Coulsdon Tutors and Coulsdon Tuition

Personal Description:
I am a native Greek speaker, born and bred in Athens. I am also fluent in English and have lived in England since 2000.



I am keeping in close touch with Greece and the Greek language, which allows me to maintain my fluency, accent and knowledge of the country and the culture.

Teaching Experience:
I am an English teacher by profession and taught Greek students in language schools in Athens for fifteen years.

My students attained excellent examination results throughout my career from junior to advanced levels.

I also held private tuition throughout this period.

Since coming to England, I have taught Greek privately to English speakers who were interested in acquiring knowledge of the Greek language for various purposes such as holidays, purchasing property in Greece (holiday homes and permanent residence) and conversing with friends & family.

Tutoring Approach:
First of all, I am a sensitive listener.

I am patient with excellent skills in conveying my knowledge to my students. Focusing on helping students to feel confident with the various aspects of the language without judging them.

Finally, I firmly believe that practice makes perfect, which is also my most significant approach to teaching.



I believe it is important that lessons are interactive and fun. The lessons are customised to the student according to their personal needs, following an initial friendly telephone discussion.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I have taught around 100 non-English speakers since 2010 and enjoy seeing their progress at every level. Some of them are working in major businesses in Surrey and others are working as au pairs, or are the partners of people who are working here. I am also a journalist so have a love of English grammar and enjoy teaching people to speak, and write English. I am particularly adept at teaching for Cambridge exams and have lots of students who have passed the First Certificate and the CAE. Have recently helped an Eastern European teenager pass her English GCSE.

Teaching Experience:
General English and Business English: I have been teaching since 2010 providing general English, English for Cambridge exams and business English. I have a background in business and am a journalist. I have now worked with over 100 students from all over Europe, particularly Spain, Italy, France and Switzerland, but also Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. I have also taught students from Japan, China, Brazil, and many more places. I am happy to teach everything - grammar in particular, writing, speaking, listening skills, pronunciation. The people I have trained for Cambridge exams have had successful results in FCE and CAE. I teach business English as well as general and provide exactly what the student needs in their daily life.

Tutoring Approach:
My approach is to get the student to do most of the work, speaking and writing English, and thinking for themselves rather than all the prompting coming from me. I tailor the work to their needs.

Business: if it is a business client we look a the situations they encounter in their work and using role play we practise English in the workplace. If presentations or speaking in meetings is relevant I get the student to stand up in front of me as if I were the client or colleagues.

General: or if you're new to the UK I can help you with cultural differences and British ways of doing things. For example, you may need to make phone calls to get a plumber, or to take your car for a service. We can role play these calls.

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Personal Description:
I am a French native and I have been living in the UK for the last 25 years. I have had a very successful career in Sales in financial services and had a change of career in education ten years ago. I am very hard working, enthusiastic, reliable and professional.

I am currently teaching adults (individual and group) during the weekdays, GCSE pupils after school and Saturday and I work in a secondary school at a local state boarding school teaching Year 11 to Year 13.

My adult pupils tend to be families with a house in France, people with the desire to buy a house, retired people who would like to learn a language, people with a French partner, business people learning French for work etc... Whatever your needs, I can help you!

Teaching Experience:
I have been a Language Assistant at a local state boarding school for GCSE and A-LEVELS since 2021
I have 8 years language teaching experience at primary school
I have ten years experience tutoring adults and GCSE students at home

Tutoring Approach:
I can teach different levels from beginner to advanced depending on your needs.

I always do an assessment in the first lesson to find out about the pupil`s strengths and weaknesses. We agree together on a plan and objectives. The plan is reviewed regularly to assess improvement and get feedback from the pupil and the parents. I assign homework every week.
I have high expectations for my students and work really hard with them to achieve the best they can. I aim to give them confidence, praise and numerous skills to progress and to maintain a love for languages. I offer each of my students a tailored made approach.

I use various media from textbooks, grammatical books, videos, roleplays, games, vocabulary lists, past papers etc...

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Personal Description:
Chartered accountant and former university lecturer, now specialising in 1:1 tutoring. 25 Years teaching at all levels. MBA and Accounting and Finance A level, undergraduate and post graduate degrees a speciality. Experienced with professional qualifications (ACCA and AAT) and overseas students and courses (Russia, Germany, US).
I also specialise in learning support and study skills.

Teaching Experience:
4 years Deputy Head of Department of Accounting and Finance at a UK University. 16 years undergraduate and postgraduate including MBA at a UK university and overseas. Previous roles include 7 years teaching AAT and ACCA at an FE college, 3 years GCSE/A level at a sixth form college.
Considerable experience teaching in-company management development courses to non-accounting specialists, accounting for business needs, and business start-ups.
On-line tutoring for the past 4 years

Tutoring Approach:
Accounting and Finance can be difficult so I adopt a student centred approach that is specific to individual needs.
All my teaching is specific to the module and course you are studying.
On-line tutoring available

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Personal Description:
My name is Jerome and I am currently a Lead Practitioner at a school in Surrey. I live in Old Coulsdon with my wife and twin boys. I tutor from home with online via Zoom and I am willing to travel up to two miles from my home. I enjoy reading (both fiction and non-fiction) and enjoy playing chess in my spare time. I have been learning French and currently speak at intermediate level (B1).

Teaching Experience:
I am a qualified English Teacher with QTS from Goldsmith's University. I have a BA in English Language & Literature from the University of Westminster. I have been a secondary school English teacher for 12 years and I have been private tutoring for 10 years. I have also taught key stage 2 and A-Level English, as well as prepare students for the 11 Plus and verbal reasoning. I have taught children with SEN and EAL requirements.

Tutoring Approach:
The first lesson is free is you choose not to continue. Lessons are calm, focussed and engaging. Each child is unique and therefore requires unique approaches tailored to their needs. I therefore tailor my sessions to your child's needs. I provide several resources for each session and identify where the shortfalls are in the child's education. All lessons are emailed as a PDF, as well as homework after each lesson. Lessons are designed to support the tutee's topics at school. I set work for the child to complete before the next session and check on the progress when I return. During exam season, I create bespoke lessons centered around time management, revision and mock papers.

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Personal Description:
Salut - Je m'appelle Solène ( pronounced so-len )

I was born and brought up in Paris, although much of my family roots lie in Brittany. I came to England initially to learn the language - but ended up meeting my future husband and starting a family here in Dorking, Surrey.

Teaching Experience:
Apart from the obvious fact that I am a native French speaker - I have been teaching French since 2009 in schools, including Duke Of Kent in Ewhurst and Petite Ecole in Reigate, but mainly privately to exam students or adults wishing to improve their skills. I have also been called upon to help with some translation and making phone calls to France to assist people with such issues as property.

Tutoring Approach:
Having initially gauged a student's abilities in the language - I will prepare each lesson to their specific needs & requirements - whether it be working on grammar or perhaps general conversational skills. My aim is to give people confidence and make learning enjoyable.

Subjects

Personal Description:
As I am born in country where my first language is urdu and we studied most of our education in urdu language so it is not very difficult to teach urdu and also I tought urdu and accounting as teacher back in my country so I think I can do the job.

Teaching Experience:
I was a tutor 15 years from nursery to A level I am very organised person and know what is best for student

Tutoring Approach:
I believe that my greatest teaching strength is my ability to understand each students unique requirements and assisting them to achieve as much as they can. I also have experience in tutoring, arranging daily activities, keeping students organised and controlled and you can benefit considerably from my knowledge.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I teach biology in a very simple way to enable different student to understand it. Teaching approach is vary from one student to another and it depends on specific student needs. Also, I can help in answering biology questions in a scientific way and in practical. All students that I have taught were able to get highest marks in biology.

I also teach Immunology, Microbiology and Physiology for higher levels.

Teaching Experience:
- Currently, I am a private tutor for general biology and immunology since 2017.
- Teaching biology at Brunel university/ West London (2013-2015).
- Private A-level biology teacher/ West London (2005-2006)
- Biology lecturer at Al- Yarmouk university/ Jordan (1998-2005). Subjects taught: Human physiology, Comparative anatomy of vertebrates, embryology, and general biology.
- Private teacher for biology and chemistry for medical students in The University of Jordan/ Jordan (1997-1998).

Tutoring Approach:
I am tutoring biology since 1995. I taught this subject in 3 best universities. My students were happy and they were able to understand biology in a very simple way. Also, they were able to get higher marks in their exams. I also taught biology for A-level students in the UK in 2005.

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Personal Description:
I'm a native Greek teacher with over 8 years of experience helping students of all levels. I hold a BA in Philosophy and Education and I'm currently studying for a MA in Language Education for Refugees and Migrants. I love traveling, meeting new people, and exploring cultures, and I bring that same curiosity into my teaching. With strong communication skills and a supportive approach, I make sure every lesson is personalized, practical, and enjoyable, so you can feel confident while learning Greek at your own pace.

Teaching Experience:
Greek Language Courses (2018-2021): International House of Bristol

Private Tutor (2015-current): Private lessons for students of primary [Greek, History] , secondary and high school [Modern Greek, Ancient Greek, Latin, Greek, History, Literature] and adults.

Teacher of Ancient Greek Language in 2nd Experimental School of Thessaloniki, Greece (2015)

Teacher of History Classes in 8th High School of Thessaloniki (2014)

Teacher of Modern Greek Language in 11th High School of Thessaloniki (2014)

Tutoring Approach:
My lessons are student-centered and flexible, always adapted to each learner's needs. I focus on communication and confidence-building, encouraging students to use Greek in real-life situations. With strong communication skills and a supportive approach, I make learning practical, engaging, and enjoyable.

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Personal Description:
I am a polite and humble person. I am confident under my guidance you will make significant advances in the subject of Urdu.

I have studied my undergraduate degree from Pakistan and thus have an excellent command over my Urdu.

I am an experienced tutor who has always been passionate about teaching.

Teaching Experience:
I have many years of tutoring experience and I have a friendly approach to teaching. I make my lessons enjoyable and fun whilst maintaining very high standards of teaching.

Some of the children I have tutored have had a very basic command of Urdu whilst others I've tutored were studying for their A-Levels. Others I have tutored required Urdu for their job purposes or for pleasure.

Tutoring Approach:
I understand everyone is different and will learn in different ways. Therefore, I will tailor my lessons to each individual. Primarily, I will focus on ensuring the foundation blocks are in place before advancing to more sophisticated learning.

Majority of the times I will set my students homework. I believe this is the best way to monitor the progress. Homework exercises will vary depending on individual capability but can include comprehension exercises (for advanced learners) to practicing reading/writing simple Urdu sentences (for basic learners).

As most lessons are tailored, it's difficult to outline exact work plan but before each lesson clear goals will be set to give the students achievable targets.

Subjects

Personal Description:
My name is Irene, I'm 26 and I'm from Murcia, Spain. I am a hard-working, creative and full of energy candidate looking for a job related to education field. I enjoy teaching new knowledge and abilities to the students as well as I enjoy learning with them.

Teaching Experience:
I studied a degree in Primary Education and a master degree in Bilingual Education, so I'm a qualified and professional Spanish teacher with more than 3 years of teaching experience in Spain. Nowadays, I am working as teacher in London in the mornings.

Tutoring Approach:
My lessons are made for all type of students, from ''zero'' Spanish to advanced, so don't worry about your level. I am quite fluent in English that means I can help you if you are struggling. I've been through the same process with English.

In my teaching I use a good range of materials and resources to support students. I try to create an atmosphere that makes learning enjoyable and effective, using a variety of resources, for instance; pictures, games, songs, PowerPoint presentations, newspapers, Internet and books.

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Personal Description:
I have been working as an independent tutor for nine years. I have an honours degree in English Literature from the University of Stirling and have almost 30 years of experience in publishing and journalism. In the tutoring sphere, this enables me to work creatively, quickly and sharply and to a deadline, which is often necessary.

Teaching Experience:
I have nine years' experience working as an English tutor. During that time, I have achieved great satisfaction in improving the performances and results of numerous tutees.The vast majority of my tutees at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher obtain an A in their examination, even those who find English difficult or a challenge.

In 2019 and in 2020, approximately 85 per cent of my tutees achieved an A. The remainder over-achieved to attain a B, with which they were delighted.

Tutoring Approach:
My intention is to make the tutee feel relaxed and that with practice they will gain the confidence to tackle all aspects of English.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Hello, I am Emma, an extremely friendly tutor always wanting to get the best out of my students. Once I have an idea of why the student is seeking lessons, I plan unique classes using entirely appropriate material and methods. The classes are varied, and students say they are never bored. I am very patient and carefully explain complicated issues. Most students quickly report that their friends and colleagues find them easier to understand, after just a few classes.

Using plenty of explanatory material and exercises, both in class and for homework, learners quickly grasp tricky concepts.

Pronunciation becomes easier with my own method which incorporates the phonetic alphabet to clearly break down the barrier between expressing the word and understanding the spelling.

Teaching Experience:
EAL - Classes - one-to-one - online
• A native English speaker delivering clear conversational practice.
• Easy interaction with both adults and children.
Key Skills & Expertise
•Building excellent student relationships
•Tutoring and one to one coaching
Experience
August 2016- ongoing EFL One to One Tutor Cambridge
Preparing and delivering classes to individual adult students concentrating on speaking practice. Bespoke lessons based on the student's requirements.
June-July 2016 EF Summer Camp Teacher Cambridge
Preparing and delivering lessons to children from 12 to 17 years old. Classes to practise all skills, especially speaking. Engaging the multi-cultural students in conversation during their leisure time and meals.
2016 CLIL Teacher in a Spanish school
Preparing and delivering lessons to children from 3 to 10 years old. Lively and exciting classes including songs, crafts, digital learning, speaking, story and circle-time.
2014-2016 TESOL Preparing and delivering lessons to students from 4-year-olds to adults
I was delivering lessons spanning the complete age range and all levels of ability. These included one-to-one lessons for adults studying for their B1, B2 and ISE III exams. Once a month, I was the interlocutor in the speaking exams, and I marked the written exams. I was also coaching adults with their speaking skills.
2014 EFL Online One to One Teacher
I was delivering Skype lessons and interactive storytelling to young learners. In addition, I was coaching students towards their exams.
2013 EFL Online One to One Teacher
I taught all aspects of grammar, sentence construction and vocabulary to a business manager and students. I gave pronunciation instruction to students via Skype.
A background of business management; presentations; meetings; manufacturing; sales; general business proceedings.
Education and Qualifications
Certificate TESOL 2012 Trinity College London Certificate
Business & Administration-NVQ III 2011 England
Advanced excel 2011 Health Care
Formeo/Eros/SPA courses 2010 Health Care
RIO & ICE Software 2009 Health Care
Advanced Microsoft Office 2009 Health Care

GCSE 'O' Levels: French/Spanish/German; English Literature/English Language; Mathematics/Physics

Tutoring Approach:
I encourage the student to speak as much as possible by using a variety of techniques to provide material to talk about, using everyday vocabulary. More specialist vocabulary is explained for work purposes. I am extremely patient and have experience teaching learners from all over the world and therefore understand particular pronunciation difficulties. I provide a lot of help with common problems encountered, using, for example: tenses, phrasal verbs, and word order in sentences.
I am a native English speaker with a clear voice and am qualified through Trinity College London in TESOL. I also have an NVQ III in Business and Administration.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am a 25 year old musician living in Brighton who is a friendly, approachable people person who loves Languages, Music and Politics.

Teaching Experience:
As a Music Graduate, I am experienced in teaching both one to one lessons and in larger classes.

Tutoring Approach:
My main approach is one that aims to teach my students to be a, real life English speaker, not a Shakespearean school book! This is based on my own experience of learning a new language to communicate in every day, real person life. Last year, i decided to live in Brussels to learn french by living with local people, where I developed a healthy respect for slang and idiomatic language (not to blow my own trumpet). From this experience I have created my method of English learning.

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Personal Description:
I am a Civil Engineering Master's graduate from UCL and can speak Tamil. I like to teach what I know, and work in the insurance industry as a Data Analyst.

Teaching Experience:
I primarily have tutoring experience online of subjects Maths, English, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Art.

Tutoring Approach:
By understanding the concepts solving the problem is easy.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am currently a graduate student in Psychiatry at the University of Oxford. As a curious and driven learner, I am eager to teach what I have learned, as well as learn from those I teach.
I specialise in teaching Biology, Math and English until GCSE level, and as a fluent speaker of Mandarin I am also able to teach the language to younger students. I am able to teach both GCSE and those working towards the International Baccalaureate (IB). Scored 42 points doing the IB in Singapore myself, having done Higher Level Maths, Chemistry and my favourite- Biology. I was a Triple Science (I)GCSE student, scoring above 90 in all subjects, and tutored 2 IGCSE students myself as a Senior in high school. As a university newspaper editor and columnist, I love to write and communicate science, therefore am inclined towards teaching the sciences and English, but am also open to teach Maths, Chemistry and Mandarin.

Teaching Experience:
I have worked with Oxford Tutors since October 2019, until the pandemic took its stride. I tutored briefly while studying in London for my undergraduate studies (Imperial College London). I tutored math and chinese (mandarin) to younger students during my last two years of high school in Singapore.

Tutoring Approach:
It is both fulfilling and enjoyable to help others realise their potential. During class, I typically first unravel important concepts to ensure the student grasps the topic well, avoiding rote memorisation, before assessments are provided. People describe me as friendly, encouraging and approachable, and I hope this demeanour makes my student feel at ease whilst bringing out his/her own enthusiasm and excitement for the subject. My patience is endless, especially with experience teaching my three younger sisters in Maths and Biology.

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Personal Description:
Acton/Ealing/Chiswick/Shepherd's Bush/Hounslow/Brentford surrounding areas home Maths tuition

Hi,

My name is Emanuel and I am a qualified Maths teacher (Secondary and Sixth form) with over 6 years experience as a teacher and 10 years experience as a Maths tutor.

In academics, I have studied Mechanical Engineering at UCL and then I graduated from my PGCE course to be able to teach.

Teaching Experience:
I have an excellent record of students' performance over the years, with students mainly going to top Russell universities. To do this, I have set high standards within my sessions which must be met in order to achieve the desired outcome from the sessions which can be developing particular areas, additional support, revision, exam practice and preparation, etc.
Students always provide positive feedback because I can make difficult topics easy to grasp for anyone. Also, my students have appreciated the extensive work (exam questions and challenge questions) I provide them outside the sessions in order to better prepare for the exams. Thus, most of my students managed to obtain a grade that allowed them to go to prestigious universities (including Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial)

Tutoring Approach:
Areas I focus on:

* Creating a positive and supportive environment for lessons at your home
* Development in confidence and building on strengths, skills and knowledge
* Provide a wide range of resources to support achieving the best grades (resources for both homework and sessions )

Sessions are available in the evenings during the week (i.e. after school / work) or throughout the weekend and the cost per hour depends on location. Discount is available depending on number of sessions per week or for tuition with small groups of students.

I am DBS police checked and cleared (Disclosure and Barrings Service Police check)

Please do not hesitate to contact me for a consultation to discuss the possibility of working together.

I look forward to hearing from you.

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.'

*

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.

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