Rob

I came to academia late after a career as a landscape gardener and musician, attaining a first with honours BA in Modern History and Politics, then undertaking an MA and PhD in history. I taught undergraduate students and engaged in outreach and widening participation work throughout my postgraduate studies. This in particular gave me a lot of enthusiasm for working with younger people and helping them achieve.

My most recent role has been at a Russell Group university as an Academic Skills Officer. I was exclusively working with EPQ students, four days a week for two years, specifically supporting the 'taught skills' element of the EPQ. This focussed on each stage of the EPQ, from choosing a topic to designing a question to researching, appropriate source material and how to find and interpret it, as well as writing and presentation skills.

I weave in feedback relating to academic skills as well as subject specific material for my students and have seen how transformative good feedback can be and how it can raise student achievement across subjects.

I have a passion for history and in particular the history of the British Empire, decolonisation, and empire and British identity.

Tutoring Experience

Jan 2022 - Dec 2023: Academic Skills Officer - My most recent experience has been at a Russell Group university as an Academic Skills Officer. I was exclusively working with EPQ students, four days a week for two years, specifically supporting the 'taught skills' element of the EPQ. This focussed on each stage of the EPQ, from choosing a topic to designing a question to researching, appropriate source material and how to find and interpret it, as well as writing and presentation skills.

2017-2019: Tutor for a Humanities International Summer School: Over three summers I delivered a course, 'Explorers and Empire', to international graduates.

2016-2018: Writing Skills Workshop Leader - I designed and led a five-part writing skills workshop to support first- and second-year humanities undergraduates in their academic writing.

2015-2018: Postgraduate tutor - Seminar tutor for the first-year history undergraduates. For 2017-2018 I received the highest student feedback of all tutors, including full-time members of staff, across the module. The module average was 4.17/5, my feedback score was 4.96/5.

Tutoring Approach

Having delivered hundreds of 1-to-1 sessions with A-level/key stage 5 students, I've found students do best when they are put at the centre of their own learning and prefer a discursive approach where I can guide but not control the direction and tease out the student's own knowledge, rather than subject them to rote learning.