David

Having achieved 'Outstanding' A Level History results as Head of History for the largest Further Education College in Sussex, including over 75% higher grades and 100% pass rate, I specialise in A Level History tuition across all exam boards and subject papers, with an emphasis on exam skills, essay technique, structure, and content. Last year, three quarters of my tutees received A grade for their History GCSE / A Levels, and every single one achieved at least 2 grades higher than when they first began their tutoring. All of my A Level tutees go on to their selected University. Last year, a quarter of my tutees achieved an A* and went on to Oxford and Cambridge.

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I graduated from the University of Kent with a BA in History (First Class) and an MA in Modern History (Distinction) in 2011. With a passion for teaching and research, I undertook a PhD in History between 2011 to 2014, gaining my doctorate in May 2015. During this period, I have published in world-leading academic journals and have won funding and prizes for my research. I am the author of several award-winning books.

I currently tutor medieval, early modern and modern papers for Edexcel, AQA and OCR.

I live in Sussex with my wife, our energetic 10 year old daughter, and our even more energetic 5 year old son.

Tutoring Experience

I began teaching in 2011 at the University of Kent as an Assistant Lecturer in History. In 2014, I became Head of History at a large Further Education institution in Sussex. As such, I was responsible for overseeing the provision of history teaching across the College to over 200 students, managing four College lecturers. I also taught full-time at the College, delivering the new History A Level curriculum from Edexcel, including a wide range of papers from the Crusades to Communist States in the Twentieth Century!

As Head of History my results were assessed at value-added 2, which is termed 'Outstanding', with 75% of my students achieving 'High Grades', with a 100% pass rate and every single one going on to their first-choice University.

In 2016, I joined a University History Department where I currently teach undergraduates on a wide range of modules.

I have now been providing private tuition for over 10 years, and in that time have specialised in Edexcel, AQA and OCR exam boards. Most of my tutees join me toward the end of their first year, as they prepare for the end-of-year mock exam, and embark on their coursework over the summer. But I also commonly have a mixture of second year students, students who are re-taking their 2 year A Level outside of College, or those who are home-schooled.

In all cases, sessions evolve around the planning, structuring and writing of exam questions, both essay and source-based. Regular assessment, timed questions and extensive feedback combine to ensure that, even within a very short amount of time, students tend to improve significantly in their performance. By the time June rolls around, students have usually completed over a dozen practice exam papers with me, and are therefore confident, calm, and fully prepared. My goal is to entirely demystify the exam process, and to ensure the 'real thing' in May/June feels like just another exam practice with me.

While there is a predominant focus on preparing for the exam, sessions also encompass writing approaches, content knowledge, analysis and understanding, and revision techniques and skills.

Below is a small example of the papers I am currently teaching this year (although by all means I can and do teach ALL exam papers, this is just an example of what I am doing this year):

Edexcel:
1A: The Crusades; 1C: Britain: conflict, revolution and settlement; 1D: Britain: democracy, protest and reform; 1E: Russia, from Lenin to Yeltsin
2A: Anglo-Saxon England; 2C: Russia in Revolution; 2E: Mao's China; 2H: The USA
31: Rebellion and disorder under the Tudors; 33: The Witch Craze; 35: Britain, losing and gaining an empire; 36: Britain, protest, agitation and parliamentary reform; 38: the making of modern Russia

AQA:
1C: Tudor England; 1D: Stuart Britain and the Crisis of the Monarchy; 1E: Russia in the Age of Absolutism and Enlightenment; 1H: Tsarist and Communist Russia; 1J: The British Empire
2E: The English Revolution; 2J: America, a nation divided; 2N: Revolution and dictatorship in Russia; 2P: the transformation of China; 2R: The Cold War; 2T: The Crisis of Communism

OCR:
Y102: Anglo-Saxon England and the Norman Conquest; Y106: The Early Tudors' Y107: The Later Tudors; Y108: Early Stuarts and the origins of the Civil War
Y203: Crusades and the Crusader States; Y210: Russia; Y211: Rise and Decline of Mughal Empire; Y216: USA and 19th Century; Y218: International Relations; Y219: Russia; Y221: Democracy and Dictatorships in Germany; Y222: Cold War in Asia; Y223: Cold War in Europe
Y306: Rebellion and Disorder under the Tudors; Y311: Origins and growth of the British Empire; Y312: Popular culture and the Witch Craze; Y317: China and its rulers; Y318: Russia and its rulers; Y320: The British Empire

Tutoring Approach

I believe I provide the perfect mix of expertise and skills-building. Tutees who select me to assist them in their A Levels or degree courses benefit from my subject-specific knowledge as a Doctor in History (teaching and researching at a University), alongside my teaching, learning and assessment skills from years of leading a further education history department. I have a particular expertise in the new 2 year linear A Levels which began in 2015, having helped plan and write up the new specification and implemented it for over 200 students as head of history. This combination of knowledge and skills ensures tutees benefit in the two most important areas of assessment, guaranteeing improvement in their performance and, for almost all of my students, achieving the highest grades possible.

Sessions evolve around, specifically, exam practice, although from week-to-week they incorporate other areas of assessment and learning, including writing approaches, revision skills, and even mind-mapping when necessary. By and large, however, hour-long sessions will comprise planning an answer in response to an exam question, structuring an essay, and then writing parts or all of this under timed conditions. It is a rigorous, but very successful strategy which ensures students are as prepared for June as possible.

As a tutor, I strive to create a friendly and pro-active, enjoyable learning environment, no matter how brief, in which a tutee can feel relaxed and open to new ideas and information. I'm quick to respond to emails and messages, happy to read and feedback work outside of sessions, reschedule sessions as required, and provide advice and support for University applications, UCAS statements and general guidance on the University process.

It goes without saying that students leave a tutorial session with me feeling that they've progressed, achieved new skills and improved their work - but I am also a firm believer in students walking away having enjoyed the session, feeling positive about themselves and their work ethic, and feeling calm and relaxed about the exam.