Michelle

PGCE-QUALIFIED ENGLISH TEACHER AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE GCSE EXAMINER.
I am a qualified teacher with over 14 years experience; I am in a good position to support students with my knowledge and experience of the curriculum at KS3 and KS4.

I have been marking papers as an examiner for the English Language GCSE summer exams for the past seven years. This position enables me to pass on my experience and knowledge of the exam system to prepare students in readiness for their exams. I feel very lucky that I can combine a love of language and literature with my job as a tutor.

Additionally, I hope that I can pass on my interest and appreciation of great fiction and non-fiction texts to my students.

Tutoring Experience

As a fully qualified classroom teacher for over 14 years (PGCE in Secondary School English), I have gained a wide set of teaching skills that support my role as a tutor enormously. I cannot imagine being able to effectively tutor students in English literature and language without this background knowledge. I understand when my students talk to me about the issues they struggle with in the classroom. The limitations of the teacher's time is a particular issue for many of my students and I appreciate how 1:1 tuition can make all the difference in their confidence and grades.

I have worked in a range of educational settings including private schools, state secondary and grammar schools. I have taught the majority of the literature texts for GCSE and I am familiar with the poetry anthologies used by the various exam boards. I regularly work with AQA, Eduqas, and IGCSE exam boards.

My experience as an examiner means that I have expert knowledge of the exact approach to improving the quality of answers in an exam. It is through this focus on the exam structure and mark scheme that I can help students develop and improve.

It is particularly satisfying that many of my students have improved their English results by two or more exam grades following 1:1 tuition. However, it is important to remember that this takes commitment and effort. Students and parents must recognise that tuition is a long term process; with time and hard work the results of tuition will show.

Tutoring Approach

I believe that English is a subject that requires the ability to explore, develop and expand on personal responses. Hence, students should feel involved and confident in the tutoring sessions to enable them to make the most of their time. I encourage students to believe that they have worthwhile and interesting contributions to make.

I often work on exam skills practice as I believe this to be the most beneficial approach for students in KS4. Students need to understand the wording of questions, how to structure written responses, and what examiners are looking for; through practice, students can build confidence and skills for their exams. This is the approach that I undertake with all GCSE students; I modify this for younger students in KS3 depending on their ability. I also work with younger students in KS3 to support them with schoolwork and to build confidence and enjoyment. One of the most rewarding aspects of my work is seeing students develop their confidence and improve their grades.

I have a set of T&Cs that I send to all new students for agreement before tuition; I will ask you to agree to the T&Cs before starting tuition. These cover cancellations and help you to understand how the arrangement will work. Before agreeing, please ensure that you understand how it works and your role in creating a positive working arrangement.

Note that my lessons are online via Zoom and local students can attend face-to-face meetings. Limited evening spaces are available; some daytime availability. Please contact me for updated information.