About
Hi, I'm Seb.
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I tutor Maths, Further Maths and Computer Science at GCSE and A-level, plus Physics at AS-level. I've been doing it since the previous academic year and brought student's grades up by an average of least 1 grade with some even increasing by 3 grades.
I'm a student currently in my last year of A-levels, predicted A* in Maths, Further Maths and Computer Science and a prospective student for the University of Oxford. That makes a bigger difference than you may think: the specifications I teach are fresh in my mind: the ones I'm working through in the present, not ones I half-remember from a decade ago.
I sat my GCSEs recently enough to remember exactly how they felt. I can relate to any students sitting them and provide the most up to date exam tips. I came out with grades 7-9 across all of my subjects, and got a 9 in all subjects offered on my site. I know which topics can be tough and trip people up, which mark schemes are specific and fussy, and which “hard” questions are actually recycled by the exam board every year, and easy to prepare for.
How I teach
I believe in young people thriving when treated as adults. I like to manage sessions with the student rather than the parents as it means they feel more in control. Especially with exams on the approach, control means confidence. If you can actually respect your tutor and enjoy being in a session with them, it can make a massive difference as you will be more motivated and willing to learn, and information will be absorbed far more effectively. As a student myself, I know exactly what it's like to have a bad teacher. Nobody learns technical subjects such as Maths and Physics by watching someone else do things. In my sessions, the student holds the pen - the student takes charge and we tackle problems together. When something doesn't click, I don't just re-explain louder, I find a different route in and a new way of breaking the topic down and explaining it because there is always a way to understand.
I've seen what that approach can do first hand. One of my students last year went from a Grade 6 in Computer Science to a Grade 9. I'm not a magician, I didn't cast a magical spell that would suddenly make them a genius - he succeeded because we found weaknesses holding them back, honed in on them, and then practised until the exam felt familiar instead of frightening.
Teaching is what I love, not just what I sell
At school I set up and ran a Computer Science support clinic for anyone struggling from GCSE to A-level. I created a positive environment for everyone to feel encouraged, and the feedback from not only students but even teachers was consistently positive. As well as this, on most Saturday mornings, I assist my teachers in maths lessons for younger years where they are more comfortable asking for help from a student rather than a teacher. This is where my belief started that a student can trult thrive when they are more comfortable. I mention this because I think it matters: I already have experience doing this even though nobody paid me. Dedicating my time making something click for someone is genuinely the best part of my week.
If this sounds like the kind of tutoring you or your child would get on with, I'd love to hear from you.