Paul

I'm a science/maths tutor with over 25 years' experience of dramatically improving students' grades. I'm also a medical doctor, which enables me to make science fascinating and memorable by explaining topics in context. I'm invariably told by parents that I've enabled their children to finally understand subjects that they've struggled with for a long time, and nothing gives me greater pleasure than seeing the impact that this can have on a young person's confidence and academic future.

Tutoring Experience

I have over 25 years' experience of successfully tutoring students to achieve top grades at GCSE and A-Level, and of gaining places for my students in the best Russell Group universities, including Oxbridge, and also some of the very best selective schools in the country, including St Paul's Girls, JAGS, Godolphin & Latymer, Dulwich, City of London Boys, Eton and Westminster. I have enhanced DBS clearance and am happy to show my certificate to all parents.

What makes me different is my ability to find each person's individual best route to understanding, to communicate subjects to students in ways that are individually tailored to help them understand and remember. Even topics and subjects that you've struggled with and found impossible to understand are simple at heart, and if they're explained to you in the right way you can master them and never forget them.

I've perfected tools and techniques over the years to help students understand and retain well, including free WhatsApp one-minute video tutorials, cloud storage of concise notes made during lessons, and mnemonic systems.

One highly effective technique that really deepens understanding, and often makes the difference in enabling students to attain the very highest grades, I call Socratic science. What that means in practice is that, when teaching you a topic, I'll sometimes play the role of a student years younger than you who has either never heard of the topic, or has completely misunderstood it, and I'll ask you to explain it to me whilst I pretend to be this other student. I'll be very slow to understand, and will make deliberate mistakes. If you can teach me the topic despite all of this then I'll know that you truly understand it. And as you attempt to teach me, we will be able to identify and fix any misunderstandings that you may have. This will greatly deepen your understanding and retention of the topic and subject. The big secret upon which the success of this method relies is the fact that when you learn something passively you retain only 10% of that information long term, but when you have taught the topic to someone else your long term retention will be around 90%!

We'll also use past examination papers, mark schemes, reports of examiners, and other carefully chosen resources to precisely cover your specification, so that all tuition time is maximally efficient. We also spend time resolving any problem areas that you might be struggling with, and the greater understanding that comes from this often leads to greater enjoyment of the subject.

Tutoring Approach

I have a number of students that I teach for GCSE and A-Level science, and some that I teach for GCSE mathematics and English. Some of my A-level and GCSE students first came to me, with very little belief left in themselves, after disappointing results in AS or GCSE examinations. It has been a privilege and a pleasure to watch them grow in skill and confidence, as they realise that topics that they had previously found incomprehensible can be explained simply, and in ways that are easy to remember. They frequently then go on to obtain top grades, and there is nothing on this earth more satisfying than changing lives for the better.

I believe that learning should always be enjoyable, and my aim is for my students to finish their lessons feeling more positive about themselves and their abilities.

My constant goal is to enable children and young people to reach their full potential, and so maximise their life chances, whether this potential has been spotted by their schools or not.