Stephen

Hi, I'm Stephen!

I'm here to offer your child personalised support, blending academic rigour with a pinch of fun. Let's boost those grades and ignite that love of English Literature and Language.

Tutoring Experience

I'm a University of Oxford-trained fully qualified school teacher with a First Class Degree in English and 15 years' tutoring experience of GCSE and KS3.

Fully qualified Teacher Status (QTS) means that your child will be taught using a pedagogical approach (teaching theory/the science of teaching).

Non-teachers and university students offering tuition can’t offer this and are often completely unaware of its existence, choosing to teach your child with simply what’s worked for them in the past. However, we all know that every learner is different…

The best Qualified Teachers possess the scientific, theoretical, and psychological understanding of 'how to learn' in order to experiment and tailor an approach to the needs of the student.

As a QTS Teacher, I’ll rapidly identify and build upon your child’s strengths, whilst diagnosing and remedying weaknesses in both thinking and application.

A word of caution, university lecturers, though highly educated researchers within their field, are almost always not trained in teaching children. This is because they operate almost exclusively in a 'hands-off' environment where they lecture from afar and where adults are primarily expected to study independently.

There is a reason why teachers are expected to undergo QTS training when teaching children - insist on it for your child.

IS YOUR TUTOR TRAINED TO UNDERSTAND CHILDREN?

In addition to QTS, I also engaged in Master's Level research at the University of Oxford investigating the importance and impact of building esteem in students and its role in intrinsic motivation.

In practice, this involves creating an optimistic and positive environment, designing bespoke tasks that offer just the right amount of scaffolding and challenge to create the self-worth a pupil needs to engage and succeed.

DID YOUR TUTOR SET THE RIGHT EXAMPLE?

Teachers may also vary in their personal academic ability. A FIRST CLASS DEGREE classification demonstrates an ability to 'fully' understand the marking criteria that's demanded from students. To excel, your child must be made fully aware of what they need to do. Can a tutor really do this for your child if they failed to demonstrate it in their own studies?

WHERE DID YOUR TEACHER TRAIN TO TEACH?

Remember, not all teachers are trained to the same level. I trained at the University of Oxford, which is rated by OFSTED as an Outstanding Provider of Teacher Training, with a rigorous, pioneering, and demanding development programme with the sole aim of selecting the most academic candidates and turning them into the country's finest teachers.

IT ALL ADDS UP >>>

FIRST CLASS DEGREE + EXPERIENCED QTS TEACHER + OXFORD TRAINED = TUTORING EXCELLENCE

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THE FIRST LESSON IS FREE

In the first lesson, your child will be asked to read, write, and comprehend as well as show examples of school work so that an assessment and diagnosis of key areas can be made. You’ll also get to ask me questions.

It will also be an opportunity for all parties to find out if we click.

Rapport is a crucial element to create that internal desire and drive within a student and a continued working relationship.

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GET IN TOUCH

No fee means no risk, so get in touch and let’s see what your child can achieve with the right support!

Tutoring Approach

Lessons are as varied as the pupils I teach. I never teach robotically from a textbook. Instead, I’ll assess and diagnose areas of development to devise a tailored scheme of work for your child.

I’m patient, kind, and naturally optimistic. The learning will be detailed, efficient, and filled with smiles.

Challenges will be set just within reach to make your child feel that really satisfying sense of accomplishment. They’ll maximise their existing abilities and never fear making mistakes when developing new ones.

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THE LONG TERM APPROACH
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LEARNING THE CONTENT

From Year 9 onwards, your child will typically study 3 texts and an anthology of poems.
We’ll cover the plot, character development, themes, and influences of texts in greater detail, creating a set of effective notes and revision aids as we go.

This will include preparing the best analysed quotations for exams that will set your child apart from their cohort.

This is not additional work but what any diligent student should do to prepare for exams.
Given the sheer volume of English content under the new 9-1 exam system, it’s common to start anthology coverage and develop analytical skills in Year 7 and 8.

The earlier they start, the earlier they develop, and the less pressure they’ll be under overall.

WHAT THE GCSE SYLLABUS EXPECTS.

75% of the exam expects your child to analyse:
- Poetry
- Fiction prose texts
- Non-fiction prose texts

This study of great writers and poets is designed to explore and learn the skills that will allow your child to write:
- Creatively
- Transactionally
- Analytically

(Key Stage 3 develops these exact skills to simpler degree).

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LEARNING THE SKILLSET

Along the way, your child will practise and develop the skills they’ll have to perform. They’ll learn:

• How to select the very best quotes.
• To comprehend texts thoroughly.
• How to analyse.
• Literary techniques.
• Structural techniques.
• Poetic devices.
• Analytical essay writing.
• Transactional writing.
• Creative writing.

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LEARNING TO REVISE AND STUDY
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I’m also a big believer in organisation and structure to minimise stress and allow a work/life balance.

We’ll set a long-term study plan and grow habits over time that instil a ‘little and often’ approach to revision for deeper retention (rather than instantly forgettable last-minute cramming).

Together, we will:

• Learn how to plan an approach to a task.
• Explore how to break down questions.
• Understand how to plan tasks and answers.
• Learn hoe to check work accurately.
• Create a set of time-efficient revision notes containing detailed analysis.
• Adopt research-backed methods for taking and organising notes.
• Embrace a learn ‘as you go’ approach to avoid last-minute cramming.
• Experiment with multiple revision styles.
• Practise and refine exam technique when applicable.

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UNDERSTANDING SUCCESS
An independent learner is a successful learner. Your child will learn to take the initiative and ownership of their learning.

They will finally understand:
- School Assessment Objectives through simplified jargon-free models.
- Writing targets and conventions.
- Exactly what needs to be done in different types of English tasks.
- How to assess their own work to maximise success.

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FEEDBACK AND PROGRESS

Feedback is how students grow but only if delivered and implemented effectively.

There are no frustratingly vague comments to “expand” or “write more”; instead, comments will be actionable tasks broken down into steps and designed to teach the improvement that’s needed in future attempts.

• Create a constantly updated feedback list that’s categorised.
• This central list is the starting point for attempting similar tasks in the future.
• Pupil’s will see if mistakes are becoming a habit.
• New points replace old ones as they level up and master skills.
• Parents can gain an evolving snapshot of progress and problem areas, in addition to regular updates about performance in homework and the lesson itself.

Your child will learn to to get excited about feedback as it’s the way to make leaps in progress.