Philippa

I have a long history of teaching chemistry to others, from during my undergraduate studies, to my PhD (University of Cambridge) and post-doctoral position (ETH, Zurich) and then while teaching in academia.
My doctorate is in synthetic organic chemistry, more specifically, in natural product synthesis. This means that my ability to explain organic chemistry (something a lot of students find hard) is especially strong.

Tutoring Experience

I have been teaching chemistry one-to-one, to small groups and in larger classes for over 15 years. I have a broad knowledge of the GCSE and A-level curricula, as well as university-level study. I have won numerous student awards for my teaching at university, and all students I have taught GCSE and A-level have enjoyed my sessions and gone on to do what they originally intended. In some cases, they have even switched to reading chemistry at university!

Tutoring Approach

I work with a student, progressing at their pace. When teaching difficult concepts I break it down to bite-sized pieces and ensure that each step is understood. We then complete problems together and I check the student's working and understanding as we go. Students seem to like my style. When teaching harder material I am able to formualte questions myself (because of my advanced knowledge) and, where appropriate, can stretch a student so they gain independence and a deeper understanding of the subject.