Subject Leader, A Qualified Teacher, GCSE Examiner & Moderator with 20+ Years' Experience.

Hello, and thank you for taking the time to visit my tutoring page. I bring over two decades of classroom experience, almost 10 years of private tutoring and extensive experience as a GCSE examiner and moderator. I don't just teach students the subject — I teach them what examiners are looking for.

If you are looking for an experienced, qualified teacher who understands exactly what students need to succeed in their exams, I believe I can offer something different.

I am a qualified teacher (QTS) with over 20 years of classroom experience, currently working in a secondary school as a subject leader. Throughout my career I have held senior positions including Subject Leader and Head of Department, developing extensive experience in helping students make progress and achieve strong examination results.

I graduated from The University of Manchester in 1999 before completing my PGCE in English with Drama at Durham University in 2002.

My experience extends well beyond the classroom. In 2016, I became a GCSE examiner and subsequently an exam moderator, working with examination boards in GCSE English Language and English Literature. This has given me an invaluable understanding of how examinations are marked, what examiners are looking for and, importantly, what separates an average response from a high-quality one.

I also have extensive experience teaching GCSE Drama, having taught both AQA and Edexcel at Key Stage 4. My examining experience has included marking Component 3 and moderating Component 2.

Alongside my teaching career, I have worked as a private tutor for almost 10 years, tutoring students from KS2 through to KS4, including international students.

What began almost 10 years ago when I was asked to help a friend's child prepare for their GCSE English examinations has grown into a successful tutoring service, largely through recommendations and word of mouth.

What can I offer?

I provide experienced, targeted support for: 11+ and 13+ entrance exams KS2 and SATs preparation KS3 English GCSE English Language GCSE English Literature GCSE Drama Exam preparation and revision Exam technique and improving written responses Support for international students

The majority of my students are KS3 and KS4 students preparing for GCSE English Language and Literature.

My aim is not simply to help students learn the content. I want them to understand how to approach questions, develop confidence, improve their exam technique and ultimately achieve the best results they are capable of.

After more than 20 years in education and almost a decade of private tutoring, I still genuinely enjoy seeing students make progress and realise that they are capable of achieving far more than they initially thought.

Please take a look at my verified reviews further down the page to see what my students and their parents have said about working with me.

I am a qualified secondary school teacher in the United Kingdom, with over 20 years of experience teaching English and Drama across Key Stages 2–4.

Throughout my teaching career, I have undertaken specialist training to become a GCSE examiner and moderator for several examination boards, marking GCSE English Language and Literature papers and moderating students' work. This experience has given me a detailed understanding of examination requirements and the skills students need to demonstrate in order to achieve their best possible results.

Since 2019, the majority of my private tutoring has been delivered online, allowing me to work with students from around the world. I have taught students based in China, Russia, Ireland, Spain and the USA, as well as many other countries. My international students often seek support with entrance examinations, IGCSE and other English-language qualifications.

Although online tutoring now makes up the majority of my work, I also offer face-to-face tutoring and can travel to students where appropriate. I am particularly busy with students in the Durham and County Durham areas, where much of my local tutoring takes place.

One of the advantages of tutoring over many years is that I have gained experience with a wide range of English specifications and examination boards. I have developed structured approaches, strategies and resources that help students understand what an examination question is really asking, organise their ideas and produce stronger responses.

However, I believe effective tutoring should be about more than simply preparing students for an exam. Learning should be engaging, enjoyable and creative, while still being focused on achieving results. I adapt my teaching to the individual student, identifying where they need support and building their knowledge, confidence and exam technique step by step.

For me, one of the most rewarding aspects of tutoring is seeing a student progress — whether that is improving their confidence, moving up a grade, successfully passing an entrance examination or achieving a result they initially believed was beyond them.

With online tutoring, location no longer needs to be a barrier. I am able to bring my classroom, examining and tutoring experience to students wherever they are in the world.

My approach to tutoring is built around two things: achieving results and enjoying the learning process.

I believe that English examinations can become much more manageable when students understand that there are clear structures, techniques and strategies behind successful answers. Over many years of teaching and examining, I have developed structured approaches that break down difficult examination questions and show students exactly how to approach them.

For students who are working towards a Grade 4 or above, my focus is on building the essential skills, knowledge and exam technique needed to secure a strong pass. I have worked with many students who initially lacked confidence or were struggling to reach the Grade 4 threshold, and the majority of these students have gone on to achieve Grade 5 or higher.

For students targeting the top grades, I use the same structured approach but develop it further, helping students refine their analysis, written responses and examination technique to work towards Grades 7–9.

Recent Results

I am particularly proud of the results my students have achieved. In 2026, my students achieved A grades in IGCSE English Language and Literature, alongside several Grade 9 results in AQA and Edexcel GCSE examinations.*

These results are the product of a combination of structured teaching, examination knowledge, regular practice and student commitment.

My philosophy is simple: give a motivated student the right strategies, expert guidance and consistent support, and they can make significant progress.

Primary & International Students

My tutoring is not limited to GCSE students. I also work with primary pupils preparing for SATs, as well as students overseas preparing for 11+, 13+ and independent school entrance examinations.

I have developed successful strategies for adapting the structured techniques used at higher Key Stage levels to suit the specific requirements of school entrance examinations. This has proved particularly effective for students who need to develop their reading comprehension, vocabulary, written expression and analytical skills.

I also work with international students preparing for British and international school entrance examinations in English. Having taught students from a range of countries and educational backgrounds, I understand that international students can face different challenges from those studying within the UK system.

Wherever a student is based, my aim is the same: to identify exactly what they need to improve, provide them with a clear strategy for doing so, and make the journey towards their target grade both achievable and enjoyable.

My approach in three words:

Structure. Strategy. Success.