Glen

EDUCATION

I was born and raised in Newcastle upon Tyne, taking A-levels in French, Spanish, Government & Politics and English Literature before going on to read Modern and Medieval Languages at Selwyn College, University of Cambridge. I graduated with a First Class Honours degree in 2014 and received a mark of special excellence in the Russian Oral Examination.

ETHOS

I have been tutoring regularly since 2012 and have built up an impeccable record of success with all of my students to date. It is my belief that a tutor`s job is not only to pass on knowledge to his or her tutees, but also to help those students develop as independent learners. This is a more involved process than simply teaching the subject matter, but it pays dividends in the long run.

By instilling students with the confidence to work alone, I help them to prepare for the rigours of higher education when they will be required to study independently without constant support. This approach ultimately means that students end up requiring fewer lessons overall, while still covering all of the necessary material for their course.

The first session invariably consists of an academic assessment in the subject(s) to be taught, after which a full written report and a recommended plan for tuition and independent study is provided.

EXAM PREPARATION

I have a vast amount of experience helping students to prepare for school entrance exams primarily at the 11+ and 13+ entry points. With students preparing for these transitions we focus on English Language and Literature, Mathematics, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning, and Interview Technique. Recent students have gained places at schools such as Sevenoaks, Summer Fields, Charterhouse and Mill Hill, even when the initial assessment suggested that they might struggle to reach the necessary requirements.

FOREIGN LANGUAGES

I offer tuition in Russian language to students of all levels and all ages, from GCSE and A Level all the way through to degree level. French can be taught to a similar level, and Spanish up to A Level / first year university study.

Equally, I am always happy to help those who simply wish to study any of these languages casually or as an extracurricular activity.

EXTRA-CURRICULAR

I love travelling and always make an effort to learn the local language before visiting a new part of the world. I am passionate and dedicated linguist, and although I specialised in Russian and French at university, I have also studied Spanish, Polish, Dutch, Arabic, Ukrainian, Icelandic, Greek, Swedish, Portuguese, Bulgarian and Kazakh to various levels of proficiency.

I am a keen sportsman and during my time at university I was a member of the college squads for rowing and football. Now, with less time on my hands, I work on general fitness by running and visiting the gym several times a week. I also enjoy music and play the piano, acoustic guitar and tenor sax.

Availability: I have a fairly busy schedule these days but will do my best to find slots for new students.

When submitting an enquiry, please specify whether or not there are certain days and times that work best for you.

Willing to travel: 5 miles

Experience: OVERVIEW

I have hundreds of hours of experience tutoring students of all ages in a range of subjects. Much of my experience was gained abroad, where the majority of my students were preparing to apply to top UK boarding schools at the 11+ and 13+ entry levels. With these students tuition was centred around honing exam technique and developing skills in written and spoken English. Once they had received offers from their chosen schools our focus shifted to preparing them for the specific requirements of the UK curriculum.

UK

My tutees in the UK have typically been students in the Sixth Form preparing for GCSE and A Level language exams (or equivalents). I have helped students taking exams with the AQA and Edexcel exam boards but have also offered tuition for more specific requirements, including interview and entrance test practice for Oxbridge applications.

ONLINE

Although most tuition is one on one, I have also worked with a number of students online. Online tuition works well with older tutees and can often be more convenient for both parties, as it removes the issue of travel time which is always a consideration when pricing tuition. It has also allowed me to work with students abroad or in boarding schools who were in need of remote support because they could not access a local tutor.

APPROACH

The individual needs of each student are my priority. It is important to develop a correctly tailored programme of tuition that will help bring out the best in each tutee and allow them to flourish as independent learners. I believe in encouraging my students to exceed their own expectations by presenting them with challenging tasks that serve to stimulate their academic growth, while taking care not to set unrealistic goals.

Above all I aim to make my lessons fun and interesting, inspiring my students to achieve success by sharing with them my own passion for learning and scholarly approach to academic study.
I have had particular success with students who had previously struggled to engage with a tutor, or were simply lacking confidence in their own ability. I enjoy the work I do and aim to share my positivity and drive for success with each new student that I meet.