Stephen

I am an approachable, patient and experienced tutor with Qualified Teacher Status. Having taught English in several secondary schools and tuition centres in West Yorkshire, I am familiar with the current requirements for GCSE and A Level courses across the AQA and Edexcel exam boards.

Building upon my undergraduate degree in English from St Andrews, my interdisciplinary postgraduate MA in Postcolonial Studies from SOAS, University of London provided me with an in-depth understanding of a range of historical, literary and theoretical texts from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the Near & Middle East. Through this, I gained valuable insights into the roots of contemporary crises in national and religious affiliations, race relations and multiculturalism. Where appropriate, I am always keen to apply this specialist knowledge.

Tutoring Experience

I have been providing one-to-one textual analysis, essay writing and exam advice for Key Stage 3, GCSE, A Level and Undergraduate students for over 10 years. Having tutored students of differing abilities across these various levels of qualification, I am confident in communicating content and technique in a way that is both accessible and engaging.

Tutoring Approach

My initial priority is to gain an understanding of any difficulties a student has been experiencing, as well as their perspective on the quality of classroom teaching and/or previous tuition. Upon ascertaining a student's preferred learning style(s), I plan sessions tailored to their exact requirements.

I have a solid track record of pushing my students to fulfil their potential and l would like to take this opportunity to share a couple of examples. One of my GCSE English Language & Literature students progressed from grade 3s in his mock exams to achieving 6s in his final Language and Literature papers. In this case, my patient explanation of analytical techniques and assessment objectives was key to his success. In terms of A Level tuition, one of my high ability History students was struggling to achieve Cs in his mocks due to challenges posed by his dyslexia. I coached him to verbalise his initial thought processes and stressed the importance of highlighting key words and directives in practice exam questions as a way for him to complement his predominantly visual learning style. He went on to achieve an A*. These experiences have emphasised the importance of cultivating authentic rapport, instilling resilience and maintaining a sense of humour.