Federica

I am a Tutor specializing in Geography and the Humanities with a very strong academic background, having graduated Oxford University with a Double First degree in Geography, after obtaining a 45/45 International Baccalaureate high-school qualification (one of only 18 students in the world to achieve this result in 2005).

I have successfully tutored students aged 11-18 in core humanistic subjects (Geography, History, History of Art, ESS and TOK), allowing them to achieve outstanding results in GCSE, IGCSE, A-level and IB. This has included home-schooling students for both History and Geography, as well as support in the production of coursework and Extended Essays. I always strive for academic excellence, being convinced that a love of learning can be fostered in any student.

With Geography in particular, I encourage students to view the subject in the context of their own day-to-day experience so as to establish an understanding and appreciation of the topic beyond the scope of the textbook. After all, it is easy to remember and appreciate a case study if it is based on a recent newspaper article that sparked one`s own interest!

I have also tutored students wishing to learn Italian - I am fully bilingual and have held conversational classes and have taught Italian literature, as well as simple grammar.

Having successfully graduated from Oxford University, I can guide students wishing to apply to Oxbridge through their choice of University, College, drafting of their Personal Statement and Interview process.
I can assist University students reading Geography at both Undergraduate and Masters level, particularly with regards to supporting dissertation and coursework submissions, providing guidance and an effective sounding-board for theories and ideas. Topics I have expertise in include town-planning, housing, gentrification and retail development; capitalism and alternative futures; identity, diversity and representation; globalisation, development and environmental justice.

As an Oxford student I had several pieces of work used for publications, and I won the Oxford University Shell Prize for coursework- I am therefore happy to support students having to produce original essays and research.

Availability: Monday-Friday

9.00am - 8.00pm

Willing to travel: 10 miles

Experience: I have tutored a variety of students, please see below for a snapshot of my experience:

Undergraduate/ Masters level Geography

- A University level Geography student about to sit Finals needing a final push. I particularly assisted the student with regards to general exam technique; understanding of the general literature and currents of thought around the topic of migration in light of current political developments; course-work polishing pre-submission. The student needed a sounding-board against which to test his arguments and ideas, and general help in organizing them to form a compelling dialectic.
- A Masters level Geography student who needed help in structuring and editing her dissertation. This included supporting her in the understanding of the general literature and currents of thought around the topic of retail development. I reviewed and edited the dissertation fully before submission.

IB Geography / ESS / TOK / EE

- A student who was homeschooled through her IB Geography. She was awarded the highest mark possible in IB, a 7.
- An IB student requiring support with Geography, ESS and TOK/Extended Essay. The student was finding it difficult to complete coursework for these subjects, and was afraid to fail them. With dedication and support he managed to achieve 6 in both Geography and History and obtain 3 points for ESS/TOK. My role included helping the student plan, carry out and write up the coursework, and helping him with understanding challenging topics within Geography and ESS. Towards exam time the focus became putting together revision slides and exam strategy.

A-Level Geography

- An A-level high-performing Geography student wanting to ensure an A* result. The student requested specific support with regards to Unit 4 of the EdExcel Geography course. The Unit requires students to carry out independent research on a topic of choice, which in her case was Development. Given her obvious abilities, my role consisted in getting the student to think beyond the curriculum and at university level, so as to provide her with the tools to be able to introduce complex ideas within her essays, thus ensuring a top grade.

GCSE/IGCSE Geography

- A GCSE student seeking weekly support with her Geography course for the duration of the summer and for her final year. I like to show students that Geography is not a sterile subject covered in a textbook- rather it is all around us. I encouraged the student to see the Geographical side of her summer holidays (a trip to Dorset can be illuminating when it comes to understanding rock formation!) so that she would develop a genuine interest and appreciation for the subject, rather than seeing her course as something to be endured.
- An IGCSE student who, for health reasons, required homeschooling in both History and Geography for the final 5 months of the course. History was the weaker of the two subjects, but in the end the student managed to achieve an 8. Revision and exam techniques were particular points of focus.

16+

- I have worked with several students in preparation for the competitive 16+ exams. This year I focused on two students: one was aiming for Cheltenham Ladies’ College, and the other for Godolphin. We worked hard at ensuring that both of the students’ levels were being pushed for the exams, and used materials and past examples from the schools to guide the fine tuning of their exam techniques.

11+

-I have successfully helped students gain entry to schools such as Winchester, Harrow and Radley.

Adult Italian

-A mature student wishing to learn Italian to converse with her Roman husband in his native language. The sessions were subdivided between Grammar, following the “Expresso” course, and Conversation, using techniques aimed at enhancing the breadth of her vocabulary and self-confidence.