Jemma

I am an English PhD student at The University of Cambridge, researching a thesis on classical inheritance in the English Renaissance, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). Prior to my PhD, I completed my BA in English at The University of Cambridge, and an MA at King’s College London in ‘Early Modern English Literature: Text and Transmission’ (for which I ranked first in my cohort).
I am an expert in early modern texts (William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, John Donne, John Webster, etc); and, I additionally have a comprehensive knowledge of canonical writers from all other periods of English literature.

Tutoring Experience

I have been tutoring since 2017, and tend to teach from the age of 7 and above.
I have 6 years of experience teaching GCSE English literature and language, and 2 years' experience teaching A-level English. I have also helped Oxbridge applicants with their applications and with interview preparation: three of my tutees this year got accepted into Oxbridge.
I now additionally supervise undergraduate students writing their dissertations, at The University of Cambridge, and can provide detailed feedback on any English undergraduate work for my tutees.

Tutoring Approach

My teaching method is dependent on the particular texts a student is studying, as well as their age. However, I like to explore a mixture of language, theme, context and genre in relation to their texts, often familiarising my older students with applicable literary criticism. I like to acquaint my students with a variety of poetry, prose and drama on top of their set texts, to make them feel comfortable linking to wider literary contexts and to accustom them to the different literary styles of various epochs.
For younger students, I focus on reading comprehension, creative writing, spelling, punctuation and grammar. For those who are attempting to sit the 11+ exams, I also go through past papers and create tailored lesson plans based on their performance.
My work with GCSE or A-Level students will focus on their primary texts, exploring interpretative avenues that they will likely not have had introduced to them in the classroom.
For university (or American-college) applicants, I will spend time reading their applications and providing detailed feedback that includes tailored reading recommendations. Applicants will also have the opportunity to sit a practice interview with me, if desired.

Due to me working between Cambridge and London on varying days, I only provide tuition online via Microsoft Teams.