Tim

I have been passionate about maths since early childhood. I spent a decade as a fully qualified maths teacher, teaching GCSE maths and A-level (including further maths) to pupils from a wide variety of abilities, backgrounds and cultures. I semi-retired five years ago and have since tutored a number of pupils for A-level and GCSE. I have a first class honours maths degree from Oxford University and teaching certificate in maths for secondary education.

Tutoring Experience

After 20 years spent working in industry, I trained as a secondary school teacher (teaching years 7 to 11), and then spent nearly ten years teaching maths in a post-16 school in the Greenwich Borough. There I taught A-level (both maths and further maths) and also GCSE maths for pupils resitting. The pupils I taught were of a wide range of abilities, backgrounds and cultures. A large number of my GCSE resit pupils were successful in raising their grades to a C (or now a 4). Pupils were keen to be in my class.

I semi-retired around five years ago and have done a fair amount of tutoring of A-level and GCSE maths pupils, from a fairly basic level up to A level further maths.

Tutoring Approach

I have two available slots starting at 4:30pm on Mondays and at 7:30pm on Tuesdays (available now). I try to keep this list up-to-date.

I believe in a very individualised approach, concentrating on identifying and improving the areas a pupil struggles with. My experience in school has helped me learn a variety of methods for teaching particular topics, and which ones are most likely to be successful. Practice outside of lessons is key to success in maths, and tutoring needs to be in addition to full attendance and participation in school lessons, homework and additional sessions schools offer, and is absolutely not a replacement for these activities.

Since the pandemic started, all of my teaching has been online (via Skype, although I am happy to use other products if necessary). This has worked surprisingly well.

As it is slightly more difficult to explain things when you are not face-to-face, and also do not have travel time and costs, I usually go a little over the hour (75-90 minutes) but charge the normal rate for a one hour lesson.

For the protection of my elderly mother-in-law, I will need to continue with all lessons online for the foreseeable future.

I am happy to tutor pupils as often or infrequently as desired, and do not charge for cancelled lessons (provided I am informed in sufficient time to avoid a wasted journey). Pupils are free to leave at any time if they feel they have achieved everything they set out to achieve, or that things are not working out.

I normally do tuition on Monday / Tuesday late afternoons / evenings. Currently my only available slots are on Mondays starting at 4:30pm and Tuesdays starting at 7:30pm.

For safeguarding reasons, a parent should be in the house during lessons.