Julia

I believe that learning should be a life-long process. I am a highly skilled Biology teacher, but also a passionate scientist. My love of Biology, in particular, human physiology, health and disease, started when I was young, where I became fascinated by the age-old and continuous struggle between man and those pesky pathogens. Our world, our evolution and our survival as a species have been shaped by these microscopic organisms which continuously seem to get the upper hand. My passion for parasites and pathogens and my desire to understand how they function, how they evade our immune systems and most importantly how we can fight back, led me to study Immunology at the University of Glasgow. I then moved to London and was awarded my PhD in Medical Parasitology, after 4 years working and studying at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. I then started my career as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in Allergy and Respiratory Medicine, at Guy's Hospital in London; however, due to family commitments, I entered the teaching profession and have never looked back.
I moved to Cheltenham 4 years ago and I am a teacher of Biology and Subject Lead in a local grammar school.

Tutoring Experience

I have 27 years of experience teaching GCSE and A-Level Biology, in a diverse range of education settings ; independent, international, comprehensive and grammar schools. My academic and research background enables me to inspire my students by bringing Biology alive. I have detailed subject knowledge and a deep understanding of the AQA GCSE and OCR A-level Biology specifications, although I have experience of teaching all boards. I have a proven track record of my students achieving top grades at both GCSE and A-level, with many of my students going on to some of the top Universities in the country.

Tutoring Approach

I am endlessly patient and calm. I listen to my students and adapt my teaching to the individual needs of each of them. I encourage my students to be curious and inquisitive and ensure that they understand that there is no such thing as a 'silly question' - all questions are important!
I ensure that each student has a solid foundation of biology knowledge upon which to build, and then go through the key concepts of each biology topic, using lots of questioning to ensure understanding before moving on. I use lots of little quizzes, as well as different types of exam questions, including multiple choice and longer answer questions.
As well as securing knowledge of biological concepts, I check their use of biological terminology; essential to gain marks in both the GCSE and A-Level exams. I also ensure that they develop their exam skills so that they are fully prepared and confident when they sit their final exams.
In order to meet some of the ever-increasing SEN needs, I have undertaken CPD to help me develop effective teaching strategies to better support students with SEN needs, including dyslexia.