Jonathan

Hello, and thank you so much for reading my tutoring profile. For busy parents, school leaders and occasional journalists, this opening section offers a quick summary of my professional highlights, with more details below if you’d like to know more. It would be lovely to hear from you :)

I) MY CAREER HIGHLIGHTS SO FAR

⦿ Award-winning teacher at my first school (Departmental Award for “Commitment to Cascading Teaching Excellence”)

⦿ 20 years’+ experience in the UK’s toughest Secondary and Further Education classrooms

⦿ Head of Department; Examiner Experience (Various Exam Boards); GCSE Resit Programme Manager; Advanced Teaching Practitioner; NEA Internal Verifier; Lead for Development of Departmental Higher Education Provision; Lead for Departmental UCAS Applications; Behaviour Management Coach; Learning Mentor for “Gifted and Talented” Programme; Teacher Training Mentor liaising with Ofsted

⦿ BA (Hons), MRes (Dist) and PGCE trained, with Qualified Teacher and Lecturer Status

⦿ Prize-winning postgraduate at University of Warwick for groundbreaking research that made: “a genuine contribution to the discipline of International Relations”

⦿ A leading tutor in the online space, with over 37,000+ tutor sessions delivered across 42 countries (including delivering education to children in Ukrainian and Sudanese warzones via Elon Musk’s Starlink)

⦿ Expert in 7/11+ Entrance Exams/GCSE/A Level/Degree/Postgraduate/UCAS Applications/Academic Mentoring/Career Planning/Property Investment Masterclasses

⦿ Subject specialisms of English, Maths, Biology, History, International Relations and Entrance Exams

⦿ Proud to be rated 5 stars on leading review and social media platforms

⦿ Global educational consultant sought out for occasional media appearances (Radio 4, BBC)

⦿ A successful property entrepreneur and mentor to entrants into the industry, with a former property company managing £54 million of real estate nationally, developments totalling £16 million+ and fortunate enough to have built a personal portfolio of circa £3.1 million thus far

⦿ Currently researching my first educational book for sale via Amazon, exploring how to engage disenchanted learners

⦿ In my (few!) spare moments, I enjoy raising our two daughters with my wife, travelling in Tuscany, hiking in the Malvern Hills, and supporting Manchester United

⦿ As my record hopefully shows, I am a renowned tutor, with an outstanding track record of success both in the classroom, as well as in the property world

⦿ If you’re looking to work with one of the leading global tutors in the industry with a proven track-record of commercial success too, then feel free to get in touch, and I’ll always do my best to help

Please read on, if you’d like to know a little more about my educational and professional journey.

II) MY STORY SO FAR

Now for the fuller version! :) My successful teaching career so far has saw me manage some of the most challenging of UK’s classrooms for the past 20 years’+. During this time, I have consistently been ranked an inspirational grade-one “outstanding” teacher in my present school, and have delivered KS3, GCSE and A Level English, History, and Maths in the secondary and sixth-form sectors, far surpassing students’ target grades and national pass rates. Moreover, due to these outstanding results and teaching innovation that led to my lessons cited in Ofsted reports for their commitment to Equality and Diversity, I have served as Head of Department; helping us to be awarded an internal grade 1 “outstanding” rating during my tenure.

Whilst in this position, I also became Lead Internal Verifier for NEAs across the department; Lead for UCAS Applications, managing the pathway for students into top universities including Oxford and Cambridge; Lead for Departmental Higher Education Provision, in which I crafted curricula for a variety of degree level courses; and Learning Mentor for the “Gifted and Talented” Programme, that saw me guide some of the UK’s most deprived learners to become the first in their families to go to university-work which is still very close to my heart.

Furthermore, I have extensive experience of driving up educational standards within schools and colleges. Thus, as an Advanced Teaching Practitioner-tasked with developing best teaching practice, I’ve led Action Research Projects yielding invaluable data on topics such as: whether computer games can be used productively in the classroom; can Miro whiteboards better engage kinaesthetic learners, and how to increase achievement rates of learners with Protected Characteristics. Thus, through such incisive research as well as mentoring colleagues, this role saw me play a decisive role in turning around failing cohorts in some of the UK’s most challenging classrooms, improving life-chances by engaging disenchanted students and improving poor behaviour.

Furthermore, as well as my time as an examiner for a variety of GCSE/A Level exam boards, I have shown myself to be an inspirational mentor to both students and new entrants into the teaching profession. Therefore, as a teaching mentor to many new entrants on the PGCE programme, I am proud to have helped develop the next generation of the UK’s teaching talent through careful observation and support of their practice. Allied to this, I have been a mentor on the UK Government’s “Gifted and Talented” initiative. This saw me nurture the intellectual curiosity and resilience of students whose SATs results indicated great academic promise, with my guidance resulting in learners in areas of high social deprivation attaining prestigious university places at Durham and King’s College, amongst others.

Moreover, due to this long history of being a highly sought-after teacher and mentor, my educational views have been sought out if I would like to appear on national media and radio to discuss government school policy, whilst also being head-hunted to tutor the children of prominent public figures including Premiership footballers, PGA Junior golfers, England cricketers, Olympic athletes, construction tycoons, and even the family of a Nobel Prize winner, all of which has been extremely humbling.

In terms of my extracurricular activities, I am an accomplished entrepreneur. In being born into the bottom 2% of UK’s most deprived households, I have been proud to become an accomplished property developer, with my own significant UK portfolio of residential holdings and stocks, as well as being co-founder of a former nationally operating property brand. This has saw me acting as a business mentor for disadvantaged students on entrepreneurship, and how to begin their own property investment journey, which has been a real joy in guiding some of the UK’s brightest new generation of business leaders.

In my remaining spare time, I am currently engaged in the pre-reading for the start of my future PHD in International Relations, during which I will be studying the Grand Strategy of the USA and China, as they negotiate the twenty first century during a period of superpower decline. Furthermore, I enjoy travelling with my young family in Tuscany and my wife’s homeland of Mauritius, supporting my beloved Manchester United (a very interesting experience!), hiking in our home of the Malvern Hills, and playing the drums (although, not as much as I used to, with two small children!)

As my full and varied career has hopefully shown, I have a passion for using my specialisms of English, Maths, History, Biology, International Relations and Entrance Exams, taking great pride in providing the best academic and pastoral support I can, whilst hopefully being an inspirational role model for my students, as I help them forge their way in the world.

III) MY QUALIFICATIONS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

⦿ PHD (start pending) at University of Warwick-my research will analyse the decline of the US superpower and its implications for international security architecture, as it manages its great power relationship with China during this structural change. This work will see me publish a number of International Relations articles, culminating in my first full-length book on the subject

⦿ MRes (Dist) in International Security from University of Warwick-I won academic plaudits for writing an “outstanding and genuinely original dissertation” that represented: “an important contribution to existing literature in the field of International Relations”.

⦿ PGCE in Secondary Education-ranked amongst the top trainee teachers in my year’s cohort, with outstanding feedback in academic assignments and during my placement in an area of high social deprivation

⦿ BA (Hons) in English/History from University of Birmingham-received special recognition for achieving academic excellence despite coming from the bottom 2% of UK families in terms of economic poverty, of which I am immensely proud

⦿ A Levels (A* in all subjects taken): prize-winning student in my sixth form for most inspirational pupil, and was in the top 2% of the UK for my academic results, including 100% in certain key modules

⦿ Co-founder of a former nationally operating property brand specialising in HMO and BTL investment, consultancy and management

⦿ A skilled property developer with a personal portfolio valued at circa £3.1 million, and experience as consultant on residential and hotel renovations worth circa £16 million+

⦿ Inspirational academic/business mentor to disadvantaged students, guiding them in the start of their entrepreneurial journey.

Tutoring Experience

IV) THIS IS MY TEACHING/TUTORING EXPERIENCE

In terms of my teaching and tutoring experience, as stated, I have 20 years’+ experience turning around some of the UK’s toughest classrooms, as well as challenging high achieving learners in the pursuit of academic excellence. This has seen me teach/tutor across the curriculum Key Stage-ranges (7-18 years), extending all the way to postgraduate level students. Whilst I have much experience in teaching learners lacking confidence and those with Special Educational Needs, my rigorous yet friendly approach is also well-suited to developing the most able pupils.

As Head of Department, I raised English and Maths pass rates with a 25% upwards leap in my opening two years, with most students achieving at least one grade above their targets, with Ofsted noting the rapid improvement. As regards my tutoring practice, my pass grades in subjects of English, Maths, History and Biology have been consistently outstanding, so that the vast majority of my tutees pass with strong academic grades, attaining entry to prestigious institutions across the globe. Thus, during the last three academic years, my tutees enjoyed superb results in my specialist subjects, with 94% reaching their target minimum grade, and 74% exceeding this mark, entering fantastic institutions including Concord College, Oxbridge, The Sorbonne, Malvern College and the University of Heidelburg, as well as world-class employers like Rolls Royce and Microsoft.

Therefore, over my career as a leading global tutor so far, I am proud to have delivered over 37,000+ lessons across 5 continents and 42 countries, from the UK to Ukraine, and beyond.

As stated previously, I also have considerable mentoring expertise, in having built my own UK property portfolio currently valued at £3.1 million from sourcing, to renovation, to letting, I have mentored many adult and teenage entrants into property investing, guiding their purchases and renovations to the overall value of £16 million, and counting. In addition to this, I have also been an informal mentor to UK gang-affiliates, tasked with persuading them to turn their lives around, and embrace the transformative potential of education, which has been among the most rewarding roles of my career thus far.

V) SOME OF MY PROUDEST STUDENT MOMENTS

In having tutored thousands of students globally over the past 20 years, it is always hard to choose my favourite student moments. Nevertheless, here are a few, which just help to illustrate my global reach, experience and expertise.

⦿ (Helping a Brilliant Cricketer Make the Grade): When I started tutoring this learner, confidence was low and time was short. We had to increase the GCSE English Language and Maths grades to a 6 minimum, for entry to a prestigious boarding school regarded as the cradle of many of England’s top cricketers for the national team. The time pressure was intense, as we only had 3 months to jump 3 grades. Nevertheless, with a robust study-plan put in place and constant emotional support (in between the daily net sessions!), it was a wonderful moment when they received their acceptance results, with the student going on to represent the national team. Great job :)

⦿ (England’s Golf Captain Heads to the States): I began tutoring this student locally, and we bonded immediately, with each lesson always bringing much laughter due to their brilliantly dry sense of humour. With golf tournaments taking place internationally, this required much flexibility and leveraging of online learning tools, to bring the required results. I was so pleased they achieved their sports scholarship at a top US university, before hopefully joining the PGA Tour. I still remain in touch when I can, and am privileged to be charting their amazing progress in the sport

⦿ (Creating an Amazing Bermudan Scholar): What began as a quick essay editing session quickly developed into a full academic partnership lasting over 5 years, during which we achieved 96% and 97% in iGCSE English Language and Literature respectively, despite sitting the exams a year early. This vast improvement led to the school offering a £28,000 scholarship being offered to study the International Baccalaureate, and entry into the school’s elite university preparation programme. Superb work, and extremely pleasing to see such inspiring progress

⦿ (Tutoring Sudanese Refugees Trapped in a Warzone): In one of my toughest, but most rewarding tutoring assignments, I was sought out by a family of Sudanese refugees, who’d been caught up by a recent coup. With the US embargoing the country, this meant we didn’t have access to top US tech brands like Microsoft etc..., which definitely made things tricky! Nevertheless, we ensured minimal disruption to their education throughout a very difficult political period. Now they are happily preparing to enter a European university, which was a life-changing result for them

VI) MY STUDENT ALUMNI

I am truly blessed to work with such amazing students, with below being just a very small selection of some of the institutions, employers and job roles that my tutees have gone on to reach:

⦿ Birmingham City Football Club (professional footballer)

⦿ British Cycling (Olympic Triallist)

⦿ British Skating

⦿ Bromsgrove School

⦿ Cambridge University

⦿ Concord College

⦿ Dubai Social Media (influencer with 1.8 million followers)

⦿ England Cricket Team (professional cricketer)

⦿ England Golf Team (England captain)

⦿ Harvard University

⦿ Google AI Consultant

⦿ King’s RGS Worcester

⦿ London School of Economics

⦿ Oxford University

⦿ Rolls Royce Aeronautical Engineering Division (junior engineer)

⦿ University of Birmingham (Teaching Fellow in Law)

⦿ University of Bristol

⦿ University of Exeter

⦿ Lockheed Martin (Aeronautical Engineer-Stealth Fighters)

⦿ Imperial College, London

⦿ University of Oregon (PGA golf scholarship)

VII) THIS IS MY FEEDBACK :)

Again, this is just a small selection of feedback from my many fantastic parents and students, who make it all worthwhile.

⦿ “Jonathan is fantastic and my 15 years old have a big turn round about his view of education. Now he can't wait for his lesson!”

⦿ “I could not have wished for a better tutor for my son! I cannot praise Jon's enthusiasm for his subject, motivational skills and professionalism enough.”

⦿ “The biggest testimonial comes from my son, who now looks forward to and enjoys his weekly visit! praise indeed from a teenager!”

⦿ “I have nothing but praise for Jonathan.”

⦿ “George is totally happy to see him which is a miracle at 3pm on a Saturday!”

⦿ “Jon is a fantastic teacher best tutor I have ever had.”

⦿ “AMAZINGLY helpful, nice and very cooperative.”

⦿ “Thanks soooo much Jon, Ashleigh passed, she won't be doing retakes and is feeling incredibly relieved.”

⦿ “We feel lucky to book a place with him early on as he seemed to be full booked before December.”

⦿ “Never passed an English test before in my whole life then came to Jonathan with very little time for my first GCSE exam and managed to get an A for English literature and a B for creative writing. 10/10.”

⦿ "Jon has a unique ability to get students onboard in a short amount of time. He is quick to establish a rapport, building on trust and confidence which makes an ideal platform for focused learning”.

⦿ “He is heavily in demand which speaks volumes in terms of his reputation and is super knowledgeable and prepared for all elements of the syllabus.”

⦿ “Jon, thank you for all the effort and time you have shown me. The friendship and chats we had shall last a lifetime. He is one of the best tutors I’ve ever had.”

⦿ “He went from a predicted a 4/5 to an 8 !!! We were extremely pleased and put this down to Jon's ability.”

⦿ “I wish we had found him earlier! We highly recommend him!”

⦿ “He is helpful and gifted at tutoring kids so they understand exactly what they need to change or improve on. We will be using Jon for all of our children.”

VIII) THIS IS HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER

⦿ Regular Weekly Sessions: my most popular service, with fully individualised, weekly sessions designed to build that sense of momentum and confidence. Simple and effective

⦿ Booster Sessions: a more intensive set of lessons over a shorter timespan. When time is short, this burst of lessons can really be the difference maker in deciding those grades

⦿ UCAS Applications: A bespoke service where I’ll guide you through exactly how to write, craft and edit your perfect UCAS statement, that will help you unlock the university of your dreams

⦿ Coursework Support: In need of some serious coursework intervention? No worries. I can help draft, edit and proof-read that crucial non-exam assessment with you, making sure it’s a piece of work you’re proud to hand in

⦿ Career Planning: in having a clear track-record of success in the public, academic and commercial worlds, I’m happy to help you plan your own career, to ensure you avoid the many pitfalls and achieve the job you always wanted

⦿ Mentoring: whether it’s academic mentoring to overcome school-stress and the dreaded procrastination, or more tailored mentoring in life or business, I am an expert in bringing out people’s true potential

⦿ Property and Entrepreneurship Masterclasses: in being a successful property investor and entrepreneur, I’m privileged to mentor new entrants into the industry, helping them to avoid the (many!) pitfalls and maximise their profits in a safe and financially sustainable way. (I’m an absolute property geek, so I’m always happy to pass on my skills in this area)

Tutoring Approach

IX) HOW I TEACH/TUTOR

Besides enjoying superb results, my pupils benefit from a relaxed yet challenging atmosphere, with high commitment being expected of them, and this is demonstrated in both their personal and academic growth, which is among the most rewarding aspects of tutoring for me. I’m very friendly with a great sense of humour (so I’ve been told!), and I use this to make the learning as enjoyable as I can, whilst strengthening self-esteem and exciting the minds of my students. Through this, it is more than tutoring to me, seeing our time together as equipping them with the vital skills they need to excel in later life.

In terms of lesson delivery, I always strive to be on the cutting-edge of education in use of educational technology, teaching resources and methods. Therefore, my approach to tutoring currently makes use of the techniques of “blended learning”, and utilises the following:

⦿ Industry-standard video-conferencing and modern presentational packages such as Miro-used by global brands like Coca Cola and Nike to power collaborative learning

⦿ Powerful virtual learning environments, resourced by well-known educational companies such as Twinkl and Century Tech, to help every one of my learners maximise their potential.

⦿ Judicious use of AI powered apps and programmes, to help explore key educational concepts, mark schemes and model answers

⦿ Fully personalised lessons, tailored to topics, skills and levels being explored by the learner at school

⦿ Interlocking homework provided, to consolidate key concepts and themes explored within each lesson

⦿ Innovative approach to learning, from using computer games as inspirational stimulus for creative writing (which have been used as national exemplars by UK exam boards), to debating contemporary issues affecting all young people for speaking and listening tasks, such as: “How Will AI Change Humanity?”

⦿ A friendly and engaging approach to learning, seeking to make it fun, yet intellectually rigorous at all time

Thus, with 20 years+ experience now in the UK’s most challenging classrooms, this has constantly honed my approach to teaching and tutoring, creatively using ed-tech to ensure no learner is left behind, as we cover the curriculum in an accessible and enjoyable way.

Needless to say, I am a passionate advocate of the transformational value of education, which is a joy, never a chore. In having been lucky enough to build a property brand and investment portfolio, I now tutor primarily for the sheer enjoyment of helping develop the next generation of learners. Education enabled me to escape a childhood of abject poverty, and with this in mind, I always do my best to ensure I give each and every one of my students the best start in life I can.

If you’re looking to work with one of the leading tutors in the industry with a proven track-record of academic and commercial success, then I’m happy to help.

Thank you ever so much for reading :)

*Enhanced DBS certified

**Please kindly note: proposed rate will be dependent on level of study, length of tutoring period and demand.