Will

*** LIMITED AVAILABILITY. CONTACT ME TO JOIN THE WAITING LIST. ***

QUALIFIED TEACHER WITH 17 YEARS' EXPERIENCE.
9 YEARS AT ETON COLLEGE.
FIRST-CLASS DEGREE FROM UCL.
ADMISSIONS EXAMINER.

'The very best teacher you could possibly find.'

I have been teaching since 2004, including from 2010-2012 at Highgate School and from 2012-2020 at Eton College, where I was also Head of the English at University Summer School. I have also taught at National Challenge secondary modern schools and mentored young offenders in Feltham.

I graduated with a First from University College London in 2007 (when it was ranked first for English), achieving 95% for my dissertation on 19th-century American literature.

Prior to that, I scored 99% for a Distinction in my Advanced Extension Award in English and 3 A grades at A level in English, History and Classics, all over 90%.

I am married with six children and am also a national-level athlete. I believe in holistic excellence and inspiring students beyond just academic success.

Students progress quickly with me because I ask the right questions at the right time and in the right way. By pinpointing the student's current level of understanding, this allows me to expose and eliminate weaknesses. Combined with the constant threat of having to pay attention, it is the most powerful teaching tool and means every lesson is totally tailored to your child.

The word “tutorial” comes from the Latin "tutor" — “watcher, protector.” It's the art of watching carefully to protect against mistakes and progress towards the student's potential.

COMMENTS FROM MY CLIENT REVIEWS

'Outstanding in every way'
'The very best teacher you could possibly find. He's also a nice down-to-earth guy that the students can relate to!'
'For the first time in his life my son didn’t dread an English lesson'
'An exceptional teacher, very patient, responsible and professional'
'Very well organised in compiling learning material for each lesson that is tailored to the evolving ability and interests of my child.'
'Being authoritative while extremely personable, Will has an effective and well-balanced approach to motivating a child.'
'Genuinely wants the very best outcome for his students and goes way above and beyond to help them'
'One of the best tutors my son has ever had'
'The kids can’t wait for the next lesson'
'A fantastic English tutor'
'A real asset'
'Exceptionally competent'
'My wife passed the IELTS Academic English test thanks to Will. She had taken the test several times...Her English ability increased significantly more under his tutelage than previous tutors.'
'Fantastic knowledge of his subject'
'He pushed up my son's grades within a very short time and helped him achieve an excellent grade in his English GCSE papers. Got into the school we wanted for his A levels.'
'Very patient and approachable'
'Strikes the right balance between being encouraging and challenging'
'Boosting her confidence and love for English
'Improved the knowledge, but also managed to get the motivation back…making learning fun and enjoyable'
'Able to bring the text to life for his student'
'Has a very effective way of drawing the knowledge from his student allowing them to think of the answers for themselves.'
'Tailor makes each lesson to my daughter’s strengths and weaknesses'
'Invaluable advice on essay and exam techniques'
'Very effective at teaching exam and question technique - something that can make the difference between a good result and an excellent result'
'Such clarity that leaves no room for doubt'
'Greatly helped my son’s understanding of A-level texts which he has struggled with in the past.'

Tutoring Experience

I taught English Literature and Language at Eton College from 2012-2020. Before that, I worked at Highgate School and a range of inner-city state schools, including mentoring for young offenders.

I now tutor full-time, including for the top London agencies, who charge a significantly higher rate for me than I do on here because they take commission.

GCSE, IGCSE, A-LEVEL, PRE-U
I have extensive experience of a wide range of examination boards, but my areas of particular expertise are Common Entrance, Cambridge IGCSE English, Cambridge IGCSE English Literature, and Cambridge Pre-U English.

ADMISSIONS TESTS, INTERVIEW PREPARATION
I have also tutored many students online for 11+, 13+ and 16+ admissions to leading independent schools, including Westminster. I can tailor reading lists and mock interviews to help students prepare.

OXBRIDGE AND RUSSELL GROUP UNIVERSITY APPLICATION
I specialise in preparing students from all backgrounds for admission to Oxbridge and other Russell Group universities. I ran an annual English summer school for state-school students at Eton, and the majority of the students win places at Oxbridge. From interview technique, personal statements and the ELAT exam to suggestions for wider reading, I have an in-depth knowledge of the entire process.

HOMESCHOOLING
I am familiar with the principles of Great Books homeschooling programs and can tailor a curriculum to your requirements. I can also offer group sessions for up to 12 students at a 75% discount.

TEACHER TRAINING
I am interested in helping teachers to work smarter rather than just harder. Most of what you were taught on your GTP or PGCE is misguided. But you already know that. I can help with planning, marking and feedback so you get better results with less time, allowing you to spend more time reading and creating resources.

LNAT
I have experience of helping LNAT candidates improve their ability to structure and evaluate arguments for the essay question.

ADULT LEARNERS
Clear, precise writing is invaluable in the workplace. A lot of people feel they were let down by a generation of teachers who failed to explain grammar systematically and explicitly. The traditional rhetorical models of essay structure and how to argue were also neglected. I can help you cover what you missed.

I can also help you pass IELTS.

ALWAYS IMPROVING
Some tutors have top qualifications but not classroom experience; others have the classroom experience but not the qualifications. I have both. And I continue to develop my skills year-round both with groups and as one-to-one tutor.

From the training I have received at some of the top schools in the world, I have learnt that even students who think of themselves as below average can, with clear models and guidance, achieve exceptional results.

My students have won places at leading independent schools (including the very difficult Queens scholarship at Westminster), Oxford and Cambridge.

Tutoring Approach

I believe that, once their basic subject knowledge is secure, students get the greatest benefit from honing their essay skills - sharpening the axe rather than just putting more effort into swinging it.

In my experience, most students' difficulties in English come from insufficient worked examples and step-by-step guidance. A typical tutorial with me would therefore involve clear, careful, and concise instruction to improve your written work. For online tutoring, I use shared platforms to allow for realtime discussion and editing of essays to give more detailed feedback and guidance than is possible in the classroom.

I have also found that some students' struggles stem from an insecure understanding of their set texts. I can offer detailed, line-by-line readings of your set poems, plays and novels. The way I would improve your knowledge of 'Macbeth', for example, would be to take you through the most important scenes and then help you to see the underlying patterns and principles of the whole play.

I also understand that, on some levels, English is a subject that cannot be taught but only 'caught'. Sadly, too many students are bored by the confines of the syllabus and the constraints of classrooms. They don't even know what they don't know and need to be enthused by experiencing exhilarating, off-piste literary territory. I can take you through all the major periods, movements and topics of literary history, offering suggestions for reading to help you find your passions.

I focus on achieving substantial progress in a few sessions to motivate students and build their confidence so they become more independent.

I offer an elite tutoring service one-to-one (£150/hr) or in pairs if your child would like to study with a friend (£80/hr each).

Groups of 3 are £60/hr each.