Andrew

I’m an avid reader of fiction and non-fiction which I use to inform and deepen my English tutoring.
As well as being a committed classroom teacher for 32 years, I’ve also been a private tutor throughout my career. It’s been profoundly rewarding and a privilege to help my students develop academically and learn to take great pleasure from reading and writing.

Tutoring Experience

I was awarded a 2:1 English Literature Degree and English PGCE.
I taught in a Comprehensive school for 32 years as an English teacher and later also ran the Film and Media department for 30 years.
I’ve taught KS3 English, GCSE English Language, GCSE English Literature, GCSE Film Studies, GCSE Media Studies, A Level Film Studies and A Level English Literature.
Ofsted judged my lessons to be Outstanding many times during my career.
I have taught many lower ability and higher ability classes. As a result, I know how to pitch subject content to students at a level that they find easy to understand.

Tutoring Approach

I use questioning a great deal in my teaching style to see what my students already understand and what they will need to understand. I also use it to strengthen their critical skills so that their arguments and answers are robust.
Discussion is also very important so that it’s not merely didactic teaching, although that is obviously important too, especially when covering examination syllabi.
I teach the art of rhetoric at the start of most of my lessons with new tutees as this prepares them to become rigorous critical thinkers, speakers and writers.
I work hard to help students develop an individual and academic writing style so that their answers stand out for examiners.
I also use humour in my teaching style. Learning should not be intimidating but fun to do, as well as being academically rigorous when it needs to be.