Tom

I am an Oxford-educated (PPE) qualified teacher (QTS) and former examiner with over 15 years’ experience supporting students to achieve top grades and gain places at leading universities, including Oxbridge.

I am a private tutor based in Buckinghamshire and work each year with a small number of students, allowing me to provide focused, personalised support. My approach is calm, structured, and patient, designed to help students build confidence, master the demands of their course, and perform at the highest level.

Before teaching, I worked in senior research roles in government and think tanks, advising on public policy at the centre of government. I later trained as a teacher and have since helped hundreds of students achieve excellent exam results and secure places at highly competitive universities, including Oxford, Cambridge and Stanford.

My teaching philosophy rests on clarity, logical explanation, and guided practice. Typically I start by diagnosing a student`s current level of understanding, then proceeding steadily to introduce new concepts, building confidence by gradually increasing the difficulty of questions. I use real-world examples, and regular checks for understanding to ensure students feel secure at every stage. I have a wealth of tried-and-tested teaching resources (e.g. worksheets, quizzes, essay planning structures) which I use with students. My aim to develop not only strong subject knowledge but also the analytical and essay-writing skills that are essential for exam success and university study.

Another major benefit of this way of working is that students become more confident in articulating their ideas and thinking on the spot - two skills that are vital for interviews for Oxford and Cambridge or future employment.

I have extensive experience teaching online and use technology effectively to support learning, from interactive whiteboards to structured digital resources. During the Covid period I delivered an entire A-level course online, achieving over 40% A* grades.

I greatly enjoy working with young people, helping them build both skill and confidence, and guiding them toward ambitious academic goals.

Availability: Each year I take on a small number of motivated students whom I work closely with to help them achieve their exam and university aspirations.

Willing to travel: 3 miles

Experience: I have been a private tutor for over ten years and have tutored over 300 students, mostly at A-Level. More recently, while working at a top girls` independent school I taught over 200 students across 7 years. The following is a more specific list of courses and subjects I have taught.

Mathematics

Pre-GCSE maths (from age 9 onwards)
GCSE Mathematics: Edexcel and AQA
A Level Mathematics: Edexcel, OCR and AQA: Pure Mathematics, Statistics, Mechanics.
Preparation for numeracy tests for investment banking e.g. JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, HSBC
MBA module on Business Modelling and Statistics (Warwick University)
Training for numerical tests for investment banking and consulting

Economics

GCSE Economics: OCR
A Level courses in Economics: Edexcel, AQA, OCR and WJEC
Degree level: Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Maths for Economics, Statistics (students at the Universities of Sheffield, Durham, UCL, Hertfordshire, Birmingham, Manchester, St Andrews)
Preparation for Oxbridge entry (PPE) and interview preparation

Politics

AS and A2 courses in Politics: Edexcel, WJEC, OCR
Degree level politics: Political theory (Nottingham Uni), Democracy and Politics of the EU (Loughborough University).
Masters level politics: Politics of the Middle East (University of London, SOAS)

Philosophy

A level courses in Philosophy: AQA and OCR, topics including Epistemology, Metaphysics, Ethics, Political Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion, Nietzsche, Mill
Degree level Philosophy: Ethics, Nietzsche, Formal Logic, Political Philosophy, Sartre, Philosophy of Mind, Metaphysics, Aesthetics (Oxford, London, Sussex and Warwick universities)
Preparation for Oxbridge entry: Wittgenstein, Descartes, Epistemology

Other

Advice on personal statements for UCAS forms
Help preparing for interview for corporate law firm (economics and finance)

Before becoming a tutor I worked in senior research roles for the government and think tanks.

DBS Check: Yes