Jessica

NOW TAKING ON STUDENTS

SUMMER PLACES OPEN FOR A LEVEL CATCH UP, IMPROVE YOUR GRADE FOR UNIVERSITY APPLICATIONS

My name is Jessica Locker and I have a PhD in synthetic biology from University of Nottingham, and now work as a lecturer in biomedical science. This means I have hands on experience at explaining complex information in an easy to grasp manner, as well as a deep understanding of university applications. I have also worked in pharmaceutical microbiology at the University of Manchester and in multiple biology related companies so I can offer a useful insight for anyone wishing to pursue a career in this area.

Tutoring Experience

For 8 years I have tutored students studying the new A Level biology with AQA, OCR, and Eduqas, with my recent students achieving As in biology. Previous students have improved by as many as 3 grades. Many have gone on to study at a top universities, including reading medicine at Oxford and Nottingham. I have developed a week-by-week plan and work system to help students improve their grades, including presentations, online tests and past exam papers. I have a real focus on exam technique e.g. highlighting keywords required to get the marks, and expanding their application of knowledge (required in order to get the higher grades). My work package also aims to improve the student's data handling skills, giving them confidence in the maths required at biology A level.

Tutoring Approach

I have a systematic approach to teaching, involving a lot of notes, diagrams and other materials. I track the progress of my students using past papers and help them self-evaluate where their strengths and weaknesses lie. My aim to help make the tutee a well-rounded student, as well as giving them the confidence and knowledge to get the top grades in exams. Although I have a topic-by-topic plan of the curriculum I allow the students to set the pace, spending more time on difficult topics.

Typical lesson -
- Presentation and discussion on topic - student expected to take notes and ask questions
- Working through practice questions from past papers together
- Homework normally exam questions or other resources.
- Multimedia resources such as videos, podcasts and further reading will be suggested to add context to topic
- Answers at beginning of next session