Rachel

Teaching has always been a central part of my life and it gives me great pleasure to help people of all ages and abilities to unlock their capabilities and develop a passion for learning.

I am a qualified secondary school Music and English teacher, having initially trained and taught in a selection of schools in the London Borough of Hounslow. This presented an array of both musical and teaching opportunities, furthered by my additional departmental responsibilities, such as subject teacher in charge of A-Level and Gifted and Talented Coordinator, before returning to my home town in Buckinghamshire in 2010.

During the last ten years I have enjoyed working as head of English at a small, independent college, where I devised and delivered our IGCSE English Language and Literature courses and A-Level English Literature (AQA Spec. A&B) courses, whilst tutoring from my home during evenings and weekends.
Presently, I split my working week between teaching music and instrumental tuition in local primary and secondary schools and providing tuition from my home.

I work closely with students who study independently (home-educated or 'Y14') and offer support to families whose children are struggling to participate in mainstream education. I tailor my lessons to meet the needs of my individual students, designing engaging courses and creative resources in order to capture their imagination and help to convey my passion for my subjects.

In my free time I perform in a local acapella choir, Aylesbury Consort of Voices, and OSJ Ashmolean Voices, Oxford. I feel fortunate to be in a position to teach two subjects and I believe that there is a strong cross over of skills between analysing texts and developing musical appreciaion.

Tutoring Experience

Secondary school Music and English teacher (KS3-A Level): July 2007-2010
Private Music teacher (Grades 1-8): 2002-present.
English as a foreign language teacher (Conversational and Business English): June 2006-present.
Grammar School Entrance Examinations: October 2010-present.
Head of English: October 2010-February 2015.
Peripatetic Music Teacher (schools across Bucks) April 2016-present.

Tutoring Approach

Home Tuition
Students travel to my house for lessons and I teach from my study, a warm and bright room overlooking the garden, used exclusively for my teaching. Upon confirming tution, all students will be sent a link to their online file, where their lesson plan (detailing lesson content and homework tasks) and any further resources will be stored. This can be accessed via laptops, phones and tablets.

English Tuition
The first lesson provides a chance for us to meet and to discuss how I can best support your child, followed by a brief assessment. This helps to give me an impression of the level your child is currently working at and informs my future planning. I absolutely adore teaching all aspects of English, whether that be exploring and analysing texts, creative writing or spelling, punctuation and grammar! Above all, I hope to ignite a passion for engaging with the world via the medium spoken and written English and to instil a sense of self-confidence and self-worth, which can be carried forward into future eventualities in life.

Music Tuition
I encourage students to develop a passion for playing, underpinned by a subtle introduction to music theory.
After this grounding has been established, working towards graded examinations is a natural progression for most students. I prepare students for ABRSM Grades 1-8 in singing, flute, piano and theory and support with GCSE, A-Level and university recitals and auditions.

Looking forward to meeting you!