Jennifer

Hi, my name is Jenny, and I have a PhD in Biology and have been working as a professional tutor for about 9 years. I usually tutor students in A level Biology, Key Stage 3 and GCSE Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Maths, and Key Stage 2 SATS Maths, and the Scottish equivalent courses. I offer tuition sessions tailored to the individual, and I am looking for students who might need help with exam technique and course content. I am currently offering online tuition mostly, and very locally as well for in-person tuition. I do not have a car, so it is not practical to travel far.
I normally do one hour sessions although I am flexible about that, and I am willing to tutor more than one student at once for no additional fee. In addition to offering regular slots for students, I am also quite happy to offer sessions as and when required providing that suitable times can be found for both parties, but regular school term time slots for people who do not want to commit to regular weekly tuition are not of any interest to me since it obviously reduces the number of students I can tutor, unless they can manage times during school hours.

I am Scottish and speak clear newsreader type English, I enjoy Science Fiction & Fantasy, knitting strange creatures and 60s, 70s and 80s music.

Tutoring Experience

I worked in further education for some years, particularly in Numeracy and Literacy, and as a learning support assistant, where I helped students with learning difficulties such as dyslexia, autism, dyscalculia, visual and hearing problems and dyspraxia. I decided to go into Science teaching, but disliked teaching Science in high schools and decided to become a private tutor instead. I have also worked as a cover supervisor in primary and secondary schools, as a demonstrator in undergraduate practical Biology courses, and until recently I ran an after school club for primary children in Leeds, which I enjoyed very much. I have previously lectured in further education, teaching A-Level Human Biology to international students on a university access course. I am familiar with AQA, Edexcel and OCR GCSE and SQA National 5 and Higher specifications. More recently I have gained experience of tutoring undergraduate, Master's degree and PhD students, as well as years of tutoring in AQA Edexcel (B) and OCR (A) A-level Biology. I am not offering tuition in A-levels using OCR B, Edexcel A (Salters-Nuffield), WJEC, Eduqas or any international specification. I have been tutoring students from age 5 upwards, but prefer to teach those aged 9-10 years and over.

Tutoring Approach

I use a mixture of methods to teach online, including Google Docs, physical whiteboards/markers, models and uploaded PDF files of past papers and Powerpoint presentations. I normally use Skype but can use Zoom as well, but not Teams.

A level Biology
Many of my students contact me because although they often know the content well, it does take some training to tackle the exam questions which require very specific key words, as well as being able to recognise exactly what is being asked. Some of the tougher areas require extra study, and my students find it very useful to be able to dictate the pace and topic areas of the tuition, as well as being able to ask questions in a relaxed one-to-one environment. Additionally my research experience has given me a lot of practical experience in the methods used in the recombinant DNA technology, cell biology and genetics sections of the specifications.

Undergraduate/postgraduate Biology
I frequently have students who are struggling with university study, often because they have not had to obtain A level Biology first, or because they are ESOL students who have learned the relevant vocabulary in a different language. As a molecular and cell biologist working in the fields of immunology and evolution, I have gained much expertise in practical skills necessary, as well as good knowledge of undergraduate course content. Additionally I am available for proof reading of coursework and dissertations but I am definitely not going to write a student's dissertation.

GCSE Biology, Physics and Chemistry
I can tutor in any of these Sciences, and offer assistance in understanding more difficult topics as well as exam practice including the “How Science Works” type questions. I am equally happy to have students who are really struggling, or those anxious to achieve a high grade in order to go on to A level study.

GCSE Maths
As the other subjects I tutor in contain a lot of Maths, I often end up teaching some Maths anyway, but I am available for tuition in Maths alone, or in combination with some Science tuition. I have a lot of enthusiasm for algebra, geometry and trigonometry, and will be happy to provide practice questions on any topic and past papers to boost my students' confidence.

Key Stage 2 Maths
I have tutored many children in Year 5/6 for SATS practice, with good results. Some of them are still being tutored by me now in Key Stage 3 and GCSE work. I offer tuition geared towards the national curriculum and SATS type questions, and will help ensure that no areas of Maths are left without extra revision and explanations.

SEN experience
I have experience working with students who have physical or learning disabilities including autistic spectrum and dyslexia, and will certainly try to tailor my tuition to the needs of my students.

Whichever subject I am teaching, I will certainly come prepared with suitable resources, plenty of patience and a cheerful disposition.

Please contact me if you have any questions, and please understand that First Tutors requires a payment to release my details as shown on their homepage, and you cannot give me your phone number either before that.