Elly

*** PLEASE NOTE: I am not taking on any new students at the moment, as I currently live abroad ***

I graduated from Oxford University with a First Class BA (2010) and an MA (Distinction) in English (2011). I began working as a tutor in September 2011, while I took a gap year before commencing a PhD at York University in October 2012 (completed in April 2016). Since then I have taught a wide variety of pupils including two home-schooled GCSE students, mature university students, undergraduates and Oxbridge applicants. I now work at Aarhus University, Denmark, where I am engaged in a postdoctoral project on children`s literature.

I have a variety of teaching experience. I currently work for Debate Chamber in London, teaching summer schools in English and Creative Writing to classes of 14-16 students aged 15-18, and have worked for Oxford Royale summer schools, teaching Debating & Public Speaking to large classes of international students aged 16-18. I have taught English as a foreign language for the Austrian school Sprachreisen Fur Alle, at residential summer camps in Wagrain, Austria. I have also taught students at undergraduate level in both English and in Business and Management at the University of York, and have done so for two years. I have been offering private tuition for six years and during this time have taught over thirty individual pupils.

Four years at Oxford University have given me excellent organisational, communication and time management skills. On top of this I am patient, hardworking, reliable and dedicated to achieving excellent results for my students. I find tutoring immensely rewarding and thoroughly enjoy working with students to enable them to overcome problems and gain a more thorough understanding of a subject, whether teaching it from scratch or building upon existing teaching at school. My experience of the Oxford tutorial system has impressed upon me the value of one-to-one tuition, and I am dedicated to providing my tutees with help and attention wherever required I am happy to check work or mark essays in between sessions, and aim to always be available to provide advice when needed.

All of my students have made exceptional progress during the time I have been teaching them. One of my GCSE students progressed from a C grade in GCSE English to an A after only three lessons. Another was awarded a Certificate of Attainment in English after eight lessons, a subject with which she was previously struggling. One student progressed from a D to an A in English A-level after nine months of Skype tuition.

As well as tutoring specific subjects, I am also able to provide help with university applications (both at undergraduate and postgraduate level), interview practice, essay technique, and personal statements. Having been through the Oxbridge application process at BA, Masters and PhD level, I have a great deal of experience in the skills and work required to succeed in this competitive area. I am also experienced in the GCSE and A-level syllabi for various subjects, having had to design my own lesson plans based around the national curriculum.

My extra-curricular interests include sport (kickboxing, running, horse riding, scuba diving and swimming), reading, travelling, and food (I write and photograph my own award-winning food blog and work as a freelance food writer for several publications and companies including Great British Chefs).

Availability: PLEASE NOTE: I am currently not taking on any new students.

Willing to travel: 5 miles

Experience: For the last six summers I have worked for Debate Chamber in London, teaching 15-18 year olds for two summer schools: English Literature and Creative writing. This involves classroom-style teaching to classes of 14-16 pupils and requires me to design and plan several of my own lessons, on topics ranging from poetry and creative writing to the Victorian sensation novel. This year I designed an entire week-long course on contemporary literature, which was a great success. It is a highly rewarding course and students always provide excellent feedback.

During the academic year 2011-2012 I tutored two home-schooled girls in the Cambridge area, teaching GCSE Biology, Italian, History and English. This involved designing and planning my own lessons in accordance with the national curriculum, meaning I am familiar with various exam boards and their syllabi, as well as marking essays in accordance with official guidelines. I am experienced in planning lessons to suit the various needs of my students and provide them with engaging material and activities designed to test and build upon their existing knowledge and skills. In the same year I worked for Oxford Royale summer school in Clare College, Cambridge, teaching Debating & Public Speaking to classes of 14-18 international students aged 16-18.

During the past six years I have tutored various students, aged 12 and upwards, in English, involving everything from helping with school homework to proofreading university-level essays and assisting with university application processes. I recently assisted a student in applying successfully for two Masters degrees at Oxbridge. Having been through the Oxbridge application process myself, at BA, Masters and PhD level, I am very familiar with the system and dedicated to ensuring my students have the best possible chance at succeeding.

During Spring 2015 I worked in Austria with the language school Sprachreisen Fur Alle, teaching English as a foreign language to Austrian schoolchildren aged 13-14 on two residential week-long camps in Wagrain.

For the past three years I have taught undergraduates at the University of York in English and Business and Management, which involves planning and delivering seminars, advising on essay writing, marking essays, and offering one-to-one feedback to students. I have also taught on the Victorian Literature and Approaches to Literature modules in the English Department at the University of York.