I am a teacher with nearly 30 years experience in a wide range of schools and colleges in the Northwest and five years experience as a one to one tutor.  I have detailed knowledge and expertise with key stage 3, 4 and A Levels in English Language, Literature, Film Studies and Media Studies.  I am currently offering zoom/ skype tutoring to improve skills and performance in English from year 7 to A Level and beyond. I have several adult tutees and can help with a range of issues of expression, vocabulary, structure and accuracy.

 I have a B.A. Honours Degree and M.A. in English Literature, but have also been co-ordinator for English Language and also been a Pastoral Manager for six years.  I have also been a Senior Examiner with the AQA English exam board and Eduqas GCSE Creative Writing unit.  I now live in Edinburgh with my wife and two teenage children and enjoy sports, film, singing in choirs and writing and reading my own poetry.

I have a full DBS Enhanced Certificate and can supply excellent references on request.

About Me

I went to school and sixth form college in Salford and completed my degree in English Literature in Newcastle, before continuing my studies with a Masters in Edinburgh University.  I then worked in a variety of jobs before completing teacher training (PGCE) at Manchester University.  Most of my teaching initially was at A Level with 16 -19 year old students and I became a Senior Pastoral Manager and Subject Coordinator, as well as a Senior Examiner with the AQA Exam Board.  Over the last six years I have taught in many schools and colleges, from single sex, inner city, with a varied and diverse intake to the independent sector where academic expectations were very high.  I have been a tutor for five years and have helped many students to improve their grades, from year 8 to A Level, and they have all achieved grades 6 or above in both English Language and English Literature.  In recent times, I have adapted my tutoring to being online using zoom or skype and continue to offer this, though hopefully we will soon be moving back towards face to face!

Services

Is your child or young person struggling to achieve their potential in English?  Losing confidence and motivation?  Needing to improve grades to move onto the next step?

Are you finding your English skills holding you back in your job or course?  

I can help you to improve, build up confidence and help with all areas of English.  My initial assessment would focus on areas where most help is needed and assessment of spelling, punctuation, vocabulary, knowledge of grammatical terms and understanding of analysis.  I make the sessions varied and fun, using full range of technology and aim to build up essential skills in English as well as improving understanding of how to explore meanings in texts, how to develop writing and how to make expression more fluent.  Hopefully we will build up a good relationship and support the work at school, college or university and performance will, judging from my past experiences, improve drastically.  I have seen improvements of two or even up to five grades from when my tutees started working with me.  Often the key is confidence, and I can help build up a greater belief in how to express yourself more fluently.

We can do this... let's get to work!