Julia

Wishing you all a happy new year 2024. Just a quick up-date about my current availability. I only have space on a Tuesday afternoon and Tuesday evening. Look forward to hearing from you if you need help and are available on a Tuesday.

PLEASE NOTE THAT I AM NOT TAKING ON ANY 11 PLUS CANDIDATES AT THE MOMENT.

I have been working in education for over twenty years. I began working as a learning support assistant for special needs pupils in secondary schools before training as a primary school teacher in 2003.

My main concern in education is that children should enjoy the adventure of learning. All too often, I am approached by parents whose children are becoming depressed because they feel that they cannot keep up with the new maths topics at school. I am here to restore their self-confidence and give them the time and space to properly understand the topics and hone their new skills.

I also specialise in teaching Spanish to children up to GCSE. Although English is my mother tongue, I have lived and worked in Spain and often travel there. I am in continuous contact with Spanish relations and friends and I worked for a major Spanish bank in their London Branch, in a bi-lingual rôle, for four years.

For many years I have been tutoring children to succeed in the Eleven Plus. I shall no longer be taking on 11+ tutees because I wish to focus my time entirely on children who need help, but the training and experience of 11+ tuition has enhanced my teaching knowledge. Nonetheless, I shall be offering 11+ booster classes during the summer holidays.

I am a mother of two young adults.

Before I joined the education world, I was employed for twenty years in the commercial sector.

All that working experience has enriched my skills and knowledge, which I can now bring to children to help prepare them for life.

My personal passion is art, particularly drawing and painting. It is one of the areas of the curriculum which receives the least time and attention, but most children love it too. The skills we develop in art are the same vital skills we use in other areas of the curriculum.

Please note that my hourly fee includes preparation time, travelling time and costs. If you live near me or near another tutee whom I'm seeing the same day, I can often adjust the fee.

Tutoring Experience

Whole class teaching experience to children from 5 to 11 in all areas of the primary curriculum. Also experienced one-to-one support assistant to pupils with special needs in secondary aged from 11 - 16 (autistic, Asperger's, visually impaired, dyslexic).

I was part of the original Making Good Progress initiative in schools with was followed by the current Pupil Premium. I now work exclusively privately.

I have also planned and taught Spanish to key stages 1, 2 and 3.

Private tutees include children with special needs whose confidence is blossoming. In addition to filling the gaps in their knowledge and skills, they are developing strategies for learning. All this is having a positive impact on their attitude and learning at school.

Over the past ten years, my portfolio of tutees has included many Eleven Plus candidates. Although I have been very proud to teach some wonderful young people who have been successful in the exam and secured their grammar school places, I have decided to no longer tutor for the Eleven Plus. From now on, I shall allocate all my teaching spaces, during term time, to those children who need the extra help to cope with the existing curriculum.

Tutoring Approach

I believe that at the heart of successful learning is the pupil's self confidence, therefore my primary objective is to foster and nurture that self-confidence.

When a child says, 'This is fun' and their parents hear them laughing; when the child says, 'Is that the end already? It didn't feel like an hour!' AND they take away new knowledge, skills and confidence, I know that I have done my job properly. It's a simple premise: if they feel confident and are having fun, they will succeed at learning.

The good thing about tutoring is that it gives me, as a teacher, the opportunity to tailor teaching skills and knowledge very specifically to match the needs of the individual child. This focused approach ensures impressive progress.

The first thing I do is assess the child's current skills to identify the areas of strength and weakness and their personal learning style. I then draw up plans and source teaching materials.

I have a lot of experience helping children who have problems retaining information as a result of trauma, attachment disorder or attention deficit. I know they feel totally undermined when they work so hard and yet cannot remember what they learned and teachers become tetchy with them. I am very patient and will repeat and revisit as many times as needed until they secure their skills. I don't get annoyed nor angry when a child is struggling because I understand. My mission is to take away the struggle and make learning enjoyable again.

If you think that the help your child needs is help with their homework tasks (guide them, not do it for them!) I would be happy to do this as well.

I recommend that younger children, i.e. up to 7 years old, attend for 45 minute sessions, as an entire hour can be tiring for young learners and therefore counter productive. This is assuming tuition takes place on weekdays after school, An hour might suit your child on a Saturday morning. We can discuss what best suits your child.

I can offer your child extra tuition or revision classes during the half-term breaks and school holidays. This is a good way to help them catch up on, or keep on top of, school work and boost their confidence.

If you have a child at secondary school who is learning Spanish and needs help on an 'as and when' basis, I can help in this way or on a regular basis. Similarly we could do 'booster' classes during half-term and other holidays.

I can teach you if you are an adult who is a 'beginner' in Spanish, either on a regular basis or occasionally.

Summer Holiday Booster Classes for the Entrance Exams (Eleven Plus): If you have been helping your child prepare for the Eleven Plus and need some help in the run up to the September exams, I can review their mock papers; explain strategies for approaching apparently complicated maths questions; boost their vocabulary; generally polish their skills, accuracy, speed and knowledge to be exam ready.