Hannah

I am an experienced online tutor and a graduate of the University of Cambridge (Corpus Christi College), where I studied English and won the Corpus Taylor prize for my final year dissertation. Having subsequently trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and worked as a professional actor, I am now a tutor and a writer.

Tutoring Experience

I have sixteen years of experience in tutoring UK and international students. I've helped to prepare students for 11+ and 13+ exams, UKiset tests, ISEB Pre-tests, GCSEs, A-levels and undergraduate assessments. I also work with mature students who are developing their English language skills.

I am very proud of my students' achievements and I find it so rewarding to see them grow in confidence as their hard work pays off. Recent success stories include:

-- an ISEB Pre-test student secured a place at Eton College.
-- an English Literature GCSE student progressed from a grade 6 in her mock exam to a grade 8 in her final assessments.
-- a 16+ student was offered a place at The City of London School for Girls.
-- a 13+ student secured a place at Cheltenham Ladies' College.

I am experienced in preparing students for assessments with various examination boards.

Post-16: AQA, CIE and OCR English literature A level. International Baccalaureate.
English literature GCSE: AQA, Edexcel International, Cambridge IGCSE and OCR.
English language GCSE: AQA, Cambridge IGCSE, Edexcel International (A and B), OCR and Welsh Board.
11+ assessments: CEM and GL style tests. ISEB Pre-test and UKiset.

Tutoring Approach

I offer friendly, supportive lessons that are tailor-made to support each student's goals. Before our first lesson, I will arrange a free phone consultation (an informal chat) so that we can discuss your/your child's hopes, needs and current ability level. If possible, I also find it useful to see some recent school work. In the first lesson, we will look at a poem or an extract from a novel and analyse it together. This will help me to pinpoint which specific skills we are going to focus on developing, but it is a relaxed chat rather than a test! I provide parents/guardians with regular lesson reports to keep you informed about our work and your child's progress.

Whatever I am teaching, I want to ensure that a student fully understands the principles and isn't just learning to recite a set of rules. I believe it is very important to build a student's confidence in his/her own judgement so that he/she can think independently and suggest ideas without being afraid of 'getting it wrong'. With my approach to teaching, I aim to equip students with reasoning skills that can be used in subjects across the board.

As well as encouraging general principles in learning, I also take care to adhere to the syllabus requirements and to ensure that my students are fully aware of the skills they need to demonstrate in an exam.

I am a very patient and positive teacher with a genuine enthusiasm for my subject. I enjoy working with a range of abilities, from students who are struggling with the basics and doubting their abilities, to confident high-flyers who are looking for additional challenges in order to achieve their potential. Whatever the starting point in terms of ability, I am always thrilled to watch a student make progress in their understanding and appreciation of a subject.