Smethwick Study Skills Tutors and Smethwick Study Skills Tuition

Personal Description:
I hold a First Class Honours degree in English Language and Literature (University of St Andrews) and a Doctorate / PhD in English Literature (University of Leeds).

In the recent past I have worked as a University Professor in English and have published books and articles on English and Media. Some of these are standard set study texts. I have also served as an Examiner and as a University Admissions Tutor. I am qualified to teach under the PTLLS scheme.

Dr Ian is based in Birmingham / West Midlands and has been described as friendly, patient, sympathetic and approachable. Tuition is offered to improve exams and coursework for school, college, or University. Recent work has included AQA GCSE and A-level Engish Language and Literature.

I am also able to provide support if you are new to the UK and want academic editing and proof-reading for you MA, MSc or PhD.

Teaching Experience:
I have undertaken teaching and training in Schools (Primary and Secondary) and in the University Higher Education Sector (to Post Graduate level) over a period of twenty-five years.

During that period I have worked with very gifted students as well as children and adults who have needed special support in order to reach their full potential. Recently I have work with PhD students from India, Poland, Jordan, Iran, China, Pakistan, Japan, and the UK.
My specialist areas are English Language and Literature; Study, Exam and Revision Skills. Short, intensive 1-to1 courses are available for exam revision and exam technique. Reduced rates are available for longer contracts, or for students living in the locality.

Tutoring Approach:
ONLINE teaching only.

My teaching is always adapted to YOUR specific needs and is informed by critical and creative strategies that have a proven track record.

I work in partnership with YOU in order to identify YOUR most urgent needs and and the goals to be achieved. Together we address issues of motivation and the acquisition of key subject study skills. The process builds on creative strategies for self-improvement which leads to enhanced enjoyment and success.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Hello there,

Thanks for taking a look.

I have been a tutor for over 15 years. Along the way, I have learnt a lot about the role and how significant it can be. For some students, I am a mentor for their whole educational experience whilst others see me as a specialist in one area.

Alongside tutoring, I am a professional actor (hence the posey photo!) and have recently worked at the National Theatre and onscreen. Acting has deepened my ability to connect with others on a personal level, fostering empathy and understanding - qualities that I bring directly into my tutoring. I believe this helps me create a supportive, engaging, and personalised learning experience for every student.

I specialise in tutoring English Language & Literature up to GCSE and A Level, Drama, Maths and 11+ Common Entrance exams. Beyond traditional subjects, I also work as a Communications Coach, where I've helped over a hundred clients improve their Public Speaking, Interview Techniques, and Accent Clarity.

Choosing the right tutor can be challenging, and I'm more than happy to answer any questions you may have. I look forward to helping you or your child thrive!

Nick

Teaching Experience:
I have been tutoring for over 15 years. This has included lots of online tuition as well as face-to-face. Here is a selection of my clients:

IB English - I worked with Pietro online for over 7 years and saw him through his IB, in which he achieved grade 7 (highest grade).

A Level English Literature (AQA) - worked with Oliver (17) helping with coursework on The Great Gatsby and the poetry of Keats and Larkin. Oliver achieved an A grade.

AS Level Drama (AQA) - helped Yasmin to explore the analysis of texts of Lady Windermere's Fan and A View From The Bridge in preparation for exams, in which she achieved an A.

iGCSE English Literature / Language - I have been working online with Pietro (based in Rome). We have been working on both his school work as well as his wider approach to learning and English.

GCSE English Literature / Language - I worked with Joseph during his final year of GCSEs. Texts included Macbeth, Love & Relationships (Poetry), Jekyll and Hyde and An Inspector Calls.

11+ - I tutored Amaara through her 11+ exams on all papers (English, Maths, Verbal and Non-verbal Reasoning). Amaara gained entrance (including some academic scholarships) to City of London School for Girls, Putney High, Francis Holland and JAGS.

11+ - I worked with Olivia in preparation for her Common Entrance exams on all papers (English, Maths, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning) as well as interview practice. Olivia is now attending North London Collegiate School (her first choice) but I also prepared her for entrance to Highgate School for Girls, City of London School for Girls and Queen's College.

Primary Help - Worked with brothers Teddy (7) and Alfie (10) mainly on English and Maths but across all subjects generally to improve knowledge, confidence, spelling and vocabulary.

7+ I worked with Inigo on in preparation for his 7+ exams in Maths and English. Inigo is now attending Dulwich College.

7+ Currently working with Ari (5) towards his 7+ exams.

English for Foreign Learners - Helped 8 year old Augustinos (Greek) with reading and homework to improve English, as well as taking him on educational trips around London.

Voice and Elocution - Helped Law Student Amar (20) with speechmaking and projection for use in debating.

SEN - worked with Dean (20), a law student with dyslexia, upon exam preparation and practice.

Communications Coaching - I am a trained communications coach and have worked with over 100 clients one-on-one from Public Speaking, Interview Technique, Accent Clarity and Communication Techniques.

Tutoring Approach:
I believe that the key to effective tutoring is strong communication. My approach is entirely student-focused: together, we'll figure out the most productive way to work and make the most of our time. While I always come prepared with a plan, I'm flexible and responsive - if something comes up, we can address it right away.

Above all, I aim to make our sessions enjoyable and something to look forward to. I ensure that lessons are practical and engaging. Even if we're tackling a subject you find daunting, I welcome the challenge of helping you discover a way to enjoy it.

If you have any questions or specific requests, please don't hesitate to reach out. I'm here to help!

I am happy to give a 10% discount to online tuition.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Hi there,
I'm a qualified science teacher and Head of Science based in London, who currently teaches in a secondary school to students aged 11-18. I teach all sciences (Biology, Chemistry and Physics) to KS3 and GCSE (Edexcel and AQA specification), and teach A-Level Biology (OCR specification). I have worked within education for the past 10 years and really love working with young people to inspire them to achieve the best they can. I appreciate that it's not always possible to get the most out of every lesson and so some students may benefit from having a personal tutor to go over areas of difficulty and to fully grasp and understand the concepts to do better in school and in assessments.

Teaching Experience:
I have worked with thousands on children in the past 10 years working within education. I enjoy the process of working with parents and students to evaluate what students' strengths and weaknesses are, and set relevant goals and smart actions to ensure progress is made both short and long-term. My main aim has always been to inspire, motivate and make students feel more confident. I believe everyone has the right to an education and that learning should be fun and for the long-term.
In addition to this, I have experience teaching students with special educational needs (SEN) or a learning difficulty, such as Autism, Aspergers, Dyslexia, ADHD. Coming from a background of researching Autism during my degrees, I worked in a SEN school based in Bermondsey and have also worked with several families during the past decade. I've had wonderful success managing their behaviour when difficult, but also coming up with creative strategies to ensure the learning is achieved.
Lastly, I have tutored students privately up to A-Level. A teacher is much more than someone who teaches you a subject, I aim to make students love learning, grow their confidence, and also give them advice on things they're struggling with. Some of my students have gone to Russell Group universities.

Tutoring Approach:
For me, every student is an individual and no one learns in the exact same way. It's so important to be adaptable and honest with learning, so I focus on delivering lessons based on your learning style and personality, using a variety of exercises and methods. I am very hands on when teaching, I think energy and perseverance brings the best out of each student. I also put problems into context and make sure to be creative, but once an idea is understood, I think the key emphasis is to practice and repeat. I work with a lot of structure and am very organised which allows students to not feel overwhelmed with the amount of information, but to rather understand it in very easy applicable steps and for the long-term. I also think it's important to transfer these skills to the students I tutor so I will ensure I support them with their organisation and work ethic, by mentoring them.
I am very accessible, supportive, calm and patient. I make learning fun and enthusiastic while being still able to be strict and regimented. I am highly organised and always listen to feedback to better improve the student-teacher relationship.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Professionally qualified (DfES number RP 04/31188).

I am a musician, qualified primary teacher (QTS) with a Master's degree in Education, Pets As Therapy volunteer, founder and facilitator at Meta for learning CIC.

My interests in education are in Open Learning, Outdoor Learning, Animal Assisted interventions, Blended learning and helping learners build international links.


As part of a distance-learning Masters degree in association with FUNIBER and the Universidad de León, I carried out an ethnographic action research project using a democratic approach called Community Language Learning. In this approach there is no syllabus or textbook to follow. It is the learners themselves who determine the content by means of meaningful conversations.
It incorporates translation, transcription and recording techniques.

When I am not working I love volunteering, practising ice skating or track cycling with my daughter and also growing an edible garden !

Teaching Experience:
I was born in Madrid where I trained as a primary teacher and classical musician (cello and chamber music).

I worked in Escuelas de Musica in the outskirts of Madrid which are inclusive socially-minded music schools where I taught cello lessons and support the development of the String Department by assisting during orchestra rehearsals. Both adults and children of all ages are welcome to take lessons.

Shortly after moving to the UK I started a part time job teaching Music to 5-7 yo children at the Rowans Prep school in Wimbledon alongside studying a Mater's and working in Adult education- I carried out a 2-year ethnographic action research project at St Luke's centre in Islinghton.

I then applied to a position in Esadst London and started working for Children's language services teaching at several primary schools in Tower Hamlets. My roles were to deliver the MFL primary curriculum; coordinate the implementation of new initiatives in schools ie use of the European Portfolio for language Learning which was being developed between the Council and universities, provide class teachers with CPD training; undertake tasks such as EAL First Language assessments.

After taking maternative leave I trained to become an online tutor and worked part- time for Own Tutors, Clapham.

In 2019 I founded a learning community Metaforlearning Cic where I run Self-Manage Learning programmes for young people.

In my tutoring work I am reliable, flexible and experienced. I have been working in the UK, Ireland and Spain and have experience in exam preparation for the Spanish internationally recognised DELE junior and DELE for adults; Spanish GCSE, IGCSE, Spanish A-LEVELS with AQA, OCR and EDEXCEL exam boards; and IB ab initio and Language B international qualifications. In the past I have prepared young cellists for 1-8 ABRSM performance grades.

Tutoring Approach:
Students set their own learning goals and I assist them in order to map the neccesary learning to achieve them and also by working at the level that they feel comfortable with at each stage of the process.

With young learners I make use of VR, AR and gamification for enhancing engagement in language learning.

If your enquiry is regarding learning for either improving wellbeing, traveling or living in a Spanish speaking country then we will be looking at different learning objetives and skills than for example an enquiry regarding accessing an university of your choice.

I have wide experience supporting international students in understanding and preparing to access Universities in the UK.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Coupled with considerable experience of working in top business universities, as a Professor I presently hold a visiting professorship with Buckingham University. This integrates predominantly working with Masters and PhD students as a lecturer, tutor, assessor and mentor. This is supplemented with wide knowledge of awarding bodies through my role as a principal examiner with the CQI. My f/t role incorporates as Head of Continuous Improvement for the NPS. A highly qualified trainer/lecturer with a PGCE, assessor awards, post graduate diploma and advanced skills trainer status. I also possess a MBA and a PhD in Lean from Aston University. I am also a Master Blackbelt and possess senior project management qualifications./experience. I have held senior positions in education and industry within the field of Learning and Development with an excess of thirty years experience. My present part-time roles; namely a principal examiner for the "Chartered Quality Institute" - a global authority in this field - coupled with visiting lectureship with Buckingham University maintains my professional knowledge and skills. I am continuing my cutting edge research and professional development reflected to date by articles published in internationally renowned journals; invitations to present at thirteen international conferences as a key-note speaker and am working on my third book depicting an elevated degree of communicational expertise.

Teaching Experience:
• Head of Continuous Improvement; Probation Service
As "Head of Continuous Improvement" for the Probation Service, my role primarily involves managing the organisation towards a greater maturity level in continuous improvement. This includes supporting the change management teams to ensure resource is focussed in those areas requiring most backing to achieve the transformational vision. I run and maintain externally accredited programmes.
• Quality Assurance Manager; April 2005 - Present; NOMS Civil Service College - Rugby;
Chief scrutinizer of all learning packages to authorise their application within the Service; Internal verifier aiding areas towards awarding body accreditations, i.e., CMI, ILM and CIPD; Lecture on selective externally accredited programmes ranging from levels III to VII for staff
• Buckingham University
Visiting lectureship; co-supervisor for Doctoral students which includes advice and guidance on all aspects of their learning journey to completion. This integrates guiding them on choosing the appropriate theoretical frameworks, undertaking data capture aptly and offering advice on research modules which includes undertaking lecturing, tutoring; marking and consultancy work as and when appropriate. Main work involves dissertation at MBA and PhD thesis (ensuring literature reviews, methodologies, conceptual frameworks, analysis (as a Master Back belt) and having seen over eight candidates to completion at PhD, am fully familiar with the broad requirements. At MBA the modules I have worked with over 40 students on are: Managerial Economics, Marketing Management, Organisational Behaviour, Corporate Finance, Corporate Innovation and Intrapreneurship, Creating and sustaining value and Strategic management. The main work has involved supporting the MBA students with their dissertations.
• Chartered Quality Institute
Devise assessments, marking and moderation policies for under and post-graduate modules
• Staffordshire University Regional Federation - Stoke
Senior Management Lecturer and Advanced Skills Lecturer and Module Leader July 2000 - April 2005
Wrote, lectured and assessed programmes to under and post-graduate students
Dissertation tutor and managed college accreditation to CIMA, CMI and CIPS programmes
Senior NVQ assessor and internal verifier on management NVQs run by Stoke College
• Burton College 1997- 2000; P/t lecturer on management courses ranging from levels III to VII
• 2005 -2022 - Freelance Private tutor in spare time on areas identified; have tutored from GCSE to students undertaking PhD programmes. Specialise in helping MBA students too.

Tutoring Approach:
I have substantial experience of one - to- one teaching, coaching and mentoring students and managers in a work environment.
Most of my recent projects have concentrated on masters students and in particular MBAs. The end goal of the candidate is always paramount, i.e., if preparing them for an exam the subject knowledge and familiarity of past papers is imperative. My approach incorporates determining the learning style, ability and time available with the learner; this can range from a very methodical style, i.e., provide knowledge and then re-cap to a more fluid approach if favoured by the candidate.
The time spent with the candidates should be used effectively and leave home-work for periods between sessions ensuring learning is reinforced. Since 2005 I have substantive experience of Private tutoring in my spare time on areas identified; have tutored to a level of students ranging from GCSEs to those undertaking PhDs. Most of the work is done via Teams or Zoom to reduce the time commitments whilst aiding the flexibility levels.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am a published academic author, educated to doctorate level, with twenty years' experience of teaching university students undertaking foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, including both UK and international students.

I have extensive experience of working with students from a range of backgrounds, cultures and age groups, with differing interests and needs. I have worked with students with anxiety, mental health issues and learning difficulties, and understand the need to provide flexible learning to meet a range of access requirements.

I support both UK and international PhD students with every stage of the research journey, from designing research projects and conducting literature reviews, to developing writing skills, collecting and analysing data, and preparing for upgrades, vivas, or conference presentations.

Alongside teaching, I bring extensive expertise as a researcher, writer and editor. I have published academic work and proofread and edited reports, theses and assignments. This professional experience has provided me with a wealth of knowledge and skills to support not just students, but also academics with their publications.

For foundation and undergraduate students, I recognise that the variety of subjects, assignments and exams can feel overwhelming and overshadow the excitement of university life. My role is to help students build both their confidence and skills so that these challenges become manageable rather than daunting.

Each session is student-led, tailored to individual goals and needs. I provide support with planning assignments, structuring essays and exam answers, researching and conducting reviews of the literature, preparing for seminars and delivering presentations, as well as referencing and compiling bibliographies.

Teaching Experience:
My combined experience as a lecturer, private tutor, and researcher has led to a well-rounded approach to teaching and a deep understanding of academic expectations. Over the course of my career, I have refined my expertise through:

• Delivering lectures, seminars and tutorials across various social science subjects.

• Providing comprehensive feedback by marking essays, exams, dissertations and PhD theses. This has strengthened both my appreciation of academic expectations and insight into student needs.

• Supervising undergraduate and postgraduate dissertations and participating in PhD examination panels, guiding students whilst encouraging independent research.

• Developing a range of teaching materials for diverse courses. This has included a core Study Skills module, which equips students with essential academic skills, such as:

- Researching and note-taking
- Structuring academic work
- Developing writing styles
- Mastering referencing and bibliography construction
- Delivering presentations
- Preparing for exams
- Reflecting on learning

Designing this module enabled me to evaluate, refine and build a comprehensive suite of study skills resources that I continue to use and share with my students in their academic journeys.

My research and publication experience has also provided me with a strong understanding of academic standards and requirements, and I use this knowledge and experience to provide the most valuable support for students.

Tutoring Approach:
I create a supportive, friendly, and practical learning environment where students are always at the centre. Drawing on my experience with diverse learners and teaching approaches, I adapt my methods to each individual's needs. This flexible style supports students to discover the strategies that work best for them, building both confidence and independence.

My sessions are professional and informative, whilst also enjoyable and relaxed. This creates a positive learning experience that not only strengthens student confidence but also leads to academic success. I provide reassurance to students about what they are doing right, whilst offering clear, constructive guidance to help them refine their skills and achieve their full potential.

My approach consistently delivers results. Past students have demonstrated marked grade improvements, successful PhD upgrades, and strong viva performances. More importantly, they have developed lasting skills and self-confidence in their academic abilities.

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Personal Description:
I have lived and worked in Plymouth since I finished me degree in 2001. I started as a full time private tutor in 2009 and have been tutoring ever since. I absolutely love this work and am extremely enthusiastic about helping others enjoy and succeed at learning.

I am married and am a mum of two young boys. My hobbies include sports, walking, art, reading, writing and volunteer work with my church.

I am currently away on further training so can no longer do my usual face-to-face lessons, but I am looking at building up my online students.

Teaching Experience:
I have over a decade of experience of helping children, teenagers and adults with their maths and English learning. Whether it is to salvage a struggling student, to catch-up, to succeed in an exam or to excel beyond their current level, I am passionate about helping and unlocking a student's ability to understand and to enable them to enjoy learning.

I hold a BSc degree, 3 A-levels (grade B, including maths), 9 GCSEs (7 As - 2 Bs) and am a graduate of Study Technology. I have been tutoring since 2009 and specialise in the 11+.

Tutoring Approach:
My teaching style is to tailor all lessons and communication entirely to each student, as each student is unique in the barriers they encounter, and in their level of understanding of the subject. I direct the lessons at a pace, and with content, that the student can comfortably handle and make progress with. I also aim to ensure learning remains light and not too serious: I am friendly and ensure that my students are at ease in lessons so that they feel free to ask questions or to say if they don't understand something.

I aim to always make the lessons visual and interactive and set homework to reinforce what we cover in our lessons. I can post worksheets for the lesson/homework if needed.

I am happy to answer any questions you might have and I look forward to hearing from you.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Human Resource and Human Resource Management are the area of my expertise and this is something I am very passionate about. I thoroughly enjoy teaching this subject and I enjoy working with students at college and university level. I also teach business studies and its relationship to HRM at degree level.

Teaching Experience:
Human Resource Management, Business Studies and Strategic Management Studies are the key areas of my experience. I have worked and taught in this subject area for over 35 years at University level. I thoroughly enjoy my subjects and i particularly love teaching university and college students.

I am a qualified and approved Chartered Member of the Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD). I am also a Fellow at the Royal Society for Arts (FRSA) and a Member of the Institute for Economic Management (MIED)

I have been tutoring students for many years and it is often a case of panic rather than a need to improve their academic ability that drives them to seek help and support.

Whatever your reasons ... I am here to assist you manage your work, your assignments and your dissertation. Not all sessions require payment there are a fair amount of goodwill sessions on my part to continue to be your anchor during your challenging moments in the lecture hall. Therefore you are free to email and call me as much as you wish to discuss any aspects of your learning. All reasonable levels of telephone support is free. (if you call me at 3am I may over-charge you but if you call me at 3pm it may be free)

I am happy to continue to communicate with you until such time you decide what you wish to do.

I have extensive academic experience in

 Business Management
 Human Resource Management
 International Communications
 International Cultural Studies
 International Relations
 International Political Economy
 Social Sciences Research Methods
 Social and Political Science Studies

I have no experience in finance management.

Tutoring Approach:
Each student is different when it comes to learning. Some students enjoy 1 to 1 and some students love group learning. My approach is to create an individual style for each student and work with you to meet your learning needs.

The key to any success is READING and then having the opportunity to discuss the subject in detail to analyse the the debate.

In addition to this, it is important to develop skills and understanding of your subject area so that you are aware of the key areas of policy and theory and how theory is applied to policy in the real world.

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Personal Description:
Hi, I'm Ash! I am an experienced and approachable tutor, a husband and father, CRB and DBS checked, specialising in English, History, Theology, Philosophy, and Politics.

I hope I can help you out!

Ash
MA BA (1st Class Hons)

Teaching Experience:
I have been tutoring since 2008, supporting students up to PhD level, and have taught courses for regional leaders in learning and skills development for young people and adults.

Tutoring Approach:
I tutor A Level and university students, supporting learning and achievement with a thorough, helpful, client-centred approach, at home or in other learning environments.

Please contact me to talk about your learning needs.

Subjects

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am a 34 year old Post doctoral researcher in the field of endocrinology.

My undergraduate degree (2010) was in Biology from Imperial College, London, where I continued to study to Masters level (2011) in Reproductive and Developmental Biology. between 2013-2016 I completed my PhD in reproductive endocrinology. therefore my knowledge of biology spans multiple subject areas.

I have A-levels in Biology, Physics, Maths and History and a keen interest in all of these subjects.

Having completed my PhD and fulfilled 3 post-doctoral research positions, I feel I have gained experience in the skills required at all levels of education to progress and succeed and would really like to help others to realise their academic talents and to succeed in their education.

Teaching Experience:
I am currently training for my postgraduate certificate of academic practice, for lecturing and small group teaching at undergraduate level.

I have been tutoring privately for the past 6 years and have successfully guided GCSE and A-Level students to achieve their goals, gaining further jobs through recommendation.

Throughout my career, I have been responsible for overseeing and training undergraduate students in the laboratory and ensuring they have a key understanding of protocols, the biology behind them and how to use this knowledge to work out problems for themselves. This also involves mathematics skills, such as fractions, dilutions and molar concentrations, as well as helping them with any biology questions they may have outside of the lab. I provide feedback on presentation skills and on key learning skills required at degree level.

I have also had experience teaching students at A-level stage, in a two part workshop surrounding the biology of genetics. A key component of this is helping them to understand a totally new subject and to answer any questions they have surrounding university applications, study skills and personal statements.

I like to think this broad range of experience has taught me to interact with students of various ages and to recognise learning approaches that work best for different individuals.

Tutoring Approach:
The most important thing to consider is a student's personal requirements and to find a learning style that works for them. People learn in different ways so to teach in a style that maintains interest and works for the individual student is really important to me.

a goal based approach is important in my eyes. to understand what need to be learnt, by when and to work through a strategic plan to achieve the best results for the student.

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Personal Description:
Please note that in the current corona virus(covid-19) climate I ma tutoring all my students on my own online until the government reviews the situation and allows us to move freely. I am tutoring individually, in two, threes up to maximum of five. There is discount for being tutored in groups. I wish everyone to stay safe at this difficult time. Thank you

I am freelance tutor providing assignments tutorial support to students studying under and postgraduate courses in Economics, Business Management, Marketing, Financial Management, Strategic Management, Business Statistics and Nursing, Projects and Dissertations including Data Analysis, Dissertation research proposal writing support as well as editing .

Teaching Experience:
My background is medicine and moved to business specialising in services marketing. I have years of experience as a senior clinical bedside instructor for medical and nursing students then later spent years as training consultant for HIV/AIDS, Sexual health and Health and Social care professionals. I have also worked as senior lecturer for Glyndwr university London campus teaching BA students Principles of Marketing & Business practice, Global Marketing, Customer Relationship Management and MBA students, Strategic Marketing and Strategic Management, Financial Management, Research Methods, Project Management and supervising students on projects and dissertation. I have been a private tutor since 1999.
My recent tutorial work (June-August 2020) was with UNICAF Malawi university during which I supervised and supported MBA students who were studying remotely online

Tutoring Approach:
I use student problem identification approach which means I encourage students to identify and communicate to me what they are experiencing as a problem in their specific topics in their studies and then based either face to face or online, I focus on these specified identified problems. The benefit of this approach is that it encourages the student to study, engage and interact. with me as well as providing me the basis for my own post tutoring assessment to whether my tutorial is making the difference. All my tutorials are highly interactive as I use questions and discussion with the students to make sure that they have understood. There are also min activities at the end of every tutorial as well as homework for students to do in every subject I tutor. These are mainly based on past exam papers and are aimed at developing students' confidence and self belief and develop skills they need to succeed in their exams.

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Personal Description:
My approach to teaching is friendly, supportive and fun. I can instil confidence in students which allows them to believe in themselves and make good progress. I have experience teaching students who are neurodiverse as well as students from ages 6 to 11.

Teaching Experience:
I have 20 years of teaching experience mainly in primary schools. I have also taught many students who have English as a second language

Tutoring Approach:
To develop genuine, honest relationships with students. Get to know them and their backgrounds and discuss the areas they need to work on. I would like to make tutoring interactive and fun whilst still teaching a particular concept.

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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:
PLEASE SEE 'TUTORING EXPERIENCE' BELOW FOR THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS OF THIS PAGE, THE RESULTS AND FEEDBACK

I am an Oxford graduate (English language and literature, first class), as well as a qualified English teacher, and have been tutoring since 2013. My specialism is A-level English literature.

Please get in touch for online English tuition, particularly if you are or your child is

• Preparing to take A-levels in 2026/27
• Doing coursework
• Working on the basis of continuous assessment, mocks, etc.
• Or planning to do / doing an English degree

I graduated from the University of Oxford with a double first in English language and literature, winning the prize for the best performance in English finals at Mansfield College, and the college essay prize. At school, I was awarded eleven GCSEs at A-star and three A-levels at A.

As well as tutoring, I have worked as a researcher, a copywriter, and a proofreader. I have also completed a PGCE in secondary English at the UCL Institute of Education, the highest-ranking college of education in the world ('QS World University Rankings'), during which I taught all age groups at two west London secondary schools, and received A's for my master's-level assignments. I am currently pursuing a PhD in English literature at the University of Buckingham.

As well as English tuition at any level, I can help you or your child with the following:

• Oxbridge entrance (the admissions process, practice interviews, the ELAT, etc.)
• Essay surgery - how to structure and write an essay
• How to revise - note-taking, organisation, making connections, committing to memory
• Grammar, punctuation, and style (a.k.a. 'usage and abusage')
• Speech-writing and public speaking
• Proofreading and redrafting essays
• Suggested reading and resources, including access to my library of 'TES' resources
• Creative writing
• How to annotate, analyse (and enjoy) English literature - sometimes known as 'close reading' or 'practical criticism'
• If you'd specifically like written feedback on your writing - more like a correspondence course - then I can also provide that.

In my spare time I enjoy cycling, writing, and photography.

Teaching Experience:
I have been tutoring since 2013, teaching English at all levels (including degree level), as well as A-level religious studies and classical civilisation. I have taught AQA, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC/Eduqas, and CAIE (Cambridge International), and am constantly familiarising myself with the new texts that my students are studying. I have experience helping students who have autism and ADHD. And I am interested in the role of generative AI and large language models in education, not to write students' essays for them, but as research assistants for students and teachers alike. It is of course important that students do not get the likes of ChatGPT to write their essays for them, among other reasons because they will not be able to do so in the exams. Tutoring is well placed to discourage this, since it has always been my practice to ask my students many questions about every essay they write.

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A student, June 2025: 'thank you very much for all the sessions! It has not only boosted my confidence in English literature but they really reminded me of how much I love the subject. It's always a pleasure to discuss nuance readings of the texts, and it has been a great help leading up to my exams.'

Charlotte, a parent, June 2025: 'Thank you so much for all your help and support for [L.]. We are so grateful for everything you have done with him and wish you all the best.'

Ann, a parent, June 2025: '[Z.] has thoroughly enjoyed her lessons with you and has gained so much from your guidance. We're very grateful for all the support you've given her.'

A parent, May 2025: 'Thank you so much again for everything you've done to help [G.] prepare for these exams - he has really enjoyed his sessions with you and he and we really appreciate your support'.

A parent, May 2025: '[N.] just received the below. It's an A* if the grade boundaries is same as last year. She couldn't have done it without your help. We really appreciate it.'

A parent, February 2025: '[S.] is really enjoying studying with you and has gained a lot of confidence in English. I truly appreciate the effort and dedication you put into teaching.'

A student, January 2025: 'thank you ever so much for your kindness and creative encouragement the past months. What is very special about you as a tutor is that you have never told me "what to write". Instead, you have asked me questions about my work that have led me to discover what I truly wish to write'.

Kate, a parent, December 2024: 'We're so pleased [G.] is enjoying his sessions and seems to be really motivated to read widely in between sessions, is making useful structured notes (which he didn't do before) and his confidence and awareness of what he needs to do when essay writing is really building. Thank you!!!'

Eleni, a parent, December 2024: 'I just wanted to let you know that [D.] received an offer […] today! She is super happy! […] I wanted to thank you again as [D.] found your sessions incredibly helpful and inceased her confidence during the exams process.'

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A-level results, August 2024:

'I wanted to write to say a huge thank you to you for all the help, support and inspiration you have given [E.] over the past year. You have not only given her the technical advice and support to help her make the most of her essays and exams, but more importantly you have helped her keep the love of the subject alive. I know a big part of the reason she is so excited to study English at university is because of how much she has enjoyed your conversations, and how you have helped her to consider texts in a way that the rather narrower scope of teaching at school does not allow. I am so very grateful to you and I really appreciate all the time and effort you put into her sessions - thank you so very much. […] You've been so great, and any other student/parent would be lucky to have access to your teaching.'

'I have just opened my results and am happy to confirm that I am off to Bristol this September with an A* in English! I just want to thank you again for making this possible.'

'I got an A in English, and will be going to Exeter, so mission accomplished. I wanted to thank you for all your help, not only for helping me to get what I needed, but for giving me back my confidence and enjoyment of the subject in the process.'

'Just to let you know [I.] got her results this morning and achieved an 'A' in English. We are over the moon […] Thank you again for all your help with the English, it's much appreciated.'

'thanks for your help this past academic year! Got two A*s in English and Philosophy'.

'I got a B and I was accepted into my firm university (Durham) which I am very happy! Thank you for all your help and support.'

'I was really happy to receive […] A in English Literature […] I secured a placed at my firm university. I will be studying English Literature at Durham University this September and I am very excited! Thank you so much for all of your support, I really appreciate it!'

'i got into Warwick with […] an A* in English!!!!! I am very happy :) Thank you for all your hard work, wisdom and wit over the last year or two'.

'Thank you so much for all your coaching and advice that you shared with [L.], it made such a difference to his confidence leading up to his exams. He is (as are we) delighted with his English result.'

'an A awarded in English […] so she is off to her first choice of Edinburgh University to study History of Art and English Literature.'

'Results day went well and I'm going to the university of Kent. Thank you so much again for all the time spent helping me to prepare for my exams it means a lot I'm very excited to continue my English literature journey.'

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A student, June 2024: 'Thank you so much for being the most amazing English teacher! It has been an immensely rewarding and interesting journey exploring so many books […] I have learnt so much from GCSEs to continuing with more amazing literatures in A-levels'

A student, June 2024: 'I […] wanted to say thank you for the tremendous help you have provided with the English content throughout the A level period. The resources that you provided for me were quite helpful in refining my knowledge in many areas of the syllabus so thank you very much.'

A student, May 2024: 'I've just received the results for my english coursework and wanted to thank you for all the help and feedback!!'

A parent, February 2024: 'your help has kept her love of the subject and her enthusiasm alive and I can't thank you enough for that.'

A parent, February 2024: 'You were such a huge help to [S.], we will always be very grateful to you.'

Kath, a parent, February 2024: 'We would both like to thank you for all your invaluable help, especially all the helpful feedback on the coursework essay. [S.] has definitely learnt a lot and grown in confidence, especially in her knowledge of Twelfth Night.'

A student, January 2024: 'I just wanted to let you know that I got an offer from Oxford! Thank you so much for checking over my personal statement and all the help that you have given me since GCSEs. I really enjoy our sessions every week, the discussions keep me constantly creative and thinking.'

A parent, January 2024: 'Thank you as always for all your continued help and support for [E.]. I know she gets a tremendous amount from your sessions and I'm very grateful.'

A student, January 2024: 'Just emailing to let you know I did get an offer from […] Cambridge yesterday so thank you so much for all your help! It is really appreciated and I'm really looking forward to starting my degree in October!'

A student, December 2023: 'So thank you so much again for all your help; your insights have been very useful and I have really enjoyed talking about literature with you.'

Tara, a parent, November 2023: 'you are really helping [R.], he is becoming much more confident. Thank you so much'.

Paula, a parent, November 2023: '[M.] is always delighted with your teaching. You are asking questions no one else does. My husband and I see her grow academically after every session with you.'

Liz, a parent, October 2023: 'Thank you so much for all the work you have done with, and the kindness you have shown, [E.] to date. She really enjoys her sessions with you, and you've helped keep her enthusiasm for English very much alive. I'm so grateful.'

Kim, a parent, August 2023: 'I cannot tell you how happy we all were and your help was clearly instrumental in that. Not sure if he told you but he got 12 points above an A* and it was his best A level result!'

A student, August 2023: 'I really enjoyed our lessons and think it has really helped prepare me for the Oxford style tutorials.'

A student, August 2023: 'wanted to let you know I ended up getting an A* in English, thanks so much for all the help!'

Mark, a parent, June 2023: 'Many thanks josh for your help this year. [E.] has said to me it has really helped, you started assisting her at a time when she felt behind her class mates for the whole of the first year, having switched to English half way through term one.'

Melanie, a parent, June 2023: 'Thank you so much for all your time and effort with [T.]'s English literature. She really enjoyed your sessions together and it really boosted her confidence and inspired her to think more deeply and critically about the texts. It also confirmed that she is happy and excited to study a literature based course at degree level.'

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A-level results, August/September 2022:

'[L.] came home from university yesterday to attend her school prize giving ceremony, and this morning as she was leaving she asked me to let you know that she won a special prize in English […] Until last night, she wasn't aware of any of her awards, apart from her scholarship, so it was all a lovely surprise. Furthermore, the essays she wrote in her A level English exams have somehow found their way into her teachers' hands; they told her, with beams of pride , that the three marks dropped overall were actually in her *non exam* assessment, so 30/30 in all questions across all papers under exam conditions, something she had never achieved before. She had admitted to me in the aftermath of the exams that when she was writing her English papers she had really enjoyed the process, her thoughts flowing pretty effortlessly on to the paper. But she had also worried this stream of ideas might not be fit with the mark schemes. […] she […] wanted you to know about her prize, as she thought you'd be pleased, and she also wanted to say thanks one last time for your inspirational teaching that led to it.'

'I got AAA* for my results much higher than my predicted! particularly for english'.

'[G.] got an A star in English. And is off to Oxford. […] Thanks so much for everything - you were honestly amazing and really helped her get there'.

'[L.] got 3 a stars and an A star as well in her EPQ. Her highest marks were in English Literature ( 197/200)'.

'I achieved 4A*s in my Alevels - one being in English Literature. My teachers also let me know that I got full marks in both the exam papers'.

'[T.] smashed English Literature, A* […] she is absolutely over the moon . Thank you so much for all the work you put in with her !'

'I got a D[distinction]2!!! […] I got full marks on my PI!'

'I got an A* in English!!! Thank you so much for all of your help I wouldn't have been able to do it without you!'

*

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Speaking

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reading

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

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

Writing

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

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

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

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

Why study English?

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

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am a Specialist Dyslexia Tutor with over 10 years' experience of supporting students in secondary, further and higher education. I am a Professional Member of the British Dyslexia Association and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

I am passionate about helping students achieve their potential. My experience has shown me just what a difference one-to-one tutoring and specialist intervention can make. Not only have I seen the improvement in my students' academic ability, but the difference to their self-esteem and confidence has been immeasurable.

Teaching Experience:
I am a fully qualified secondary school English teacher and have previously worked for three London universities as a Specialist Study Skills and Academic Writing Tutor. I currently work with students in the east of England.

I support students with all aspects of their academic work. I help my students to plan and write their essays with confidence, stay on track with their academic reading and most importantly - reach their academic potential. My knowledge and experience enable me to use a blend of specialist teaching strategies which help students to understand and work with, rather than against, their dyslexia.

My tuition also helps students develop strategies to learn effectively and successfully online.

I also regularly carry out full dyslexia screenings. This is a comprehensive test which is followed by a detailed feedback report.

Tutoring Approach:
When working with students my aim is to boost their confidence, and in turn their ability, through friendly, patient and creative tutoring. My lessons are tailored towards the individual strengths and talents of the learner and are designed to improve their writing and study skills, whilst also enabling them to become successful independent learners.

My tuition always begins with an assessment of needs. Prior to our first session, I will request any diagnostic assessment reports you may have. This will enable me to gain an understanding of your unique dyslexic profile.

Together, we will discuss what you would like to achieve during our sessions. We will consider your strengths and areas for development and subsequently identify your learning goals. Based on this discussion, we will create a learning plan with clear objectives and review dates. Learning goals will give our sessions a clear focus and allow us to jointly evaluate your progress.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Having tutored for 12 years and been in mainstream education for the past 9, I am more than ready and willing to work with young people who are in need of a variety of different approaches:

- Stretching and challenging the most able
- Going back to basics with exam content
- Handwriting
- Organisation
- Revision skills and independent learning

Teaching Experience:
Qualified teacher (secondary)

Most recent tutee Results
Student 1: GCSE Spanish - Grade 9
Student 2: SATs 101 / 102 / 102
Student 3: GCSE English Language-Grade 8
Student 4: GCSE Spanish - grade 6
Student 5: GCSE French (current)

Tutoring Approach:
There is no right answer to "what is the best approach" - my first session will always be one hour to formulate a plan based on the requirements of the parent(s) or carer(s), to meet the learner in question, and to come up with a plan of action based on a variety of factors. This will incorporate target grades in school, achievements so far, existing attitudes to learning amongst other things.

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Personal Description:
I moved to the UK in 2004 from my home country of Latvia, and just like my students, I was a non-native speaker in a new country, trying to learn a foreign language and adapt to a new culture and way of life. I really do know how it feels to be the person who needs that extra bit of support. I genuinely understand how confusing it is to try and learn all the grammar, all the punctuation, the spelling, how to write essays, how to understand all the idioms that are such a big part of the English language, but make absolutely no sense!

My interests include crochet, art, travelling, socialising, keeping fit, playing games with my little boy, and eating pizza.

Teaching Experience:
With an outstanding background as a fully qualified, professional English Language teacher with over eight years of teaching experience, I bring enthusiasm and expertise to help each student build their skills, grow their confidence and achieve their goals.
I hold an MA in English Language Teaching. I have successfully taught both children and adults at a variety of different ages, levels and abilities, and I have worked in China, Spain and the UK.

Tutoring Approach:
My teaching approach is friendly, communicative and professional. I adapt my methods to suit the age, ability, aims and needs of each individual student. I understand that every student is a wonderful, unique person with their own interests, personality and learning style. I use a variety of resources to support my students in their learning, including games, flashcards, actions, sounds, music, conversation, videos and whatever else I can do to help make learning more fun for us all!

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