GCSE ENGLISH

Every year, I tutor students in Years 10 and 11 preparing for GCSE English Language and Literature. This particular examination is quite complex in terms of assessment objectives and the variety of texts studied, so extra tuition can make a huge difference to the final grades.

As I tutor online and in person, I can also offer my services to students outside my local area of Cheshire and South Manchester. Working with Zoom, Bramble, Learning Cube and other similar technologies has broadened the scope of my work so much in the months since lockdown. I foresee that it will become a more significant part of the mix for those I work with in my local area too, since it has such obvious benefits in terms of time and costs for all concerned.

I teach students across the ability spectrum, from those looking to secure the very highest grades so that they can take A level English with confidence, to students who are really struggling to pass and need some extra guidance and support. Many school GCSE English classes are over-sized, which inevitably means that individual help is hard to deliver.

In my experience, this can be a tough period for students. The workload at GCSE is demanding so it is imperative that they get themselves organised very quickly once they start Year 10, but too often their studies are beset by an inability to manage the increase in workload and expectations. I show students how to set up a disciplined way of keeping everything tidy and clear so that they can revise with confidence when the time comes. Although not strictly English related, it is a skill that helps those I tutor and one which many parents appreciate immensely!

The GCSE syllabus most of my students follow is AQA, with some on Edexcel. However, essentially the same skills are required in all syllabuses, for example, comprehension, literary analysis and the ability to express ideas clearly in grammatically coherent writing. Sessions with me invariably focus on these fundamental skills, ensuring that students develop the proficiency that will hold up under timed conditions.

Just as each student is different, so each tuition program I set up is different, focused sharply on individual needs with regard to subject knowledge and skills. All this is discussed and agreed at the outset, as well as subject to review as things progress. I provide regular reports and assessments for students and their parents so that we can be clear about everything.

Grade Booster Courses

I run ‘grade booster’ sessions in the school holidays too, which are very popular with GCSE students. Some of these are group sessions in person whereas others are done online on platforms such as Zoom.

These mini courses, usually very intensive and conducted over a 3 – 5 day period, focus on different parts of the syllabus. For example, there are courses on set texts, how to write a literary essay, and how to write for Paper 2 Section B, the non-fiction piece in timed conditions.

 

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