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Andrew

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Andrew
Andrew
Tutor
Gateshead, Tyneandwear NE8
Feedback Score:
+35
Member Since: 06/11/2014
Last Login: 7 days ago
Response Rate: 100%
Expected Response: < 41 minutes
Not available to contact

My Qualifications

PhD
Newcastle University
Quantum Chemistry/Physics
2014
BSc
Newcastle University
Chemistry
2009
MChem
Newcastle University
Chemistry
2009
MA
University of Cambridge
Natural Sciences (mainly Physics options)
1998
BA
University of Cambridge
Natural Sciences (mainly Physics options)
1994

Verification Status

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 Enhanced DBS Verified
How references rated Andrew
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Information about Andrew

Hello!
I’m Andrew, a Cambridge graduate, and I’ve been a full-time tutor for physics, chemistry and maths for the last 12 years. I’ve done over 12,000 hours of tutoring.

Academic Qualifications:
- A full degree and masters in Physics from Cambridge University.
- A further full degree and masters in Chemistry from Newcastle University.
- A PhD in Computational Chemistry/Physics from Newcastle University.
- I’ve been accepted as a full member of the Institute of Physics (IOP), and into the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC).

My style:
I am friendly, patient, have many ways of explaining things and bringing even the driest of topic to life. I genuinely care about my students grades and well-being, always an email/text/WhatsApp away. I’m contactable 7 days a week all year. I do lessons 6 days a week, 7 near exams. You or your children will never feel alone or in the dark, especially near exam time.

I focus on deep understanding of the subjects and topics. Fundamental understanding wins over rote memorisation in every way. As you learn more, everything becomes simpler instead of confusing. The harder, unusual and multiple topic questions become much easier. It’s also quicker to remember facts this way. This will improve your problem solving in general, an ability that will help you for the rest of your life.

Lesson planning - long term:
It obviously changes with each case. If you have hired me for a different reason, like emergency pre-exam help - this could be very different, and will always be tailored to your exact needs. But for a pupil looking for improvement over several months:
- I quickly establish strengths and areas for improvement.
- If they are struggling with the current topic being taught in school, we start there. This means none of their time is wasted being confused in upcoming school lessons.
- Once that’s done we move onto deep understanding of the fundamentals. This is where the massive difference in ability and confidence starts to grow, where the subject really starts to click.
- We then cover all the topics in the correct order for them. Some topics require you to understand previous ones. I use this, their ability scores in each topic, and any topics in tests coming up to determine this.
- Along the way they will learn every mark-scoring and revision techniques, and common places where marks are lost and key phrases in the marking schemes. Their mark scheme will be explained in detail nearer their first real exam. I’ve done the hard work reading them all, so they can be explained relatively quickly.
- Every so often I revisit old topics, to keep them fresh.

What does a typical 1-hour lesson look like?
- We go through the problems from the work set the previous lesson.
- We progress through the syllabus. I teach, constantly asking mini questions so I know they’re keeping up and understanding.
- At the end, together we do at least one full question on what we have covered in the lesson.
- I then set homework, the amount of which takes all academic and personal factors into account.
- I provide access to all the past papers, mark schemes and specification for your exam board, and questions sorted by topic. This helps make work between lessons as friction free as possible. I have many techniques to help with procrastination (a fancy word for not working hard enough!)

Progress updates and monitoring:
- I’m always available for a chat or call, or a quick Zoom/Skype. I love talking to the parents of my pupils about our progress, wins, and what still needs work.
- For every pupil, I constantly track and score their current ability for every topic, and record what we do in every lesson.

Dr Andrew, BA MA CANTAB BSc (Hons) MChem PhD MInstP AMRSC

Availability: All days I work, I work 9am to 9.30pm. Saturday I finish early at 6pm.

1st July to 30th April:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday. I take Friday off.

Exam time, 1st May to 30th June:
7 days a week. You are always a call and a few hours from a lesson.

Willing to travel: Home Only

Experience: I have vast experience of all the major exam boards. The ones I cover are AQA, OCR (A and B), Edexcel, International Edexcel and IB. I don’t cover WJEC or any other boards - sorry! Also I don’t do biology - just physics, maths and chemistry.

I have been an online tutor for pupils based all over the world. I am used to dealing with different time zones, and software and internet limitations of different countries.

As well as A-level and GCSEs, I have helped pupils prepare for competitions and other exams such as:
- 1st year Chemistry exams for medics at university
- British Physics Olympiad
- Cambridge Chemistry Challenge
- Cambridge Natural Sciences Entrance Exams
- Cambridge Engineering Admissions Assessment
- Oxford Physics Aptitude Test (PAT)
- Oxford Maths Admissions Test (MAT)
- 16+ entrance exams
- STEP (Sixth Term Examination Paper) in Mathematics
- UK Intermediate and Senior Maths Challenge

DBS Check: Yes

Not available to contact

Availability

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Feedback For Andrew (35)

We have a total of 35 review(s) for Andrew.

Randeep (Mr)
02/06/2023

5/5 Rating

Dr Lawson`s method of teaching not only allowed me to learn the content I need for my exams but also helped me to answer questions on content I had not seen before by thoroughly engaging the puzzle solving aspect of my brain, I highly recommend him as a tutor!

Tutors Response :

Thank you so much for taking the time to leave me feedback - I love my job and hearing comments like this never gets old. I`ve massively enjoyed teaching you, and I know you`ll do really well. Thanks for letting me help you. Now go do great things!


Helen (Ms)
01/05/2023

5/5 Rating

Andrew has provided tutoring for more than three years. His subject knowledge has been excellent. He is always very flexible about session timings and has been an invaluable help, particularly for A-level.

Tutors Response :

It`s been my pleasure teaching her for the past 3 years - I hope she gets great results, and goes on to be the awesome physicist she wants to be and we know she can be. Best wishes, Andrew


Fiona (Mrs)
11/01/2023

5/5 Rating

Andrew is a great tutor and has helped my daughter enormously with Chemistry A level. With his help her confidence has really grown and also the way in which she tackles new topics and revises more effectively. This is now showing in her achievement of much better results in her end of topics tests and internal exams. With his continued support she is well placed to achieve her desired A in her A level exams in the Summer.

Tutors Response :

Thanks for the great feedback. I`m really enjoying teaching her and she just keeps getting better and better.
A few months of focus and she will be able to have some well earned downtime.
Andrew


Wonsik (Mr)
23/12/2021

5/5 Rating

Andrew is a knowledgeable and professional teacher. He is trustworthy and the commitment to teaching makes him a great tutor. These characteristics he holds has enabled my daughter`s skills in GCSE Chemistry, Maths, and Physics to progress hugely. Thanks to Andrew, she now understands the topics and even is enjoying her studies. Would highly recommend!

Tutors Response :

I`m so glad she`s enjoying our sessions and finding them so useful. It`s always the best news I can get. Thanks for your feedback. Have a great week!


Toni (Mr)
12/11/2021

5/5 Rating

Andrew has been an absolutely wonderful A-Level Chemistry tutor. He has worked effectively to identify an A2 Chemistry student`s gaps from the previous year while also helping the student to learn new, second year material. Communication between tutor, student and parents has been everything we could ask for as Andrew takes his time to reply to messages to provide constructive feedback. The student has continued to grow in confidence and feels that the lessons are pitched at a very good level to encourage progression to achieve higher marks. We higly recommend booking a lesson with Andrew!

Tutors Response :

Thank you so much for the detailed feedback. You`ve covered about everything I try to do for my customers in there. So glad I`m having a positive effect. He is a great student and so focused! I know he`ll go on to be really successful in whatever he decides to do.


Khizar (Mr)
10/11/2021

5/5 Rating

Dr Andrew has been tutoring my son for the last few months. He has been an outstanding tutor. He is teaching Maths, Physics and PAT(Oxford). I had detailed conversations with him a couple of times. I am really satisfied with his teaching style. He tailors his teaching style according to the student`s needs and the most important thing, he works really hard to develop the interest of the subject in the student. I have always seen my son very comfortable and also cracking jokes and smiling while being taught. This is a very positive thing that he is enjoying studying. Another important thing is that Dr Andrew mainly focus on the understanding of the subject rather than going through traditional homework and past papers. I am really impressed with the way he has taught PATS. He is also very flexible and tries to adjust the timings according to the student`s needs. I highly recommend him for A-levels and PATS. Thanks a lot, Dr Andrew for all the support and help for the last few months.

Tutors Response :

Hello! It`s been a pleasure to teach your son, who I can see making great progress. Getting him up to speed on the topics themselves was quite fast. After that, our work on his approach to the harder problems, how to analyse them, and break them down, is now much better. He listens to what I say, but then more importantly, really takes my advice to heart, and works hard to put it into practice. Just like you all, I`m eagerly waiting for the good news from him. Take care! Andrew


Stuart (Dr)
01/11/2021

5/5 Rating

Andrew’s tutorials are simply first-class. My son’s work and grades have both improved dramatically since he started working with Andrew.


Penny (Miss)
20/10/2021

5/5 Rating

I started having tutoring from Andrew when I failed my Chemistry foundation course and needed to resit the exam within only a few months. Andrew was adaptable, patient and supportive. He managed to fit around my schedule and although I was on a short time period for my resit exam he made sure we had enough time to cover everything we needed to without it feeling too overwhelming. In just two months I went from a fail to getting a 1st class result in my chemistry - all thanks to Andrew.

Tutors Response :

So pleased I was able to help you change so quickly. You hard work really paid off. Well done and thanks for taking time to leave a review.


Miss (Ms)
09/10/2021

5/5 Rating

Our son had fallen behind quite significantly on chemistry by the end of Year 10 (covid etc) - 45% in his end of year exams. We booked a batch of lessons with Andrew over the summer holidays to help firm up our son`s knowledge base and get him onto a better footing for the start of his GCSE year. This helped tremendously: by his first half term of Year 11 our son scored an 8 with outstanding write up from his teacher. An incredible turn around and we are extremely grateful to Andrew for his help.

Tutors Response :

It was a great effort from your son, so glad to have played a part in his amazing improvement. Thanks for the great feedback!


Jane (Mrs)
26/09/2021

5/5 Rating

Andrew has really helped my daughter get her confidence back and start enjoying Chemistry again. He thoroughly explains every topic and goes through exam questions after she feels she is confident in her understanding of the material. He also encourages her to use her knowledge to work out the answers to questions (rather than what she has memorised) and he gives great exam advice and tips. He also asks very challenging questions in order to gauge what she can and can`t do in order to tackle her weaknesses from the start and work on building up missing skills. We will be going back for more lessons as the exams approach.

Tutors Response :

So pleased with this feedback, and that I`ve helped you. See you soon, and hope she has a good year.


Sian (Mrs)
03/06/2021

5/5 Rating

My daughter has just completed her U6 A`Level Chemistry. She is so happy to have been tutored by Dr Andrew for the last year and always looked forward to her weekly online session! She always enjoyed his classes, with his boundless energy, enthusiasm and extensive knowledge of this subject. His support was tireless, always available to assist and she felt confident and fully equipped to apply her knowledge during the recent A`Level assessments. Thank you Dr. Andrew for all your support. Much appreciated.

Tutors Response :

Thanks for taking the time to leave me such positive feedback - it`s much appreciated! Alethea has been a great student, and I`m sure she will have great success at university and beyond. I always try to make my lessons focused and useful but also enjoyable, and am really pleased to hear she looked forward to them. Take care! Andrew


Rena (Miss)
17/05/2021

5/5 Rating

Due to Covid-19 exams had been cancelled; my school teachers generously gave me grade C’s for both Maths and Physics A-Levels. I reluctantly went to university in September 2020 to realise I hated the route I was taking. In October I decided I really needed to re-take my A-Levels, in order to get to where I want to be, so started searching for an online tutor. My previous experience with private tutors had not been successful so I was determined to find the best tutor, one that was actually passionate about subject, and not just doing it for the extra money. That’s when I found Andrew. He replied to my message the same day assuring that he will help me no matter how the pandemic turned out which gave me great confidence. I have been having lessons 2/3 times a week for 6 months and can say that I will hopefully be achieving an A/A* in Maths and Physics. I doubt I would have been able to achieve near these grades without the support from Andrew. He is very well organised and has an incredible work ethic; the most genuine teacher I have ever had, always pushing me to be better at the same time as making jokes to make lessons fun. You can tell Andrew is passionate about teaching and will teach in a way that will benefit you, not just for A-Levels, but for the rest of your life. I am grateful to have had him as my tutor and wish I found him sooner.

Tutors Response :

So happy you`ve found my teaching so useful, thanks for the feedback! You`ve worked really hard and I know you`ll be a success after seeing how hard you work. Take care! Andrew


Anitha (Mrs)
22/12/2020

5/5 Rating

My son is very happy with Andrew and we have already seen improvement.

Tutors Response :

Really pleased to hear that! Thanks!!!


Gabbi (Ms)
21/12/2020

5/5 Rating

Very good tutor. First class!

Tutors Response :

Never get tired of hearing I`m doing my job properly. Thanks for taking time to give me feedback!


Vanita (Mrs)
16/10/2020

5/5 Rating

My son has had Andrew teaching him twice a week for the last 6 weeks. My son is one of the cohort of students that didn`t sit his Alevels in 2020. Mid August results came out and it was apparent that he would need to sit the Chemistry exam 5 weeks later. This has been an overwhelming task for a student who was not able to finish the syllabus prior to lockdown and has not worked for the preceeding 6 months. We luckily managed to secure the help of Andrew. Andrew has been supportive and encouraging but has also challenged my son, to help him with his understanding. They have had to work at speed and there have been a few wobbles but Andrew has been able to gently nudge my son in the right direction. My son has worked tremendously hard over the last 5 weeks and I have no doubt that it is in part due to having Andrew as his tutor that he hasn`t just given up.

Tutors Response :

Really glad to have helped. It was a big challenge, but your son rose to the challenge and has come amazingly far in the few weeks we spent together. He has taken my advice, and worked really hard in between lessons. I`m really pleased to have helped and glad my teaching and techniques have had a part to play. Thanks!


Grace (Ms)
07/04/2020

5/5 Rating

Great tutor, very thorough and patient.


Jerome (Mr)
21/01/2020

5/5 Rating

From my son who has been preparing for A Level Maths and Chemistry: Andrew has been tutoring me for my final six months of A levels. I have not been attending school during this time and so have been relying heavily on him to achieve my desired grades. He has a great and effective teaching style which he has adjusted for my specific needs as I enjoy being challenged and diving deep into the topics of my various subjects. For this reason I find Andrews lessons far more engaging and personal than regular school lessons, and they have benefitted me greatly. I have always been comfortable with Andrew during our lessons. Andrew has a very friendly and enthusiastic personality; he is reassuring when he can see I am struggling and he will crack the occasional joke now and then to lighten the mood. Overall, I would say Andrew is one of the best teachers I have ever had. I always looks forward to his lessons and he comes with my highest recommendation.

Tutors Response :

Thanks for the amazing feedback - it`s greatly appreciated.
I look forward to hearing your grades - I`m sure you`re going to do really well. Let me know when you get them!


Michaela (Mrs)
12/10/2019

5/5 Rating

Andrew tutored two of my children at GCSE & A level. He was reliable, had great rapport & they achieved an 8 and A grade respectively.
I would highly recommend him.

Tutors Response :

That`s great news! Really pleased for them both, and thanks for the feedback. Much appreciated.


Natalia (Mrs)
22/07/2019

5/5 Rating

Thanks a lot to this amazing tutor. The way he prepares students for Physics GCSE is very useful and effective. For my daughter this is a perfect tutor, who doesn`t just give knowledge, but motivates and makes the subject even more interesting to study, as well as giving past years` exams and fully preparing for olympiads.

Tutors Response :

Really pleased I`m helping and that my methods are working. Thanks for taking time to write this - much appreciated.


Carol (Dr)
06/07/2019

5/5 Rating

Excellent, offered more sessions nearer the exams. Got my son from a B to an A.


Helen (Mrs)
30/05/2019

5/5 Rating

My son thoroughly enjoyed his first session with Andrew, I`m looking forward to seeing him progress over the coming months. Andrew has been very organised and helpful whilst organising dates etc, very professional and friendly.


Chrisgtopher (Dr)
10/03/2019

5/5 Rating

Dr. Andrew is an EXCELLENT teacher. Our daughter is taking A-level physics and he has been an enormous help. Before we settled on a physics tutor, we tried free session with several of them and had our daughter pick which one she preferred. There were several great tutors but our daughter said, "these other tutors are good but Andrew really stretches me. He doesn`t merely clear explain the material and go through past papers with me. He asks challenging questions that force me to think and REALLY understand the concepts and how to apply them to solve problems."

Andrew is also very flexible with the inevitable scheduling issues that arise in the lives of high school students. He was always reasonable and fair in making scheduling accomdations, even when something came up last minute and we had to cancel or postpone our session. This makes working with him much more pleasant than working with tutors who are inflexible with scheduling problems.


Cameron (Mr)
18/10/2018

5/5 Rating

Cameron has had three A level Chemistry lessons with Andrew so far. Cameron commented that he thinks that Andrew is the best teacher he has ever had! Cameron feels that Andrew explains the subject in a way that he fully understands what he is being taught and therefore retains the information. As a parent I am very happy with the progress that has been mad so far and feel that Andrew can assist Cameron in attaining the much needed A* at the end of the year. Thank you Dr Andrew.

Tutors Response :

Thanks so much for the great feedback, it`s always the best part of the job to know I`m making a difference, and doing what I am paid to do. I`ll see Cameron online in a few days!


Rim (Miss)
13/10/2018

5/5 Rating

I have just started my Chemistry A-Level - a subject which is known to get very difficult. I had one tuition lesson where Andrew travelled to my house and it was a great, productive lesson and I saw that, already, Andrew was making a difference with my understanding - I was so happy to have found an amazing tutor like Andrew. Due to health issues, he’s not able to do face-to-face tuition so he suggested trying out online tuition for a short period of time. I wasn’t very keen on the idea as I doubted how effective it would be but I did try it out and it is pretty life-changing!!The app, via pc, that is used is so good and so easy to use (literally click a link - you don’t even have to sign up). I can email Andrew the questions/ topic I want to do for the hour and he imports it onto the screen so it is in front of us both with a piece of digital paper where we can both write and point along with some other cool features & you can even save the slides afterwards for extra revision. It really is amazing and so flexible too as we can have random, last minute lessons, for instance, if I’m struggling with some questions - he is literally just a link away! Most of our lessons have also gone over the time, Andrew never ends the lesson if I still have any doubt with the topic we are working on and he has a way of making difficult concepts seem so much easier!!! I feel so much more confident now because of Andrew than I did when I first started the course...Couldn’t recommend him as a tutor enough and please do try out online lessons, they make your life so much easier - I don’t think I’ll ever want to go back to face-to-face tuition!!!😂;; & with Andrew’s help over the next 2 years, I believe I’m going to do very well as I have already scored well in some mini-tests we have done in class which he helped me to prepare for! :)

Tutors Response :

I think that’s the most comprehensive review I’ve ever had, and also one of the best. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave me feedback - I’ve obviously done my job, so I’m a happy tutor. Really pleased I’m helping you score better already - it’s just the start so thing will get even better. See you soon at a computer screen near you!


Petre (Mr)
12/10/2018

5/5 Rating

We are very very happy to have found Dr Andrew. He is teaching our daughter chemistry. She is enjoying his lessons and she learns a lot. In the first few sessions, she already has learned from him more than she learned the whole of her last academic year, in her regular chemistry class. Dr Andrew comes up with good life examples and applications of what he is teaching, making the subject interesting even for us the parents. The lessons are taking place online since we live in the US, so we, the parents, can enjoy seeing our daughter immersed into the lesson.
We highly recommend him.

Tutors Response :

Thanks for the great feedback. I’m really pleased you’re enjoying my tuition and finding it useful. We’re making great progress!


Thomas (Mr)
23/09/2018

5/5 Rating

Really well prepared and managed technology well. Enthusiastic. Made learning fun.

Tutors Response :

Thank you so much for the positive feedback! I’m glad you enjoyed the lesson.


Jennifer (Miss)
23/09/2018

5/5 Rating

Fabulous in every way! Andrew is dedicated to educating. His delivery, his materials, his positive attitude are all of the highest standard. We have two students from China being tutored by Andrew at the moment for 13+, and 16+ entry to UK boarding schools and they love him! Couldn`t recommend Andrew more.

Tutors Response :

It`s been a pleasure working with you all, really pleased I`m making a difference. Thank you for the feedback - greatly appreciated!


Cherisay (Miss)
01/07/2018

5/5 Rating

Andrew is a really wonderful tutor because he consistently works towards finding new and better ways to aid your understanding and thoroughly enjoys what he does, which makes each lesson beneficial and means that once you have understood something, you won`t forget it! I could not recommend him more!


Valeriya (Miss)
31/05/2018

5/5 Rating

I have started sessions with Andrew in Autumn with a basic understanding of the syllabus and since then my confidence and knowledge have increased considerably. He keeps his lessons effective and engaging, always finding new analogies to explain difficult topics.
He is always willing to go the extra mile to help me understand the areas of Physics that I struggle with. Would highly recommend.


Michael (Mr)
25/04/2018

5/5 Rating

simply brilliant.


Karen (Mrs)
23/11/2017

5/5 Rating

Andrew is absolutely fantastic and we would recommend without hesitation!
He is extremely well prepared and offers in depth tutorials, explaining everything in a way you can understand.
My daughter`s confidence has really grown in A Level chemistry since she has began working with Andrew.


Mark (Mr)
04/10/2017

5/5 Rating

After 4 sessions I am very satisfied.
Andrew is professional and knowledgeable my daughter is happy with the content and structure of the tuition and we expect to continue till the exam

Tutors Response :

Thanks for the great feedback. I`m really enjoying tutoring your daughter, and happy you`re pleased with my performance.


Elspeth (Mrs)
20/05/2017

5/5 Rating

Andrew is really, really helpful and explains Chemistry clearly and concisely


Susan (Mrs)
30/08/2016

5/5 Rating

Andrew has been tutoring our daughter in physics for a year now and her confidence and grades have improved dramatically. Andrew is always prepared, punctual and raring to go he is very passionate about his subject. I can strongly recommend him.


Wendy (Mrs)
05/08/2015

5/5 Rating

Have only had 3 sessions so far, but our son actually enjoys his time with Andrew. He says that it makes more sense now, and he loves that he is so passionate about maths, and wanting to help his students get better.