Anup

I am a secondary school teacher and I enjoy tutoring as it allows me to develop a student's thinking in greater detail. Tutoring allows me to expand and deepen thought processes on an individual level, of which I am limited to do so in a class room. Furthermore I am able to individually tailor the lessons, which cannot necessarily take place in a class room. For example most Primary schools place a limited focus on the 11 plus examination and the training they do provide, is not tailored individually. A pupil may be above average in non-verbal but may need extra sessions in verbal reasoning. A school will simply not have the time or resources to account for this.
The same goes for GCSE or A-level. Essay writing, which is how my specialist subjects are examined requires a lot of structured revision. Students need to be able to not only interpret and answer the questions, but do so in a well structured critique. This is the difference between an 8 and a 7 in terms of grading. With A level and university places becoming evermore competitive, an A* really does stand out in comparison to an A .

Tutoring Experience

As previously stated, I am a secondary school teacher and I have been teaching for over a decade. I have been tutoring on and off for the past sixteen years. I started off at the age of just sixteen at the 'Extra Tuition Centre,' which is well established nationally (also known as ETC). I then left and went onto university. After university I decided to go back and do a teacher training degree (PGCE) and whilst doing this, I took on board some youth work. I took on a senior role, in charge of many tough and diverse groups, in Kent. I led activities and engaged with a range of young people. I also took on the role of a TA at a pupil referral unit. The centre educated students who had been excluded from school, so as you can imagine the activities led, needed to be meaningful, purposeful and empowering for these young people. Having then completed my teaching qualification and successfully passing my NQT, I then considered tutoring again, but with my wealth of experience I wanted to work with a company that had an outstanding reputation. So I joined 'The Tutoring Team.' They have a 100% pass rate for 11 plus and put their tutors through a rigorous selection system. Having been successful I tutored many 11 plus students and really built strong relationships with them and their families over the year(s) that I tutored them. I also have experience in tutoring I.B students for Government and Politics and History (higher), along with this I have successfully helped applicants with their university applications (UCAS), including applications for Oxford University.

Tutoring Approach

My approach is tailored to the individual. My first lesson always consists of a baseline assessment, so I can gauge where the pupil is at. Using this information, I then begin to put forward a plan of progression, considering goals that I would have discussed with the pupil and parents/guardians. I always keep parents/guardians informed and I like to send monthly or weekly written updates to them so they know where their investment is going. It would not be fair or concise to be able to identify where a child is at according to one lesson, hence why I like to send a report at the end of each month. I also like to build up the lessons so they get more intense in the run up to the examination. For example depending where the pupil is at, the first few months may consist of technique and skills revision, rather than past papers. I like to make sure the pupils are strong in all areas before the latter more intense sessions of timed test papers and feedback. I do recommend texts/books for pupils to purchase, depending on the course. I can then work through these with them and all of my sessions are then transparent as pupils will keep these. In certain books pupils are able to track/chart their progression, such as the 11plus books that I recommend.
Equally I do require the support from parents, for example informing me when or if a pupil is ill or over-tired. Having a tutoring session after a sports day and ballet practice would not be suitable, for obvious reasons. I am willing to travel, depending on the distance and given that the student has a well lit, quiet working environment.