Rob

I came to academia late after a career as a landscape gardener and musician, attaining a first with honours BA in Modern History and Politics, then undertaking an MA and PhD in history. I taught undergraduate students and engaged in outreach and widening participation work throughout my postgraduate studies. This in particular gave me a lot of enthusiasm for working with younger people and helping them achieve.

My most recent role has been at a Russell Group university as an Academic Skills Officer. I was exclusively working with EPQ students, four days a week for two years, specifically supporting the `taught skills` element of the EPQ. This focussed on each stage of the EPQ, from choosing a topic to designing a question to researching, appropriate source material and how to find and interpret it, as well as writing and presentation skills.

I weave in feedback relating to academic skills as well as subject specific material for my students and have seen how transformative good feedback can be and how it can raise student achievement across subjects.

I have a passion for history and in particular the history of the British Empire, decolonisation, and empire and British identity.


Education (University of Southampton):
Doctor of Philosophy, History - Thesis: Cultivating the Colonial Mind: British Agricultural Officers in East Africa at the End of
Empire, 1945-1966. Viva passed with no corrections, June 2019.

Master of Arts, History - Dissertation: British Responses to the 1964 East African Army Mutinies.

Bachelor of Arts (Hons), Modern History and Politics, 1 st Class - Dissertation: Caution, careers and assistance: British responses to civil and public service in the transition to an Independent Zimbabwe, 1977-1981.

Willing to travel: 20 miles

Experience: I can tutor students studying:

HPQ
A-Level History
EPQ
Undergraduate history

I`ve also proofread academic articles and books as well as fiction and am happy to provide this service to students.

For the last two years I have taught KS5 students in academic skills, predominantly revolving around the EPQ. I have extensive experience around academic skills, research and essay-writing and have worked with students and teachers across the south of England in lecture-style delivery, seminars, workshops and hundreds of 1:1 sessions with students both face-to-face and online.

Throughout my PhD I taught first-year undergraduates in history, met with them in 1:1s, provided essay feedback and general academic skills feedback. I designed and delivered a series of essay-writing workshops to first- and second-year undergraduates in the humanities and won an award for my "exceptional contribution to teaching and learning". Additionally, for three years I taught history to postgraduate level international students at a summer school.

During my MA and PhD, I worked for a university ambassador scheme and delivered outreach workshops and seminars based around my wider research to students age 12 to 18, in large groups and small workshop-style sessions all supported by good pedagogical practice from my undergraduate teaching. I also received two awards for the quality of my outreach work.