Freya

Hi! I'm Freya, a recent graduate from the University of Oxford with a first class degree in English Language and Literature. I focus on teaching A Level and GCSE English Literature, as well as helping with preparation for Oxbridge admissions. I am a patient and committed tutor, dedicated to helping each student achieve their desired grade through my personal, individualised tutorial style.

Originally from Manchester, I achieved 9 GCSEs at grade 9 and 3 A Levels at A*. I then attended Christ Church college, Oxford, to study English, where I received a distinction in my preliminary examinations and attained a First Class degree. I endeavour to pass on the knowledge and revision methods I learnt throughout my academic career onto each student.

Tutoring Experience

I have previously tutored in A Level English, with a focus on Shakespeare. My students successfully attained the A Level grades necessary to meet their university offers.

Tutoring Approach

I endeavour to tailor my lessons to the individual needs of each student. Before our first meeting, I will ask the student to submit some of their in-class work and ask them a few questions about where they feel they could improve, and what they hope to achieve. I then create a tutorial plan that is tailored to the student's need, and keep a record of their progress within this plan to discuss with both the student and their parents, if desired.

Flexibility is also crucial to my approach. If a student feels there is a particular area of difficulty they'd like to spend more time on, I am careful to adapt their teaching plan to address problems that may emerge spontaneously.

It is of great importance to me to encourage each student to be confident in voicing their opinions. Confidence is crucial to success in English exams, which depend upon being able to successfully and persuasively put an interpretation into words. I therefore create a culture of mutual respect and patience with each student, allowing them space to develop their critical voice and working to channel this into their written work.

In my teaching methods, I help the student to understand and successfully apply the demands of the mark scheme of their particular exam board. I primarily focus on practically improving essay-writing, by going through past papers and planning out essays together to develop their skills as an essayist by the time of the exam. This essay-based process also flags up any particular aspects of the course the student may find difficult. I create personalised worksheets on close reading skills, cultural contexts and critical approaches to the text to aid the student in these areas of difficulty.

I set a weekly improvement task for the student to ensure I can track their progress. I tailor the extent of this task to demands of the student's workload at school and their academic progress.