Jeff

I am an enthusiastic, patient tutor with excellent communication skills and a real passion for mathematics and science. I strive to get the very best out of every student I teach. I want each student to gain every mark they are capable of.

I am married with two daughters.

My background is in industry where I worked for over 30 years, reaching Plant Manager status. Late in my career I took a decision to leave industry and go back to University to gain the qualifications to teach mathematics and science. This is a decision I have never regretted.

As a teacher or tutor, to hear a student tell you they “get it” is a wonderful feeling and always brings a smile to my face. It makes all the hard work worth it.

In light of Covid 19, I wear a face visor and use hand sanitiser to protect both myself and the student & families I visit. During lockdown periods, I switch to online learning through "Zoom". Although not as good as face to face learning, Zoom is a very good back up option. When "Zooming", I have a desktop visualiser which allows me to show the student how to work out the answers to worksheet and / or exam questions.

Tutoring Experience

I completed my PGCE in Maths at The University of Hull and have Qualified Teacher Status and an Enhanced DBS.

Throughout my time as a teacher I have worked in local academies and at the local grammar school, giving me experience of working with students of different abilities. I have taught classes from Year 7 through to Year 11.

I have tutored a number of Year 9 to Year 11 students in preparation for their GCSE examinations, this includes both Higher and Foundation levels.

I am familiar with AQA, Edexcel, Cambridge and OCR exam boards. Student pass rate for the summer of 2022 was > 90%.

More recently I have tutored Year 5 and 6 pupils as they prepare for their KS2 tests. To date I have a 100% success rate in helping pupils achieve a score of a 100 or more in their KS2 Mathematics tests.

Tutoring Approach

Each tutee I teach gets a bespoke lesson – a lesson tailored to their needs. Through analysing their mock exam papers, specimen papers and/or classwork, I build a picture of what the students is good at and where their mathematical gaps are. Once I have this knowledge, I plan the lesson to bridge any gaps and get the students to practice until that weakness becomes a key knowledge strength.

Tutoring approach

Each tutee I teach gets a bespoke lesson – a lesson tailored to their needs. Through analysing their mock exam papers, specimen papers and/or classwork, I build a picture of what a student is good at and where their mathematical gaps are. Once I have this knowledge, I plan the lesson to bridge any gaps and get the students to practice until that weakness becomes a key knowledge strength.

I find the main issues with students is not their inability to do maths and science, but a lack of confidence. This lack of confidence is often a combination of issues including teacher ability, teacher absence with no suitable supply teacher as replacement and the pandemic causing high levels of student absence. I aim to greatly improve a students confidence in my subjects, ensuring they are well prepared for their exams.

I try to make maths and science fun, using a variety of techniques to get the principles across and sufficient practice to enable the student to master the topic.

I no longer work full time in mainstream education (by choice), this allows me to dedicate more preparation time for my tutees, with the added benefit of being available by phone, email or on line should any tutee need help or support between tutoring sessions.