Upminster Tutors and Upminster Tuition

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

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

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

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Personal Description:
I am a 47 year-old, Brazilian Portuguese and English language teacher and also a Portuguese GCSE tutor and Examiner.

Teaching Experience:
I have been teaching Portuguese as a foreign language and English for Speakers of other Languages for 25 years.

Tutoring Approach:
I am a Brazilian Portuguese GCSE teacher for more than 10 years.

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Personal Description:
I have been privately teaching music theory and instrumental based music around the midlands area for the last 4 years. I have experience teaching all age ranges and abilities including children with learning difficulties.

Teaching Experience:
I have taught with in schools "Blakedown C of E Primary School" "Sutton Park Primary School" Music academies "Sounds Electric Music academy" and i also teach privately at home.

Tutoring Approach:
I use a taylor made course to suit the individuals needs so they can control what areas they would like to focus on most. i am friendly and will always try my best to aid the pupils so they get the most from there tuition.

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Personal Description:
I specialize in exam techniques and improving target grades of students. My tutoring approach is to regularly assess the student's attainment level and tailor the lessons targeting the areas that need improvements.

Teaching Experience:
• Working for prestigious private schools in surrey as a private tutor.
• Private tutor - International Baccalaureate.
• Training and development of corporate finance staff.
• Many years of experience as a private tutor & a mentor

Tutoring Approach:
• Develop student's focus
• Teach students smart techniques to remember keywords / definitions.
• Evaluate student's knowledge through discussion of past exam papers within a friendly and relaxed environment.
• Teach smart answering techniques to gain high scores.

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Personal Description:
I graduated from Durham University with an MA Education and I have Qualified Teacher Status specialised in Chinese teaching. My Bachelor degree was 'Chinese Literature'. I have a recent CRB check, Mandarin teaching experience at both private and state schools in London and East Sussex. I also have experiences of private tuition (age 8 months to 23 years old, from complete beginner to university level) and real passion for this career.

I have been teaching at a private school in London for almost 10 years. Prior to that, I taught at a prestigious private school in Sussex for three years. In the past few years, I have also been working as an A-Level Mandarin examiner. During my teaching placements I've came across a range of students with different abilities, and I have managed to help them achieve outstanding results with a variety of teaching strategies.

I am punctual, easy-going, patient with strong academic background together with a range of teaching experiences. If you would like a weekday evening, weekend or summer Mandarin intensive courses (areas: calligraphy, tourism, business, culture, exam preparation or even Chinese cookery!!), please feel free to drop me an email :)

I'd love to hear from you.

Teaching Experience:
1. Helped my tutee to pass his HSK4 exam within eight weeks of learning;
2. Years of teaching the English secondary school curriculum.
3. Every year of teaching, my students achieved 100% A-A*.
4. Lots of experience in HSK and business tuition.

Tutoring Approach:
I have plenty of interests and these can also be involved in extra-curricular activities in terms of Mandarin teaching, such as singing, cooking and calligraphy.

In order to build up an interactive learning atmosphere, I will mainly utilise the Communicative Language Teaching Method (CLT), which focuses on cultural aspects. I will also use other teaching approaches in accordance with the purpose of learning, learners' age and their language backgrounds.

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Personal Description:
I am a qualified mathematics teacher and I am an enthusiastic and friendly person.

Teaching Experience:
I have worked in secondary schools in Hampshire and West Sussex teaching mathematics at both KS3 and GCSE levels with abilities from the lower to the top sets. I have also been tutoring on a one-to-one basis and I have experience of working with SEN students.

Tutoring Approach:
I try to encourage students to learn to their best ability by making my lessons as interesting as possible. It is my aim that my students feel confident in mathematics and achieve their full potential by passing exams with good grades.
I teach in the pupil's home and online

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Personal Description:
My name is Fernando, and I'm a (European) Portuguese native speaker.

Born in Portugal, I moved to the London in 2010 and worked in education and safeguarding professional up to 2024. At the beginning of 2025 I moved up north and I'm now self-employed - mostly teaching online and doing interior design jobs whilst retraining in this area and overseeing/project management my new home renovation work.

I provide high quality private language tuition - listening, speaking, reading, writing & grammar - with consistently excellent results:

"What Fernando did was to start with my interests, which really made the lessons fun, and helped me to learn Portuguese more quickly!" Alex

Do you want to?
• Learn European Portuguese?
• Prepare for a Portuguese proficiency examination
• Pick up a few useful phrases for a holiday?
• Improve your business communication skills?

Portugueses: Procuram melhorar o vosso nível de inglês falado e escrito?
Brasileiros: Vocês estão procurando melhorar o seu aprendizado da língua inglesa?

NOTE: At the moment I'm not teaching Brazilian Portuguese. I believe students should find a native teacher from the specific country they aim to visit/live. Any tutor can teach the grammar and basics, but in terms of speaking practice there is a real advantage to learn with a native speaker/tutor.

Teaching Experience:
My teaching methods are reinforced by my significant experience as a tutor, trainer, a college teacher, a mentor for young people, and a coach for adult learners. I am patient and dedicated in my approach, with and an unshakeable belief that my students WILL achieve their goals.

Tutoring Approach:
My teaching practice encompasses:
• A range of resources of the highest standard
• Fun and flexible materials such as music, film clips and games
• Thorough linguistic knowledge
• Tailored lessons to meet your learning needs
• Engaging and relevant homework
• Continuous assessment with ongoing feedback
• Cultural and historical essentials

It's important to me that the tuition experience is comfortable and convenient for you. Due to COVID-19 I've decided to only offer online tuition until further notice.

"I found Fernando really knowledgeable with excellent organisation skills. He was especially considerate about organising the tuition around my job" Ian

I teach all ages from beginner to advanced levels
• Book stand alone lessons: pay £25 (one hour lessons)
• Book 5 lessons and commit to 1 lesson per week: pay only £112.50 (get 10% off = saving £12.50)
• Book 10 lessons and commit to 2 lessons per week: pay only £212.50 (get 15% off = saving £37.50)
• Book 15 lessons and commit to 2 lessons per week: pay only £300 (get 20% off = saving £75.00)
• Book 20 lessons and commit to 3 lessons per week: pay only £375 (get 25% off = saving £125.00)

I'll be flexible in rescheduling lessons within same week/next week so long as these are canceled with more than 24 hours notice.

Lessons will be counted if failing to attend without any notice or less than 24 hours notice (aside from extraordinary reasons).

Failing to adhere to the original learning plan and not rescheduling within the expected period will mean you'll loose unused lessons as these will expire after the allocated weeks (5 and 10 lesson packs have a max learning period of 6 weeks; 15 and 20 lesson packs have a max learning period of 8 weeks).

Get in touch for more information about:
• Group classes
• English/Portuguese translation
• Proofreading Portuguese

Get in touch to book your initial lesson so I can assess your level and your preferred learning style (25-minute assessment for £20).

I look forward to learning together!

Fernando

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Personal Description:
I am a French philosopher based in Paris and London. I have graduated from Sorbonne University in 2006. My approach to philosophy tries to blend the Continental and the Analytic Anglo-Saxon tradition. I have been teaching classes in General Philosophy, Metaphysics and Logic.

Teaching Experience:
I have been teaching in various contexts: in high school (A-Level) as a Teaching Assistant at Sorbonne University, on the Paris campus of Saint John`s University in New York. I have also been occasionally tutoring some students. I have also written many popularization articles.

Tutoring Approach:
My approach is based on an understanding of the needs of the tutored person with regards to the academic requirements in vigour and his own interest in the discipline. Depending on the context, I offer a approach based on the history of philosophy or on given philosophical problems, putting the emphasis either on culture or on the acquisition of an aptitude to sound reasoning or critical thinking.

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Personal Description:
Hi, I'm currently a student at the University of Buckingham but also a qualified french teacher. I use very friendly methods to teach. I can help you in both speaking and writing. I'm sure you'll be satisfied with my service quality.

Teaching Experience:
I use a friendly approach to tutees.

Tutoring Approach:
Tackle the problems and make sure I reach satisfaction from the tutee.

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Personal Description:
I hold a BA on Classics and Modern Greek from the University of Athens and a Masters Degree in Modern Greek Studies (Language, History, Culture) from the University of Birmingham. I have a long-standing experience (12 years) in tutoring within a learning framework and teaching is my passion. I worked as a teacher of Modern Greek in Birmingham and as an examiner for Greek GCSE and Ellinomatheia. Currently I am working as an Educator for a Greek NGO, contributing to refugees' integration.
I am responsible for creating curricula, producing written guidance, and creating internal
processes. I have developed new training and technical assistance materials on teaching English
and Greek, on differentiated teaching and lesson plans (Bloom's taxonomy of measurable verbs). Following the descriptors of the CERF,
I have designed a detailed ESL curriculum for adult and youth migrants (A1-B2) and one for children
(A1-B2); I developed supporting lesson plans to establish clear learning outcomes, communicative functions, grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and assessment criteria.

Teaching Experience:
Education officer at an NGO

GCSE examiner for Modern Greek

Teacher in Birmingham (2017-present)

Teacher at Social School of the Municipality of Athens (2013-2015)

Private tutor (2011-present): Give private lessons to students of primary [Greek as SL, History, English SL] and secondary school and to undergraduate students of the faculty of Philology. [Literature, History, Ancient Greek and Latin].

Tutoring Approach:
The learning objectives, which my lesson plans aim to, will be based on teaching methods, which accommodate different styles of learning. Differentiation according to the level of each students's abilities (high, medium, low) is the touchstone of the teaching process and one of my principals as a teacher. Energizing activities which engage pupils in the lesson, such as use of flashcards for learning new vocabulary, classroom quizzes, classroom display works and powerpoint presentations are just but a few of my teaching methods.

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Personal Description:
I am from south Spain and I have lived in the UK for 16 years. I am passionate about languages and culture and I like my lessons to be interactive and practical. I am patient, understanding, caring and sociable.

Teaching Experience:
I have been teaching Spanish in UK secondary schools for 9 years after my PGCE in MFL. I also have experience with the new GCSE and A Level specifications, having got very good results from my students.

Tutoring Approach:
I believe that all students can learn, and each one of them learn differently so I like to adapt my techniques according to my student needs. I try to incorporate all learning styles in my lessons and make the activities as engaging as I can. My students practise all skills after they have understood the core language needed for it.

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Personal Description:
I'm an enthusiastic and open to new challenges teacher, optimistic, positive, easy-going and happy. I search to make teaching an enjoyable activity opening new horizons for anyone who has decided to study foreign languages as it happened in my life. Speaking languages is a great opportunity to get to know the world around you and the world within yourself.
I fluently speak English, Spanish and Russian. I have extensively travelled to Spain and I have also worked with Spanish and South American companies. In my position of a freelance interpreter for Prestige Network I performed verbal interpretation from and to English, Spanish and Russian.
In my free time I like reading, travelling and taking pictures. I completed a course in photography in the Regional Culture and Art College in Saint-Petersburg.

Teaching Experience:
I received my higher education in the Russian State Pedagogical University named after Alexander Herzen at the Faculty of Foreign Languages, one of the best linguistic faculties of the country. I studied at the department of Spanish language and continued my studies of English as a second language.
After graduation I worked as the office manager and interpreter and acquired communicative and organizational skills in what concerned the functioning of an office, discussing everyday matters with the staff, calling customers.
I studied a course in teaching Spanish in the summer courses for foreign teachers organised by the University of Zaragoza.
I started my teaching career in 2002 giving individual lessons. It helped me to receive experience in lesson planning, providing didactic materials, developing communicative skills of students and attending to their interests and requirements.
I completed a PGCE course at University of Winchester and worked as a School Direct trainee teacher at Westgate School in Winchester from September 2021 until June 2022. I taught Spanish and French in years 7-11, planning and delivering lessons, carrying out assessment and marking, preparing pupils for their GCSE examinations.
As a tutor, I helped students to prepare for their A Level examinations which enabled them to receive highest marks.

Tutoring Approach:
I give individual and group lessons according to the requirements of my students. The duration may vary from 1 to 3 hours, where I combine conversational practice with grammar, I usually include all aspects of language learning such as listening, speaking, reading and writing. My principal aim is to achieve effective communication in the language I teach. I stick to the principle: learning is fun. There should not be any boredom in the classroom. Every lesson is supposed to be enjoyable and provide more resources for the motivation of the students and me as a teacher. I have mastered certain techniques necessary for teaching online. I have made myself familiar with a broad range of online resources and electronic educational material. I am open to suggestions and flexible in my schedule. I am also very patient and understanding. Learning foreign languages is a challenging, laborious process which with some dedication can become very rewarding and I am proud to contribute to it.

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Personal Description:
I am the assistant head of the English department at a good secondary school in Derby. I have a 2:1 classification honours degree in English Literature from De Montfort University. I am able to support students studying for GCSE examinations. I am an AQA examiner for English Literature paper 2 and therefore I am extremely confident in delivering the specification.

I live in Brassington, Derbyshire and am able to tutor students living in all surrounding areas.

Teaching Experience:
I am currently teaching to the following exam specification:

English AQA 8700 Specification

Tutoring Approach:
- Subject knowledge support (English Literature and Language)
- Examination preparation
- Teaching of 'exam craft'
- Revision
- Mentoring

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Personal Description:
Hi, my name is Harriet and I am 21 years old.
I have worked in primary schools as a 1:1 teaching assistant for three years and have been tutoring Maths after work during this time.
I am now fully focusing on tutoring Maths at Primary level.

I enjoy the outside and spend lots of time out on the water.

Teaching Experience:
I have worked in three primary schools as a 1:1 teaching assistant over three years and have been tutoring Maths to primary school students for the same amount of time.

Tutoring Approach:
I am a patient person who can spend time with your child explaining things clearly to make sure they understand the methods of mathematics, while also setting good expectations ensuring that they can achieve their full potential.


I aim to build your child's confidence and enthusiasm in maths which will aid their success.

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Personal Description:
I come to teaching from a commercial rather than academic background. I worked in music publishing and for an Indian furniture and design business for many years before qualifying as a mature student from the Institute of Education, UCL in 2013 with a PGCE (maths) at level seven since when I have been teaching GCSE maths to adults at various colleges around London including City of Islington College, South Thames College, Adult Learning Lewisham and Westminster Adult Education Services where I was nominated for Teacher of the Year.
As well as my PGCE I have A level mathematics and began a music degree at Goldsmiths thirty years ago but did not complete it. As part of my CPD I completed the GCSE Maths Enhancement Program at the IOE and Pearson's Preparing to Teach the new GCSE (9-1) Syllabus.

Teaching Experience:
2012 - 2013 - Taught adult functional skills L1/L2 and GCSE maths for a year at City and Islington for my PGCE teaching practice.

Sep 13 - (ongoing) - Adult Learning Lewisham (E3, L1, L2 and GCSE maths Higher and Foundation)

Jan 2014 - July 14 - L1/L2 and GCSE maths for South Thames College.

Sep 15 - June 17 - Westminster Adult Education Services (GCSE Maths Higher). Nominated for Teacher of the Year Award 2017.

Ongoing - private tuition. I divide my time equally between teaching adults at the colleges mentioned above and private tuition for several agencies and sometimes by personal recommendation. I usually have between eight to ten private students from 11+ to GCSE with occasional mature students returning to education. I have also prepared students for public school (ISEB and 13+) entrance assessments.

Tutoring Approach:
Being from a performing arts background I try to make teaching maths as relaxed and informal as it can be with the intention of inspiring confidence in a subject amny people are not confident with.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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A-level results, August 2024:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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A-level results, August/September 2022:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*

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:
Join me for engaging online tutoring sessions on weekends and evenings, where I employ dynamic teaching techniques, including interactive PowerPoint presentations and more. As a cancer researcher at the University of Cambridge, I offer tailored lessons in cancer biology and neuroscience. I am an expert in molecular biology and genomics techniques and would be happy to share the knowledge to budding researchers

Teaching Experience:
I have robust experience in applying a wide variety of teaching and assessment methodologies and
contributing to the design and development of curriculum and teaching material. During my academic
and research careers so far, I have
• Led a staff collaboration to update old protocols and methodologies for undergraduate research
students
• Increased average writing and reading comprehension of early research students by 21% in 3
months' time
UK Tutors' teaching philosophy of nurturing individual growth and curiosity greatly appeals to me and I am very excited to be an invaluable part of the same.

Tutoring Approach:
Lesson Format:

I customize each session to suit your learning goals.
We can connect online, making it convenient for your weekend and evening schedules.
My teaching approach incorporates multimedia elements, making complex topics easy to understand.
You're encouraged to actively participate, ask questions, and seek clarification during our virtual sessions.
I provide homework assignments and practice materials to reinforce your learning between sessions.

Content and Approach:

We'll start with foundational concepts and progress to more advanced topics.
Whether you're a beginner or looking for in-depth knowledge, I adapt the lessons to your level.
I emphasize critical thinking skills and problem-solving techniques, preparing you to tackle complex subjects.

Experience:

With my background as a cancer researcher, I bring expertise and a passion for teaching to every session.
I've successfully mentored students across different academic levels, helping them excel in their studies and research projects.
My goal is to make cancer biology and neuroscience accessible and exciting in our online sessions.
Let's explore these fascinating fields together and pave the way for your academic and research success during your weekends and evenings."

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am a professional Computer Teacher and an IT Consultant with special interest in Human Computer Interface, Artificial Intelligence and IoT with advanced research background (About 10 research papers in the mentioned areas), who has a taste for smart home development. Having had diverse field and office experiences, I have developed a professional career in dynamic and proactive Organizations (Banking and Academics), worked in an environment where challenges are paramount (IT Industry), and at the end, I always bring out the best through planning, strategizing, consulting and good decision making.

Teaching Experience:
I have been a computer teacher for 5 years before joining the Banking Industry where I grew to become the IT Manager for two years. I have also been a Lecturer for 7 years in the Computer Science Department of Federal Polytechnic Oko, Anambra State Nigeria.

Tutoring Approach:
I am a PGDE holder. Apart from this, I am a member of Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria and Education Workforce Council of Wales United Kingdom. So, as a professional, I apply the defined classroom methodology both physically and in my online classes. I look at my student (s) and know when to apply stimulus variation. I rate the understanding as the class is going on, and know when to use questioning techniques to bring attention to bare.

Subjects