Matthew

Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology
School/Uni Admissions

I am a full-time private tutor with over 8000 hours’ (9 years) experience, holding a BA (Hons) and MSci in Natural Sciences from Pembroke College, Cambridge. I support students both in person and online.

• All core subjects at primary school level in preparation for 7+ through to 11+ (including Common Pre-Tests, school assessments and interviews).
• Secondary school science and mathematics in preparation for 13+ (Common Entrance), 16+ (school assessments & interviews), GCSE/IGCSE, A-Level, IB and Cambridge Pre-U exams and coursework assignments such as the IB IA.
• University admissions to Oxbridge and Russell Group Universities (personal statement, interview, admissions tests inc. PAT, MAT, NSAA, ENGAA, STEP, TSA and BMAT).
• Foundation/university level tuition in engineering, physics and mathematics – and mathematical content of other courses such as economics, business and finance.
• Home-schooling: ranging from temporary support (e.g. online support while a student is quarantining) to full curriculum delivery over one or two years (where I am solely responsible for the child’s education in that subject).

Example schools my students have recently received offers from:
Westminster, St Paul’s Girls’, St Paul’s Boys’, City of London, Merchant Taylors’, Latymer Upper, Hampton, Godolphin & Latymer, Dulwich, Highgate, St Augustine’s, UCS, Brighton College, Alleyn's & Wellington (I collect details on exam and interview questions from every student, culminating in a very large and insightful database!)

I am currently the Oxbridge mock-interviewer for STEM subjects at Epsom College, and have formerly run PAT/MAT workshops at UCS.

Being a car driver, I am in a unique position (compared to most London based tutors) to travel out to hard-to-reach places by public transport in the Northwest, West, Southwest and Central London areas and beyond into Surrey, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. I tutor all times of day and every day of the week which makes me very adaptable to each client’s schedule. Normally, I will have certain days of the week where I try to concentrate work to a particular area of London, but again can be flexible which is made easier by the fact I drive.

In recent times there has been a large-scale adoption of online teaching. Having already taught regularly over Skype/Zoom for international clients in China, Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and Russia, during the pandemic I was able to easily adapt my provision of lessons to meet government lockdown regulations. I have a dual webcam display which seamlessly transitions between my handwriting and my profile, enabling a very clear and effective delivery of lessons, including mathematics. Further, I also use a collaborative online whiteboard (BitPaper), compatible with tablets, which I find invaluable for teaching younger students where it is essential for both student and tutor to monitor every stage of each other’s working.

Tutoring Experience

Private Tutor, Self-Employed
2013 - Present
Over 8000 hours’ experience teaching all core subjects at primary school level, secondary school science and mathematics and preparing students for application to independent schools and Oxbridge and Russell Group Universities (including personal statements). A wide knowledge base covering school entrance from 7+ through to 11+, 13+ & 16+ (including ISEB Pre-Tests & Common Entrance); GCSE, IGCSE, A-Level, IB and Cambridge Pre-U exams; and university admissions tests such as PAT, MAT, NSAA, ENGAA, STEP, TSA and BMAT. Experience delivering lessons in person and over Skype/Zoom and tailoring courses for home schooled children. In addition to First Tutors, registered with 15 other premier London agencies including Gabbitas, Simply Learning Tuition and Holland Park Tuition.

Mock Interviewer, Epsom College
2018 - Present
Since 2018 I have been the principle Oxbridge mock interviewer for STEM subjects at Epsom College. Along with my colleague who covers the humanities, the school has observed an increase in the number of candidates successfully achieving Oxbridge offers each year. Interview days are conducted in a similar format to below.

Mock Interviewer, Oxbridge Applications (Company)
2012 - Present
Over 200 hours experience delivering 25 minute Oxbridge mock interviews and providing clients with feedback on their performance. Adept at recognising the interviewee’s strengths and weaknesses and encompassing findings in a clear and meaningful report. Experience coordinating head start days for the physical sciences, engineering and mathematics.

Assistant Physics Teacher, Coleridge Community College
Jan - Mar 2012
Placed at a local secondary school for a term as an assistant physics teacher through the Cavendish Laboratory Education Outreach. Trusted to help in the preparation and delivery of lessons and plan the physics curriculum for year 8.

Teaching in China, Camford Royal School, Beijing
Jul - Aug 2011
One month placement teaching English as a foreign language at a national summer school in China. Planned and delivered lessons as part of a team of foreign teachers with the aid of translators.

Teaching in India, Rushey Mead Foundation Charity
Aug 2010
Similar to the above: two week excursion to Gujarat, India to teach English, science and mathematics in a region devastated by the 2001 Gujarat Earthquake.

Tutoring Approach

There are three roles I can take as a tutor. Firstly, I can act as a resource to help the child through homework assignments and explain difficult material in textbooks. Secondly, I can act as a teacher and deliver lessons in parallel to the school curriculum, tailoring a custom made course to target the child's interests. Finally, I can act as a mentor to help the child manage their own learning in order that they may maximise their potential. Usually clients request a balanced mix of all three and as the tutorials progress we can continually evolve the approach to exactly meet the interests of you and your child.

For university admissions, my services range from personal statement and interview advice to a bespoke course guiding the student through the entire UCAS application service right up to the final stages of interview preparation. It is advised to start early in order to ensure students have completed all the recommended extracurricular readings and activities to ensure a competitive application.

Being a car driver, I am in a unique position (compared to most London based tutors) to travel out to hard-to-reach places by public transport in the Northwest, West, Southwest and Central London areas and beyond into Surrey, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. I tutor all times of day and every day of the week which makes me very adaptable to each client’s schedule. Normally, I will have certain days of the week where I try to concentrate work to a particular area of London, but again can be flexible which is made easier by the fact I drive.

In recent times there has been a large-scale adoption of online teaching. Having already taught regularly over Skype/Zoom for international clients in China, Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and Russia, during the pandemic I was able to easily adapt my provision of lessons to meet government lockdown regulations. I have a dual webcam display which seamlessly transitions between my handwriting and my profile, enabling a very clear and effective delivery of lessons, including mathematics. Further, I also use a collaborative online whiteboard (BitPaper), compatible with tablets, which I find invaluable for teaching younger students where it is essential for both student and tutor to monitor every stage of each other’s working.