Joshua

I am a friendly and highly qualified tutor with a degree in English Literature & Creative Writing, and a Masters in Writing, both from the University of Warwick. I have nine years’ experience tutoring, and have been highly recommended due to my skill at breaking down complex texts in an accessible, enjoyable, and easily digestible manner.

I am also a published novelist (search ‘The 8th Emotion’ on Amazon for my sci-fi debut) and have received a substantial grant from Arts Council England in recognition of my literary work.

I have tutored numerous students, from six-year-olds to people studying for their MA, and every grade in between. My philosophy is always to adapt my approach to the needs of each individual. I give my students the confidence, understanding and exam technique they need to succeed.

I’ve also taught two students intensively in the days running up to their exams, and one went from a predicted E to a C; the other went from a predicted C to an A.

I’ve delivered plenty of online lessons in the past, and know how to make them work well. I’ve also found that, in the majority of cases, online tutoring is as or more effective than face to face. This is because

a) I can use the bespoke set of resource documents that I’ve built up on my computer, over years, as part of the lessons,

b) I can see what the tutee is writing in real time, and so the process of offering feedback becomes quicker (in person, either I would watch them as they wrote on their computer, which might feel a bit pressured, or I would have to wait for them to finish handwriting their work before they passed it across the table for me to have a look at), and

c) it’s easier for me to give neat, clear feedback (which becomes a useful revision resource) on the computer rather than by hand, which tends to, by its nature, be a little messier.

Essentially, all the above mean that you are very likely to get better value for money when you hire me, as opposed to if I were doing face-to-face tuition.

N.B. Along with proofreading and feedback on specific pieces of writing (which services are available for my standard lesson fee) I also offer special lessons on how to write fiction. These cost £150 per hour, and can cover pretty much any aspect of fiction writing, from a practical step-by-step process on how to plan a novel; to tips on characterisation and setting; to how to develop an initial idea into a story; etc. I charge this high fee because the insights I offer have been gleaned from years of practical experience in writing, and as such, I believe they can drastically accelerate a student’s development; and because the one-to-one nature of the lesson means that the tutee, through their questions, can have this guidance completely tailored to their specific interests and needs.

Tutoring Experience

I am currently tutoring several pupils across a broad range of age groups, from helping one child in primary school improve her reading and writing skills, to preparing pupils for their SATS, GCSEs, and A-levels. I am also assisting a couple of students with their university courses.

Tutoring Approach

Each student is unique, and that's why I tailor my teaching style to each individual pupil.

I'll ask you what you believe your strengths and weaknesses are... find out what ways you learn most effectively (for example, either visually or by rote)... and then structure my lesson plan accordingly.

I'm also a very patient teacher, and believe that one of my key skills is the ability to break down complex ideas so that they are much easier to understand and remember. This approach is proven to work, and can lead to your results leaping upwards by several grades.