Michael

I am currently a senior leader at one of Britain’s leading independent educational institutions and have an exceptional record in teaching. I have been in education for over 15 years, during which time I have developed a track-record in transforming departments and academic programmes into headlining acts.

I read physics at university, achieving a first class honours and was awarded the final year university prize. I also have PhD in physics and postdoctoral experience, publishing in the field of molecular spectroscopy.

In education, my students and the departments I direct (or have directed) have all seen unprecedented success in absolute and value-added terms. With over 15 years of teaching experience, I possess an in-depth knowledge of teaching, learning and assessment procedures over a number of examination boards.

Tutoring Experience

I have been a private tutor for students for well over a decade, teaching physics and mathematics at (I)GCSE, A-level, IB, Oxbridge entrance and undergraduate. As well as preparation for exams, I can support students with coursework, university applications and interview technique. I am happy to teach and have experience with all ability ranges.

Other experience....
Director of the International Baccalaureate
Absolute performance (out of 45): 31.8 (attained by predecessor) to 39.2
Value added performance as a national percentile: increase from 21% (attained by predecessor) to 92%

Head of Physics & Science
Absolute performance: from 65% A* to B (attained by predecessor) to 95% A* to B
Value added performance as national percentile: increase from 53% (attained by predecessor) to 97%

Guest lecturer in education (teacher training), University of Manchester (2005-2017)

Author of Physics Key Skills for Non-Specialists, University of Manchester (2010)
Co-author of resource, AQA GCSE Kerboodle (2010)

Awards in education
Best Schools: Outstanding performance in IBDP 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019
University of Chicago: Outstanding Educator 2018
University of Manchester: Withers Prize for teaching 2003

Articles
M. Thompson, V. Kolesnyk, A. Stepanov Phys. Education. – Volume 48, No.5 (2011) 429.
M. Thompson, S. Tsui, C. Leung, Phys. Education. – Volume 46, No.5 (2011) 692.
M. Thompson, C. Leung, Phys. Education. Volume 46, No.5 (2011) 587.
M. Thompson, P. Barron, C. Chandler, K. Shaw, K. Hannafin, Phys. Education. Volume 45, No.5 (2010) 459.
M. Thompson, Phys. Education. Volume 45, No.3 (2010) 309.
M. Thompson, Phys. Education. Volume 4, No.1 17 (2009).

Tutoring Approach

Every student is an individual. As a teacher, I make it a priority to make sure that I quickly understand my students' current capabilities and, more importantly, their individual approach to learning. All of my students are free to develop in an environment where they are comfortable to ask questions and where mistakes are seen as an opportunity for us both to learn - we all make them and there is something every one of us finds difficult to understand.

Teaching, to me, is a transition - a handover - of skills and knowledge. During the "handover", it is essential to strike the balance between demonstration and practice. It is futile for a student to be left watching the teacher, and it is damaging to students' development for them to be left with an insurmountable challenge.

My value-added results, which I am happy to share, demonstrate, statistically, that the students I teach achieve higher than they would if they were taught elsewhere in similar institutions.