Paul

online only GCSE English Language and Literature specialist, regional Director of English, senior examiner, 17+ years experience, expert at coaching grade 4/5 passes or top grade 9s, especially with Eduqas & AQA boards.

I tutor via Google meet, primarily. I have a custom-built computer setup with 2 monitors, a professional grade microphone and webcam, spending well into 4 figures to ensure the quality of production. Resources are displayed on screen but also supplied via email along with notes/answers after the session.

I've been teaching for the past 15 years; I am currently a Director of English and senior GCSE examiner.

In recent years my major successes have been:

• working as a Director across several schools to improve English GCSE results (all schools improved significantly, with one adding over 30% within a single year in 2018)
• taking one Doncaster secondary school's GCSE English results from bottom in the area to the top 6 (45% pass rate to 73% pass rate)
• taking another secondary school's A/A* percentage from 12% to 25% (including getting 30 out of 31 pupils an A/A* in my own high ability class)
• taking a third secondary school's C+ figure from 55% to 83%.
• many success stories when privately tutoring (a number of which are detailed below), often around the C/D and grade 4/5 borderline, but also with high-achieving pupils aiming for grades 8 and 9 with ambitions of prestigious university places
• guiding high ability students to grade 9 every year (see comments at the bottom from the parents of students who have achieved this with me)

I am very comfortable with the requirements of all new exam specifications, including WJEC/Eduqas, AQA, Edexcel and OCR. In addition, I still regularly tutor pupils attending private schools who follow iGCSE/IB specifications. I have also been an examiner for one of the major UK exam boards, looking at both English Language and English Literature, for the past 11 years.

Some of my recent GCSE tutoring experience is detailed below, though I also do preparation lessons in Y9/10 which aren't listed here as the students have not yet sat their exams.

Summer 2023:
- one student moved from Grade 7 to Grade 9 (Language and Literature) with Eduqas
- several grade 5-7 students with AQA
- 2 students who were failing Eduqas Language moved to comfortable passes

Summer 2022:
- busiest summer yet with 10 students sitting exams
- all passed, with 3 achieving grade 9s and one achieving close to full marks on one paper

Summer 2020/21 (centre grades):
- I coached students across the ability range and for several exam boards, with one achieving grade 9 in both language and literature, several achieving grades 7 and 8, and all of the rest achieving grade 4 and 5 passes which were either in line with or above their target grades

Summer 2019:
- iGCSE student achieved a grade 6 after starting at a grade 3/4.
- Eduqas student achieved grade 9 in both Language and Literature.
- Eduqas student went from a grade 5 to 7 in Language and a 6 to an 8 in Literature
- AQA student was moved up 2 sets during the tuition period and eventually gained a grade 6 in both Language and Literature.

Summer 2018:
- one pupil who began with a grade 3/4 borderline achieved a grade 6
- another who began as a low grade 3 achieved a grade 5 and can now access his apprenticeship
- another pupil who came to me rather late struggling with exam technique and securing a grade 5 managed to get a grade 7 in English Language and a 6 in English Literature
- another late starter improved a full grade to a grade 5 in the last few weeks before the exam
- another arrived quite late as a low grade 4, but struggling with writing answers of enough length and with the correct style required, achieved a grade 5 in Language and 6 in Literature
- another who felt like he was struggling prior to year 11 mocks achieved a 6 in English Language

Summer 2017:
- one pupil improved from a grade 6 to achieving a grade 7 and a grade 9 (Lit/Lang) on the Edexcel course
- another began at a grade 2/3 and achieved grade 4 and 5 (Lang/Lit) on the Eduqas course
- another significantly improved their A-Level English Language marks (both AS resit and A2)
- an iGCSE Edexcel candidate achieved an A* after initially working at a B level
- another y10 pupil went from one of the lowest scores in his class in the first set of mock exams to achieving the highest mark in his class (Y10 Literature mock)
- another achieved grade 4 and 5 (Lang/Lit) on Eduqas

late 2016 to 2017:
- one college English GCSE resit candidate improved from D- to C for the November resit in 8 weeks.
- another English GCSE resit candidate improved from B to A within just a few weeks of the November exam

2016:
- a pupil with B grades on mocks (AQA iGCSE) scored A/A
- a C/D pupil (WJEC) scored B/B
- a D/E pupil (CIE iGCSE) scored C
- a pupil with C/B grades on mocks (AQA GCSE) scored B/A

2015:
- I had 3 pupils enter for GCSE exams in summer 2015 (a combination of WJEC and iGCSE boards)
- all 3 began with low mock exam scores (D/E/U)
- all 3 improved coursework scores from D/E to C+/B/A
- 2 came out with a B overall and the other with a high C
- 2 will now be able to access their apprenticeship of choice, whilst the third will attend the local sixth form college for A-Levels

My academic qualifications are as follows:

2.1, English Language, University of Leeds (2007)
PGC in English, Leeds Trinity, 2008
A-Levels in English Language, Maths, Media, ICT (all at grade A)

As you can see via the above, and from my reviews, I can tutor your child to achieve a vital grade 4 or 5 pass or to achieve a grade 9 in both English Language and English Literature.

By special arrangement I can also do 90 minute or 2 hour sessions. Contact me for more information.

Tutoring Experience

• 17 years teaching (active)
• currently working as a Director of English across several schools
• head of department in 2 different schools
• senior examiner for a major UK exam board at GCSE level, both for English Language and Literature (9 years)
• written 7 GCSE Literature revision/teaching books for students & teachers
• tutor for 14 years
• self-published writer

Tutoring Approach

I insist on the highest of standards for myself and I try and instill that desire and belief into those I tutor. Everything I do takes account of the individual's needs established both before and during an initial session. My approach is friendly but professional - please view the comments people have left.