Anita

I am a British qualified primary teacher with over 12 years classroom experience. I also have over five years of experience working privately with families, from weekly tutoring to full-time homeschooling, and in countries around the world.

In all of these scenarios, I held on tight to high aspirations and persisted to find ways to help individuals achieve or overcome difficulties. A wealth of applicable expertise is of course invaluable, but one size does not fit all. (Which may be the very reason you are now seeking a tutor!) My success, sometimes against the odds, has come from an informed but suitably personalised approach.

Tutoring Experience

• Class Teacher of Reception/Year 1/Year 2 in schools across England [for 11 years].
• Supply Teacher covering classes Nursery to Year 6 [for two years].
• Assistant Headteacher with overarching responsibilities for Infant classes, assessment or literacy [for five years].
• Private Tutor covering English/communication, mathematics and personal-social skills with 3-11 year olds [for five years].
• Homeschool Teacher with family groups of children aged 3-8 [for 2.5 years].

Within all this experience, I’ve worked with children with a range of SEND (selective mutism, ADHD, global delay, dyspraxia, speech difficulties, EBD, motor difficulties, ASD, Down's syndrome, hearing loss) as well as those particularly able for their age, for whom English was not their first language, and those with medical needs or allergies.

Tutoring Approach

I recognise the bedrock of early education is that all children should be literate, numerate, have a positive attitude to learning and enquiring minds. When I've met older children struggling, one or more of these four elements was lacking. In contrast, when they are secure and balanced, children's potential grows exponentially. As such, I always take a long term view to developing motivation, incorporate children's own interests where possible, and invest in opportunities for self-evaluation and resilience building. My sessions will never just be about getting a worksheet finished!

From my initial contact with you as parents, I begin a constantly ongoing planning-assessment cycle, tailoring each new session to what was revealed before, carefully orchestrating steps towards the goal.

The success of any tutoring relies on a dedicated time and space. With my specialism in the 3-9 age range in particular, my sessions are unlikely to be sedentary. They will involve variety, movement, or interactive practical activities (the more so, the younger the child). For this reason, I only offer in-person tutoring.