I'm James, a qualified maths teacher with 20 years' experience, and I've been tutoring one-to-one for 17 of those years. I've worked with everyone from Year 7s finding their feet at secondary school, to Year 11s aiming high, to adults coming back to maths after a long break.

What I enjoy most about one-to-one tutoring is how big a difference it can make. Many of the students I work with arrive feeling anxious or overwhelmed by maths, and watching that change, as they realise they can actually do this, is hugely satisfying.

My lessons are calm and patient. I really enjoy maths and teaching it, and I think that comes through. It helps make sessions enjoyable as well as productive, which matters when a student has spent years dreading the subject.

I tutor KS3, GCSE, IGCSE and Functional Skills maths online

I've been teaching maths for 20 years. Twelve of those were in mainstream secondary schools, most recently as Deputy Head of Maths (2013–2016) at a state secondary school in the South West, teaching across KS3 and GCSE, from Foundation to Higher.

More recently, I've worked in special schools, supporting children and young adults with complex additional needs towards Functional Skills qualifications. It has taught me a lot about breaking ideas into small, manageable steps, and I have extensive experience of working with neurodiverse learners.

Alongside my school work, I've tutored one-to-one for 17 years. KS3 has always been part of that, alongside GCSE and IGCSE students, post-16 resits and adult learners.

I know the Edexcel, AQA and OCR GCSE specifications and the Cambridge and Edexcel IGCSE courses well, including how the mark schemes award method marks. I also co-founded an online GCSE maths revision platform, where I built practice questions and digital revision tools.

I tailor every lesson to the student. We start by finding out what they can already do and where the gaps are, then build from there: confidence first, then fluency, then exam technique. With KS3 students, that often means filling gaps early, so GCSE starts on firm ground.

Lessons combine clear explanations with structured practice and regular feedback. Students try questions themselves, so I can see exactly where things go wrong and fix that step, rather than just showing them the answer. As exams get closer, we work through exam-style questions for their board and practise setting out working clearly.

My aim is to make maths feel manageable, and even enjoyable, for students who've struggled in the past, while still stretching those who are aiming high.