Tom

I am Tom - I have spent four years studying Economics at Cambridge at undergraduate and Master’s level, going on to achieve a distinction in my Master’s. Over this time, many students have asked me for help given my expertise and experience in achieving the best grades. I have spent time working as an economist in London but due to the demand for tuition, I have decided to become a full-time economics tutor.

When a student comes under my tuition, I devote my time, inside and outside of lessons, to helping the student improve - the goal is noticeable improvements in the student`s performance. I do this by preparing resources, answering students` questions in person and by email, thinking about how best to explain subject content and advising on effective exam technique and revision methods.

I really enjoy working with students and find tuition personally rewarding.

I offer tuition in:
Economics A-level for AQA and Edexcel exam boards.
Economics IB
Economics at undergraduate level
Oxbridge Interview preparation
Personal statement preparation.

Availability: Tuesdays to Thursdays, afternoons and evenings.

Please note I only offer online lessons. I do not offer in person tuition.

Please note that, as of writing, I am fully booked for tuition.

Willing to travel: Home Only

Experience: I have experience tutoring students in A-level and undergraduate economics.

For A-level, this has included various exam boards including AQA, Edexcel as well as IB.

A-LEVEL ECONOMICS AQA / EDEXCEL

I have tutored several students sitting both of these exam boards throughout the past few years. I am very familiar with the intricacies of each exam board, both in terms of the content assessed and the relevant exam technique for each exam board. Depending on the student’s initial level and needs, I have provided details below on the kinds of help I have offered and currently offer:

1) Help with understanding content. Whether you are struggling to understand the concepts in class, or want to work on achieving the top grades, I am happy to help explain the economics course concepts. I have worked with students starting anywhere from a E or U grade up to an A or A* grade, and have learnt how to adapt the teaching to students depending on their level and how they like to be taught. I know the course content for both Edexcel and AQA A-level Economics at a detailed level. After the tuition sessions, I am happy to reinforce content learnt with homework, subject to the preferences and time constraints of the student regarding homework. I really enjoy economics and am very willing to share my passion for this subject with you.

2) Help with exam technique. I teach the four key skills for both these exam boards of knowledge, application, analysis and evaluation. I share what it takes to achieve a top mark in each style of question. I can focus sessions on particular skills. For example what precisely makes a good chain of analysis? What exactly is evaluation and what are some steps to make your evaluation solid? What are some good examples to reinforce or counter economic theory, to meet the application criterion? For AQA, the strategies for all types of exam questions in papers 1, 2 and 3 can be discussed at length, with a particular focus on 25 mark questions since they make up such a large proportion of the total marks. For Edexcel, it is important to learn not just the marks allocated for each skill in each question but specifically what is required to achieve top marks for each skill. I try to translate vague mark schemes and teacher guidance into actionable steps.

3) Preparing for mock exams, in-school tests or final exams. In the lead up to a test, I am happy to give content revision sessions covering large parts of the course. I am happy to set practice tests for my students to do outside of tuition time and mark them before our next session. Students typically really benefit from practice tests, once they have learnt the key exam technique skills in the tuition sessions and can put them into practice. I am happy to use past papers or make my own tests, in past paper format or otherwise, to support the student. This has been particularly valuable in the pandemic where schools have set their own stylised exam tests which have not necessarily followed the past paper structure, allowing my students to better prepare themselves for in-school assessments. I try to give detailed feedback on any past papers, practice papers or tests you submit to me, especially where there are lots of improvements to make. Such feedback focusses on actionable steps.

4) Dealing with timed exam conditions. One common issue is running out of time. This could be because the student is overwriting, because of a lack of awareness of time, or needing to learn the content more closely. Where this is a problem, I try to diagnose the reasons for this by looking at samples of work to see whether the student is overwriting and then recommend where they can cut their responses if needed. I can also give the aforementioned practice tests to my students in timed conditions, where the test is sent home via email at the start of a timed period and the answers are emailed back to me at the end of this timed period. I hope this helps students manage time better in the exam. For AQA Economics being concise on 9 and 15 mark questions and working out how much to write for 25 mark questions is important. For Edexcel Economics, leaving enough time for a solid section C essay, by saving time in section A and by being concise on the early questions in section B in papers 1 and 2 is typically the greatest time-related challenge for students.


I am happy to set and mark homework to reinforce learning, adjusted according to how busy the student is. I am happy to give feedback on work the student is doing or essays they have attempted in class.

If the student comes to me part way through the course, then a good starting point is usually to see samples of written work from their economics course. This helps me to assess their initial level and where I can help. This will usually form part of the initial session. From there we can proceed according to the needs of the student.

I am also happy to support students through university applications (see the section below on university applications).


UNDERGRADUATE ECONOMICS

For undergraduate economics, I have helped with microeconomics topics like consumer/firm optimisation, game theory, general equilibrium and contract theory. For macroeconomics I have tutored in topics up to advanced level, from IS-LM and the Solow growth model to monetary economics and DGSE models. For econometrics I have tutored in time series, panel data and cross-sectional econometrics, as well as advising on econometric methods in dissertations. I have also helped with specific undergraduate optional modules on various economics topics, including behavioural economics, international trade, development economics, cryptocurrencies and urban economics. I have also advised on research projects and dissertations in many of these fields.

ADMISSIONS AND OTHER RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

I have prepared students for the Oxbridge economics admissions process by conducting mock interviews and supporting the writing of personal statements.

I have taught briefly Maths GCSE in school. I participate in online forums where I regularly answer students’ questions about economics and mathematics.

My grades achieved throughout school and university are stellar. These achievements demonstrate my knowledge of the best revision methods and my deep understanding of the course content.

DBS Check: Yes