Why should I get private tuition?
There are those who, understandably, argue that your classroom teachers should be able to provide you with all the education you need. Globally, there is an unexamined view that the classroom is the best means of learning but I never found this to be true, personally. A good tutor can identify conceptual difficulties that would be far harder to uncover in a classroom or in private study. Furthermore, a good tutor can greatly accelerate a student’s progress and provide a broader sense of learning.
What are your rates?
Please contact me through the form and I can discuss my rates with you. They are competitively priced and significantly lower than the leading tuition agencies in London. Furthermore, there are no additional costs such as registration or consultancy fees - you only pay for the lessons.
Should I request an assessment before tuition begins?
I appreciate that it can be standard procedure to have an assessment before tuition but I would not necessarily recommend this. Students will be at very different stages depending on their schooling. Generally, I find an informal assessment of their ability is more accurate after some months of tuition. That said, the CAT scores at schools can provide a relatively accurate estimate. For instance, a student with a CAT score significantly under 130 is very unlikely to obtain a place at super-selective school without clear improvement.
Do you recommend mock exams prior to the entrance exams?
Mock exams can be very good in helping students acclimatise to the unfamiliar and pressurised environment of examinations. However, I would stress the caveat that they should not be perceived as the golden standard for measuring one’s chances of successful admission to a school. The frame of mind during a mock exam and the real thing are invariably different. Furthermore, the trajectory of improvement varies from student to student.
On which days of the week do you tutor?
I tutor everyday of the week except Saturdays. Please note that I never teach on Saturdays.
Do you tutor during the school holidays?
Absolutely and I tend to be busier during the school holidays because students have more time for tuition without the structure of the school day.
Where do you tutor?
I am happy to travel to areas which are roughly no more than half an hour to reach from Wimbledon Station. Please note that I never tutor at my home for in-person lessons.
Do I need tuition for 11+ /13+?
Many teachers, both at private and grammar schools, insist that the academic material at school is enough to cover the demands of the 11+ and 13+. This may be just about true at preparatory schools but it most certainly is not at primary schools. You only have to compare the SATs at the end of Year 6 with a sample 11+ paper to see the clear difference in difficulty.
When should I start tuition for the 11+ / 13+?
There is, unsurprisingly, a debate over when is the ideal time to start. From my experience, no-one should start earlier than Year 4 and, even then, only for the most competitive schools where an unusual amount of conscientiousness is required. I would also say that when to begin in Year 4 is a matter of whether your child attends a primary or preparatory because the curriculum at the former does not prepare pupils for the 11+ / 13+ at all.
Do you provide support for 7+, 8+, 9+ or 10+?
Unfortunately, I made the decision to focus entirely on the 11+ and 13+ in relation to entrance exam preparation. My approach to tutoring is better suited for 11+ and above. Although very rarely requested, I would be partial to requests for tuition above 13+, particularly the 16+.
Do you tutor for the GCSEs?
Unfortunately, only in special circumstances. The majority of my tuition is for the 11+ and 13+. As a complement, I much prefer to teach at A-Level where I find that tuition is a lot more beneficial than at GCSE.
Do you tutor online?
Absolutely. Depending on requirements, I will use either Skype or Bramble as my platform for online tutoring. In my experience, online tutoring is particularly effective at A-Level, where I can easily access my personal library. For 11+ / 13+, I genuinely prefer in-person tuition because I think that a face-to-face dynamic is important for the child’s personal development at that age.
How long are your lessons?
At 11+ / 13+, I always recommend an hour or 1.5 hours but seldom more. For the more academically demanding schools, I think that the latter is ideal. At A-Level, 1.5 hours or 2 hours would be best owing to the amount of content to cover.
In addition to one-on-one tuition, do you offer group tuition?
The vast majority of my lessons have been with one student at a time. However, I would be partial to tutoring a group of two to four students.