Rob

I have a First Class Honours in English Literature and History. I have been a highly successful English teacher and Head of Department for 26 years where I have been able to share my passion for literature and writing.

Beyond my work as an English teacher, I am also the author of twelve novels, as well as numerous anthologised short stories, novellas, audio dramas, computer games and comics. My poetry has been short listed in national contests. My fiction has won national writing competitions, been featured on the BBC and appeared on the New York Times Best Seller list.

I am registered with the Enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring) Service. This is a voluntary criminal record check that education professionals undertake as proof that they are appropriate adults to work with children. Enhanced DBS checks are rigorous and considered the gold-standard in safeguarding protection.

I also undertake regular 'Advanced Safeguarding, Child Protection, Prevent, GDPR and Keeping Children Safe in Education' training, to keep my professional knowledge up-to-date.

I teach both 1-1 and groups online weekday evenings and on Saturday mornings.

Tutoring Experience

Across my 26 year career, I have taught English Language and English Literature at every secondary key stage - as well as other subjects like Drama, Media Studies and Functional Skills. I have worked in a wide range of institutions: large and small, inner-city and rural, schools that are highly diverse, schools that benefit from advantaged catchments and those that recruit from deprived areas. I have also worked as an exam marker for both Edexcel and AQA and have been a home tutor.

Tutoring Approach

I have high expectations in terms of effort and behaviour and favour learning as a fun and innovative experience. I believe strongly in the encouragement of academic independence.

I begin with an initial free 15 minute phone consultation to establish the student's needs. Lessons are 50 minutes long and include a range of strategies honed across 26 years of teaching experience. While establishing a strong rapport with each student, I aim to identify the areas of development that are preventing the student from achieving an identified goal - for example, achieving a target grade in an examination setting. Through a mixture of teaching, coaching and the setting of independent work between sessions, I help the student develop the competence required to meet their goal. Teaching addresses gaps in subject knowledge and deficiencies in academic approach. Coaching helps students apply and develop what they have learned, building upon incremental successes. Independent work is set and monitored, with a strong emphasis upon independent learning resources, in order to address broader development and speed up progress.

As these strategies yield results and smaller successes give way to the more comprehensive meeting of goals and expectations, students come to believe more in themselves and take ownership of their potential.