Tutor Profile

Brian

Private Maths Tutor in Sevenoaks

I am Brian Cairnie, I am a qualified secondary school Mathematics teacher with almost 40 years teaching experience. I am visually impaired so I cannot drive therefore my current students travel to me or have lessons online. Having had a very negative experience of Maths at school, I am committed to give students a positive learning experience to help boost their Maths skills as well as their confidence.

Teaching Experience

I qualified as a secondary school Mathematics teacher in 1989 and taught students up to age 18. I then moved into Further Education, teaching Maths and IT to post 16 students all of whom had a visual impairment. After leaving full time teaching, I ran my own training company for about 25 years. During this time, I worked as a part-time tutor. I have been teaching GCSE and IGCSE Maths as well as 13+ Common Entrance and 11+ Maths, Reasoning and English.

Tutoring Approach

I have a fairly relaxed style of teaching, I think this makes it easier to put students at ease, especially those students who find Maths very daunting. My experience of maths at school was pretty negative and I left without any major qualifications. I had been convinced by my maths teacher that I wasn't very bright and her favourite expression was 'This is simple, are you stupid'? After working for 10 years or so, I returned to education to train as a computer programmer and whilst at college, I took an O Level in maths, and passed without problem, largely due to having an amazing teacher. I realised then that a teacher can have a massive impact on a student, both a good and a negative effect.

Qualifications

BSc

Bachelors · Open University · 2018

Diploma in Education (Special Education: Visual Impairment)

Other · University of Birmingham · 1994

NVQ Vocational Assessor

College · City & Guilds · 1994

BEd

Bachelors · University of Northumbria · 1989

Reviews

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rraxon Comment

Brian is a fantastic tutor.. He took on my son who was given a really bad Gcse prediction on passing his Maths exam ! Due to missing his mock.. Brain has work so hard with Joe built up his confidence joe has enjoyed it lesson and always made sure he was at home in time to do it. I can't thank you enough for all the encouragement and confidence you have installed in to him... He worked hard to improve his maths skills to move on to do his electrical apprenticeship.. Thank you so much Brian for all your help 🙏. Miss Axon

Tutor response

Thanks Rebecca, I am pleased to have helped Joe.

carolynpilates Comment

Brian has been an incredible support for GCSE maths tutoring-Brian is encouraging & has given my son the confidence to tackle each question in a methodical way. I would highly recommend Brian

Tutor response

Thank you Caz.

s.smolanisky777 Comment

I cannot recommend Brian highly enough. Brian is an incredibly patient, supportive and approachable tutor. His deep subject knowledge and clear teaching style made complex concepts so much easier to understand and learn. His encouraging approach not only boosted my son’s academic confidence but also improved his grades.

Tutor response

Thank you Lana, working with Osten has been amazing, we have covered a lot of work but, due to his brilliant sense of humour, we have a few laughs too.

slangan Comment

Brian is an excellent tutor. He is engaging and patient and makes learning great fun. He inspires a passion in maths. I highly recommend him.

Tutor response

Thank you Sinead, it makes teaching a real pleasure when students are as keen to learn as Michael is.

gac Comment

Brian is an exceptional Maths tutor, he is professional, adaptive, kind, consistently calm, encouraging and patient and we would highly recommend him - *****++ Brian has been tutoring our daughters for the last nine years, both in person and online, and been instrumental in preparing them both for senior school entrance exams and GCSEs. Our eldest daughter gained a high grade 8 at GCSE in 2023, something she is incredibly proud of, and Brian is now supporting our youngest daughter who is sitting her GCSEs this summer. Brian establishes a great relationship and rapport with each student, which is key to ensuring engagement during lessons. He is always patient, incredibly kind and supportive. Brian provides a relaxed and calm environment for his students and helps to instil self-belief and confidence. An atmosphere is created where all wrong answers are a learning opportunity and there is “no such thing as a stupid question.” Brian prepares and tailors each lesson, adapting his teaching style to meet the learning style of each student. If a student is struggling to understand a concept, Brian will present it in different ways and will revisit the concept as many times as the student requires. Brian will often prepare and provide further clarification with written explanations, all compiled and sent after the lesson. Brian will also continue until the lesson comes to a natural conclusion, rather than ending the lesson abruptly after an hour. Brian will also find specific topic questions to ensure understanding as well as working through past papers in preparation for mock and GCSE exams. If a student needs help with the odd question during their revision Brian will email them a worked example, which has been very helpful for our daughters. We will be forever grateful to Brian for all his help and kindness in supporting our family.

Tutor response

Thanks Gill, it has been a real delight working with both girls. I can't believe the little girl who was doing her 11+ is due home from University any day now.

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  • The highest level of qualification that this tutor has provided us with a copy of is a Bachelors (or equivalent)
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  • This tutor offers a free first / introductory lesson
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