Kirsten

I studied English for my undergraduate degree (first-class honours from the University of Cambridge) and subsequently took an M.Phil. in Eighteenth-century and Romantic Studies (also at Cambridge) - so I have a lot of experience writing essays!

After a couple of years working in the charity sector I took a second MA at the Courtauld Institute of Art in Curating the Art Museum, and achieved a Distinction. I have since worked in the curatorial departments of the National Gallery and the Royal Collection, and in small museums around London, and in 2013 I wrote a book about eighteenth-century cats for Dr Johnson's House's gift shop.

I've been tutoring privately since 2008, and have worked with students all over London and internationally, representing a wide range of backgrounds. Having finished my PhD in History of Art at Birkbeck, University of London, in 2018, I'm now working as a research associate at King's College London.

I am currently available for teaching online in the evenings and at weekends, and between 9;30-5pm on Wednesdays.

Tutoring Experience

I've helped students at all levels of education, and from a wide range of backgrounds, covering everything from 7+, 11+, GCSE and A-level to Oxbridge entrance preparation and undergraduate essay-writing skills.

In 2010, I worked for three months as a full-time personal tutor, home-educating a nine-year-old and designing a complete syllabus for her; the following year, I taught a child with learning disabilities to read.

More recently, I've supported students on all aspects of university entrance preparation (all the tutees I've worked with have been accepted to their first-choice university, including Oxford, Cambridge, the Courtauld and UCL) and I've provided additional supervisions for undergraduates writing their final year dissertations on History of Art and English courses.

Tutoring Approach

If you're going to get a tutor, you really should be able to enjoy the sessions - so that's a key priority for me. I like to work with students' strengths, find out what they're interested in, and help them harness that. More specifically, I also like to look at the ins and outs of essay writing skills and grammar to help students focus and express their ideas in the best way possible - with so much material to cover at school and university, this is often a neglected area where one-on-one tutoring can really help you flourish.

TESTIMONIAL:

I worked with Kirsten from September until December 2014 on my application to Cambridge to read History of Art. Over the three months Kirsten assisted with all aspects the application process and at each stage could have been more helpful nor dedicated. Her feedback was consistently very detailed and filled with constructive comment. I will always be grateful for the amount of time she spent analysing the drafts of my personal statement, essays, SAQ and the rigorous nature of her checking. Kirsten came to every lesson extremely well prepared, our sessions were well structured, challenging and we covered allot of ground. I really enjoyed the debate and sense of being pushed to my full potential that Kirsten invoked . I believe that this was key to my success at interview as well as the confidence that her methods of teaching instilled in me. In addition, Kirsten's breadth of knowledge and evident enthusiasm for History of Art was infectious. Although it was a stressful time , I thoroughly enjoyed working with Kirsten. I could neither recommend her more highly nor emphasise enough how integral she was in helping me achieve my goals.

• Cora, student for Oxbridge entrance.