Rachael

Twelve years private tutoring experience. I received a certificate of teaching excellence from Harvard University for my work with their undergraduate students, voted for by the students. I created my own course and taught for three years at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. I specialise in Exam preparation, ISEB, CAT4, GCSE, as well as offering reading and/or creative writing programmes for individual students or groups.

******* Offering IN-PERSON for the Hampton Court area + 1 mile or ONLINE *******
****** I have just moved to Hampton Court and am offering a 50% discount introductory offer for the first two lessons ******
****** Group lessons for groups of 2- 4 students at a lower rate per student *****

Experienced in:
ISEB Common Entrance
CAT4
GCSE (AQA and iGCSE)
UKiSet
iELTS

I have a successful history of preparing students for entrance exams to top schools (from 7+ to 13+) including:
Tiffins
Eton
Winchester
Wycombe Abbey
Charter House
Westminster
Wellington
St Paul’s
Dulwich
City London Boys and Girls

Tutoring Experience

I have been working as a private tutor since 2012.

I tutor UK-based students from all over the country with entrance exam goals, but also as a general support to enhance and supplement their schooling. Over the years, I have built a wealth of resources and learning materials, a well as creating my own, and can support families in ensuring their children access the most tailored resources specific to their needs.

I have worked online with international students (from India, Switzerland, Italy, Greece. Turkey, Dubai, Korea, China and Japan) for entrance exams to top UK boarding schools. In some cases, when parents have not been able to accompany their children abroad, I have chaperoned the students to their first days at their new schools.

Tutoring Approach

I feel strongly that learning should be enjoyable and instil a sense of confidence, accomplishment and self-esteem, as well as teaching self-discipline and self-motivation. Through studying and learning, you grow and discover that you are capable of things you previously thought impossible. This is best done in a one-to-one environment, where the student receives a deep level of personal attention and encouragement from their tutor.

I take a Socratic approach to learning – one in which the teacher leads through questioning, encouraging the student to use their own mind to seek answers and find solutions. As such, I believe in a flexible teaching approach that is sensitive to each individual’s needs, strengths/weaknesses and personal goals. As a tutor, it is my role to teach a student HOW to think, not WHAT to think. I keep my own personal opinions on social/political/ philosophical/religious topics in the backseat, whilst encouraging students to read and research widely, be open to a multiplicity of viewpoints and make up their own minds.

I believe in simplifying and structuring seemingly complex and overwhelming tasks, approaching them in a way that demystifies the learning process and empowers the student. A tutor teaches their student how to learn, how to structure their thought processes and tackle a task by breaking it down into manageable steps - and how to confidently structure and communicate their thoughts under exam conditions.

Since the first lock-down in 2020, some of my tutoring has shifted slightly in focus, as families rely on me to support their children's learning in broader ways than just exam preparation. I have developed ongoing creative writing and book-reading lessons that allow students the freedom to enjoy reading and writing for pure pleasure, without the pressure of exams looming over them!!!