of the learner over our sessions. My tutoring sessions are focussed on equipping students with the subject knowledge required to succeed and then providing opportunities for them to consolidate this knowledge by applying it in context. At all stages, it is crucial for pupils to be provided with opportunities for exam practice and this is a central focus for me when preparing my students to succeed.

Both parents and pupils have a clear understanding of what is to be expected from tutoring sessions. This builds motivation and confidence, as the progress of my tutees can easily be tracked against their initial goals. In order to consolidate learning further, I am happy to advise on additional work that can be completed outside of tutoring sessions.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am a married mother of 2 grown up children. I am passionate about education, I'm a school governor in my spare time!, but I also enjoy going to the gym and travelling.

Teaching Experience:
I am an ex primary school headteacher with 30 years experience in both the maintained and independent sectors. I am also a school governor and inspector so you can see I'm very interested in education!
I aim to make all my lessons fun and tailor them to the needs of the individual child whether they are working towards their 11+ examinations, SATs or just need that extra boost in their confidence; I have supported numerous children in all these situations.
I have also supported children with additional needs with particular experience in dyslexia, dyscalculia and ADHD.
I am fully insured and have an enhanced DBS certificate.

Tutoring Approach:
I listen to both the parents and the child and work with them to ensure that they enjoy the sessions and make progress every week. I incorporate games and practical work within my sessions. I work from my home where I have room completely set up for teaching with all my resources close at hand.

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.'

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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:
Based in central Worcester, I am a highly experienced teacher with extensive tutoring experience who passionately believes that one-to-one tuition can overhaul your child's skills, performance, and confidence - both at home and school.

Teaching Experience:
My experience ranges from large primary schools in areas of social deprivation to small rural schools, with my current senior leadership role in an Alternate Provision school in Gloucester where I teach students upto GCSE-level. I have developed a comprehensive toolkit of strategies to enable all students to make outstanding progress, irrespective of their individual needs.

As a tutor I have supported children with diverse needs, from a simple lack of confidence to more complex learning difficulties. I have also successfully prepared students for entrance examinations, including the 11Plus.

Tutoring Approach:
As a teacher, I recognise that there is only so much that students can achieve in a school setting. Class numbers are often high, children's learning needs are varied, and teachers' contact time with students is limited. The school system is generally excellent, but individual tutoring can help students to achieve so much more!

My tutoring philosophy is based on partnership. Understanding your child's needs is crucial, so I'll carry out a detailed assessment to formulate a three-point action plan for the first six weeks, enabling your child to experience real success and boost their confidence.

After this, the action plan will be constantly reviewed and updated, enabling your child to build upon their achievements to become more confident and proficient both in tutorials and at school.

My tutoring sessions will:
- Build confidence and enjoyment.
- Be fun, engaging, but challenging.
- Build resilience and an 'I can do' approach.
- Help your child to find workarounds when a problem occurs.
- Be personalised to your child's needs.
- Provide follow-up homework, if requested.

At all times, I'll ensure you receive feedback about your child's progress and achievements, with dedicated feedback time at the end of every session.

To find out more, simply get in touch!

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am currently studying Medicine at university. Before then I undertook a gap year, where I spent the time tutoring students. I have managed to tutor students who were failing in their prelims, helping them to achieving an A in their final exam. I have also worked with students with Dyslexia. I enjoy teaching and helping other people with subjects that I myself really enjoyed doing. I primarily tutor English and entrance into medical school. I am friendly, patience and professional.

Teaching Experience:
I have tutored many clients, friends and family and I myself have undergone many years of tutoring. I have also volunteered in classrooms, where I've helped students with their work. Furthermore, I am also part of the charity organisation, where I mentor students applying to Medicine. I believe that everyone learns differently and I strive to find the best teaching methods for everyone.

Tutoring Approach:
Throughout the years, I have made many resources and learnt different ways to effectively approach coursework and exams. I will make sure that my clients are thoroughly informed on the structure and marking requirements for each exam question. I will also provide a wide range of resources to my tutees. I will share my valuable knowledge, tips and tricks during the tutoring sessions; ensuring that all my students reach their own potentials.

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Personal Description:
Hey there - thank you for checking out my profile. I am a qualified and practicing GP based in London. I studied as St Georges University of London, graduating in 2018. I have a wide array of experiences within the medical specialties and several years teaching and tutoring experience. I am a patient, reliable and trustworthy person and ensure any pupil of mine will be encouraged to reach their full potential and much more. I am full of enthusiasm and believe everyone has the ability to obtain good grades with hard work and perseverance in order to have a bright and promising future. This has been proven with all of the tuition jobs I have taken on.
I have special interests in medical school 1-1 OSCE preparation, interview preparation, as well as mentoring students who would like to get into medical school, and currently work in a GP Practice which specialises in work experience for A-Level students as well as clinical placements for medical students, attached to a number of medical schools.

Teaching Experience:
I have over 10 years of private tutoring experience. I also have several years experience as a medical clinical skills tutor, achieving the top 10% as a medical student at university in OSCE examinations. I have played an active role in teaching and supervising medical students from several London-based medical schools for over 5 years. I currently work as a clinical supervisor for medical students during my clinical work as a GP.
I have obtained good reviews across the board and find tutoring a rewarding job to see pupils grow and achieve their full potential.

Tutoring Approach:
I believe in assessing the needs of my tutee and tailoring a programme specifically for those needs. Whilst a systematic and disciplined approach is essential, each student is unique and I believe in working closely with you for target your specific concerns and areas of improvement. I believe the best way for a person to learn is through bursts of theory and a lot of worked examples and practice.
Most importantly, I believe in finding ways to enjoy learning and as a result, remaining curious and inquisitive as medics for the exciting career ahead of you.

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