Charlie

QUALIFIED TEACHER.
4 YEARS EXPERIENCE TEACHING AT HARROW SCHOOL AND ETON COLLEGE.
FIRST-CLASS DEGREE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD.

I graduated with a first in English Language and Literature from Lincoln College Oxford, where I was first a Mark Pattinson Exhibitioner and, for my continued academic achievement, a Lord Crewe Scholar. The nature of my degree meant I studied all periods of English Literature. Consequently, I am adept at teaching across the full breadth of the canon.

Since then, I have become an experienced subject practitioner, with several years’ experience, and a proven record of inspiring academic attainment and literary enthusiasm across a range of ages. I have taught at Harrow School for one year and at Eton College for over three. I have consistently taught English Literature and Language across the schools' age range and have a demonstrable record of instilling academic success in my students. I achieved the best A-level results in the English Department last year (with 72% of my students scoring an A*), whilst two years ago a student of mine, from set six out of seven, scored the highest IGCSE Literature mark in the country. I have also taught Drama at GCSE and A-level.

Alongside this classroom experience, I have accumulated substantial tutoring experience across a wide range of syllabi and specifications. My teaching has led to 3 to 4 grade improvements in several students, across both KS4 and KS5 levels. As a part of the team that ran Eton's English at University Programme, I have helped students gain places at Oxford, Cambridge, and Ivy League Universities. I also served as a King's Scholarship question setter and examiner.

The combination of my top academic qualifications and classroom experience enables me to ascertain a student's current level of understanding quickly, tailor my teaching to those requirements, and create appropriate yet imaginative supporting resources. I offer detailed feedback, step-by-step guidance, and model answers to rectify students' weaknesses in the subject and quickly improve marks. I tutor for top tutoring agencies, who charge a higher rate for me than I do here because they take a commission.

In addition, I have experience working in professional theatre, as a director and within a literary department.

TESTIMONIALS FROM MY CLIENTS

'To have gone from 55% and a D in my year 12 mocks and a C in my January mocks to an A* in the exam is nothing short of a miracle and would not have been possible without your teaching.'

‘I consider Charlie the best English teacher I've encountered and strongly recommend him to anyone in need of assistance.’

‘**** is so grateful to you for your help. In his recent school mock test, he got 88/100 in English Language and 78/100 in English Literature.’

‘Thank you so much for all the help, time, advice and support you have given me over the past six months in preparation for my Oxford application… I feel I have really improved at the subject and that is definitely down to all the guidance you have given me.'

‘Your guidance has always been explicit and efficient, which I appreciate and enjoy greatly.'

‘Charlie’s lessons are extremely interesting. His teaching is clear and concise and split into simple steps. His lessons are engaging. Many of the passages we read are from important classical books and poems... Overall, I think Charlie is a brilliant teacher.

Tutoring Experience

I have taught English Literature and Language across all levels at both Harrow School and Eton College. Additionally, my private tutoring has provided me with substantial experience in teaching several syllabi and specifications.

GCSE/ IGCSE

I have extensive experience tutoring students through GCSE (CIE IGCSE; AQA, Edexcel and OCR GCSE). Too often students are held back by poor teaching surrounding essay technique and deployment of subject knowledge. My tutoring helps rectify this, along with consolidating and developing textual knowledge, and has led to several three and four-grade improvements. I also have experience in teaching Drama.

A-LEVEL/IB

I have taught several A-level specifications (OCR, Edexcel, AQA) along with The International Baccalaureate (at both Standard and Higher Levels). Last year I achieved the highest A-level results in Eton’s English Department. Such success was partly down to my introduction of material that lies adjacent to, but beyond, the material typically covered in the schoolroom. Such an approach impresses examiners, when deployed correctly, but also deepens a student’s understanding of their set texts.

Each specification has very specific requirements regarding what earns a student marks; these requirements are too often ignored by teachers and tutors. I ensure that all my teaching is tailored to the exam board the student is being examined in. I also have experience in teaching Drama.

ADMISSIONS TESTS/ INTERVIEW PREPARATION

At Eton, I have served as a Common Entrance Examiner and King’s Scholarship Question Setter and Examiner. I am, therefore, well-placed to offer tuition for 11+, 13+, and 16+ admissions. I am also happy to develop personally tailored reading lists to help students prepare for interviews.

OXBRIDGE AND UNIVERSITY APPLICATIONS

As a relatively recent alumnus of Oxford, I am intimately familiar with what is required for a successful application. I am well-versed in preparing students from all backgrounds to apply to Oxbridge and other Russell Group universities. As part of Eton’s English at University Programme, I have several years in guiding students through every stage of the process: constructing a personal statement, college selection, ELAT preparation, interview practice, and suggestions for wider reading. I have served as a practice Oxbridge interviewer for Eton, Harrow, and The London Academy of Excellence. Additionally, I have run courses on Eton’s annual summer school programme for state-school students, designed to introduce material beyond the school curriculum and help them prepare for a university application. Several past students have won places at Oxford, Cambridge, and Ivy League universities.

HOMESCHOOLING

I would be happy to help students and parents with home-schooling, either teaching a traditional GCSE/A-level or designing a bespoke curriculum.

LNAT

I can help LNAT candidates with their command of rhetoric, improving their ability to evaluate arguments and structure their work for the essay question.

ADULT LEARNERS

Whether it be to improve your command of language or develop your knowledge of literature, I would be happy to help.

Tutoring Approach

Success in English rests upon three factors: secure textual knowledge; incisive and forensic analysis; and a good command of essay technique. My approach focuses on each of these skills, breaking tasks down into manageable chunks for students, offering step-by-step guidance, and providing clear, written models. Beginning with developing a deep understanding of the text, I focus on the elements of a text that the student finds most difficult, offering line-by-line readings along with analysis of structure and form. From there, I offer concise and detailed instruction to quickly improve students’ written work.

I believe that literature is best understood and appreciated when pupils are given a frame of reference. Too often texts are studied in isolation and, consequently, are presented in a manner devoid of relevance to young people. Many students are not only bored by the confines of the curriculum but are not aware of what the study of literature is for. I aim to teach curriculum texts in a way that transcends traditional boundaries, juxtaposing the close study of language with extracts of history, art, music, and contemporary reference.

My approach prioritises one of the most important reasons for studying English at Secondary Level: reading’s ability to widen students’ perspectives, allowing them to view the world from several different angles, and refine their analytical and critical thinking skills in the process.