Helen

Hello! I have been a teacher for 17+ years in a variety of roles. From primary school teacher, to specialist SEN teacher to teaching English as a Foreign Language online. The best part for me is seeing the progress my students make in their learning but also their confidence and self-esteem. I am enthusiastic and patient teacher and I base my lessons around each students’ needs and their goals.

Tutor Overview:
Teacher with 17 years experience
KS2 and KS3 qualified
Worked with students aged 4-18 and adults
PGCE with QTS Status
Qualified SENCo and Autism Specialist
Qualified to teach English as a Foreign Language
Qualified to teach Business English
Enhanced DBS checked

Tutoring Experience

Qualifying as a KS2 and KS3 teacher (PGCE with QTS) in 2004, I have worked as primary school teacher, mainly in Key Stage 2 but I also have experience of Key Stage 1. As well as class teaching I’ve taught intervention groups for English, maths and speech and language, teaching new skills and working on gaps in students’ knowledge. I am a qualified SENCo and gained my Post Graduate Certificate in Special Needs at Birmingham University. Over the years I have taught and supported children with a range of differences within the school setting including dyslexia, dyscalculia, autism / Aspergers, ADHD, speech and language, amongst others. I worked as specialist autism teacher for 10 years working with students aged 4-16 in 20+ mainstream primary and secondary schools.

In 2020 I began teaching English as a Foreign Language online and have continued this working with both children and adult learners. I gained my level 5 TEFL qualification in November 2021. Furthermore, I completed my Teaching Business English course in 2023. Through my experience of teaching, I have acquired knowledge of how to plan interesting lessons to engage learners of all ages. I work with beginners to people who are more proficient in language. I teach conversational English, in depth grammar and vocabulary and also English for specific purposes. My lessons are engaging, visual and I use a variety of different resources to inspire my students and help them progress to meet their goals. I currently volunteer as an online tutor teaching English to refugees through a non-profit organisation.

Tutoring Approach

My lessons are interactive and I create a friendly working environment whilst maintaining high standards and expectations. I'm very approachable, a great listener and i feel that learning to a two way street so i like to build a rapport with students to help build their confidence. Every student has different goals and learning styles that suit them so I tailor my teaching to each individual.
What you can expect:

• Assessment of the student’s needs to identify gaps in their learning.
• Discussion with the student about their goals for the lessons and topics of interest to them to be incorporated in the lessons.
• Planned lessons, engaging tasks and interesting resources.
• A range of skills to be worked on depending on the needs of the individual.
• Tips, tricks and strategies for learning to help the student remember information.
• Revisiting topics taught to check retention.
• Homework activities to re-enforce learning from the lesson.

I offer teaching Monday – Thursday 9.30 to 2pm