A Level & IB Tuition
I have always found teaching A Level English to be a deeply enriching and fulfilling experience. Students who reach this stage usually possess a certain degree of enthusiasm for the subject, and I love nothing more than debating the merits (or demerits) of a text with a keen and spirited adversary!
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Alongside A Level English, I also teach the International Baccalaureate English language and literature course, both at higher and standard levels. While the IB syllabus differs from that of A Level, the skills and techniques required by the two courses are extremely similar.
​The wonderful thing about English is how it informs and influences other academic subjects, as well as life beyond the classroom. The ability to articulate and communicate clearly is an essential life skill, while the value of reading well – of gauging the quality and credibility of written information – has never been more important than it is today.​​
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A Level English is heavily essay-based, and I will always endeavour to provide detailed feedback on all homework submitted. Because this can be time-consuming, my fees for A Level students are considerably higher than for lower level exams.
As an English tutor, my aim is not simply to help students pass a series of tests but to foster a lifelong love of reading that endures long after the exams are over.
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Reading is one of life's greatest joys. It brings us knowledge, understanding and empathy. To read a book is to transform abstract black-and-white symbols on a page into whole worlds of form and colour in the imagination. It is the most magical kind of alchemy, spinning gold from straw – and we can all be sorcerors if we wish.
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At a time when AI and online tools are taking on more and more of the human brain's heavy-lifting, reading provides a vital and vigorous mental work-out. To watch a screen is to receive passive, pre-packaged information. To read a book is to set the neurons aflame. As words create worlds in your mind, your visual cortext lights up, your sensory motor regions ignite and your language centres spark in a thousand directions at once. It's a wild neurological ride.​
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As the incomparable Dr. Seuss once said, "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." I will, of course, do my best to help my students reach their potential in their exams. But I very much hope to help them spread their wings a little too.
