Torben

Experienced Chemistry Tutor, qualified teacher, long term Head of Faculty and prior to that Course Leader for one of the consistently best performing A-level Chemistry departments in the UK. For over a decade I've also offered face to face chemistry tutoring each year to just one or two students from families who demand the best. From September 2023 I reduced my 6th Form College hours to free up more time for in person A-level tutoring. I am also fully kitted out as an online Chemistry tutor.

I am only offering tutoring for AQA and OCR A-level Chemistry

As well as expert tutoring you'll get help between sessions and your own shared drive with personalised resources, access to some pre-recorded lessons, modified exam papers and more. I am a doctor of organic chemistry and know every bit of the AQA and OCR syllabuses inside out. If you're local, ask in the right circles and you'll find people now at Medical or Dental school who I have tutored. Most of my past tutees have improved their Chemistry grade dramatically, D grade in a year 12 mock to A grade in the real exams being quite common but very hard to achieve without expert one on one tuition.

March 2024 update: Most time slots are fully booked but still get in touch for cancellations or to join the waiting list for after the current year 13 finish in June

Tutoring Experience

Tutoring 2023 - 100% A* for my y13 students
Day job results: Value added: for my past A-level students over 50% achieved ALPS grade 1, placing them in the top 1% of the country for Value Added (A-level vs GCSE). Almost all the rest were ALPS 2 (top 10% VA). This metric showcases the effectiveness of my teaching - even helping students progress from a 6 at GCSE to an A or A* at A-level.

I have taught A-level Chemistry full time for 20 years (OCR-A and AQA). All of my classes have achieved exceptional results, both in terms of grades and value added.

A recent class, I was sole teacher for, achieved 40% A* grades despite many only having average grades at GCSE. Summer 2022 for my day job saw approximately 80% A*-A and my private tutees excelled as always.

All my graded lesson observations in the last decade were judged outstanding (grade 1).

Many of my students each year earn medals in the Chemistry Olympiad and the Cambridge University Chemistry Challenge. Two of my students have achieved the Roentgenium award in the Cambridge Chemistry Challenge (top 50 in UK).

I have completed thousands of hours of one-on-one A-level Chemistry tuition, I know what works and will boost your grades.

For many years, I held a role helping students gain admission to Oxford and Cambridge (all subjects), with a high ratio of offers to applications.

For several years, I worked in scientific recruitment, gaining valuable insight into effective applications, career paths, and motivational techniques.

I have experience working in a cutting-edge research lab in Cambridge and even provided chemistry lessons for a BAFTA-winning feature film.

I can provide numerous positive past student testimonials. Perhaps you know students already taught by me? If so, simply ask them whether I'm worth the investment.

In addition to tutoring, I can offer assistance with UCAS applications, motivation, study skills, exam technique, entrance exams, and much more.

My students receive examination questions from multiple exam boards, as I have access to all UK boards and beyond. My knowledge of all the specifications enables me to tailor resources effectively for you. I have marked and checked the marking of thousands of exam papers. I collect relevant questions from every exam board in the UK (including Northern Ireland) and share the most useful ones for your exams. This advantage alone could boost you by another grade. I have also developed additional resources to help with the practical skills area that was not tested extensively before the new specifications.

The teaching methods I employ help students excel when they reach university. I can provide evidence that my past students are more likely to earn a first-class degree than students from the state or private sector nationally.

Tutoring Approach

I offer a lot more than a weekly lesson. My past tutees will testify that the personalised homework and exam questions I offer each week made a huge difference.

Global studies have shown that top-end examination success has little to do with IQ and that simply working very hard is not enough. Using the correct strategies, it is very possible for students to dramatically out-perform their aspirational target grades in A-level chemistry. When you work hard with me both in sessions and between them, we can start to make this a reality.
Some of my student comments:

"Torben is amazing, he pushes you to get the best grade you can and is such a help when it comes to understanding the tricky parts!"

"Torben explains concepts to a depth and understanding that allows all students (myself included) to stretch their perception on the subject. We don't just learn new topics but Torben shows and guides us through the ways in which these are linked to what we already have been taught, expanding our knowledge. Torben, thank you for the great teaching experience and guidance in what I acknowledge is a difficult subject and I hope that we can continue to work together."

"Torben, I can say with all honesty you have been the most organised, efficient and hard-working teacher I have ever had. Even though you push us all like mad, you genuinely want everyone to do their very best to achieve their potential, and for that I am truly grateful."

"Thanks to your tutoring I am now at Dental school despite only getting a low grade at AS, If I could change one thing I wish we'd started the tutoring in year 12. Your study methods not only really helped me in Chemistry but helped me in my other subjects too"