Matthew

My chief academic interests primarily revolve around the social sciences and related disciplines; Economics, Politics, and Psychology were my A2 subjects of choice, after which I enrolled at the University of Southampton to study for a Bsc in Psychology. I am currently working as a full-time Economics teacher, and as an academic tutor in my spare time. I have a passion for writing and literature of various forms, as well as a keen interest and understanding of Statistics and Astrophysics, which I have also studied at University. Outside of academic pursuits, I routinely engage in various team/individual sports, work on my own emerging business, have performed in front of hundreds in dramatic acts I have written myself, and keep informed of socio-political issues and developments. I am confident, engaging, and enthusiastic, and I believe I have the intellectual skills and companionable personality to ensure educational benefit in tuition.

Tutoring Experience

I believe several key factors will contribute to success and reliability in a tutoring role.

Firstly, my level of experience and ability to have a positive influence are established. I have tutored over 200 students since graduating. Several of these have been through first tutors, so I encourage reading my feedback for an assessment of my recent tutoring history, from the tutees or parents themselves. In summary, the overwhelming majority have achieved their target grade, all have given positive feedback and many have achieved exceptional grades on gone on to top-flight universities such as Oxbridge, Stanford, LSE and UCL. Again, I strongly encourage prospective students to read the feedback comments displayed on the website, this is the best way for you to get an overview of my record, and for me to provide evidence of my experience and capability.

Secondly, and without wanting to sound ostentatious, my grades at all levels of education are exemplary. I achieved very high grades at University level, even in subjects I had never encountered before, including an 86 in an Astrophysics module despite neither A-level physics or maths qualifications. I believe this exemplifies my ability to deal with a broad range of academic subjects and contexts, reflected in the wide variety of subjects, levels and situations I have tutored in since graduating.

Prior to university I achieved a reserve scholarship at Kingston Grammar School, after obtaining enough A-A* grades at GCSE. This was despite coming from a challenging academic background, with my secondary school being a state comprehensive with poor academic resources and far below average performance for my year as a whole. My A-levels were again high-scoring, with my study of British Politics in 2010 being amongst my proudest achievements-I achieved 100% in both exams, a very difficult attainment in a subjectively marked field. This relates hugely to my teaching and academic skills, as I have had to learn to excel and strive for success. I aim to use what I have learned through my own experiences to teach students to be adaptable and motivated, rather than merely knowledgeable. I believe I have the skill set, reflected in my educational record and experience, to achieve and assist others in achieving.

Lastly, I have additional experience working with children and young adults as a martial arts instructor, a role which I thoroughly enjoy and that has allowed me to develop communication skills with a variety of age groups. Whilst this is not as academically relevant as my tutoring record, the ability to motivate, inspire and instruct are all skills deeply relevant to tutoring, where the ability to establish a beneficial dynamic with the student is just as important as intellectual capability.

Tutoring Approach

Accepting a stranger into the educational life of your child can be a taxing situation for parents, who naturally want to ensure safety, comfort, and accomplishment for their child. I try to tailor a program to the student and the context. For example, around the end of the academic year I offer intensive sessions that aim to maximise student understanding of exam technique. I can adapt to specific situations and students, outside of the conventional hourly session per week. I have helped students in a wide variety of situations, from those who have scored U grades in their first year and need to improve dramatically, to those who need to cement an A* for entry into a top university.

Therefore, I encourage and welcome parents to contact me if they are considering me as a tutor, with an aim to discussing your needs and my approach to tutoring in greater detail.

Other Programs:

-I am currently offering exam focused sessions 'last-minute' sessions for AS economics. I initiated this service in the 2014-15 academic year and helped a number of students substantially boost their grade before exams. Over the course of this program no student has increased any less than 2 full grades. The program is 4 hours long, preferably split into 2 hour blocks. Please inquire for further details.

-I offer CV workshops, interview preparation and technique sessions, as well as personal statement guidance and advice. Please inquire with a specific request for further details.