Philippa

I am a secondary school teacher of French and Spanish, with a firm and confident understanding of the new curriculum and exam specifications. I am extremely passionate about languages and hope that this comes across in my teaching. I am a positive, creative and approachable person who is motivated to help my students achieve their full potential.
My interests include reading, cooking, travelling, spending time with friends and I have a border collie-husky puppy who keeps me on my toes!

I have also previously worked in Paris for 2 years as a Personal Assistant in a French law firm, and working in Human Resources at an International School, before returning to the UK in 2014 to undergo teacher training.

Holiday tuition is available during the day, or at weekends (upon prior arrangement).

Tutoring Experience

I currently teach KS3 and 4 French and Spanish at an Outstanding school in Suffolk. Prior to this, I have also had experience teaching French A Level, as well as teaching Primary-aged children both languages.

I have worked as a Head of Department in the past and currently also work as Head of Year 7, responsible for the pastoral care of Year 7 as well as the transition process from Primary school, in addition to teaching French and Spanish.

I have tutored a range of age groups over the past few years (from teenagers to adults!) and a range of levels (complete beginner to A level). I aim to cover all four language skills at whatever level the student desires, and am able to provide references upon request.

Tutoring Approach

I believe that every child is unique and therefore my teaching approach with each student is tailored to their needs. I aim to build a strong relationship with the pupil and family and use a variety of teaching methods to encourage students to use all 4 language skills (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking), and break down the common misconception that languages are a challenging subject to grasp.

I am a creative person and enjoy teaching using fun games, quizzes, interactive learning and exam-based skills and questions, as well as using past papers. I aim to break down the subject into more manageable chunks and increase the confidence of students so that they feel more comfortable in using the language in practical and exam situations.

I also incorporate revision techniques and tips in order to enable the students to be independent learners. I keep a personalised log for each student (which can also be provided for parents) to keep track of topics and grammar points covered, skills we have looked at and the progress made to date.