Ashley

Hi there!

I'm a fun, welcoming tutor with over ten year's experience in convincing young people that they love English Literature as much as I do, that they do in fact understand what Shakespeare was on about, and that there are 40 mark's worth of things to write about one poem.

Check my profile for fantastic feedback from the families I've worked with over the years, and let their comments help you decide whether I’m the right tutor for you.

I did Art and Design, English Literature, Media Studies and Psychology at A Level at Hinchingbrooke School and went on to study Archaeology and Art History at the University of Nottingham, which saw me travel the world digging up artefacts. I then completed a Post Graduate Diploma in journalism and have written entertainment reviews for newspapers, as well as producing magazine shows for local radio.

I've professional experience in writing press releases, policies, long-form articles, and blog posts. I'm confident in pretty much every writing style, which is a big plus when it comes to navigating those tricksy English Language GCSE papers.

Tutoring Experience

I've tutored students aged between 4 and 18 in English Literature and Language. Most of these I saw once a week for the whole school year, guiding them through coursework and practicing techniques to help them ace their exams. I also see students on a shorter term basis, perhaps just ahead of KS2 tests or a GCSE resit.

In the past, I also worked as a live-in nanny and childminder for primary aged children and tutored them in reading and writing.

On top of this, I have practical work experience with special needs children as a classroom assistant during summer holiday programs. I served as a governor at Brampton Village Primary School for four years and am aware of the ever changing intricacies of the national curriculum, as well as some of the challenges children may face in the classroom that mean they could use extra help.

I was very close to the UK exams system for many years, working in the PR department of Cambridge University Press and Assessment, which runs the OCR, Cambridge English, and Cambridge International Examinations exam boards. The extensive training I received in the design and assessment of GCSE and A Level exams means I know what examiners are looking for, how you can show your best side to them on paper, and how to use examiner reports and mark schemes to train towards top exam performance.

Once tutoring opportunities dried up during COVID, I took a break, changed careers, moved house, and am ready to meet new students in the local area.

Tutoring Approach

I never found school hard because I enjoyed learning. Having someone like me visit your home and show young people why I find Shakespeare so funny or why classic literature actually resonates more with modern readers than they may realise will hopefully turn their attitude to learning around.

I tailor sessions to specific curriculum levels and spend time communicating with students about what they are and aren't confident in to make sure we're not covering old ground.

Sometimes they'll just need one or two one-on-one sessions which school cannot provide to focus their brain and show them that they do in fact "get it" and can go on to guide their own home learning. Most students in 'key' years benefit from regular sessions guiding them through past papers and sharing all my exam point scoring tricks.

One-off longer coursework project tutorials are also an option, or just a couple of revision sessions before a big exam. I'm not resigned to regular, once a week, one-hour sessions at all and am happy to provide short bursts of support as and when they're needed.