Rory

I am a graduate of King's College London, with a First Class honours degree in Mathematics . I have over 7 years professional tutoring experience.

I am a friendly, patient and enthusiastic teacher offering mathematics tutoring from GCSE to Undergraduate level.

In mathematics there are often many different ways to explain a method or concept, it is the tutor's role to find the way most suited to the student. I try to personalise my teaching approach to reflect the individual goals, strengths, weaknesses and learning styles of my students.

In my experience, keeping students well motivated by setting clear goals and tasks is key. A good tutor should build the student's confidence by explaining ideas slowly and clearly, and always offering lots of encouragement. There are many misconceptions about mathematics, in particular the idea that it is something "you either get or you don't". I think all students are capable of understanding maths provided it is explained to them in the right way. With the confidence and motivation to work hard students can greatly improve their grades.

In addition to tutoring I am a professional saxophonist. I have a masters degree from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama.

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“Rory is highly experienced, patient and committed tutor - his explanation are clear and make it easy to understand. Rory has helped to raise my maths A grade from B to A*, scoring 98 in C3 and 89 in C4.” - Tiffany (A-level)

“Hi Rory, I got an A* in Maths!!! I got 98 in C3 and 84 in C4 and 91 in M!! Thank you so much for all your help I can’t believe it!” - Gabby

“Sadie got A* for maths GCSE, and A* for statistics. Thanks so much for your input. Thanks for everything, I think it really helps.” - Sadie GCSE maths and statistics

“Hi Rory, Emma got an A in Maths. So Happy. Thank you so much for all your help. you’ve been a fantastic tutor to Emma. She couldn’t have done it without you :)” - Emma A-Level maths

"Hi Rory, I got an level 7 in maths!! :) Thanks so much for all your help" - Faith GCSE maths

"Two level nine!! They're delighted! Thank you so so much for your flexibility, patience and dedication. " Jack and James, GCSE maths

"Frankie won the Maths Cup - He averaged 80% in his 3 exams, thanks Rory" - Frankie (13+ maths)

"Thank you for your kindness and patience, Sylvia enjoyed her lessons with you greatly, you have been an outstanding tutor" - Sylvia AS-Maths

"Hi Rory, my results went well - I got into Bristol, and I got an A in maths! Thank you!" - Claudia, A-level Maths

"You helped me massively and I achieved great results thanks to your help, I couldn't have done it without you" - Angelo, Computer Science Undergraduate (Maths module)

"Thank you so much for all your help! Richard has really benefitted from your lessons and enjoys very much the way you teach, you have been a great help and mentor" Richard A-level maths (grade A), plus two years of undergraduate maths for Engineering

"I studied with Rory for the majority of year 13 and I was initially worried about my A-level summer exams. In order to apply to the universities of my choice, I needed a minimum predicted grade of ‘A’ and I had a ‘B’. My teachers at school left me feeling like there was too much to cover in a very short period of time. Starting by targeting areas of weakness, Rory tailored the lessons to address my concerns (such as functions, poisson distribution and C4 integration, for example).

Within 2 months, Mathematics was my most assured subject and I was consistently achieving 90% + marks in my practice papers up until my exams. With Rory, I noticed that there was a balance between the duality of working at my own pace and being pushed to realise my potential. Rory introduced me to websites such as Madasmaths and Solomon to develop the necessary academic resilience and confidence required to tackle the hardest of questions. I obtained an ‘A’ predicted grade and after a couple of months I was aiming for an ‘A*’ in my summer exam. Unlike most of my teachers, I found that Rory was able to explain even the most complicated concepts and the derivation of formulas in a way that was understandable.

Rory stayed in contact with me throughout the week, I could ask him any question, at any time and he would give me clues about how to solve the questions before looking to solve them for me. By being made to explain my thought process, Rory ensured that I was an active participant in the discussion as opposed to simply being spoken at for an hour. Rory put me on the spot to answer difficult questions to adapt to exam conditions and by doing so, also allowed him to understand the extent to which I understood the concept and clarified the areas that needed further attention. I took one module outside of school with Rory (S2) and retook C2. In my summer exams I got 100 ums in C2, 94 ums in C3, 88 ums in S2 and 66 ums in C4 (an exam that I was confident about but had mind blanks on), obtaining an ‘A’ grade. For these reasons, I’d strongly recommend Rory as a maths tutor" - Max A-level maths

Tutoring Experience

I have a wealth of experience tutoring GCSE, 11+, 16+, Pre-U, IB , A-level and AS-level mathematics and further mathematics, working with students of varying abilities both in one-to-one contexts and group sessions. I have experience working both privately and as a specialist maths tutor in schools. I have tutored 1st and 2nd year undergraduate students, and have experience working with children with learning difficulties.

Alex (Pre-U Maths) : An intensive revision course during the half term break (14hrs). Alex was struggling with some of the parts (most notably calculus) of the PreU mathematics syllabus. After our initial sessions were successful additional hours of tuition were requested. In these lessons we covered: proof by inductions, integrations by substitution, reduction formulae, hyperbolic trigonometry, inverse trig, exam technique and much more. I continued working with Alex for over two years, and he received an offer from Princeton University, USA to study engineering.

Samantha (A-Level): Samantha came to me ahead of her Maths A-level retake, need- ing an A grade to meet her offer from UCL. We worked through all aspects of the C3, C4 and M1 with a clear focus on exam technique. Samantha worked very hard in our sessions and in her homework and we worked formed an excellent working relationship. She achieved an A* in her final exams (scoring 98% in C3 and 89% in C4)

Christopher (GCSE Maths): Weekly GCSE maths sessions with Christopher, with a primary focus on ensuring that he has fully understood the concepts covered in school that week. I worked with Christopher’s parent to help fill some important gaps in his mathematical knowledge, in particular learning his timetables and number bonds thoroughly. Christopher went from an D/E grade to successfully achieving his target grade of a C.

Eliza (GCSE maths & GCSE statistics): Eliza is a very bright student who, though very capable, lacked confidence in maths, her weakest subject. Her parents sought a tutor who would support and encourage her but also challenge and push her. We have worked together in weekly session over the last two academic years. Eliza’s progress has been excellent and following our sessions her end of year school report singled out Maths as an area of strength. Eliza achieved A* grades in both GCSE Statistics and GCSE Maths.

Laura (11+): I am currently working two hours a week with Laura preparing her for upcoming 11+ exams. Laura is a bright and capable girl who, though having good knowledge of the majority of the maths syllabus, has a few important gaps in her knowledge. I’ve identified these and have been writing her personalised problem sets to better prepare her for the exams. Laura’s previous maths tutor knocked her confidence and so our sessions have focussed on building confidence; she is a very capable student but not always sure of her own abilities.

Annabel (16+) : An intense course (approx. 20 hours) preparing Annabel for entrance exams to some of the more competitive London Schools. Annabel was educated outside of the UK so many areas needed covering with reference to the UK syllabus. Annabel worked very hard and had a good aptitude for maths. Over the two weeks we worked together her practice test results improved from scoring around 50% to 70%+. Annabel was accepted at St. Pauls and Godophin and Latymer.

Charlie (IB maths higher level): Revision course, taking place over a week, for a student studying maths higher level at a British International School. Charlie was a high achieving student with had a good understanding in most topics, however some weaknesses in his algebra and calculus (in particular) were holding him back. Charlie was bright and very hardworking, he scored a level 6 in his maths and went on to studying Chemistry at university.

Thomas (IB maths standard level) : I worked with Thomas for two years as he progressed through his IB maths course. Thomas is dyslexic and has ADHD, and struggled with the pace of lessons at school. We went through each topic carefully and slowly, making clear notes. Thomas worked hard with his practice papers and exam questions and he achieved his offer to study anthropology at university.

Jessica (AS-Level and A-level maths) : Jessica was behind and a lacking in confidence in maths having missed school due to illness. Over the two years Jessica and I worked together, she went from wanting to drop maths because she found it too difficult, to scoring 80%+ in all her past papers (and declaring maths her strongest and favourite subject!). Jessica worked incredibly hard and it was great to see her confidence improve. She achieved an A grade in A-level maths and is going on to study occupational therapy at university.

Fin (GCSE) - I worked with Fin over his school holidays to help him improve his predicted grade in his Maths GCSE. After accessing his strengths and weaknesses, I tailored a program of work to give him a boost in a number of areas.

Walworth Academy - Tutoring a small group of GCSE students at Walworth Academy on a weekly basis to help prepare them for their Maths exams. The students all have target grade C.

Cardinal Pole School, Hackney (year 10, GCSE): Over the last academic year I worked weekly with a group of four year 10 girls who had been identified as borderline B/A students and possible underachievers. We developed a great rapport and worked through a majority of the GCSE course. I tried to make the sessions as interactive and engaging as possible (the lessons took place directly after school), and the students seemed to respond very well and learn a great deal.

Brit School (GCSE maths, foundation level) - In the run up to last years exams I taught a number of exam focused revision sessions at the Brit School in Croyden. The students were taking the foundation paper and had a target grade C. I kept the sessions positive and exam focussed to build the student's confidence ahead of their exam. The students were great to work with and always engaged with the lesson. I received very positive feedback from the school and was asked to continue tutoring long term in the next academic year.

Abigail (Maths A-level):
Abigail and I worked together face-to-face during her summer holidays and then continued with skype lessons during term time. Abigail worked very hard, and we used our skype sessions to go through all past paper questions she'd been stuck with during the week. We covered C3, C4 and M1 together. Abigail achieved an A* in Maths, with 98 in C3, 84 in C4 and 91 in M1. She is now study at Princeton University (USA).

Max (A-level): I taught Max S1 statistics in one-to-one lessons and helped him with his C3 and C4 too. Michael was very motivated and worked hard, he got an A in his A-level maths.

Frankie (13+): Frankie studied with me in preparation for this 13+ exams, with great scores he was awarded places at both Radley and Winchester and is now studying at Winchester.

Angelo (University maths): Angela is studying Computer Science at University and was struggling with the mathematics module. We covered the material from his lectures and I set him additional questions. He scored 100% on this 1st assesment and is awaiting the results of his 2nd exam (but is feeling confident!)

Richard (A-level): I worked with Richard for two years on his AS-level and A-level maths. In our weekly lessons we would go through any issues Richard had with the material from school, then push ahead extending the topic and looking at slightly harder questions. I found this was the best way to keep Richard (who was somewhat prone to complacency!) motivated. Together we structured a revision plan and I carefully kept track of his progress, using his past papers to inform his revision. Richard achieved a grade A at A-level (averaging 90% across his modules)

Faith (GCSE): Faith was an bright student who had missed school due to illness. We worked together over two years, systematically covering the topics she had missed. Faith achieved a level 7 in GCSE maths.

Claudia (A-Level): I worked with Claudia during her second years of maths A-level. Her school had given her a poor predicted grade after her first year and recommended that she drop maths, saying she was unlikely to above a grade B. To Claudia's credit she persevered and we started lessons together. She had a great attitude and work ethic and achieved a grade A in maths.

Tutoring Approach

I've always found helping students to understand and enjoy maths an extremely rewarding experience, particularly if they have previously struggled with the subject. After covering material in detail, I like to break each section down to just the essential formulae and methods, I find this avoids students becoming overwhelmed and is great exam preparation.