The first meeting is important because it is where we discuss your specific needs and I begin to tailor tutoring to your unique requirements.

I will want to meet with you (and your family if appropriate) and discuss what you expect from the tutoring process. I will outline the specific and tailored skills, expertise and support I can provide.

In order to get a more specific idea about your needs, I would ask you to provide a recent piece of written work.

I will provide a detailed CV, references and a CRB check so you can learn something about me too.

This is a free consultation although, in some cases, charges may apply depending on time and travel.

If we both agree that tutoring is appropriate and necessary, you will be provided with a price list and contract. We will book a regular weekly hour-long slot which will continue until either party gives one month’s notice.

There can be no guarantees of grade increases as this is more dependent on student commitment than anything else. The contract covers goals and coverage expected, in addition to administration issues such as the procedure for cancelling an appointment, travel charges (if applicable) and pricing.  

Sessions take place at the student’s home, remotely via SKYPE or ZOOM or at a designated public place (such as a library, café etc.)

If the session is to take place in the student’s home, there has to be a dedicated place to work which is quiet and offers space and internet access. One parent must be there at the beginning of the session to pay me and must remain in the house for the duration of the tutoring session.

Tutoring can only take place in a public setting with prior agreement of both parties. This has to be a place which is relatively quiet.

My tutoring is based on my educational experience at Oxford. The one-on-one opportunity means great variety can be explored in every session and everything can be tailored to the student’s needs. The student is at the centre of everything I do and coverage is dependent on consultation, evidence of work covered previously in addition to my expertise with the qualification and material.  

I firmly believe in creating an interactive, fast-moving, challenging environment when I teach. I hope not only to support students to gain the qualifications they need to progress, but also to inspire and challenge them to engage with the world and find something beneficial and relevant in applying their skills.

I offer a friendly, good humoured and constructively critical approach. My ethos engages the student in developing the skills to ask their own questions about their own work and the world beyond – to become independent and confident enough to apply what they know to each new situation.

Regular assessment is a crucial aspect of learning so should be expected as part of the tutoring process. The results of such assessment will form a framework for future coverage. This will often take place outside regular sessions to ensure session time is used in more interactive ways – a little like homework!

Regular meetings with students and parents (where appropriate) are highly recommended and are most beneficial when they are goal orientated and discuss needs and solutions in simple and realistic terms. In some cases, this may incur an extra charge.  

Additional marking (that is not specifically part of the tutoring remit) can be discussed. Charges apply.