West Wimbledon Entrance Exams Tutors and West Wimbledon Entrance Exams Tuition

Personal Description:
I am a qualified teacher having been awarded a PGCE from the University of Cambridge. I also have a First Class Bachelors degree. I previously taught at Queen's College Preparatory School, London and now teach online for Eton College. I am a member of the professional body for tutors.

I have four young children of my own and enjoy working with children and helping them to become interested in and succeed in school work. All of my children attend UK independent schools and I have extensive experience in this sector.

I have helped students prepare for and succeed in gaining entry to top UK selective schools at 4+, 7+, 11+ and 13+. I have also successfully helped students obtain full academic scholarships to several independent schools as well as helping those secure a place who find exams difficult. All lessons are online via Zoom.

Teaching Experience:
Qualified from the University of Cambridge with a PGCE. I taught for two years at Queen's College Preparatory School, London before starting private tuition. I have been tutoring for 15 years in English, Maths, Science, Reasoning and Interview Skills. Further private tutoring for 4+, 7+, 11+ and 13+ School Entrance Exams, Scholarship Exams, Common Entrance Exams and the ISEB pre-test. I also provide guidance on school selection and have written a guide to the top independent schools in the UK and their admissions processes. It is never too early to start preparation for competitive school entrance exams and many students prepare for several years.

Tutoring Approach:
Tailor made approach for each individual suited to help students get the best grade possible in exams. Homework is given after each lesson and feedback is provided to parents. My students have several online learning tools that they can use. One is very similar to the ISEB pre-test and another is an online reading platform where thousands of books can be read along with comprehension, spelling and vocabulary questions.

I teach online using Zoom and have helped UK and international students prepare for entrance exams to selective schools such as Eton, Harrow, Radley, Wycombe Abbey, Westminster, King's College School, Magdalen, Guildford High School, St Paul's, Downe House, Winchester, Brighton College, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge, City of London, Hampton, Concord College, North London Collegiate, The Perse, St Edward's, Charterhouse, Marlborough and Cheltenham Ladies' College. I regularly use WeChat and WhatsApp to communicate with parents that are overseas so I can be easily contacted. I have extensive experience teaching children from all over the world who do not have English as a first language. I have taught children in China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, The USA, The UK, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Dubai, The Seychelles and The Maldives.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am a qualified teacher and former Headteacher of a successful school with significant teaching expertise at KS1 and KS2. I am also a qualified SENCO and have vast experience in SEN. I set high standards for all my pupils and help them to achieve academic success. I am able to offer tuition in English, Maths and Science at both key stages and tuition for 11+ and common entrance examinations. I travel to you by negotiation. I can provide excellent references on request from past and present clients who have achieved and continue to achieve success in their studies at all levels. I enjoy seeing my pupils make rapid progress and achieving a high level of academic success.

Teaching Experience:
I specialise in English, Maths, SEN, Entrance Examinations at 7+ and 11+ and tuition for pupils who need to catch up, lack confidence and skills and need support to improve. I have vast experience teaching within excellent local schools and I am currently a Headteacher in a large local primary school. I teach children on a 1-2-1 basis to ensure that they receive the additional input that they need in order to achieve. I specialise in assisting children who lack confidence in specific areas and I am able to assist these children in improving their skill levels within their own school. I can provide excellent references on request from many happy pupils and parents.

Tutoring Approach:
I am a patient and understanding tutor with the ability to communicate effectively with both adults and children. My aim is to ensure that pupils develop additional skills and increased confidence in their studies. I make my lessons fun and enjoyable for pupils so that they are able to enjoy learning and are keen to attend my tutoring sessions. I keep parents updated on their children's progress on a regular basis and encourage children to share worries about specific subject areas so that we can explore them together.

Subjects

Personal Description:
With nearly 15 years of online and in-person tutoring French Common Entrance/13+, Westminster Challenge, Winchester entrance, GCSE, IGCSE, A-level, Pre-U, and SAT, I`m a 50-year old graduate of the excellent University of Sussex languages course with a First Class Honours degree in French and Russian. I lived for four years in Paris where I mastered the language and the accent!

I have also acted in plays in French, taking on the role of Alphonse in a production of The School for Wives, and touring to schools abroad to perform in front of students learning French elsewhere in Europe.

I like to stay abreast of French culture and society, read Le Figaro everyday, and regularly watch French TV news and discussion shows.

Teaching Experience:
I have tutored students at all levels, from 13+ entrance exams, including the Westminster Challenge, to most UK exam boards at GCSE, IGCSE and A-level, and I have also helped prepare students for their SAT in French and the DELF exam. I've taught adults who are complete beginners, or have some vague memories of what they learned at school, as well as helping several students gain entry to Westminster School via their Challenge exam

Since the switch to mostly online teaching, I have become an expert in making the most of the resources available, particularly the collaborative tools provided by Google, among others, which are particularly good for working on exercises and explaining grammar in a clear, helpful way.

Successes from the last (2019-20) academic year included: an two As at A-level, and two 9s at IGCSE, as well as entrance to Winchester College via their own exam.

For A-level students, I have already taught Camus's L'Etranger, Françoise Sagan's Bonjour Tristesse, Joseph Joffo's Un Sac de Billes, and Zola's Thérèse Raquin, and am very familiar with all the other set texts. Au Revoir Les Enfants, Intouchables, Entre Les Murs (The Class) and La Haine are the films I am best acquainted with from a teaching point of view.

Here are some comments from a few previous students - originals available on request.

'We could not have asked for a better result - A*s! He got full marks for the reading paper. Thanks so much for all your help, and patience.' - Margaret (parent of home-schooled GCSE student)

'Henry won a scholarship to Westminster. Exactly what he was aiming for." (Leslie, student's mother)

`Thank you so much for all your patient hard work - you taught her exactly the right stuff and there is no way she could have done it without you! I really didn`t think it was possible to teach the whole year 7 curriculum in a week but somehow you managed it. Tiffin Girls is one of the top state schools in the country and rather competitive. Chatting to the other parents outside the exam, most of the competitors went to good independents or had been tutored over a long period of time. You really knew not only what to teach but how to teach it, which shows you have exceptional skills.` - Anoushka (pupil`s mother)

`Just thought I should let you know I got an A! Thanks for all your help` - Helena (A-level student)

'I ended up with an "A"... thanks for all your help, both my spoken papers improved, over my previous efforts.' - Philip, mature student sitting AS and A2 French

Tutoring Approach:
It is important to tailor lessons specifically to a student's needs, but my general method is to engage him or her at a level just above their 'comfort zone'. Learning is about challenging yourself to do better, and it is crucial for a tutor to be supportive and encouraging, and also to keep the bar high.

Lessons can be conducted entirely in French, or in a mixture of English and French. I can work alongside a student's existing course (that is, from a textbook a student is already following), or we can use course books that I recommend.

Where the level allows, I like to draw upon material from contemporary sources such as French news magazines.

For "conversation classes", I find it is useful to base the discussion on an article or a book to help build vocabulary, and also think that incorporating grammar instruction (where appropriate) can be a good idea.

Subjects

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.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Hello, and thank you so much for reading my tutoring profile. For busy parents, school leaders and occasional journalists, this opening section offers a quick summary of my professional highlights, with more details below if you'd like to know more. It would be lovely to hear from you :)

MY CAREER HIGHLIGHTS SO FAR

⦿ Award-winning teacher at my first school (Departmental Award for "Commitment to Cascading Teaching Excellence")

⦿ 20 years'+ experience in the UK's toughest Secondary and Further Education classrooms

⦿ Head of Department; Examiner Experience (Various Exam Boards); GCSE Resit Programme Manager; Advanced Teaching Practitioner; NEA Internal Verifier; Lead for Development of Departmental Higher Education Provision; Lead for Departmental UCAS Applications; Behaviour Management Coach; Learning Mentor for "Gifted and Talented" Programme; Teacher Training Mentor liaising with Ofsted

⦿ BA (Hons), MRes (Dist) and PGCE trained, with Qualified Teacher and Lecturer Status

⦿ Prize-winning postgraduate at University of Warwick for ground-breaking research that made: "a genuine contribution to the discipline of International Relations"

⦿ A leading tutor in the online space, with over 37,000+ tutor sessions delivered across 42 countries (including delivering education to children in Ukrainian and Sudanese warzones via Elon Musk's Starlink)

⦿ Expert in 7/11+ Entrance Exams/GCSE/A Level/Degree/Postgraduate/UCAS Applications/Academic Mentoring/Career Planning/Property Investment Masterclasses

⦿ Subject specialisms of English, Maths, Biology, History, International Relations and Entrance Exams

⦿ Proud to be rated 5 stars on leading review and social media platforms

⦿ Global educational consultant sought out for occasional media appearances (Radio 4, BBC)

⦿ A successful property entrepreneur and mentor to entrants into the industry, with a former property company managing £54 million of real estate nationally, developments totalling £16 million+ and fortunate enough to have built a personal portfolio of circa £3.1 million thus far

⦿ Currently researching my first educational book for sale via Amazon, exploring how to engage disenchanted learners

⦿ In my (few!) spare moments, I enjoy raising our two daughters with my wife, travelling in Tuscany, hiking in the Malvern Hills, and supporting Manchester United

⦿ As my record hopefully shows, I am a renowned tutor, with an outstanding track record of success both in the classroom, as well as in the property world

⦿ If you're looking to work with one of the leading global tutors in the industry with a proven track-record of commercial success too, then feel free to get in touch, and I'll always do my best to help

Please read on, if you'd like to know a little more about my educational and professional journey.

►► MY STORY ◄◄

I am currently a grade-one "outstanding" teacher in my present school, and have been delivering KS3, GCSE and A Level English, Maths and History in the secondary and sixth-form sectors for the past 16 years, in which time my results have far surpassed national pass rates. Moreover, due to these outstanding results and innovative teaching methods, I have served as Assistant Head of Department; helping us to be awarded an internal grade 1 "outstanding" rating for the 6 years in which I held the post. Furthermore, I also have extensive experience as an "Advanced Practitioner"-tasked with turning around failing cohorts in some of the UK's toughest classrooms, as well as my time as an examiner for a variety of GCSE/A Level exam boards.

Moreover, due to this long history of being a stand-out professional in the education sector, my advice has been sought out for occasional media and radio appearances for discussions on educational policy, whilst also being head-hunted to tutor the children of prominent public figures including Premiership footballers, Olympic athletes, luminaries of the business world, and even the family of a Nobel Prize winner for a month-which was awesome!

Furthermore, in also being an accomplished property developer with my own UK real-estate portfolio and honorary co-founder of a former property company alongside my partner, I have acted as a business mentor to Year 11 students on entrepreneurship, and how to begin their own journey in property investment, which has seen me guide some of the UK's brightest new generation of business leaders.

In my remaining spare time, I am currently engaged in the pre-reading for the start of my future PHD in International Relations, during which I will be studying the geopolitics of any superpower conflict over Taiwan. Furthermore, I enjoy travelling extensively in our second home of Tuscany with my young family, supporting Manchester United, playing the drums, and playing the PlayStation (although not as much as I used to, these days!)

As my full and varied career has hopefully shown, I have a passion for English, maths, history, and the 11+ exams, taking great pride in providing the best academic and pastoral support I can, whilst hopefully being an outstanding role-model for all of my students, as I help them forge their way in the world.

►► QUALIFICATIONS ◄◄

PHD (Start Pending) in International Relations at London School of Economics-will analyse the geostrategic relationship between the USA and China in an era of rising multipolarity.

--MRes (Distinction) in International Security from University of Warwick-won academic award for writing an "outstanding and genuinely original dissertation" that represented: "an important contribution to existing literature in the field of International Security".

--PGCE (Distinction) in Secondary Education-ranked in the top 2 trainee teachers in my year's cohort, with outstanding feedback in academic and practical assessments

--BA (Hons) in English/History from University of Birmingham-received special award for achieving academic excellence despite coming from the bottom 5% of UK families in terms of socioeconomic poverty

--A Levels (A* in all subjects taken): prize winning student in my sixth form for most inspirational pupil, and was in the top 2% of the UK for my academic results, including 100% in key modules

Teaching Experience:
I have a broad range of experience turning around struggling students in some of the UK's toughest classrooms, as well as challenging high achieving learners in the pursuit of academic excellence. In my teaching and tutoring career thus far, I have taught across the curriculum age-ranges (7-18 years), as well as undergraduate and postgraduate level students, and specialise in teaching troubled learners lacking confidence, whilst pushing very bright pupils.

Since I began teaching at my institution, English pass-rates received a 25% upwards leap in the opening two years and my tutoring pass grades in my subjects of English, maths and history have been outstanding, so that the vast majority of my classes/tutees are now passing with strong academic grades, and attaining entry to prestigious preparatory schools and/or universities. During last academic year, my tutees enjoyed superb results in English, Maths, History and the 11+, with 96% reaching their target minimum grade, and 68% exceeding this mark, entering prestigious institutions such as the University of Durham, University of Heidelburg and Bromsgrove School, as well as world-class employers such as Rolls Royce. Therefore, over my career as a "super-tutor" so far, I am proud to have delivered over 37,000 lessons across 1000 students within 41 countries, from the UK to Hong Kong.

I also have considerable mentoring expertise, in having built my own UK property portfolio currently valued at £2.75 million from scratch, I have mentored many adult and teenage entrants into property investing, guiding their purchases and renovations to the overall value of £14 million, and counting. In addition to this, I have also been an informal mentor to UK gang members, tasked with persuading them to their back on lives of criminality, and embrace the transformative potential of education, which has been among the most rewarding roles of my career thus far.

►► PARENT FEEDBACK ◄◄

--"Jonathan is fantastic and my 15 years old have a big turn round about his
view of education. Now he can't wait for his lesson!"

--"I could not have wished for a better tutor for my son! I cannot praise Jon's
enthusiasm for his subject, motivational skills and professionalism enough."

--"The biggest testimonial comes from my son, who now looks forward to and
enjoys his weekly visit! praise indeed from a teenager!"

--"I have nothing but praise for Jonathan."

--"George is totally happy to see him which is a miracle at 3pm on a Saturday!"

--"Jon is a fantastic teacher best tutor I have ever had."

--"AMAZINGLY helpful, nice and very cooperative."

--"Thanks soooo much Jon, Ashleigh passed, she won't be doing retakes and is
feeling incredibly relieved."

--"We feel lucky to book a place with him early on as he seemed to be full
booked before December."

--"Never passed an English test before in my whole life then came to Jonathan
with very little time for my first GCSE exam and managed to get an A for
English literature and a B for creative writing. 10/10."

--"Jon has a unique ability to get students onboard in a short amount of time.
He is quick to establish a rapport, building on trust and confidence which
makes an ideal platform for focused learning".

--"He is heavily in demand which speaks volumes in terms of his reputation and
is super knowledgeable and prepared for all elements of the syllabus."

--"He went from a predicted a 4/5 to an 8 !!! We were extremely pleased and
put this down to Jons ability."

--"I wish we had found him earlier! We highly recommend him!"

--"He is helpful and gifted at tutoring kids so they understand exactly what they
need to change or improve on. We will be using Jon for all of our children."

Tutoring Approach:
Besides enjoying superb results, my pupils benefit from a relaxed yet challenging atmosphere, with high commitment being expected of them, and this is demonstrated in both their personal and academic growth, which is among the most rewarding aspects of tutoring for me. I'm very friendly with a great sense of humour (so I've been told!), and I use this to make the learning as enjoyable as I can, whilst strengthening self-esteem and exciting the minds of my students. Through this, it is more than tutoring to me, seeing our time together as equipping them with the vital skills they need to excel in later life.

In terms of lesson delivery, I always strive to be on the cutting-edge of education in use of educational technology, teaching resources and methods. Therefore, my approach to tutoring currently makes use of the techniques of "blended learning", and utilises the following:

⦿ Industry-standard video-conferencing and modern presentational packages such as Miro-used by global brands like Coca Cola and Nike to power collaborative learning

⦿ Powerful virtual learning environments, resourced by well-known educational companies such as Twinkl and Century Tech, to help every one of my learners maximise their potential.

⦿ Judicious use of AI powered apps and programmes, to help explore key educational concepts, mark schemes and model answers

⦿ Fully personalised lessons, tailored to topics, skills and levels being explored by the learner at school

⦿ Interlocking homework provided, to consolidate key concepts and themes explored within each lesson

⦿ Innovative approach to learning, from using computer games as inspirational stimulus for creative writing (which have been used as national exemplars by UK exam boards), to debating contemporary issues affecting all young people for speaking and listening tasks, such as: "How Will AI Change Humanity?"

⦿ A friendly and engaging approach to learning, seeking to make it fun, yet intellectually rigorous at all time

Thus, with 20 years+ experience now in the UK's most challenging classrooms, this has constantly honed my approach to teaching and tutoring, creatively using ed-tech to ensure no learner is left behind, as we cover the curriculum in an accessible and enjoyable way.

Needless to say, I am a passionate advocate of the transformational value of education, which is a joy, never a chore. In having been lucky enough to build a property brand and investment portfolio, I now tutor primarily for the sheer enjoyment of helping develop the next generation of learners. Education enabled me to escape a childhood of abject poverty, and with this in mind, I always do my best to ensure I give each and every one of my students the best start in life I can.

If you're looking to work with one of the leading tutors in the industry with a proven track-record of academic and commercial success, then I'm happy to help.

Thank you ever so much for reading :)

*Enhanced DBS certified

**Please kindly note: proposed rate will be dependent on level of study, length of tutoring period and demand.

Subjects

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!

Subjects

Personal Description:
Hi,
My name is Andrew, I am in my late 50's and I taught in private schools for 15 years. I then left education for change of lifestyle and other personal reasons. I have been married for over 28 years and have 2 daughters 26 and 24. I am a committed believer and as such the integrity of the teacher student relationship is very important to me; I would always go the extra mile to see that the student achieves their aims.

I have a current DBS. Loads of references available from Senior teachers and Deputy Headmasters past and present. (Present Headmasters are not the Heads for which I worked).

Teaching Experience:
Repton Prep School 1992 - 2006, Maths, ICT to year 8. Head of ICT.

Manor House School 2006-2007, Maths and ICT to GCSE. Head of ICT.

Private tutor, 6 years, A level (not statistics - sorry), GCSE and Entrance Exams.

I have also coached football, hockey and cricket so I have a solid foundation in motivating students.

Tutoring Approach:
Motivational and encouraging. All things are possible with a good attitude. A can do approach. I do NOT subscribe to the "we don't do it like that mentality" , if there is a better way of doing something then I'm positive about alternative methods.
For example, when my daughters were learning their tables I wrote my own simple spreadsheet to enable tables practice on a table by table random basis. This is a completely unashamedly a drill system that produces results. Easily possible to learn all tables to 12 within a couple of months if sufficient time is invested, it is also an enjoyable process that 99% of the children that I taught enjoyed, I used the spreadsheet extensively in the schools at which I taught. Infinitely extendable for the brightest to 13, 14, 15 20x tables; likewise can be simplified to 2x and 3x for those that need more time. Also programmable to practise number bonds with any number of digits.

I have also developed the spreadsheet to enable learning of vocabulaire francais.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am a Depute Head Teacher based in the Motherwell area. I have fourteen years teaching experience with ten of those based in the classroom. I have taught in a variety of primary and SEBN schools in North Lanarkshire. I use a wide of range of innovative, inspiring techniques and strategies to engage the young people in my care.

Teaching Experience:
I am a Depute Head Teacher in North Lanarkshire with seventeen years teaching experience. I was classroom based for ten years and have had the pleasure of teaching a variety of young people ranging in age from 7-16 years old.

I look to build positive and lasting relationships with all young people in my care and use relationships to develop an in-depth understanding of what the needs of each individual child is. I use this information to derive a detailed individualised plan to meet the needs of your child. In addition to this I strive to use an assortment of teaching tools and approaches to ensure all learners are confident in understanding what is being taught.

Tutoring Approach:
As a private tutor I strive to give your child a positive and enjoyable learning experience, in turn enhancing their self-belief and self-confidence in a classroom environment. I use both practical and interactive teaching tools to help make all areas of the curriculum clearer and easier for a child to understand.

I use current and up to date materials to help give your child a better understanding and grasp of the curriculum as taught in his/her own classroom.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Cambridge educated, and an Oxford University prize winning teacher, I have recently passed my latest OFSTED inspection. I specialise in :

11+
English Language (GCSE and iGCSE)
English Literature (GCSE/iGCSE/A Level/ELAT)
GCSE/ A Level Business Studies
GCSE / A Level History
Creative writing (adults)
Business English (adults)
ESOL (adults)
UCAS statements
Mock interviews

I am DFE authorised to teach the subjects I advertise.

I hold an excellent degree in English, a PGCE in English/History, a Cert Ed.in Drama, an MA in creative writing from the number one UK writing programme, and a post graduate in teaching creative writing from Cambridge University.

I am a published author and editor.

I have taught students from:

Independent Senior : Rugby School, Gordonstoun, Warwick School, The Kingsley School, King's High School, Kingham Hill, King Henry 8th, Princethorpe, Bablake.

Independent Junior: Crackley Hall, Warwick

State Selective: Lawrence Sheriff, Rugby High, Alcester Grammar, Ashlawn, WMG Academy, Stratford Girls' Grammar, Kings Edward's Boys Grammar, newport Girls' High School.

State non-selective: Kenilworth School, Finham Park, President Kennedy, Babington Academy, English Martyrs, Bilton High, Houlton, The Harris, Avon Valley, Walsall Academy, Joseph Leckie Academy, Myton, North Leamington, Ernesford Grange, Southgate School, East Barnet School, Attleborough Academy, Southfield Girls' School, Rugby Free School.

State junior: Potters Green, Long Lawford, Holbrook, Park Hill, Dunchurch, Hillmorton, Cawston Grange, Abacus Academy, Our Lady of Assumption, Henry Hinde, St Anthony's.

University: Cambridge, Warwick, BCU, Keele, York.

I have taught students in the UK, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Russia and South Korea.

I am a native English speaker - this is highly advantageous to English as a second language students.

Scholarships gained: Rugby School, Warwick School.
Bursaries gained: Bablake School, Princethorpe College.
Grammar Schools: King Edward's Boys, Lawrence Sheriff Boys', Alcester Grammar, Rugby High School.

Having a grammar school education myself has been most useful and that my children were educated in the independent sector gives me an insider insight.

Many of my pupils have gone onto Oxford University, Durham University, and elite Universities to study subjects such a medicine and dentistry. One of my GCSE students moved from grade 3 to grade 7 in three months and another moved 4 levels from grade 5 to 9 in 6 months.

I hold QTS and DBS. Unlike tutorial centres, I focus only on one student in a session, ensuring better progress.

I teach students between the age of 8-adult.

I lecture in Creative Writing.

Teaching Experience:
I am an experienced, successful online tutor. I update my teaching skills annually. I have completed my Safeguarding Certificate, Sexual Harassment Awareness, PREVENT training, and my GDPR certificate.

I have worked with Grammar Schools, Independent Schools, Public schools, selective and non-selective state schools. I have been a Head of English and Senior Leader in a highly successful Birmingham school. I have taught writing to post-grads at Cambridge Uni, Warwick Uni, Hull and York University. I have published educational research and resources, edited publications and mentored writers.

I have been an examiner for KS2 SATS, English Language and English Literature and am an Arts Awards Assessor.

I am familiar with the following curriculum:

AQA, EDEXCEL, OCR, EDUQAS, iGCSE, Essex 11 Plus, Warwickshire and Birmingham 11 Plus, IELTS,Trinity ESOL, British Council ESOL.

I have worked with pupils struggling to perform at schools which have not served them well. I have worked on behalf of schools, providing one to one tuition for LAC pupils. I have worked with very good pupils at very good schools in order to support pupils to become excellent.

I am willing to do unlimited prep. I do not pluck activities off the internet and hope they fit as I design work especially for my pupils.

Tutoring Approach:
Your child won't be placed in a group with other children who have different needs and work at different levels!

I have high expectations of your child - this helps them to reach their goals.

I will tell you the truth about your child, sharing information and assessments.

I standardise my marking in a secondary school every year.

Successes in 24-25* ( grade boundaries moved up)
100 % eleven plus passes
100% Grade 8 and 9 at GCSE Language.
100% Grade 7, 8 and 9 at GCSE Literature.

testomonials:

'Thank you ...as your support has very much enabled this success.'
'I am short of words to thank you, for all the help and support you gave.'
'She couldn't have done it without your support.'

2023- 2024 Academic year* ( grade boundaries moved up)

NR-9, 8 GCSE Eng Lang and Lit
LS- arrived in the UK with no English and has made 3 levels of progress within 6 months.
JR- gained an 11+ place at King Edward's Grammar School
AN-gained an 11 + place at LSS Grammar School.
AS-gained a place at Lawrence Sheriff Grammar School
RM- gained places at The Kingsley and Princethorpe independent schools
SG- gained a place at Bablake Independent school
SS- gained bursaries at Bablake and Princethorpe Independent Schools
HJP- an adult ESOL learner from South Korea, has progressed from A2 to C1 British council levels, and gained a distinction at GCSE speaking and Listening in less than 9 months.


Testamonials

LR- " We DID it!!!! Thank you so muchhhhhhhh. The scores gets him into the best grammar school - KEGS!Thank you so much for your perseverance and amazing teaching!!!"

SC-" We think you're best English tutor there is so no surprises with your ofsted rating."

Successes 2022-2023.

AC-9, 9 GCSE Eng and Lit ( school predicted grades were 6,6)
ES- 9,8 GCSE Eng and Lit ( school predicted grades were far lower)
HH- 8, 8 GCSE Eng and Lit
WN- 8,7 GCSE Eng and Lit ( school predicted grades were 4,4)
PH- 6 Eng Lang ( school prediction was a 3)

LH gained a place at Medical School and met the offer.
NQ gained a place at University, and met the offer, when the school stated she was not able to.
KS- gained several places at university for Mechanical Engineering and met the offers.

Successes 2022

FO - gained a music scholarship at Warwick Snr.

WH- gained 225 in his 11 Plus exam, entitling him to places at two top grammar schools.

HG- gained his place at a highly competitive Grammar school sixth form- in July of Year 10 he was told he was 'pushing' grade 5 by his teacher.

TW- gained his GCSE score two grades above his September working at grade and 1 grade above his target grade.

SDP- gained a place at a competitive independent school, with a massive bursary

SR- gained a place at a competitive independent school, with generous bursary

HA- passed 11 plus at 249 marks

EK- passed 11 plus at 226 marks

FO has gained a place at his chosen Independent School- he was the first to have been accepted while only in Year 5.


Successes 2020-2021

HL-invited to a medical school interview

KC-Grade 8 in GCSE Business Studies- he was a grade 5 in September and had a target of grade 6.

QN- Grade 5 in English Lit after three months of tuition and beginning at Grade 3.

BJ- Grade 5 in English Language despite predicted grade of 4.

Successes 2019-2020

VY- Grade 8 in English Language- was struggling to maintain a good grade 5 in school.

MS-Grade 7 in English Language and in English Literature- was working at Grade 5 in school.

HL- Year 13- grade 7 in Eng Lang GCSE November re-sit- HL started with me on a very low level 5 and has worked with me for less than one year.

SK-Grade 6 in English Language- was a low grade 5 in school.

WL-Grade 6 - was low grade 5 at school.

LS- Grade 5 in English Language after working with me. School gave him a Grade 3 in their August teacher Assessment GCSE.
BJ- Year 11 - BJ was working at a grade 4 in mid September when I began working with him. He gained a grade 5 in the Eng Lit exam.

KC- Year 10- KC was a low level 3 at the start of year 9 - gained a high grade 5 in GCSE Eng Lit at the end of Year 10.

II- Year 10 - II was a low grade 3 - gained a grade 5 in Eng Lit GCSE.

NE- Grade 4 in English Language - a very low Grade 3 in school.

AA-Year 6-AA passed her 11 plus.

HL- Year 13- received an offer from a good university to take a great Science course only 15 days after sending her UCAS application in on October 15th. Has two interviews for medicine too.

HS- Year 13- HS began studying medicine at Norwich after working with me to write his UCAS personal statement.

SE- Year 13 -SE lacked confidence when trying to write a UCAS personal statement. With my help, SE is now at a very good University.

BR-First Year University- BR was struggling to write his first academic essay. I taught BR how to reference and the importance of using authentic and serious sources.

Parental/ Learner Testimonials:

20-21

I was accepted into LSS...I would like to say thank you for the help in Business Studies as that helped me ace my exams.

KC- GCSE students

P was so happy with the lesson yesterday. He told me that V taught me more in one lesson than school taught me for the whole year which is fabulous !

PN's Mum (PN attends a Grammar school)


2019-2020

LS's mother-

I wanted to express my thanks again. I have no doubt that LS would not have achieved a level 5 without your tutoring, and it had been left to the school. I had every faith that LS was capable if he applied himself and had the right teaching and guidance but could not see him getting what he needed from the school. He did it. Thanks to you.

2018-2019

E has improved a lot lately with V's help. V is really good at teaching (E's mother)

I wanted to drop you a line to thank you personally for all the help and support you have given L over the last few months. Whatever the outcome is she couldn't have done it without your coaching. Her work has definitely improved which wouldn't have happened had she continued with just the support school gave her. So thank you.( L's mother)

Earlier Successes

2018-2019

KS 2 SATS - NJ had given up working in year 6. After my support he won a prize for writing and scored 113 and 117 in his English papers.

Scholarships - CA was a Grade 4 in History GCSE. He needed a grade 7 to obtain a scholarship. After my support CA gained his grade 7, got his scholarship and recently went on to gain a grade 9 in the actual GCSE securing his place at Rugby School.

GCSE- MS was at a good independent school and in top set. However, she was scoring at grade 2 in her English Language and English Literature mock exams. With my help MS went on to gain two level 7s for both her English GCSE exams.

Post Grads - S, A, I were all on a PGA at Warwick University. To get onto the MA course they needed to gain a distinction on their PGA assignments. With my support, all three transferred to the MA course.

ZN wanted to do as well as possible in his MA assignments but was struggling with Academic English. With my help he scored merits for his essays and dissertation.

H - a dyslexic adult who struggled with having to write personal emails/messages-she overcame this by just sending emojis. With my support H now composes emails using words and has the confidence to send emails / messages whenever she wants to.


2017-2018 successes :

N J-- NJ went from a Level 3 in school mock exams to achieving a Level 7 in the actual GCSE exams despite being dyslexic.

OL--OL went from a bottom grade D in school mock exams to achieving a high grade B in the actual A Level exams, taking up her place at Leeds Art School.

JA-- JA was home schooled and dyslexic. She felt that she was not able to study beyond GCSE. JA decided to continue with her education beyond GCSE as a result of the self- confidence she gained with my support.

AZ--As a result of my coaching, AZ had started to gain additional days work ( AZ has his own business)

Subjects

Personal Description:
My approach is to be friendly, supportive and professional when interacting with students. I encourage them to be proactive and resourceful in their approach to Maths, guiding them through the processes of learning to deepen their understanding and develop their thinking and problem-solving. Sessions are therefore individually tailored and flexible to meet the needs of the student, so are student-focused rather than traditionally teacher-led. I spend time getting to know my students and, whenever possible, encourage the practice of Maths skills within topic areas of personal interest to them or real life situations. I am a good listener and can empathise with my students, helping them to see areas for improvement in their work and offering practical advice and tips on how to develop it further. Ultimately, I aim to help my students fulfill their academic potential whilst also developing the range of skills needed to achieve their aspirations in life.

Teaching Experience:
Working in my professional career as a Maths Specialist in mainstream Primary Education, I am always keen to find a strategy that fits alongside what your child's school is providing to skeleton. This I do by studying materials your child brings home, observing strategies which your child uses and occasionally by speaking to schools to produce a bespoke medium of teaching that proves most effective for your child to enhance their mathematical ability and drive. I always believe lessons should be both educational and enjoyable to maintain engagement. There is a pleasure in self-improvement which I will want to build into your child so that they grow in self-confidence through learning.

Tutoring Approach:
Mathematics is a huge passion of my own and I have an ever-growing belief that regardless of what level children are at, with the correct guidance and the right attitude, success is always around the corner.

I have undergone extensive professional development training continuously for a number of years and counting, which ensures my skill-set is up-to-date with the Mathematics curriculum and is diverse and extremely effective.

I have privately tutored for 9 years as well as being employed professionally at a mainstream Primary School as a highly experienced Maths Specialist where my role is centered around working closely with individuals and groups of children from Year 1 to Year 6 of a variety of abilities, working in a variation of topics towards attainment. (Basic numeracy, problem solving, fractions/decimals, statistics/probability, algebra, geometry, entry-level maths).

I cannot help a student unless I know where they are in their understanding. I try to get my students to participate and be active as much as possible during lessons, often getting them to reason through problems and ideas themselves, while helping them along the way. This helps me understand their thought process, and lets me see any gaps they have in their knowledge. Since I pay attention to the student`s thinking, I can approach the lesson with the student him- or herself in mind, personalising it and consequently being more helpful.

My personal view is that being a teacher is crucial to being an effective tutor as I have first hand knowledge and experience of the curriculum and plentiful ways of teaching it effectively. I believe all children not only should access the curriculum but flourish beyond that with the right guidance to be progressive learners.

I have vast and varied experience and success of tutoring children for confidence, classroom support and entrance exams. I supply all of my own resources with a vast array of apparatus and prepare each tuition session beforehand, with homework.

If you feel I could help your child in enhancing their development in Mathematical ability or if you feel your child's potential is not being challenged enough at school then I would love to hear from you.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am an enthusiastic qualified teacher with extensive classroom and private tutoring experience. I am currently not working in school full time as I am undertaking my Masters in Education at Reading University as well as caring for live my little boy, I am willing to teach online, travel to your home or a nearby suitable study space.

Teaching Experience:
I love teaching and believe that all children can excel. I have been teaching for over 15 years with a large proportion of my experience in years 5 and 6. I have been a SATs marker for over 10 years now so definitely know how to get the best out of children in preparation for success not only in their SATs but also secondary school. I work regularly with children who want to participate in the 11+ entrance exams and have experience in most Berkshire schools' entrance requirements.

Tutoring Approach:
My pupils often describe me as 'firm but fair' with lessons that are fun. I believe children are most productive when they are enjoying themselves whilst being challenged. Any child can learn if they are taught in a way that is engaging to them and ensures that their strengths and weaknesses are identified. With this in mind, I aim to make learning relevant to them and break everything down into manageable chunks. I believe that children should be in charge of their own learning and will therefore always ensure that their views are taken into consideration when teaching. I love helping children to learn and relish the challenge of helping them to meet their potential.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am currently attending Cardiff University, where I have just finished my first year, studying Accounting. I am currently offering tutoring in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, until October.

I thoroughly enjoying helping people progress and sharing my love of learning! I pride myself on my enthusiasm and my approachable, relaxed nature.

Regarding what I am able to teach -
I currently am offering 11 plus tutoring as well as A Level Mathematics.
I offer C1, C2, C3, C4, S1 and S2 Mathematics modules, across all boards, as well as Biology A level topics, also across all boards. The exam board I took my own exams in was OCR MEI (for Mathematics) and OCR A for Biology.

I am aware the A Level syllabus has now changed from modular to linear, and have tutored a Year 12 student doing Mathematics under the new course. The content is very similar to previous years - it is just the style of the exam that has changed!

Teaching Experience:
I have taken on a number of leadership roles, both in school and in my freetime. I ran House Art, an intraschool competition, during Year 13, and held the rank of Corporal for the last few years of my time as a cadet as part of St John Ambulance.

Prior to going to university, I tutored two students in A level Mathematics (EdExcel and MEI OCR), who both achieved Bs, and one student in A level Biology (who achieved an A). While I have been in Cardiff, I have also been tutoring two students in A level Mathematics (both Edexcel).

Tutoring Approach:
I believe that a good teacher is vital for A level subjects such as Maths and Biology - otherwise it is easy to become lost in class and fall behind, which is where I hope to help! I am open to working with students in different ways depending on their requirements and how they work best, whether this involve helping with homework questions or teaching topics from scratch. I endeavor to establish a connection with students and am always contactable by text or email for help with questions or queries, over the week.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Stop Struggling... Relieve Anxiety...Start Achieving...

I can help you improve your grades and increase your interest in the subject.

I am a full-time tutor. I have been tutoring since 1994, have got 25 years of tutoring experience. This adds to more than 60,000 hours of tutoring. A lot of my students are now also tutors!

I offer customized lessons, suitable for each student as per his or her needs.

I provide complete notes + question bank to practice more questions + a lot of past papers practice.

Teaching Experience:
I am a full-time tutor. I have been tutoring since 1994, have got 2 years of tutoring experience. This adds to more than 60,000 hours of tutoring. A lot of my students are now also tutors!

Following is the list of few of the schools/colleges and universities, whose students I have taught.

Harrow College
Cardiff Sixth form College
Hamptons School
Dulwich College
St Aloysius' School
Wetherby Senior School
Queen Elizabeth`s School
David Game College
St. Benedict's School
University College School
Westminster School
Aiglon College
Gems World Academy
Wellington International School
Raffles World Academy
Jumeirah College
London Business School
LSE
SOAS
Kings College
Queen Mary
University of Manchester
City Business School London
Middlesex University
University of Leeds
The University of Wollongong in Dubai
University of Toronto
University of British Columbia
UCL
The University of Leeds... and many more

Tutoring Approach:
I usually start with the current topics that student is studying in the school and explain to the student that topic and related background knowledge. As I teach one to one, my pace is faster than school and we usually finish the topic in one or sometimes two classes. And then we do previous topics and I explain doubts on those topics. I usually do not teach students that they already know, instead, start topic wise past papers of the topics students feel he or she knows well.

I explain to students how to write the answer to the questions asked,... not what they know... in a very concise and complete manner and relate the answers to the mark schemes of the past papers... and there is a lot of similar things that I explain...

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.'

*

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!'

*

A student, January 2023: 'Just wanted to let you know I got an offer from Cambridge, thank you so so much for all your help.' And Kathryn: 'You were such a great help to [E.] in her preparation for the Cambridge application and interview and we were all delighted when she was offered a place this week. Thank you for all the support you gave her.'

Shaun, a parent, January 2023: '[E.] has found the sessions really very helpful (and has enjoyed them!)'

Guifang, a parent, December 2022: 'From what I hear from [S.], she really enjoys her discussions with you, it's really one of the highlights of her week.'

A student, November 2022: 'I'm extremely happy to tell you that I received an 8.3 for the literary review […] Thank you for explaining to me what a literary review is […] I remember whilst working on it I was so worried about my grade, but it appears I've survived.'

Deborah, a parent, September 2022: 'a huge thanks again to you for all your work with [S.]. I know he has been in touch to let you know that he got 9s in both English Language and Literature. He was over the moon - well beyond his best hopes, so thank you again for being instrumental in helping him attain those grades.'

Karen, a parent, August 2022: 'Both my girls really like your way of teaching and talking to them, they feel really listened to and respected for their opinions (as well as respecting yours obviously), so thank you :)'

Helen, a parent, July 2022: 'Thanks so much for all the help you gave [J.], he really benefitted from the sessions he had with you.'

Tara, a parent, June 2022: 'Thank you so much for all your help and patience - I think you have been brilliant for her confidence. She found English exams really very difficult before she started talking to you and it's amazing to see how much calmer (relatively speaking!) she has been going in to her A level English papers. Whatever the result, her sessions with you have definitely helped her to enjoy English again and I'm really grateful.'

A student, June 2022: 'This is incredibly insightful and thought provoking feedback. Thank you so much.'

Mei, a parent, June 2022: 'She found your lessons very helpful and always remarked to me how much you went the extra mile for her ; looking up and sending on links to whatever you'd been discussing. Much appreciated!'

Marguerite, a parent, June 2022: 'Thank you so much for all you've done for [T.] in the past year . […] you are a very talented teacher.'

Monica, a parent, June 2022: 'You have been an absolutely wonderful tutor to [L.], and how time has flown since she first met you! […] Many a time she has needed someone to talk to, not so much about AO1-5, but rather about the beauty and burden of literature and life. You have always been willing to do that, and she is richer for it.'

A student, June 2022: 'Thank you for teaching me for the last year; I have enjoyed our lessons and I feel I have grown as an English student, with thanks to your teaching.'

A student, April 2022: 'I received an 8 for my essay!! I want to thank you for your tutoring on Keats and Wordsworth- I wouldn't have gotten such a grade without it!! […] I learned tons because of you.'

Ngozi, a parent, March 2022: 'Thanks for everything that you're doing for [G.] - it has been very helpful.'

A student, February 2022: 'Really, thanks so much. Was such a good and efficient service. Your feedback looks really good and I'm going to implement it today. […] Thanks again for doing this on such short notice'.

Deborah, a parent, October 2021: '[S.] said you make it really fun - he said at school his energy goes down in English lessons and with you it goes up! So that is praise indeed from a teenage boy!'

A student, August 2021: 'I got the A grade ! I'm so pleased, thank you for all the help and the essays really paid off :).'

Monica, a parent, July 2021: 'As would be expected from his first class qualifications, Josh is extremely intelligent. However, in my opinion, he has a a very particular advantage over others of a similar academic background, namely his ability to exhibit an authentic interest in the ideas his students express. He is always kind and encouraging, but without sacrificing rigour; this approach has had a hugely positive impact on my daughter when speaking, writing and reading. Furthermore, Josh has introduced her to a range of authors, poets , films and philosophical thought, thus enriching her far beyond the school curriculum. In the future, my daughter will undoubtedly look back on her time with Josh with both fondness and gratitude. I have no hesitation in recommending Josh as a tutor'.

Guifang, a parent, July 2021: 'I have know Joshua for 2 months and He has been supporting my daughter excellently through her GCSE courses, helping her to achieve a 9 in predicted grades. From this, Joshua has always been very serious with the work, needless to say, always punctual and gives detailed homework feedback. I know him to be a wonderful tutor to my daughter.'

Susan, a parent, May 2021: '[T]hank you so much for all your help with [N.] […] [N.] found your lessons extremely helpful which enabled her to enjoy and understand English in a greater depth […] it was excellent tuition . Thank you'.

Jamal, a parent, May 2021: 'Thank you Josh for all your efforts, you have greatly assisted [S.] in better understanding English Literature as whole.'

Zahed, a parent, May 2021: 'We are grateful for all your help and support. We are in no doubt that [A.] has improved a lot in English Literature under your guidance.'

A student, May 2021: 'I just got my coursework back and got an A in it. Just thought i should let you know thanks you!'

Margaret, a parent, March 2021: 'Thanks for helping [M.] to improve her English understanding. She really enjoys her lessons and chats!'

Chris, a parent, March 2021: '[R.] is benefiting immensely from your lessons and is definitely getting more confident in expressing his thoughts in writing! Thank you.'

Amanda, a parent, December 2020: 'Josh has really helped join the dots, encouraged a depth of questioning and ways to interpret and compare ideas, extracting and bringing fresh meaning to narrative styles and creative use of language. Josh has been a great support and steered [R.]'s confidence to look more thoroughly and develop a greater understanding all round. Josh has a kind, approachable style and encouraged [R.] with debating aloud and suggestions for further reading which all continue to be an invaluable help and inspire greater confidence in approaching exams and further reading in future!'

A student, December 2020: 'He helps focus my understanding and makes sure i understand the topic we are learning before moving on. Josh will make sure to ask you questions throughout the process and is always ready for your ideas even if you think it's wrong. He will set homework but makes sure to switch it up each week to make it more interesting and gives his feedback to help me understand what i need to do to improve.'

Diana, a parent, September 2020: 'Josh worked with my daughter for her A Level in English Literature. He was outstanding with his ideas and expanding her critical thinking. He went above and beyond to develop her analytical skills and as a result helped her obtain an A*. He is an absolutely lovely, gentle but dynamic and reliable tutor who has a rare ability combine his academic achievement with a natural talent for teaching. A real gem and we cannot thank him enough.'

A parent, September 2020: 'Joshua is an excellent tutor with great communication skills . He is very patient , helpful , approachable and takes time to explain everything clearly to my daughter . Joshua has been able to breakdown and explain in full detail all aspects of the A Level content.'

A student, June 2020: 'it's been great being taught by you, I've learned so many critical thinking skills in such a short space of time.'

A parent, March 2020: 'I can't thank you enough for everything that you've done for her - you've been the best English teacher she's ever had and she has loved her time with you.'

*

During my teacher training, I taught all age groups at two west London secondary schools.

While at Oxford, I was part of an 'e-mentoring' scheme to help candidates from schools without a history of Oxbridge applications.

At Christ College, Brecon, I ran two series of seminars, for sixth-formers studying RS and English literature. In English we covered 'The Tempest', Gothic literature, Pat Barker's 'Regeneration', 'Jane Eyre', Wilfred Owen, and 'The Canterbury Tales'.

Tutoring Approach:
I try to combine three things that I want my students to do, which are three forms of thinking: speak about complex ideas, read high-quality material, and write essays for which they will receive detailed feedback. For obvious reasons, lessons are weighted to speaking, and homework to reading and writing.

Speaking

Pedagogy's holy grail is measuring progress, which is difficult in a classroom and impossible in a lecture. Happily, the tutorial system allows this to occur continuously and efficiently via dialogue. Can a student re-express an idea they have heard or read in their own words? If the answer is yes, they have probably understood the idea. Hence the constant questions!

As well as understanding the ideas of others, speaking is essential for students to develop their own. I love the quotation from the novelist E. M. Forster, 'How can I tell what I think till I see what I say?' We improve the quality of our ideas through the process of articulating them.

For my part, quite a lot of what I say is explaining what texts mean. This might sound obvious, but great works of literature are complex, so, to understand their meaning, one's own interpretation probably needs the support of others' prior interpretations.

I sometimes like to break the question of a text's meaning into two: What's it about? And what's it really about? Answering the first question is comprehension, a necessary first step. To answer the second question is to understand. In 'A Streetcar Named Desire', for example, Blanche goes to live with her sister in New Orleans. She expresses a strong dislike of her surroundings and is frequently associated with images of water. She declines mentally and is eventually taken away. So what's the play really about? Blanche is a Romantic idealist who is disappointed with her life but still tends to imagine things in their perfect form. The play is about the human soul conceiving of things being as good as they could be (as if cleansed by water), reaching for the conception, and failing to grasp it - shuttling back and forth, in other words, on the streetcar named desire.

One thing I frequently encourage is making the link between those oft-cited elements of a good essay, themes and quotations. These are not unrelated ingredients, they are the text itself viewed from different distances. A theme (the desire to be cleansed) is a wide shot, and a quotation ('the land of the sky blue water') is a close-up. So the student of English has to practise their ability to zoom in and out.

Another way I try to support my students' studies is by making connections between the texts they are reading, which in my experience doesn't happen that much at school. Particularly at A-level, there are often many fruitful connections between the half-dozen or so texts being studied: the Romantics were devoted to Shakespeare and Milton, the Gothic is an aspect of the Romantic, the Aesthetic Movement drew on particular strains of Romanticism, etc. When these connections get made with reference to particular writers, they are no longer just isms. They make the material deeper and easier to understand at the same time. Towards the end of their school careers, students of the humanities should be able to get the sense of taking part in 'the Great Conversation that began in the dawn of history and that continues to the present day' (Robert M. Hutchins).

Reading

I regularly give my students PDFs of high-quality secondary material pitched at their level or just above it. Explanatory notes, commentaries, and essays can help with understanding, particularly when it comes to context. (And all exam boards have assessment objectives relating to historical context.) To know that a text was written during a particular period and what characterised that period is to have a mental scaffold that does not limit movement but frees it. In studying the humanities we are studying human culture, and no one can do that without a bit of structure. It also helps when thinking about texts in relation to each other - when writing a comparative essay, for example. I like to think of honing in from context to text, e.g. Romanticism (late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries) > William Blake (1757-1827) > 'Songs of Innocence and of Experience' (1794) > 'The Tyger'. (What's 'The Tyger' about? There's a question!)

In my experience, knowledge acquisition operates according to the Matthew principle, named after a verse in the Gospel of Matthew: 'unto every one that hath shall be given'. In other words, the more you've got, the more you'll get. Every time you learn something about Romanticism, the greater will be your understanding of the poetry of William Blake. Your internal bookshelves expand - more connections, greater understanding. Reading secondary material is obviously 'extra', but it works to enhance students' understanding of set texts rather than crowd them out. Homer Simpson said, 'every time I learn something new, it pushes some old stuff out of my brain', and we laugh because it's not true. You can't fill up a brain, so the cliché about people's (particularly young people's) limitless potential is true. Every time you learn something new, you enrich your contextual understanding of everything else you have ever learnt. '[E]very moment is a new and shocking / Valuation of all we have been', as T. S. Eliot put it in 'East Coker'.

Writing

Speaking and reading are in a concrete way preparation for writing. If you think and make notes while speaking and reading, by the time it comes to writing an essay, the question should not be about what to say, but how to arrange the things you want to say. So annotation is an important skill. It's a bit like getting 'in the zone' for a sportsperson - students must practise getting there and staying there. I model the annotation process something like this:

Read with a pencil in your hand. What makes you underline? Something fires in your brain, so that you have a response - you spot a developing theme, you're reminded of another book, you agree or disagree, there's a word you don't know and need to look up, you like the way a sentence sounds. It could be anything. Read until you've underlined twenty words or sentences. Work out the three or four connections between the things you have to say, and you've got a paragraph plan. Work out the main thing you have to say, and you have a thesis for your essay, which, as you aim your paragraphs at it, will accumulate force.

A lot of learning (and life) is about noticing connections, so getting into the habit of doing so is something like learning how to learn. If a student has developed this habit, they shouldn't really have to think 'What shall I write?' in front of a blank sheet of paper or screen. The content of the essay will be a sort of emanation of prior thinking.

When it comes to giving students feedback, I keep in mind one of the best incites I heard early in my PGCE: attend to your students' writing as you would a piece of literature. This way, the marking progress becomes analogous to the writing process. What are all the things that could make this essay better? And is there a connection between them, i.e. what's the main thing this student needs to focus on? (I usually give feedback using comments and 'track changes' in Microsoft Word.)

Why study English?

It has been said that 'If you can think, and speak, and write, you are absolutely deadly', and I think that's right. Learning how to construct and articulate good arguments is learning how to impose ideas on the world. To the extent that English is about feelings, it is about their articulation, and there is a great deal to learn about how feelings have been and can be articulated. Moreover, because English is the medium of instruction in all other subjects, command of it confers a freedom to range through the history of ideas and discriminate between reliable and unreliable, including online. Language is a prerequisite for thought - doing English properly is learning how to think better.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Experienced University admissions assistant with over 5 years experience at Oxford & Cambridge.

I have extensive experience assisting students to understand the requirements and best practices in enhancing their university applications to maximise their chances of securing their dream university.

Currently undertaking a PhD at Oxford and a member of my college admissions team.

Teaching Experience:
I utilise my experience and extensive bank of good personal statements, understanding of what universities are looking for in candidates and offer insider advice on how students can enhance their applications.

I offer the opportunity to coach students into improving their applications, proofreading and reviewing applications.

Tutoring Approach:
I provide a wealth of knowledge and materials to my candidates to enable them to succeed.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Qualified, experienced, patient tutor
An outstanding practitioner, as evidenced in inspections and lesson observations.
I have had extensive training in supporting students with special educational needs. I am able to tailor approaches and resources to suit the individual needs of every pupil.

Teaching Experience:
27 years Headmistress Primary and Secondary School, retired.
15 years private tuition experience.
35 years teaching experience.

Tutoring Approach:
27 years' experience, including as Head Of Department and Headmistress.
Qualified teacher and subject specialist.
I am supportive, warm and encouraging in my approach.

Why choose me?
100% success rate in helping pupils get into their first choice schools, including Cheltenham Ladies' College, Haberdashers', St Paul's and Westminster College.
I provide expert private tuition for 11+, 13+, GCSE, A-level and International Baccalaureate examinations.
I am experienced at teaching pupils of all ages between 7 - 18.

Testimonials

Wendy was recommended to us by a colleague for her excellent quality of tuition. She has an extensive knowledge of the GCSE syllabus for literature and language and has considerable experience in the field. She is reliable and has a great work ethic. She has enabled my son to reach his potential and is able to focus on points of weakness, build confidence and motivate him into writing essays, which he did not enjoy or do prior to Wendy. Wendy has tailored her approach to teaching him in how to answer questions for the best possible outcome. His improvement in English has helped him progress in other subjects and is now looking at higher grades in History and RE due to a more articulate approach to answering questions. Less importantly my son has enjoyed his English lessons and always looked forward to them.

S, Chesham, Bucks

Wendy has been such a blessing for my daughter, completely turning around her expectations with regards to her academic ability and hugely affecting not only her English results but all her other subjects. Now, thanks to Wendy, she has the right tools to construct an essay. Her marks have improved by two grades across the board. Wendy is a wonderful and inspiring teacher and I just cannot recommend her highly enough.

Rachel, Amersham, Bucks

Lovely Wendy is the most amazing and caring tutor I could ever wish for. She deserves a medal for her work and her students are so motivated in these crazy times it is wonderful to know my son is being so looked after. He enjoys every lesson.

Lucy, South Heath, Bucks.

I highly recommend Wendy. Her long experience, personal approach and carefully planned English lessons have been incredible for over two years now. She also provides excellent feedback following each session and takes time to stay close to parents to gauge how and where she can add most value. I am happy to email or speak to other parents about how she has helped us!

Sarah, Great Missenden, Bucks.

I am so delighted we found Wendy to help with my son's preparation for his GCSE in English Literature and French to A level. I thoroughly recommend her tutoring services. She is consummate and professional and well prepared for each session with a myriad of printed materials to support the lesson. She is knowledgeable about her subject and importantly about what the examiners are looking for in assessing examination answers. She is also friendly, approachable and has a rare gift for imparting her understanding and enthusiasm for literature. My son positively looked forward to both English and French studies with her - something sadly he never felt at school. He now looks forward to University with every confidence

Tokeer, High Wycombe, Bucks.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am studying MSc Psychology on campus at University of London. I have a vast experience of teaching A-Level/GCSE Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Biology having myself scored A grades in the aforementioned.

Teaching Experience:
I have 10 years of teaching experience of teaching Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. I can also teach Urdu and English Language + Literature.

Tutoring Approach:
I start from topics the students are comfortable with and move gradually towards more complex areas as their confidence builds. I use questions and examples to check understanding continually. I don't lecture to students or ask them to memorise things. But I am very flexible.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I'm a high-achieving graduate with a strong background in technology, passionate about both learning and teaching. With over 9 years of tutoring experience, I've helped students excel across a wide range of subjects, from Primary Arithmetic and English, through GCSE and A-Level courses, all the way to Undergraduate studies. My extensive knowledge spans core academics, arts, sciences, languages, and admissions preparation, allowing me to tailor lessons that meet each student's unique needs and goals.

I truly enjoy making complex topics accessible and inspiring a love of learning in every student I work with. Technology plays a big role in how I approach education, allowing me to create engaging, tailored lessons that spark curiosity and build confidence. By creating a supportive and engaging environment, I encourage students to overcome challenges, develop critical thinking skills and realise their full potential at every stage of their academic journey.

Teaching Experience:
I have over 9 years of tutoring experience, primarily working online but also providing private in-home tutoring. During my academic years, I volunteered as a mentor and tutor for younger students, which laid a strong foundation for my teaching approach. I have supported students across all age groups from primary and secondary levels to A-Level and university and I'm actively expanding my work with undergraduate learners.

My tutoring has helped many students achieve significant improvements, including successfully gaining admission to private schools through the 11+ exam, and boosting GCSE grades by an average of 4 grades above expectations within six months.

I cover a broad range of topics and themes across multiple subjects and educational stages, tailored to the specific needs of each student. For primary and secondary levels, I teach core subjects including Arithmetic, English, Science, Geography, History, Religious Education, Spanish, and Computing. At GCSE and IGCSE levels, I cover subjects such as Maths, English Language and Literature, Combined and Triple Science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics), Business Studies, Computer Science, Art and Design, Geography, History, Media Studies, Film Studies, Food Preparation and Nutrition, Religious Studies, Spanish, and Accounting.

For A-Level students, I provide tutoring in subjects including Film Studies, Health and Social Care, ICT and Information Technology, Journalism, Media Studies, Modern Languages (Spanish), Technology and Design, and Travel and Tourism. At the undergraduate level, I support academic writing, cinematics, media studies, research methods, and Spanish.

Regarding exam boards, I am familiar with major UK boards such as AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Cambridge IGCSE, and others, enabling me to tailor preparation to the specific syllabus and exam requirements. I also support students preparing for admissions tests such as 11+, 13+, SAT, and UCAS applications, along with TEFL exam preparation.

If there are specific papers or units you need support with, I can provide targeted lessons aligned with those assessments to ensure confidence and success.

Tutoring Approach:
My approach to tutoring is student-focused, flexible, and results-oriented. I understand that each learner is unique, so I tailor my teaching to suit individual goals, learning styles, and confidence levels. Whether students need help mastering core concepts, preparing for exams, or improving academic performance, I adapt my methods to best support their progress. I focus not only on exam success but also on building confidence, curiosity, and critical thinking skills. I hold a TEFL qualification, which complements my ability to support language learners effectively.

I incorporate a mix of interactive techniques, including technology-based tools, active questioning, step-by-step support and guided practice, and real-world applications to make learning both engaging and effective. I aim not just to improve grades, but to nurture curiosity, independent thinking, and a genuine love for learning. With over 9 years of tutoring experience, I know how powerful encouragement and personalised teaching can be in helping students overcome challenges and reach their full potential.

Subjects