Annabel

I grew up in Cambridgeshire but have spent time living and working in Switzerland and India, and am still a keen learner and traveller. Something I love about literature is how it opens up the stories of people across cultures, centuries, real and imagined worlds.

Tutoring Experience

I am a qualified English (Literature and Language) teacher with experience of both the UK's state and independent sectors. I have spent the past few years working in two leading independent secondary schools in Surrey, in both co-ed and single-sex settings. Most of my teaching experience is of mixed ability classes and I have taught many students with a various education learning needs including dyslexia and ADHD. I have taught a wide range of syllabus texts across KS3 and at GCSE, with experience of AQA and Edexcel. I have ample experience preparing students for both examined and coursework units, and my students have a strong track record for results. However, I also place great value in their developed confidence in a subjective discipline.

I have experience marking independent 11+ entry exams and understand the requirements for admittance to competitive secondary schools.

Prior to teaching, I was a project lead for GCSE and A level English qualifications at Pearson Edexcel which has provided my an especially good insight into the demands of exam boards, enabling me to guide my students in how to meet the mark scheme criteria and obtain the best outcomes that they can.

Tutoring Approach

This somewhat depends on the age and schooling stage of the student, however, in almost all cases the best learning occurs with gradual building blocks.

Reading and annotating texts is a very discursive point in the learning, so I will frequently check for understanding and stretching interpretations. I ask my students to take their own notes as this helps cement the information, but will provide supplementary notes as well wherever appropriate.

Before writing, I will walk through any relevant mark schemes so the student understands what is required of them to gain marks. For analytical writing, I will write an example with the student so they have something to refer back to when producing an independent response. For creative writing, I tend to provide a pre-prepared example and give writing prompts and a 'tips and tricks' checklist. For all written work, I will provide detailed written feedback which I will go through with your child. Before writing subsequent responses, I ask students to write their targets at the top of the paper so they are actively encouraged to build and progress.