Wilfred

Oxford | LSE | Teacher at Top 20 UK School | A-Level Examiner | 5A*/As
Hi, I am Wil. I currently teach Economics at a top 20 UK grammar school in Kingston (Sunday Times League Table) and have 5+ years of tutoring experience. Previously I taught at Notting Hill and Ealing High School (top 20 independent school) and Whitgift school. In addition, I was an A-Level and GCSE examiner for AQA and OCR (A-Level Economics and GCSE Maths) in the past. I studied at St. Anne’s College, University of Oxford for my teaching qualification (PGCE) and completed a BSc. Economics degree from LSE (London School of Economics and Political Science). Having achieved 5A*/As in my A-Levels, I focus on teaching Economics (IB, A-Levels, GCSE) and Mathematics (A-Levels, GCSE). I strive hard to keep students intrigued and motivated with my teaching, while balancing that with exam technique and practice. I believe real learning is fun, intriguing and innate to our natural curiosity, which is reflected in my classes at the summer programme for St. Anne’s College, University of Oxford for international secondary school students.

In general, my students improve by 1 to 2 grades given sufficient contact time and hard work. Throughout the years, I tutored students from top schools including St. Paul Girls’ School, Harrow School and Charterhouse School. I believe one of the reasons why 95% of my students continue to have a second lesson with me, is the fact that I received tutoring for 12+ years of my life. Hence, I understand how it feels to be on the other end of the table.

Apart from that, I offer advice on being accepted into top UK universities for Economics related undergraduate programmes and masters programmes at leading business schools. I do that with my experience of being accepted into LSE, and working with the London Business School admissions team. Hence, do let me know if you need help on your school/course choice, personal statement, application essays or CV.

Before getting into teaching, I worked at London Business School, a financial news publisher, and PwC among other institutions. Being raised in Hong Kong, I have studied and worked in the UK for 10+ years. You can find some of my lesson reviews below.

Tutoring Experience

Having tutored 50+ students over 5 years, I believe the role of a tutor is much more than helping them understand the course material in a clear and succinct way. Instead, planning ahead to achieve short to long term objectives with the student, such as a target predicted grade is especially important in motivating the student. Apart from having expert knowledge in the subject and the required assessments, a great tutor is an empathetic counsellor, an unrelenting coach and an inspirational mentor at the same time.

My experience teaching at a variety of top UK schools and as an examiner enable me to diagnose what each student needs, and to plan ahead of the student’s learning at school while ensuring that the student can demonstrate their ability confidently in the exam. A very effective way to acquire a decent grade is consistent exam practice with regular feedback from an examiner’s perspective, which I can provide. Throughout the years, I have also developed key ways to help students understand and simplify complex Economics and Mathematical concepts.

Exam technique tends to play a bigger role for Economics given its essay-based nature; whereas having clear concepts and a good foundation is more important for Mathematics. Both of these require time to develop, which is why I believe consistent tutoring support can be invaluable to the student in the long run.

As I put an emphasis on understanding the varying needs of each student, my lessons are personalised and planned differently each time. Depending on the student’s grade, ability and work ethic; I tend to recommend a different amount of contact hours depending on the academic objective desired. What I find really rewarding is the camaraderie I share with my tutees, and my success in increasing their confidence and motivation towards the subject.

In terms of school admissions, I have helped students receive offers from top business schools, including London Business School and Cass Business School with a 83% success rate. Of course, my personal experience of receiving 4 out of 5 offers to study Economics at top universities such as LSE and Warwick also helps, in addition to having directly worked with the admissions team at London Business School.

Feedback, Reviews and References:
“Hands down the best! After a long search for a quality Economics tutor I started with Wil. First of all he is a Wizard in his field, but the extra work he does to make sure you understand, and further have the study materials you need is amazing. This is the difference between the good and the great… He told me the grade I was looking at, at the end of all of our sessions. This is the exact grade I received when I checked my exam results, and it got me into university!” From an Economics Student

"Wil is an absolute pleasure to work with! He's been helping me with my Math skills and even though it's still early doors, I've learnt so much. Wil structures the lessons accordingly to the needs of the individual but ensures that there is always a challenge. I believe that Wil's wealth of knowledge along with his patience, has adapted to my needs and I'd highly recommend him!" From a Maths Student

“We are very pleased with Wilfred’s Lessons. There is visible preparation prior to his lesson to the student. Bespoke analysis to the student at hand. Dedicated examples throughout the lesson. Proper review of homework.” From a Parent

“Wilfred was a very able student with a good grasp of economic concepts and the ability to explain theories clearly and succinctly... Wilfred had a vibrant personality and strong interpersonal skills and a good work ethic. He would be capable of understanding the exam criteria and marking in accordance with examiner guidelines.” From a Former Senior Examiner for AQA Economics

“Wilfred had worked at London Business School in the past and he has a deep knowledge regarding postgraduate business school applications. I am very satisfied with his advice on my essays of several school applications, since his advice is very detailed and thorough.” From a student who received an offer for London Business School

My Full Credentials:
- Currently teaching at a top 20 UK grammar school in Kingston (for Economics, Edexcel Exam board)
- Taught full-time at Whitgift school (Top boys’ school in the UK) and part-time at Notting Hill and Ealing High School (Top 20 UK independent school)
- Previously a full-time Economics and Maths tutor having taught 50+ students across A-Levels, IB and GCSE
- A-Level Economics and GCSE Maths Examiner for official UK exam boards (AQA, OCR)
- PGCE teaching qualification from St. Anne’s College, University of Oxford
- 2:1 BSc. Economics degree from LSE (London School of Economics and Political Science)
- Taught sessions for the summer programme at St Anne’s College, University of Oxford for international students
- 5A*/As at UK GCE A-Levels including Economics, Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Psychology and Chinese
- Ashford School Graduate (UK independent boarding school). Diocesan Boys' School Graduate (Top Boys’ School in Hong Kong)
- Previously worked with the admissions team to recruit students for the Masters in Financial Analysis programme at LBS (London Business School)
- Previously worked at Asian Private Banker (A financial and economic news publisher for investment bankers in Asia) and past intern at PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers)

Tutoring Approach

I tailor each lesson to my tutees according to their needs, level of knowledge and personality. In general, I start with understanding the student’s ability and current progress, and then focus on areas that he/she can best improve on. This is because I need to ensure they have the right fundamental concepts to build on existing knowledge. Afterwards, I stimulate the tutee to think and analyse concepts and questions, to ingrain it in their memory. Finally, we focus on exam technique and past papers to ensure their efforts are properly demonstrated. You can also see my approach for each subject below:

Economics (A-Levels, IB, or GCSE)
I teach Economics in an interactive, unconventional and patient way. I use examples that are culturally relevant and real-world case studies to bring Economics to life. My approach is very learner-centred and customised to each student, so that they can build interest in Economics for the long run.

In terms of exam technique, quite a few students struggle in longer questions as they do not understand how to evaluate and lack structure in their answers. I can analyse the students' answers, train them in evaluation, and offer suggestions on how they can improve. This can range from applying real-world examples to following a framework for their answers.

Mathematics (A-Level or GCSE)
Mathematics can be a difficult and boring subject. However, I do my best to keep the concepts and logic simple and easy to understand. They say Asians are good at math but that is not true without hard work! Of course, I keep the lessons fun with the occasional joke and share how maths is useful in the long run.