Joseph

Hi there. I'm Joseph, Removed tutor specialising in entry to the most academically-selective independent schools. According to The Times, I’m ‘the man parents call to get their children into Eton and other top schools.'

I teach mostly English and Maths, and the verbal and non-verbal reasoning papers set by ISEB, and by the schools themselves. But I also teach the crucial skills that put my candidates ahead of the competition – essay writing and poetry comprehension and creative writing, as required by Eton and Winchester and Marlborough respectively; and interview skills, as required by all of them.

I’ve also literally written the book on tutoring. It’s called The Super Tutor and contains my seven best lessons. It was featured in The Times and the Daily Mail a few years ago. ‘I agree with almost all of it,’ one former Winchester Head of English has said. I'm currently working on a sequel.

Tutoring Experience

In the past 20 years I have successfully prepared hundreds of students for admissions to dozens of the top boys' and girls' schools in the UK. Eight of my students have won scholarships to Winchester (my old school), Eton, Harrow and Westminster in the past eight years.

I’ve been tutoring a long time so I’m quick to identify problems and solve them. I’ve had a lot of great teachers, and have picked up a lot of fixes over the years. I can also advise on things like school choice and strategy. At the top end of English education, school admissions are hugely competitive and can be stressful. Less so with my help!

Tutoring Approach

Fun is crucial. I only teach subjects I enjoy, so that there’s a decent chance that enjoyment will prove contagious. I know not everyone loves poetry, or trigonometry, but I always strive to share my enthusiasm with my students. The top schools are looking for pupils who are both interested and interesting, and I try to show them that those things are one and the same.

I am relaxed and laid back in tutorials, although I do ask my students a lot of questions. I take care to look at what they’re already doing right and praise good work fulsomely. I get on well with my students because I treat them with the same respect as I would an adult.

I take a holistic view of my students, because that’s what schools do. For interview practice, we use loosely-structured chats to work out together how to put their best side forward. And to develop their intellect, and their interests: I’m just as focused on what they like to do outside class.

Reading is important, especially for non-native English speakers. Lots of my students aren’t keen readers to begin with, but once I’ve got to know them a bit I can usually pick something that’ll catch their interest. It’s hard to write well without reading well. And if you want to go to a famous old school, it doesn’t hurt to have read one or two famous old books.

Tutoring online works really well even for less-engaged students. It’s easier to concentrate on a text or a problem when there’s no-one in the room with you, and I tend to get more homework out of my remote students.