Phillip

English tutor with 18 years’ experience teaching 6th form. GCSE English Language examiner, and formerly a coursework moderator on the A-Level Language and Literature course. Specialise in English Language GCSE (particularly, but not solely, resit - think rapid grade improvement) and Language and Literature A-Level, also familiar with A Level Literature and A Level Language courses. Lots of experience working with learners with SEND, including with ECHPs, including dyslexia, ASD, ADHD, hearing impairment (with interpreter).

Calm and patient, and student-focused.

In my own time I’m a published writer, editor, and writing coach.

Tutoring Experience

18 years teaching English, Drama, Media, and others, in 6th form 2005-2023.
Extensive experience of working with learners with SEND including with ECHP in the classroom, and successful experience of working with SEND learners one to one.

Tutoring Approach

Face to face sessions (£40, I come to you) are student-focused, but with a consistent central approach to essay construction. Begin with a chat about strengths and weaknesses, and hopefully put the student at ease about the tutoring process. Then introduction to a simple but effective approach to essay-writing using templates developed from a mix of classroom practice, one-to-one tuition, and exam-board work and training.

Usually by the end of a first session, we will have worked through techniques and a template to improve essay grades immediately.

In the longer term, we’ll work across the range of questions in the appropriate exam paper(s), establishing good practice for quote selection, analysis, and essay technique appropriate to each, building from the approach in the first session.

I will also work with learners on specific texts or topics they are struggling with.

While we’re working together, I'll look for any indicators of previously unidentified literacy difficulties that might be useful to discuss with a school or college for support.

Online tutorials (£35/session) use MS Teams, MS Word, and Sharepoint. Delivery replicates the format of face to face tutorials, while practice work will use live documents in Sharepoint to work together on word-processed essay responses, getting feedback in real time.

In the future I may look at small group (no more than five) tutorials online for the lower rate of £20/learner/session if there is demand.

I will usually mark practice work in real time as we’re working on it together. I will sometimes set and mark homework where appropriate (no penalty for non-completion from me; I leave that for parents to enforce!) and am happy to discuss marking independent work; for obvious professional reasons I won’t second-mark work that has already been assessed by a school or college (though I’m happy to talk through feedback from assessed work and how to amend practice in light of it).

In general I'm happy to discuss working in any way that is felt best, as long as I have sufficient notice to be able to deliver it well.