Fintry Study Skills Tutors and Fintry Study Skills Tuition

Personal Description:
Hi! I love working with young people and helping them to unlock their potential. I have an English Language and Literature BA from Oxford University. In my spare time, I love reading books, watching films and travelling. As well as being a tutor, I am a copy editor for UNICEF.

My previous experience includes working with KS3 pupils (Years 7-9), supporting Year 10 and 11 pupils through their English Language and Literature GCSE syllabus, helping A level students, and working with BA and MA students to fine tune their essays and dissertations. I have worked with students in mainstream education and those being home educated. I have an up-to-date DBS check and am available immediately. I offer online or face-to-face tuition.

Teaching Experience:
2024
Teaching assistant (SEN support)
Durrington High School

2020-2022
Online tutor, as part of the National Tutoring Programme (a government catch up scheme for students most affected by the pandemic)

2010
GCSE English tutor, Durrington High School
I was employed through the Aim Higher scheme to work with small groups of Year 11 students, helping them to secure a C grade in their AQA English Language GCSE.

January 2007 - present
Private tutor
I have worked with students ranging from Year 7 to degree level, helping them to pass exams and develop their skills.

January - December 2005
Academic Coach
The role involved working closely with targeted students on a one-to-one or small group basis, developing and delivering innovative study sessions designed to overcome barriers to learning and assist underachievers in fulfilling their potential. My specific academic focus was within the English Language and Literature GCSE syllabus.

February - August 2004
Project Officer for Oxford Colleges Admissions Office
Employed by Oxford University, I took on a six-month post as Project Officer for the Oxford-Dudley Partnership Project, a scheme which aimed to work with the Year 9 Gifted and Talented cohort of all schools in Dudley LEA in order to raise aspirations.
I also organized and ran a programme of 'Aspiration Days' for Year 8-11 pupils from schools across the country, aimed at encouraging applications from students from state school and/or underprivileged backgrounds, as well as speaking with Year 12 students interested in applying to university, providing specific information and advice regarding applications.

September 2002 - June 2003
Learning Mentor
Whilst still an undergraduate, as part of the National Mentoring Pilot Project (NMPP), I was a mentor to four Year 8 pupils, providing support and encouragement in an environment removed from the classroom. This took place in weekly one-hour sessions with the individual student for an entire academic year, charting their progress in terms of behaviour, confidence and attitude.

Tutoring Approach:
I am friendly, patient and passionate about my subject. I am sensitive to the needs of others and strive to tailor sessions to suit the needs of the tutee. I am relaxed and enthusiastic when tutoring and aim to build confidence as well as increase knowledge and understanding.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I'm a Cambridge graduate and Fellow of the University of London, with fifteen years of experience tutoring Religious Studies and Philosophy. My students have a strong track record of A/A* grades. I tutor it full-time across OCR, AQA, Edexcel and other exam boards. I can offer hundreds of exemplar essays and resources.

Get in touch for a free 1-hour trial session!

Extracts from letters of recommendation (available in full on request):

"James is an extremely capable and sensitive tutor."
Mother of RS (OCR) A-Level student
Grade received: A

"My daughter got a D in her mock earlier this year ... for her to get an A really was at the top end of our expectations."
Father of A-Level RS (Edexcel) student
Grade received: A

"I cannot recommend James highly enough. He is punctual and thoughtful and I would not hesitate to hire him again in the future."
Mother of Religious Studies (Edexcel) student
Grade received: A

"James immediately established a very good working relationship with my daughter which encouraged her to really engage with the subject…I would highly recommend James as a tutor."
Mother of Religious Studies (OCR) student.
Grade received: A

"James was brilliant."
Mother of twin daughters taught in Religious Studies (OCR) and Philosophy (AQA).
Grades received: A

RATES
Free 1 hour initial lesson. If there is a results-based bonus I am happy to negotiate the hourly fee.

Teaching Experience:
I have thousands of hours of tuition experience built up over ten years of full-time tutoring. Some of the specific subjects I have taught include:

Cambridge Pre-U Theology & Philosophy
Philosophy A Level (AQA, OCR and Edexcel)
Religious Studies (OCR, AQA and Edexcel) GCSE, A Level
Government & Politics (Edexcel and OCR)
Theology and Religious Studies at degree level (I have helped six different students receive good grades for third year RS dissertations)
Oxbridge applications and interview practice

Tutoring Approach:
Receiving tuition can be a bit daunting at first, so I try to make sure my students feel I`m on their side and there to help them with anything they might not feel able to figure out at school.

My approach to tuition is to assess what specific needs a student has and then to organise the sessions around those needs. Some students need essay technique help and some have a specific set of topics they want to go over. Others might need an entire course taught to them as they have left school or are being home educated.

In my years of tuition, I have built up a cloud-based digital archive of hundreds of handouts which can help a student get back on track and achieve the highest possible grade.

Subjects

Personal Description:
When I was a boy I was taught by people who were larger-than-life characters who dominated the classroom. They made clear to us boys what was expected of us and that if we didn't make the effort we would simply not achieve the rewards.

As a teacher, I share the same ethos. I expect pupils to follow my lead and work to the best of their ability.

I spend a lot of time reading and thinking.

I think it was George Bernard Shaw who said that 2% of people think, 3% think they think and 95% would rather die than do any thinking at all!

Sadly, I think that over the last thirty years dumbing down and inflated grades have shown how accurate Shaw's assessment was.

I see my role as one of reversing the tide of apathy and mediocrity and encouraging pupils to value themselves as individuals each with unique potential.

I finally achieved my educational potential because I came to see intellectual growth as the only sure path to happiness and fulfilment.

Helping pupils reach the same understanding about their full intellectual potential is my vocation and the foundation on which I build all my one-to-one tuition relationships.

Teaching Experience:
After teaching in the UK Primary and Secondary sectors as well as managing English and History departments in three international schools overseas, I now devote my time exclusively to private tuition.

My experience includes 12 years teaching English and History to GCSE and A level in the UK secondary system and eight years teaching the same subjects to the same levels in international schools in Italy, Egypt and Kenya.

During this time I have always had a number of students on my books for home tuition to provide extra help in Primary, Secondary and University level subjects.

My English GCSE students last year all achieved A-C grades and my A level History student achieved an A (predicted C after Year 12) and is now at university. In previous years, my A level History students have never achieved less than a C and in 2014, I had a student who reached A* and is now studying the subject at Exeter University.

Tutoring Approach:
My experience has led me to believe that one-to-one tuition is the best way to educate pupils. It brings them to the realisation that the whole point of education really is to set us free. It's not easy for a student to discover this when confined every day in a class of 30 or more others! Learning to think independently as an individual, and to read and write fluently enables pupils to participate fully in society, to achieve their full potential and thereby become happy, confident adults. Once the student is enthused and inspired by a tutor to think for themselves there is only one way forward.

I like to encourage pupils to develop independent thinking and logical analysis. Too many schools are teaching the children WHAT to think when they should be teaching them HOW to think. Naturally, many pupils become disengaged and even some of the most talented are simply going through the motions rather than actually studying. This lack of motivation together with highly inflated grades means that many of our youngsters are leaving school with minimal reading and writing skills. Indeed, few now have the aptitude for doing much reading, thinking or writing at all.

I like to build up the student's confidence by establishing their strengths first. Thereafter I identify weaknesses and gauge the student's awareness of them and motivation to put them right. Above all, I encourage my students to read widely and with full concentration. My best students learn to read closely and publish their reviews on Amazon. Aside from the huge adrenaline run, the boost in confidence and proficiency students get from seeing their writing in print is awesome to behold!

To put it simply, when they're reading they start succeeding!

Homework set weekly by me will always involve reading, thinking and writing. My feedback will always concentrate on reinforcing the idea that the writing process never ends with the last full stop. I expect students to read back their work to ensure that their writing communicates their meaning clearly and fluently. Editing with the focus on making the right word choices, organising sentences with the words in the right order and structuring longer writing assignments into coherent paragraphs are all priorities schools are increasingly neglecting thereby greatly hindering the life chances of their pupils..

Once the student and I have agreed which areas need improvement we use lesson time to extend the student's competence and skills by undertaking thinking and written assignments that allow the student to develop these.

Weekly homework set will advance and reinforce the skills the student has been encouraged to bring to the lesson.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I'm an English teacher who also loves to learn. For fun I like to dress up as a Tudor and take part in Living History events. I also very much like to take my slightly dopey dog to the beach where I regularly need to prevent her swimming to France!

Teaching Experience:
My first experience of teaching was through home-educating my daughter from when she was 6 through to GSCE-level. I then went on to do a PGCE in Lifelong Learning (post-16 education) during which time I taught a range of business and tourism modules. Since completing my PGCE I have completed short-term contracts teaching English as a Foreign Language. Presently, I work part-time as an enabler for physically and/ or mentally disabled students in higher education and part-time as a private tutor.I have experience tutoring adult learners, home-educated students (i.e. delivery of full syllabus) and students who are at school but need additional subject help, for example with exam preparation. I currently teach English as a foreign language at a school in Cardiff.

Tutoring Approach:
I understand how important it is to have a supportive and patient teacher who is willing to answer any question any number of times until the student 'gets it' and that's what I am always prepared to do. I think learning should be fun and relevant to our lives and endeavour to carry this over into lessons. The exact approach would always depend on the needs and wishes of the student.

Subjects

Personal Description:
A computer science graduate and former software engineer that got out of the 'rat-race' in 2001 to develop my own coaching business. In addition to business and personal success coaching I also run a very successful Academy teaching martial arts, self protection, and personal development to students of all ages based in my home town of Dursley in Gloucestershire.

I also teach photography, I have a distinction from the Royal Photographic Society, and spend much of my working time as a professional photographer too, focused mainly on teaching others, both individuals and group workshops.

Teaching Experience:
General:
In my former career as a software developer I was also responsible for writing technical documentation and running training courses worldwide. I'm very comfortable with planning, organising and delivering courses up to a very high standard.

Personal Success / Life Coaching

Having successfully escaped the rat-race to pursue my own goals it's fair to say I've learned a lot about personal development. I now share this experience with a number of private clients for success coaching / personal development and business coaching to help them with motivation, goals and productivity in their own careers.

I've completed a number of courses and seminars with world-class coaches such as Anthony Robbins and I am an accredited Elite Performance Coach, specialising in coaching individuals to help them achieve their maximum potential in achieving their personal, academic or career related goals.


Photography:

As a photographer I have been teaching now for more than ten years, I teach individuals from complete novices right up to those with aspirations of Royal Society distinctions. Indeed a number of my students have been awarded distinctions from the RPS. I also teach workshop sessions and presentations to groups, camera clubs / societies etc.

Martial Arts/Self Defence:

I'm a high-ranking martial arts instructor (6th degree black belt with nearly 40 years experience) and have been teaching now for around 30 years.

At my school in Dursley I have students of all ages from five years up to those in their sixties's. I teach courses and seminars to groups of all sizes. I've taught in schools, worked with police and youth groups etc. I often teach private lessons to individuals, both from my own school and those with no prior experience. It goes without saying that I have a current DBS, first aid and am fully insured. I can offer 1-1 coaching in person or online consulting to school owners, or motivation/mindset for those looking to take their training to the next level.

I have a current DBS (CRB) check and can provide references relating to all aspects of my coaching.

Tutoring Approach:
Friendly, informal and always tailored to the specific needs of the individual.

Happy to chat about your individual requirements prior to booking so please get in touch with any questions :-)

If you're looking for photography, business or personal development coaching I'm happy to chat on the phone, skype or obviously to meet in person (I do charge travelling if you're not coming to me).

Self defence coaching obviously needs to be in person, and there are minimum training requirements to ensure we can cover enough basic skills. Please note the rates listed on here are for individual one-to-one coaching only, but please get in touch if you're interested in discussing group seminars/workshops etc.

When teaching from home my minimum booking is 1h. For any booking on-site at your location I have a minimum booking of 2 hours, plus travelling charged at 50p/mile pre-agreed based on google maps.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I'm a very approachable person who enjoys being around people and helping them to achieve their goals, I am currently doing a Masters in Publishing.
I am also a university graduate in Broadcast Media Production and I took Photography and Creative Media at A level.
In my GCSE'S I took Graphics and History/Geography.
In my spare time I do archery (which I've been doing for 11 years) and climbing (for 1 year) I also enjoy reading and travelling.

Teaching Experience:
I have previously worked in a college as a supported learning assistant working mainly with dyslexic students onna variety of subjects.
I volunteered as part time help at Luddington and Garthorpe primary school in North Lincolnshire. I help when I am not busy, this is experience for me as it is something I am considering as a career path for the future, I help with the children, and I help the class teachers when their TA's are ill or busy elsewhere, I have also answered the phones when the receptionist hasn't been in.
I have also been volunteering at John Leggott College in the media department as an assistant to the staff and the young adults, this has given me more of an idea of what it is like to teach older children and a possible career choice. I help them with their pre and post production and general help through out the lessons.

Tutoring Approach:
My approach to tutoring is research what they're doing in school and asking them how they learn - weather it being visual, auditory or kinesthetic - I myself prefer a practical/kinesthetic - "hands on learning" as you can learn whilst doing things. Another way I like to teach is by a reward system which works to help the student feel like they have achieved something they may not have been able to learn by them selves or by classroom learning.

Subjects

Personal Description:
My passion for Art, Crafts and Design has been of paramount importance to me and sharing my knowledge and skills to all learners in these subjects.I have been drawing, painting and designing for over 40 years. I qualified as a Printed Textile Designer from Polytechnic of East London, on the BA Hons in Combined Studies Course.

From this I gained a valuable insight into the fashion and textiles industry, working with design studios. My love for creating designs continued on to the Masters Degree course at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, where I worked for Terence Conan Design Studios.

I developed an excellent rapport with artists and designers in the industry and decide, after several years of working for top high Street retailers as a fashion and textile designer, to build my own company up whilst teaching in Further Education. I became Head of the Fashion and Textiles Course in a top London college. Here all my students on the BTEC Diploma Level 3 and Level 4 courses gained work placements with Vivienne Westwood, Zandra Rhodes and many more. Many entered into their first choice Universities with my knowledge of putting their portfolios together and teaching life drawings to accompany their portfolios.

After having taught Fashion, Textiles and Art and Design for many years, I decided to challenge my other passion in Fitness. With my qualifications as Tutor and Assessor, I began delivering gym and personsal training courses to 16 to 18 year olds and 19 plus learners.

Currently, I am delivering mixed-media techniques to all age groups and organisations. I love what I do and love seeing my participants flourish.

Teaching Experience:
Art
Adults/Sixth Form/FE Colleges/Universities - one to one tutoring, group workshops.Portfolio preparation, drawing, painting, photography, sketchbook work

Design
Textiles, fashion design, illustration, visual communications, printmaking, art therapy with the use of colours

Crafts
3D construction with mixed media, tile design, ceramics, mosaics, jewellery design

Tutoring Approach:
Art,Design, Crafts...

All lessons will involve practical sessions, to include drawing techniques, perspective and visual skills, along with demonstrations handouts with overviews of the lesson and some homework for the next class (eg. Recording visual drawings, research and ideas in a sketchbook with specific tasks. Annotations will also be encouraged in sketchbook work.

Depending on age groups and examining boards, we will focus on how to achieve best results to prepare for exam situations, as well as for portfolio preparations and interviews.

Materials will be provided by the learner, however, I will be able to suggest what to purchase, and bring materials to experiement with if they are not readily available.

Most importantly, lessons will be tailored to your child's or your personal needs. Suggested visits to certain museums, events will be beneficial and discussed during the lessons, when appropriate. Contextual Studies will be looked at initially to have a better understanding of the subject or project devised.

Tutorial sessions will involve realistic scenarios, workbooks and guidance to achieve the level required to pass any exam or tests.

Subjects

Personal Description:
My name is Oladipo. I am a results-driven professional with a solid academic background and a deep-seated passion for education and mentorship. I completed a degree in electrical engineering at a leading UK University, and I also studied Medicine at the University of Buckingham. My diverse educational journey has provided me with a unique, multidisciplinary perspective on learning.

I love studying, and this love for studying has made me want to give back in the form of teaching. Currently, I serve as a Community Council Member (School Governor) for a Co-op Academy, where I am committed to promoting high standards of achievement and well-being for pupils. This role, combined with my experience as an Engineering Engagement Mentor for the Royal Academy of Engineering, allows me to bring professional-grade coaching and leadership development to my tutoring sessions.

I am enthusiastic about teaching and dedicated to supporting the next generation of learners. Whether it is foundational reading and writing or complex technical subjects, my students achieve their desired grades. I have tutored university students to achieve high scores, leveraging my technical proficiencies in analytical tools and engineering software to make complex concepts accessible.

With a background that spans high-level engineering at National Grid, medical studies, and community governance, I offer a structured, innovative, and highly effective approach to tutoring.

Teaching Experience:
With a diverse background in Electrical Engineering and Medicine, I bring a high level of academic rigour and practical expertise to my tutoring. My teaching philosophy is built on the belief that a love for learning is the key to academic success.

My Experience Includes:

Diverse Academic Background: I have a strong foundation in complex subjects, having completed a degree in electrical engineering at a leading UK University and studied Medicine at the University of Buckingham.

Scientific Expertise: I have plenty of experience in teaching science subjects, drawing from my A-Levels in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, as well as my professional engineering career.

Online Tutoring: I have taught many students online, utilising digital platforms like Microsoft Teams and Power BI to create interactive and engaging virtual classrooms.

Proven Track Record: I have experience in teaching at multiple levels; I have tutored university students to achieve high scores, and my students have achieved their desired grades.

Mentorship & Leadership: I have delivered over 270 minutes of structured mentoring as an Engineering Engagement Mentor for the Royal Academy of Engineering, focusing on professional growth and effective communication.

Community Governance: As a Community Council Member (School Governor), I actively contribute to the strategic leadership and educational standards of a local academy, ensuring high achievement for all pupils.

I am enthusiastic about teaching and dedicated to helping students bridge the gap between complex theories and real-world applications. Whether you are looking for support in primary reading and writing or advanced science and engineering modules, I provide a structured and supportive environment to help you succeed.

Tutoring Approach:
My teaching philosophy is centred on bridging the gap between complex academic theories and practical, real-world applications. Having navigated rigorous programs in both Electrical Engineering and Medicine, I understand that every student learns differently, and I tailor my methods to meet those individual needs.

How I Support My Students:

Conceptual Clarity: I help students understand the subject area that I will be teaching by breaking down intricate topics-whether in advanced sciences or primary literacy-into manageable, logical steps.

Skill Development: Beyond just subject knowledge, I assist with learning skills, such as structured planning, analytical thinking, and effective communication.

Mentorship-Driven: Drawing from my experience as an Engineering Engagement Mentor, I use a coaching-based approach to build a resilient mindset and academic confidence in my students.

Adaptive Delivery: I leverage my technical proficiency with Digital & Analytical Tools to provide high-quality instruction. I can tutor in person or via video, ensuring a seamless experience regardless of the format.

Student-Centric Scheduling: I understand the pressures of a busy academic calendar, which is why I am flexible with times of teaching to ensure support is available when it is needed most.

By combining my professional background at National Grid with my commitment to Community Governance, I provide a teaching environment that is professional, encouraging, and results-oriented.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am a foreign qualified Barrister and Solicitor with 2 years post call experience since graduating in the UK.I have practice experience within government public policy advisory, Corporate and commercial law as well as financial operations with a focus on pension fund investments.

Teaching Experience:
I have taught young students within Nigeria.

Tutoring Approach:
Friendly, engaging and challenging whilst also tailoring teaching methods to student capabilities.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I enjoy tutoring because I value my students' ideas. See below for the most important parts of this page, results and feedback.

I am an Oxford graduate (English language and literature, first class) and a qualified English teacher, have a PhD in English literature, 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 2027/28
• Doing coursework
• Working on the basis of continuous assessment, mocks, etc.
• Or planning to do / doing an English degree

Also get in touch if your child is no longer doing English literature at school but wants support in continuing to read, think about, and discuss books.

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 recently completed 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, 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 writing, walking, cycling, 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.

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.

A selection of feedback and testimonials:

2026:

Cara, a parent, September: 'I cannot recommend Josh highly enough. He was absolutely instrumental in helping my son achieve the English grades required to pursue his dream of studying in America. Throughout the entire process, he was incredibly easy to work with and brought a wonderful sense of calm and kindness to every session. He is excellent at setting clear, structured tasks and holding students accountable for their progress, but he always does so with a gentle and supportive demeanor. His unique balance of academic rigour and encouraging mentorship completely transformed my son's approach to learning. We are incredibly grateful for his guidance and would recommend him to any parent looking for an exceptional educator.'

A student, August: 'Such an awesome tutor. I found myself needing some extra help in the way I communicated my ideas academically as I'd missed an entire year of essay practice (took up the subject VERY late in year 12). Josh as a tutor didn't just make up for lost teaching, but genuinely made me love my texts through witty conversation and critical angles I hadn't thought about. Despite teachers saying I wouldn't achieve higher than a B grade, I ended up getting an A*, which I think is absolutely a testament to the tutoring I received-- I couldn't have done it without him, and couldn't recommend him more.'

A student, August: 'I had the pleasure of being taught by Josh for my A Level English Literature studies in 2024, and I couldn't recommend him more highly. He was an exceptional tutor who played a huge role in improving both my confidence and ability in the subject. He provided outstanding support across every aspect of the course, from analysing poetry and developing sophisticated interpretations to preparing me thoroughly for my exams. His explanations were always clear and tailored to my learning style, making even the most challenging texts much easier to understand. Hence, I was awarded an A* and am now thriving at the University of Bristol!'

A student, August: 'I wanted to thank you again for all the lessons and help, it really benefitted me overall and I can without a doubt say that you were a great teacher.'

A student, August: 'I'm happy to say I got an A in English and got into my firm choice uni (Edinburgh).'

A student, August: 'I wanted to say a massive thank you as I got an A* in English Literature! I couldn't have done it without your guidance and feedback - you really helped me and my concepts excel. I'm very excited to pursue literature and hope that one day I'll be able to inspire others as you've inspired me. :)'.

Diana, a parent, July: 'Josh is a first class tutor. I saw him inspire my daughter with new ideas and as a result she was accepted at Cambridge where she graduated with a starred first. He taught her to think outside of the box and was filled with endless suggestions. Not only is he extremely clever, he is so kind and gentle. My daughter regards him as the best teacher she's ever had.'

Kate, a parent, June: 'We are so grateful to you for your endless patience and how you supported [G.]. The way you ran sessions with him prepared him so well not just for the A level paper but also for this year.'

A student, April: 'As usual- thank you for your creative sessions- my assignments, and my writing, have received such grades because you inspire me to be uninhibitedly creative, which is a long process after four years of formal academic writing.'

A student, February: 'Very personalised lessons, focusing exactly on what you need to improve! You can tell Joshua loves what he does and has a genuine interest in helping you get the best grades.'

2025:

A parent, November: 'We would also like to mention how much [S.] has benefited from your lessons. Her confidence in English has grown significantly, and she has always enjoyed your classes. Thank you so much for all your guidance, support, and patience. We truly appreciate everything you have done for her'.

A student, August: 'my exams went amazingly, and I got just 3 marks short of an A* in English! I'm so happy with my grades […] Thank you so much for all your help, I really couldn't have done it without you. Also, thank you for making sure I had the most fun I've ever had studying English! I will miss our sessions a lot, and thanks again!'

A parent, August: '[L.] got an A and is absolutely thrilled!!! Thank you so so much for all your help.'

Kate, a parent, August: 'Thank you so much for all your support for [G.] this year -you were amazing. […] he only dropped 1 mark on the […] Hamlet paper!'

A student, June: '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: '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: '[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: '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: '[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: '[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: '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.'

*

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.'

*

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.'

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, a fair amount of what I say is explaining the meanings of texts. 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 is it about? And what is 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 puts 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 the following.

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.)

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 their 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.

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. Finally, it is possible that as we enter the AI age there will be a revaluing of the humanities as against STEM, since the one thing AI will never be, by definition, is human.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am half Chinese, half Thai. I grew up from a mixed-cultural background, having lived in Hong Kong, Singapore, and currently London.

Having gone through the GCSE and IB system myself, I offer students specialised support in subjects including Biology, Chemistry and Physics. I am also familiar with the A-level system as I have been teaching students in London over the last 7 years.

I am a good listener, and a patient tutor. I always seek to build a trusting relationship with the tutees, whose learning progress and comfort is a top priority.

Aside from academics and tuition, I am also a freelance artist, specialized in oil painting, charcoal sketches and watercolours.

Teaching Experience:
2014 - Present: Private tutor, London, UK
• Math (KS1-KS3, GCSE/IGCSE)
• Biology (KS1-KS3, GCSE/IGCSE, A-level, IB, University)
• Chemistry (KS1-KS3, GCSE/IGCSE, A-level, IB)
• Physics (KS1-KS3, GCSE/IGCSE)

2011- 2016: Academic mentor, Exscitec - Higher Education Industry, London, UK
• Utilised communication and teaching skills to convey scientific ideas (stem cell biology, medical science strands) to classes of 15-20 high school students from different backgrounds.
• Became a positive and motivational role model for young students.

Oct-Dec 2013: Private tutor for A-level and GCSE Biology and 11+ Math, Bangkok, Thailand
• Provided support for regular school works.
• Successfully prepared the students for their unit tests
• Taught exam preparation techniques for GCSE and A-level.

I have worked with students doing the 11+, 13+ entrance exams for the following schools:

1) Queen's gate
2) St. James Senior Girls School
3) Godolphin and Latymer
4) Whitgift
5) Harrow
6) St Edward's
7) Charterhouse

Tutoring Approach:
My lesson structure is adaptable and typically includes:

1) Specific topic review in line with the syllabus
2) Revision schedule planning
3) Guidance in revision note making
4) Past exam paper practices
5) Exam techniques
6) Homework assistance

I have all the past exam papers and teaching material on hand across all exam boards.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am a fully qualified and GTCS registered primary teacher of over fifteen years. I have considerable experience across all ages and stages and have extensive experience working with children with additional support needs, both in a classroom setting and 1-1 tutoring. I have a proven track record in delivering excellence and in supporting learners with a range of needs.

Teaching Experience:
I have been teaching for 10 years across all stages of the primary curriculum. I have experience of working with children with a range of additional support needs in the classroom and 1-1.

Tutoring Approach:
I try to make my tutoring sessions fun and interactive, using a mixture of ICT, games while maintaining a focus on formal written methods. I have experience of tutoring both maths and language and working to support learners needs such as hearing impairments, ASD and dyslexia.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am a full-time professional private tutor and coach, tutoring since 2015 and offering bespoke online one-to-one tuition designed to build subject knowledge, academic skills and confidence.

I offer History tuition at GCSE, A Level and degree level; Politics at A Level and degree level; International Relations and Middle Eastern Studies at degree level; and conversational Israeli Hebrew at all levels. I also provide dissertation and essay consultation, proofreading, examination preparation and academic coaching.

A former Teaching Fellow at King's College London, I hold degrees from the universities of London, Jerusalem and Cambridge. At King's, I taught MA courses on the Arab-Israeli Conflict, US and British Foreign Policy, War and Peace in the Middle East, and Inter-Faith Relations.

I am the author of Israel and the Cold War: Diplomacy, Strategy and the Policy of the Periphery at the United Nations (I.B. Tauris, 2013), have reviewed for the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House), and have written for academic journals and newspapers.

My academic distinctions include the first Mikardo Scholarship awarded by the British Foreign Office, a Golda Meir Fellowship at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a Donner Prize in Atlantic Studies at Cambridge for an essay on the role of the United States in the Falklands War.

My approach combines academic rigour with supportive, personalised teaching. I help students strengthen their subject knowledge, think critically, construct persuasive arguments and express their ideas clearly, while developing the confidence and examination technique needed to perform under pressure.

My students have gained places at institutions including Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, UCL, King's College London, Birmingham, York, Sheffield, Nottingham, Sussex and Oundle School.

For parents' peace of mind, I hold an enhanced DBS check and subscribe to the annual update service.

Teaching Experience:
My experience combines private tuition and coaching since 2015 with university teaching at postgraduate level. As a Teaching Fellow at King's College London, I taught MA courses on the Arab-Israeli Conflict, US and British Foreign Policy, War and Peace in the Middle East, and Inter-Faith Relations.

A fluent Hebrew speaker, I also served as Peer Tutor in Hebrew at University College London, where I was awarded the departmental prize for excellence in the Hebrew language.

This combination of private tuition and university teaching enables me to adapt my approach to students at different academic levels, making complex ideas accessible while developing the knowledge, analytical skills and confidence required for academic success.

Tutoring Approach:
My sessions are interactive, confidence-building and results-driven, combining academic rigour with personalised coaching to help students think critically, write clearly and perform confidently under pressure.

I tailor tuition to each student's individual needs, identifying areas for development and setting clear, achievable goals. Depending on the student, this may involve strengthening subject knowledge, improving essay structure and argument, developing examination technique or rebuilding academic confidence.

Alongside tuition throughout the academic year, I offer intensive support during school and university holidays for examination preparation, consolidation of knowledge and skills, and helping students regain confidence and momentum.

My services include dissertation and essay consultation, examination strategy and past-paper practice, essay-writing and critical-thinking guidance, and personal academic goal planning.

Tuition is delivered online in prepaid blocks of five or ten hours, fully invoiced and receipted. I also offer a stand-alone introductory session at a 50% discount.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I have been working with children and teaching for over 20 years. I love teaching children of all ages. I really enjoy seeing children progress and their confidence grow. This is one of the reasons I really like tutoring, due to the progress being so rapid.

I live in Nuthall, Nottinghamshire with my husband and two children. Since having children, I have worked part time in schools and also I have done lots of tutoring.

Although I enjoy teaching a variety of subjects in Primary schools, I enjoy teaching maths the most. I think this is because I found it so hard at school. I really understand the barriers a lot of children have in maths and love to help them to develop a love of it.

Teaching Experience:
I have been a primary school teacher for 17 years. I have taught mainly in key stage 2 but I have experience of key stage one.

I have worked mainly in year 6 preparing children to pass their SATs and also I have tutored children to pass their 11+ exams. Being a year 6 teacher for such a long time has made me extremely confident in helping children to revise and succeed in their assessments.

I have worked closely with children who have additional needs throughout my career and I have attended lots of training in the past to support this. During the school day I tutor a large number of children who are not in education (for various reasons) and have lots of experience in helping these children.

I will adapt learning to the individual need of your child/children. Making it as interactive and fun as possible.

Although I am trained in Primary I am happy to work with secondary children who need additional support too.

Tutoring Approach:
I like to try tailor the sessions to meet the needs of the individual. I love doing this because it is something that all children need but as a classroom teacher of 30 is not always possible.

If your child needs active learning, if they need lots of repetition to make the learning stick then I can do that. I will try to make the learning as fun as possible and I will also provide home tasks (optional) to support your child's learning in between sessions.

Any questions or just for some advice or a chat please get in touch. I also run group sessions each week which are obviously cheaper than the 1:1 option.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Hello. I am Harjot, a specialist Mathematics, Aptitude and Critical Thinking coach. I focus entirely on preparing candidates for high-stakes, timed exams where rapid calculation, spatial logic and speed strategy make the difference between passing and failing. Having personally cleared 12 elite competitive exams, served as a Government Bank Manager and worked as an engineer, I know exactly what it takes to beat the clock under intense pressure. With over 10+ years of teaching experience, I bridge the gap between abstract mathematical concepts and practical, real world execution.

Teaching Experience:
I bring a wealth of diverse academic and professional teaching experience. I have served as a University Lecturer, delivering structured, high-yield quantitative principles to advanced students. In my 10+ years of teaching experience, I have successfully guided students across multiple specific streams: standard school excellence (11+ Grammar, GCSE and A-Level Maths), Armed forces entrance filters (Royal Navy/Royal Marines DAA, RAF CBAT and Army AOSB) and high-tier professional screenings (UK Civil Service Fast Stream, UCAT reasoning subtests, Arctic Shores Assessment and corporate graduate scheme psychometric testing).

Tutoring Approach:
My approach eliminates slow, traditional, long-form formulas. Instead, I focus on equipping you with powerful non-calculator shortcuts, rapid mental arithmetic tactics, and systematic elimination frameworks. We don't just study the material-we study the exam architecture itself. Your first 30-minute trial session is entirely free. During this time, we will evaluate your baseline speed, target your specific exam board or assessment constraints and construct a personalized, step-by-step roadmap to achieve maximum marks in minimum time.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I'm a retired academic in psychology and education with over 25 years experience teaching and supporting students in HE on undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses in the UK and internationally.

Teaching Experience:
Specialism in psychology, particularly child development, cognitive development, psychology in education, language and communication, child health, research methods and stats, SEND, inclusion, emotional health and wellbeing. Expertise in inclusive approaches to teaching and learning for students from diverse contexts, and with additional needs.
Supervision of research projects at UG, Masters and Doctoral research.

Tutoring Approach:
Tailoring support to the individual learner - finding out their strengths and challenging areas, and their learning styles.
Working with their current feedback from assessed work (if available).
Setting achievable goals in collaboration with the student.
Providing feedback on draft work
-Support with study skills including making effective notes from reading and lectures, literature reviews, synthesising evidence from research and applying theory, making effective arguments.
-Oral presentation practice and support.
-Reflective writing and writing for different readers.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am an experienced English and History tutor specialising in 11+ and 13+ entrance preparation, GCSE and A-level tuition, and independent-school admissions.

I have delivered more than 6,500 hours of one-to-one tuition and have over 16 years' tutoring experience. My academic background includes a BA in History and an MA in Cultural History, and I have also taught undergraduate seminars. I have extensive experience in assessment and examining, including work as a Senior Examiner for the British Council.

I particularly enjoy working with students who need to develop confidence, independence and intellectual curiosity, as well as ambitious students who need to be stretched beyond the standard curriculum. My aim is not simply to improve a student's next grade or entrance-exam result, but to make them a stronger reader, writer and thinker.

Teaching Experience:
I specialise in English and History from upper primary through to A-level, with particular expertise in 11+ and 13+ school admissions, GCSE English Language and Literature, GCSE History, and A-level English Literature and History.

I have prepared students for admission to leading independent schools including Winchester College, Hampton, Abingdon and St Mary's Ascot, as well as a wide range of other selective schools. My admissions teaching includes English entrance examinations, ISEB and other pre-tests, interview preparation and the broader academic skills students need to thrive after gaining a place.

At GCSE and A-level, I combine detailed subject knowledge with extensive assessment experience. I teach students how to analyse texts and sources precisely, construct convincing arguments, plan effectively and write with clarity and sophistication. I am familiar with the requirements of the major examination boards and adapt lessons closely to each student's course and objectives.

I have taught students with a very wide range of abilities and personalities, from those who have lost confidence or developed gaps in their knowledge to highly able students aiming for the highest grades and most competitive schools.

Tutoring Approach:
My teaching is highly individualised. I begin by identifying what is actually preventing a student from progressing: this might be a gap in knowledge, weak analytical habits, difficulty organising ideas, lack of confidence, inefficient exam technique or simply not having been sufficiently challenged.

Lessons are active rather than lecture-based. I use questioning, discussion, modelling, targeted practice and immediate feedback to make students think for themselves. Instead of simply supplying an answer, I break difficult skills into manageable stages and gradually remove support as the student becomes more confident and independent.

In English, I place particular emphasis on close reading, vocabulary, analytical thinking and developing a controlled, engaging writing style. In History, I help students move beyond memorising information towards understanding causation, significance, change, interpretation and the construction of evidence-based arguments.

For entrance examinations and interviews, I avoid teaching students to reproduce formulaic responses. I develop the underlying comprehension, reasoning, communication and writing skills that enable them to respond confidently when faced with unfamiliar material.

Above all, I want students to understand why something works. Good tutoring should produce more than a short-term improvement in marks: students should leave with better habits of thought, greater confidence and skills they can transfer to new subjects and challenges.

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Personal Description:
I am an experienced teacher and lecturer with over 25 years of experience teaching computer science, data science, and mathematics across schools and multiple UK universities.

I hold a PhD in Computer Science and have supported students at GCSE, A-level, and undergraduate level, including learners with SEN and diverse learning needs. My teaching style is patient, structured, and encouraging, with a strong focus on building confidence and understanding.

I break complex topics into clear, manageable steps and adapt my approach to suit each student's learning style. I am passionate about helping students develop problem-solving skills, independence, and a genuine interest in technology and data.

Teaching Experience:
PGCert Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, Manchester Metropolitan University (2017). PhD Computer Science, University of Warwick (2010). MSc Internet Engineering and Web Technologies, University of Greenwich (2007).

Tutoring Approach:
I teach computer science by cutting out the fluff and getting straight to the point:

We learn by actually doing the work. Staring at slides or memorising textbook definitions won't make you a better developer or security analyst. Instead, every lesson is completely tailored to where you are right now-whether you're aiming for top grades in your GCSEs or A-Levels, fixing a broken Python script for a university module, or trying to land your first tech job.

Our sessions are interactive and keyboard-first. We write and debug Python code together in real-time, work through practical security scenarios to see how vulnerabilities function under the hood, and tackle real software projects. If you're studying for exams, we dissect past papers and mark schemes until you know exactly how to secure top marks. If you're job hunting, we focus on building a strong GitHub portfolio, polishing your CV, and running through realistic technical interview prep.

Whether you're a school student struggling with algorithms, a university student navigating advanced software engineering, or a career switcher needing job-ready skills, I keep the pace fast, relaxed, and practical. Drop me a message with what you're working on, and let's set up a first session to get you building.

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