Laura

Teaching is my third and final career and I love it. I have over 25 years experience of helping students of all ages and abilities achieve their goals. I am a qualified teacher with 14 years in classrooms, teaching English and law, and I'm also a qualified journalist and academically qualified solicitor with several years practical experience in courts.

The word tutor comes from the Latin tutorus, or protector, incorporating the word for "guard". Like an extra guardian, tutors help to guide students' learning, paying special attention to areas of interest or struggle, and offer students the chance to learn in a way that is specifically tailored to their individual strengths, needs and abilities. That's what I do, and I use the myriad skills I have acquired through training and vast life experience to do just that: escort your child, from where he or she is, to where they need to get to, to achieve what they want.

I offer face to face tuition from age 5, and online or face to face tuition to students above age 10.

Tutoring Experience

I found school very challenging myself, so I completely understand why many very bright students don't do as well as they could at school.

Since 1994 I have helped literally thousands of students to:-
* improve their self esteem, attitude and grades almost immediately
* achieve grade A/A*/9 in GCSE and A level English literature and language, French and Law;
* get into a wide range of good London schools at 7+, 8+, 10+,11+ and CE including:-
St Paul's Girls, St Paul's Boys, Henrietta Barnett, Tiffin Girls, Harrow, Eton and UCS, as well as Merchant Taylor, Godolphin and Latimer, Haileybury, Hampton, John Lyons, St Benedict's, Notting Hill and Ealing, Kew House, St James', Kings College Wimbledon, Haberdashers Askes, St Helen's Northwood, Northwood College, Royal Masonic, Habs Girls, Northbridge House and Latymer Upper.
* complete, proofread and edit coursework and dissertations in any English based subject

I also help children aged 5 to 10 with maths.

Recent Experience
With the cancellation of the GCSE exams in 2020 and 2021, I took one home schooled boy through year 10 and 11 to GCSE and he achieved grade 8 for literature and grade 7 for language. Unlike school students, home schooled students had to sit exams online. J was thoroughly examined online via zoom by an external examiner with timed written exam questions as well as vivas. When I met J, three months after he began to be home schooled in June 2019, he was achieving grade 4 in literature and grade 3 in language at his secondary school.

In 2022 I had three GCSE students who attended state private schools, and three who attended private schools including St. Pauls Boys, Hampton and Latymer Upper; I am pleased to say that out of the 6 GCSE students, 5 got grade 9 for both English language and English literature. The 6th got 8 for language and 9 for literature.

In 2022 I also took a homeschooled yr 13 boy through to successfully completing his A level in English literature.

As for my 11+ students, in 2023 all of them got places at their first choice schools which were NHE, Latymer Upper, St Benedicts, Kew House, Tiffin Girls, Henrietta Barnett, Merchant Taylors, and St Paul's Girls School.

This year my 11+ students got into Hampton, St Augustines, Notting Hill and Ealing, Latymer Upper, Brighton College, Wetherby Senior, and St Benedicts. My 7+ student got into Latymer Prep.

Adults
I also see adults, on a regular or ad hoc basis, to help them gain qualifications either to get into university or to improve their job prospects.

My first teaching experience was as a volunteer, teaching Adult Literacy from 1985-1987 while working as a freelance journalist. From 1995-7 I worked part time at a local boys preparatory school - Durston House - while beginning my vocational training part time as a solicitor.

I began tutoring fulltime in 1998 when I realised that although working in the law is fascinating, it's not a lifestyle I want, and I have been tutoring ever since.

From 1999 to 2012 apart from tutoring, I was also teaching English fulltime in a sixth form college which specialised in English at all levels from Functional Skills and IELTS, to academic English i.e. GCSE, Access, and A Level language, literature and lang/lit. I qualified as a teacher in 2007. While teaching at the college I continued to see a few private students, especially Japanese students. In 2012 I returned to fulltime tutoring.

Other help:-
Apart from tutoring, I also help adult students with their theses and dissertations, teach them how to edit their work properly, how to ensure that they are not straying off topic, and how to improve their vocabulary and expression. I can do this online or face to face.

I also help prepare for specific American university applications, personal statements, applications for research grants and CVs either face to face or using Google docs plus video call.

Children- and adults- with disabilities:-
I have taught literally thousands of students and many of them have had disabilities including deaf students, visually impaired students and students with cerebral palsy, as well as students with learning difficulties including AS, APD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dysgraphia, SM and ADD/ADHD. I have studied the growing problem of both ESOL and native speaking English students who have difficulty in drawing inferences from what they read. My method of teaching uses a very carefully selected range of texts to focus on intensely, in order to determine whether further investigation is appropriate. I am not qualified to diagnose autism but I have successfully taught many students on the spectrum.

Home schooled students:-
I am delighted to tutor homeschooled childen of all ages. I am very familiar with all the exam boards.

From January to June 2023 I was solely responsible for teaching Sam, a year 13 student being homeschooled. He achieved A level English literature and has gone on to the university of his choice. Another homeschooled student, Dylan, achieved grade 7 and 8 for GCSE snd is now doing A level English at college.

Tutoring Approach

My ethos:-
Alongside teaching, I have studied the psychology of learning and have many tools at my disposal to teach the skills that today's students and job seekers need. If you are struggling in school, college or university, it is not your fault. My job is to ensure that you do not need a tutor as quickly as possible while offering ongoing support for as long as you need it.

I believe that given the right atmosphere, attitude and support, anyone can learn anything. A stressful environment makes learning almost impossible, so my lessons are extremely relaxing. Students are usually amazed at how fast the time passes. At the end of the session I ensure the student understands everything covered in that session, and may ask for the student to complete an appropriate length homework to bring to the next session.

My motto is "self talk determines destiny" and I help students to unlearn the idea that they can't do something.

My approach is first to ensure that I am the right tutor for the student. The first session is designed for the student (and their parents) to assess me, as well as for me to work out the student's current level of ability and their learning style.

In subsequent sessions the most important thing is to ensure that the student has no gaps in their understanding of the subject and what is required. So I always begin at the beginning and usually students progress very quickly through the first phase. Once they are reasonably confident and have caught up with their school's expectations, I begin to stretch them, at their own pace.

I believe that students want to do well but are self-conscious and dislike asking for help at school as they are shy. Lack of basic understanding results in lack of self confidence which can easily develop into becoming withdrawn or disruptive in class.

It is quite easy to turn a student's attitude around once they realise that they can succeed, so I do a lot of confidence building exercises and use praise and humour to help them see what they are doing wrong and what they are doing right.

As a result of this, their self esteem is enhanced and they become more willing to contribute in class and take risks, rather than sitting in the back of the classroom praying for the time to pass.

I use my own resources which I have developed by studying assessment criteria and objectives of all of the boards (ISEB, AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, WJEC) as well as the specifics of GCSE and IGCSE. For 11+ and CE I use a wide range of texts that are demanding and lend themselves to students learning how to explore linguistic effects.

I am happy to tutor at the student's home because I think students feel more secure and relaxed in their own home, however students can of course, come to me if this suits them better. I do charge a travel fee based on the length of time it takes to travel. Please see below for details.

Parents are welcome to sit in on sessions as long as the student feels comfortable with that. I am always happy to teach friends at the same time to keep costs down (max group size 4 students), and I am happy to negotiate an appropriate rate for group sessions.

Please note the following:-
1. I do not offer discounts for the first session, but I will split the introduction fee with you 50/50;
2. I charge a separate, time-and distance-based travel fee to your place and back to mine on top of the tuition fee: please see below for details;
3. I require a minimum of 48 hours notice of cancellation or payment in full (except for travel fee) under all circumstances including sudden illness. I will always offer an alternative session the same week but if that session does not work for you, then I will charge for the missed session (minus the travel fee),
4. On Sundays I only teach from my home.
5. For online tuition I require payment immediately before the session begins.

Travel fee:-
- for distances 0-3 miles driving distance of my home I charge £10.00 to travel to your home

• for distances 3-4 miles driving radius of my home, the minimum session is an hour and a half. This can be shared between siblings or subjects, plus a flat fee of £15 to cover travel costs.

• for distances 4-5 miles radius of my home, the minimum session is an hour and a half, which can be shared between siblings or subjects, plus the cheaper of one hour of my time or 2 ubers to cover travel costs.

All CE, GCSE and A level students are welcome to send me essays of upto 1000 words to comment on between sessions. There is no charge.for this service.

Finally, if you would like references from current or previous students, or their parents, please just ask.