FAQs

I will tutor any subject and age level where I am confident I can meaningfully improve the client’s understanding. Over the years this has ranged from practising English language with 7-year-olds to helping final year university students with their Engineering Science dissertation. So I am something of a Swiss-army tutor!

However, the areas I cover are mainly as per the subjects and age ranges listed below:

• Maths: ages 7 to 18, plus university-level support (upon request)
• Physics: ages 10 to 18
• Science (combined or physics/chemistry/biology): ages 10 to 14
• English & Reasoning (verbal/non-verbal): ages 10 to 14

In the subjects listed above I have experience in tutoring a wide range of exam boards (e.g. Edexcel, OCR, AQA), as well as IB.

I try to be as flexible as possible to meet my clients’ needs, so please get in touch with your preference on days/times for tutorials and I will let you know ASAP if I am available.

• I am based in the UK time zone (GMT).
• I am available during the daytime on weekdays, i.e. I do not have another full-time job that I need to work around.
• I am also available outside of school hours, in the morning, evenings and on weekends.

Due to international demand, I mainly tutor online. For the subjects and ages I teach, I find this works very well as I am able to collaborate with students via screen sharing and by using an online whiteboard.

Occasionally I do tutor in person, for tutees that are based near North West London. If you have a strong preference for in-person tuition, please get in touch with your location and timing preferences.

Yes, I offer a one-off 30 minute introductory session for new clients, without any commitment to future sessions. These introductory sessions are typically used for:

• Making introductions
• Discussing education goals and background (with the parents and/or the student)
• Going through a few practice questions together – for me to assess the student’s level, and for the student/parent to determine if they feel I am a good fit as a tutor.

Over my years of online tutoring, I have used most online platforms. This includes Zoom, Skype, WeChat and even WhatsApp video calls, depending on the needs and technical preferences of the client.

My personal preference is for Zoom, due to the Annotate function (to use the platform as an online whiteboard). But I am happy to use another platform if the tutee finds it more intuitive.

When appropriate I will also suggest collaborate with the student over www.bitpaper.io/  (an online saveable whiteboard) and Google Sheets (if planning a revision schedule).

My students have a wide range of reasons for using a tutor. Goals I have helped students prepare for include:

• Preparing for a school test or exam:
  • School entry tests: ISEB Pre-Test, 11+, 13+, common entrance, 16+.
  • National assessments: KS2, KS3, GCSEs, A-levels.
  • Other: e.g. Maths Challenges, Physics Olympiads, scholarship exams.

• University applications, in subjects such as maths, physics, engineering, computer science, etc:
  • Personal statement guidance.
  • Mock interviews (typically Oxbridge).
  • Entry test preparation.

• Other goals:
  • Practising communication skills ahead of interviews.
  • Developing practical study habits, for exam revision and general schoolwork.
  • Guidance on time management, e.g. for revision plans and exam strategy.
  • Providing feedback and guidance on special projects, extended essays and coursework (that is maths- or science-based).

If there is a goal that you are interested in which is not listed above, please contact me and I will let you know if I can help.

Although I do have some classroom experience (teaching a summer programme in China, leading school revision courses in London, and acting as a group leader in schools’ Oxbridge preparation days), I have never been employed primarily as a teacher.

My specialism is tutoring one-on-one, getting the most out of an individual student, rather than teaching a group.

Yes, I do have a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check, most recently in 2021. I can provide a copy of my latest DBS upon request.

(A DBS is an essential legal requirement for those in the UK wishing to work with children or vulnerable adults.)

If you have a session booked and need to cancel or reschedule it, please let me know as early as possible so I can do my best to accommodate any changes.

However, if you change a session less than 24 hours before the scheduled start time, the session will still be billed.

At the end of each week I contact my clients confirming the total hours of tutoring for that week, the amount billable, plus my account details (UK bank account).

Hourly rates vary, depending on the students’ age and needs, and will be discussed prior to the introductory 30-minute session.

Marking 

Marking practice papers can be a useful way to assess whether a student is on track and to identify areas that need working on. So when it is productive for me to do some marking before a tutorial, I am happy to do so as part of my standard pre-tutorial preparation (i.e. at no extra fee). However if a client would like me to do substantial marking, especially for GCSE level and above, this can be discussed as an additional service on top of tutorials.

Revision plans

I have worked with students in the past who needed some help with making a revision plan ahead of exams. This process involves me collaborating with the student, discussing their preferred study resources (textbooks, websites, etc.), access to practice questions, and mapping their revision goals across to a realistic weekly plan. So while I am happy to work with students in this way, I am afraid I do not have any ready-made revision plans for my students (as the ideal revision style and timing preferences inevitably vary from student to student).

Feedback

I try to be flexible in providing feedback to parents that A) keeps them in the loop on their child’s progress, and B) is not excessive. For some parents this means me providing a weekly update, while for others this means the end of the month, or only if there is an issue. As always, I try to be flexible on feedback frequency to meet my client’s needs.