Quan - Uxbridge tutor





Quan's profile picture

Information About Quan:


Personal Description:

I am a retired university lecturer in Mechanical Engineering with a PhD from City University of London and a BEng from a leading Chinese university. I also worked as a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London. My entire career has been dedicated to academic research and higher education, and I have worked as a senior lecturer in the department of mechanical engineering at a university in London for 23 years. For the past 8 years, I have been the Course Director for an Engineering Foundation course. I was also acting as a liaison officer to a private institute specialising in providing university foundation courses, helping with their course design and assessment moderation. I have been a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) since 2006.

I believe that every student can succeed in A-level Maths with the right guidance. My experience teaching foundation-year students means I am exceptionally skilled at identifying and bridging knowledge gaps, building confidence, and making complex concepts accessible. I provide a structured, patient, and encouraging learning environment where students feel supported in asking questions and truly understanding the 'why' behind the equations.



Teaching Experience:

My teaching experience is primarily at the university level. As a senior lecturer, I taught Fluid Mechanics
and computational fluid dynamics modules to Year 2, Year 3, and advanced aerodynamics to Master's students. This high-level teaching gives me a unique perspective on the fundamental maths skills students need to thrive at top universities, which I integrate into my A-level sessions.

As Course Director for the Foundation Year, I worked intensively with students who needed to strengthen their core maths and physics knowledge before starting their engineering degrees. This 8-year role honed my ability to break down complex A-level topics into clear, logical steps for learners with varying starting points.

I have also supervised and assessed undergraduate and postgraduate projects, providing detailed feedback that pushes students towards higher-level thinking.



Tutoring Approach:

My approach is student-centred and goal-oriented, placing conceptual understanding above rote memorisation. I begin with an initial assessment to identify each student's strengths and areas for development. From there, every session is tailored to the student's specific needs-whether that means consolidating tricky classroom topics, preparing for an upcoming mock exam, or developing a long-term revision strategy for final A-levels.

Achieving a strong exam grade requires not only a solid grasp of mathematical concepts but, more importantly, strong problem-solving skills. In my sessions, I regularly use past paper questions, emphasising a logical, well-structured approach that makes workings clear and easy to follow. I also help students build their numerical fluency by introducing carefully selected mental maths questions as daily practice (set as homework). Finally, I provide constructive, specific feedback to help students learn from their mistakes and refine the exam techniques needed to reach the top grades.



Subjects Taught:

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Qualifications:

  • PhD in Mechanical Engineering, City University of London
  • BEng in Mechanical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) , 2006

Further Information:

Availability:  Weekends / Weekdays (all times)
Types of Tutoring:   Travels to you / From their home / Online
Current DBS/CRB Check?   Yes
Additional Languages Spoken:   Mandarin