Polly

I am Dr Polly Paulusma and I help students prepare for GCSEs, A-Levels, Cambridge English entrance and undergraduate exams. I have now tutored 100+ students since 2009; all show great improvements in performance and confidence. I got a First in English from Cambridge in 1997, completed my MA in Contemporary Literature Theory and Culture with Distinction at London University in 2016, and my PhD on Angela Carter at UEA in 2020. I am also a working singer-songwriter, releasing albums with a record label. I bring this diverse experience to my tutoring. I am a friendly mum with two children; I enjoy running with my dog Charlie and drinking exotic teas! Whatever my students learn with me will not just be to get them through their exams: they'll gain a love of literature to last a lifetime.

Tutoring Experience

I have been tutoring school students at my home since 2009 and undergraduates since 2013. In most school student cases, classroom results have jumped by two grades with my intervention. An A-Level student wrote to me: "I had a clear planned argument, those summaries you got me to do are gold because it allowed me to remember so many valuable quotes and arguments with the time I had. I set everything out well... all in all the tuition really helped me a lot in the exams; I felt I did so much better than before." The father of another former student, who graduated with a 2.1 in History, wrote to me, "We are very proud of him and he said throughout the course that your advice and guidance and tutoring gave him the confidence to write well and effectively." My oldest students are postgraduates: my youngest is in Reception. I really enjoy helping students find and channel their inner confidence and resources, so they can shine not just in exams but throughout their learning lives.

Tutoring Approach

Using primary texts, then past papers and tried-and-tested exercises, I work hard to build up each student's inner confidence by isolating any problem areas and addressing them, and showing them their strengths (sometimes this aspect is forgotten in traditional school settings). We look specifically at essay-writing techniques and thought organisation, and in the process ensure good grammar and spelling usage. Then, with reference to the specific texts and curriculum requirements of the appropriate exam board, we work on exam technique and practise answering questions to time. I've got some tricks up my sleeve that I pass on to help each student shine in their exams.