Tutor Profile

Ben

(29 reviews)

Ben

I have 13+ years of experience teaching in person and online. I have a 1st class Masters degree in Theoretical Physics (York, 2015), a PhD in Theoretical Plasma Physics (Warwick, 2019), 7+ years as an academic physicist, and soon a degree in Medicine (Oxford, 2030).

For the past 7 years I have worked as an academic plasma physics fusion energy researcher, winning multiple national awards during this time and becoming leader of my research team (Turbulence in fusion plasmas). I have had a wonderful career as a plasma physicist, but it is time for a change; I will soon leave this job and start Graduate Entry (accelerated) Medicine at Oxford in September - I am incredibly excited! Below is a brief outline of my tutoring experience and qualifications.

  • 13 years of tutoring experience mostly in Maths and Physics. From GCSE to University level as well as adult learner.
  • Experience tutoring for Oxbridge entrance exams, including PAT and MAT.
  • Theoretical physics MPhys (1st), University of York, 2011-2015.
  • PhD in Theoretical plasma physics, University of Warwick, 2015-2019, awards for best plasma physics PhD thesis in the UK, best physics PhD thesis at Warwick, and postgraduate teaching at Warwick.
  • Career as a Nuclear fusion researcher, 2019- 2026, UK early career plasma physicist award, research group leader, Chartered physicist, 28 peer-reviewed publications.
  • Medicine (accelerated graduate entry), University of Oxford, Sep 2026 - 2030), I am going back to University to retrain as a medical doctor.
  • I have historically taught Maths, Physics, and some adjacent areas such as certain Computer Science and Economics University modules. I am now in a position to also teach Chemistry GCSE and A-level, and the UCAT medical/dental entrance exam.
  • 3000 in my UCAT

  • Full and recent (2024) DBS check
  • Private pilot with night rating (I can offer advice for the 9 ground school exams and can handily link with Maths and Physics).

Outside of work and study, I am qualified private and licensed skydiver and generally enjoy all things aviation and outdoors.

Please see below for a breakdown of my tutoring experience, the services I can offer, and my approach to tutoring.

Thanks for reading!

Teaching Experience

I specialise in bespoke 1-to-1 lessons with students, but I can also offer group lessons upon request. Lessons are usually by the hour, but can be in the format of a "crash course" in a subject over, for example, a weekend.

I am happy teaching in-person at your home, but equally comfortable teaching online using Zoom Pro.

Here is a list of things I have taught in the past and am able to teach now:

Maths - A-level / GCSE / International Baccalaureate.

  • Physics - A-level / GCSE / International Baccalaureate.
  • Chemistry - A-level / GCSE / International Baccalaureate.
  • UCAT preparation (medical and dental school aptitude test).
  • Medical school interview preparation.
  • Cambridge and Oxford maths, physics and engineering entrance exams (e.g. PAT, STEP)
  • Scottish advanced highers maths.
  • Scottish advanced highers physics.
  • First year university physics.
  • Second year university physics.
  • First year university maths.
  • Second year university maths.
  • First year university mechanical engineering.
  • Second year university mechanical engineering.
  • First year university maths for economics.
  • First year university maths for computer science.
  • Maths/engineering HND diploma.

I am fortunate to be able to, in some instances, be the sole tutor for all of a student's A-level subjects. For instance, if you have a child studying Chemistry, Maths, and Physics A-levels with the aim of doing a Physics/Maths/Medicine degree; I would be able to tutor your child in all these subjects as well as entrance exams and university interview preparation.

If there is something not on this list that you would like help with than please feel free to message me so we can explore our options. I am happy to offer either a 50% discount on our first hour, or a free 30 minute trial lesson.

Tutoring Approach

I find an informal style works best, particularly with secondary school students. The 1-to-1 (or small classroom) nature of tutoring lends itself well to this style, and over the years I have found that creating an environment in which the student is at ease and not afraid to make mistakes is essential to the learning process.

Having discussed the content of the lesson with the student / parent(s) prior to the lesson, a typical lesson would usually start by clarifying what the student expects out of the lesson and what knowledge I hope to impart upon the student. Using A-level Maths as an example, let’s assume for the moment that the student is completely stuck at differentiating using the quotient rule (a common complaint I’ve received from students). I typically set the student a warm-up problem and ask them to do it whilst I watch. I watch and make mental and written notes of the key steps where their understanding is lacking or where their procedure for doing the question could be improved. I then discuss this with the student, and often, I take the time to derive the rules from first principles, with the aim of forming links in the student’s brain so they don’t “think” about answering the question next time. As an example, the quotient rule and be derived from the product rule, and once I show them this (not often done at school), the logic behind it is no longer opaque, and the student is often able to perform better on subsequent problems.

We then typically work through a subset of increasingly more challenging problems, and I resist the urge to tell the student the answer, instead asking targeted questions to guide them in the right direction. I almost always set homework problems, including at least one stretching problem, which are tailored to the needs of the specific student I am teaching, and we begin the next lesson by clarifying anything from the problems. Most lessons, I naturally make links between the content and my own career or another example from the world of work. I find this gives the students context and enthuses them.

Importantly, I don’t recommend further tuition when it is not necessary. As an example, you may decide to start with hourly lessons twice per week. As your child’s understanding and confidence grows, we may decide together that we feel comfortable dropping down to once a week. This is an excellent outcome that we can take pride in. I view my job as not only to impart knowledge and turn that A into an A*, but also to give the student the tools they need to direct their own learning.

Qualifications

Plasma Physics PhD

Doctorate · University of Warwick · 2019

Theoretical Physics MPhys

Masters · University of York · 2015

Physics - A-level - A

School · Tong Leadership Academy · 2011

Maths - A-level - A*

School · Tong Leadership Academy · 2011

Reviews (30)

rebecca2026

Ben is an excellent GCSE Maths and Science tutor. He is kind, patient, and has complete mastery of the subjects he tutors. Ben provides clear teaching, patient support, and grade improvement. Highly Recommend! Ben makes very complex concepts feel manageable because he explains them in a clear concise way. My son's mock exam scores improved significantly from Ben's tuition. What impressed us the most was Ben's focus on exam technique; he prioritised what the examiners are looking for, increasing my son's confidence and ability to do well with his GCSE preparation. We are very happy with with all the support Ben has provided!

First Tutors

Benjamin has been an excellent A‑level Physics tutor for my son in the weeks leading up to his mock exams. He explains concepts with great clarity and has helped my son finally understand topics that had previously caused real difficulty. Benjamin is patient, takes time to address every question thoroughly, and consistently offers helpful feedback on progress along with practical suggestions for improvement. I particularly appreciate his approach to teaching how to apply mathematics within physics, which has boosted my son’s confidence and problem‑solving skills. Overall, we are very happy with Benjamin’s support and highly recommend him.

Tutor response

Thank you very much for the kind and informative feedback. I look forward to continuing to work with you and your son.

First Tutors

My boys have throughly enjoyed their time with Benjamin as he helped them prepare for exams, allowing them to go into the exams with confidence. Benjamin was both inspiring and encouraging, a wonderful combination in a tutor! From a parents perspective, his professionalism and clarity at keeping me abreast about my boys progress was also greatly appreciated.

Tutor response

Thank you for the kind and encouraging comments. I thoroughly enjoyed working with your boys :)

First Tutors

Ben has picked up tutoring my son quite late in the day as a previous tutor could not continue for medical reasons. Ben is friendly and encouraging and my son really likes working with him. Thank you Ben you have given him added confidence for the A Level next year. I personally think you are excellent and will recommend you to anyone looking for a physics tutor.

Tutor response

Thank you for your kind comments. I look forward to continuing to work with your son.

First Tutors

Ben is an excellent tutor! His patience and willingness to analyse my son's ability to learn has been very valuable. Ben is down to earth, supportive, and is very knowledgeable. We receive regular feedback about my son's progress. In addition, he is always punctual and dependable. Our son is slowly understanding exam tips and how to improve his study habits. I fully recommend Ben. We are very fortunate he is helping our son!

Tutor response

Thank you for your kind comments. I look forward to continuing to work with you and your son :)

First Tutors

Ben has been tutoring my son A-level physics and he has gone from a grade C to a grade A in a short space of time. His tutoring style really works for him. He focuses on exam practice and technique along with thorough explanations of the topics in hand. He really takes time to make sure that the more difficult topics are fully understood to a very high level so that the information can be applied to exam questions with success. Ben has also really helped with my sons organisational skills which he has found useful for his other subjects. I would definitely recommend Ben for anyone who wants to feel more confident and improve their grades in this subject.

First Tutors

My sister is being supervised by Benjamin to prepare for her Physics A-level exam. She absolutely enjoys her supervisions! Although she started off pretty weak in this area she has improved dramatically in both general understanding of physics and exam performance. After just a couple of months, she got an 'A' in the moc-exam. I highly recommend Benjamin, he is an excellent tutor.

First Tutors

We feel very lucky to have found Ben to tutor physics A level and Oxbridge entry. My son really enjoys his well structured lessons, fully engaging with Ben who he finds highly knowledgeable, encouraging and supportive. As a result his confidence has greatly increased. It is obvious Ben is a committed and dedicated tutor and really cares for his students, going the extra mile. He is professional, always punctual and gives regular feedback. I would not hesitate to recommend him!

First Tutors

Benjamin is a fantastic teacher. He is punctual, and his communication is excellent. He is very good at explaining complex topics in a simple way, and he is very friendly and teaches in a fun and approachable manner. His lessons are easy to digest. I would recommend Benjamin to anyone that is looking for a Science tutor, you can not get much better than him!

First Tutors
First Tutors

Ben was excellent when we made a last minute request for him to help my daughter out with her advanced higher mechanics exam. He understood the syllabus really well, my daughter found him really nice and great for explaining the more complicated questions, and he was really flexible with online tutoring times. Would highly recommend.

First Tutors

Ben tutored my 2 sons for the best part of 6 months ahead of their A-Levels in both Maths and Physics. He was always on time, communicative and went the extra mile between sessions providing email feedback and input when necessary. The boys and Ben worked well together and the sessions had a mixture of straight tutoring as well as more collaborative discussion allowing them to grow in how to best analyse the structure of the question and ascertain the best way to answer it to obtain the highest marks. At the time of writing the boys have yet to take their exams but I am confident that the sessions with Ben have given them the best possible chance and helped them to structure their remaining revision accordingly.

First Tutors

It was great for our daughter to have Benjamin’s help. We found him immensely knowledgeable, polite and flexible. He responded immediately to our emails. He was able to tailor the lessons on the spot which was great and was able to help our daughter effectively in both A-level Physics and Maths. He was also proactive in providing constructive feedback and setting appropriate homework. We would highly recommend Ben to anyone.

First Tutors

Ben really helped me to understand concepts in my engineering modules that I couldnt wrap my head around before. Really patient and excellent at communicating his thoughts and teachings. He's sincere and also very meticulous, and his lessons are well paced. A friendly guy who transformed my ability to address a range of questions and problems.

First Tutors

Ben helped my son prepare for the Cambridge engineering entrance exams. He responded to all questions promptly, he prepared relevant lessons and he offered advice and support. He is friendly and my son really liked his teaching approach. No complaints, really happy and my son now has an interview at Cambridge.

First Tutors

Ben, thank you for the support you gave to my girls over the last year. From getting a U in C1 in 2016 to an A in C1 in 2017 was a huge step. And for advising us to push the teachers to allow the girls to resit as at first they were not keen on the extra workload. This has resulted in achieving a B grade at A level maths in 2017 whereas previously their AS result was a D. The girls came back from each session more confident & clearer on their maths. I'd would thoroughly recommend you to any other parent/student who needs a little extra support in A level maths.

First Tutors

An excellent tutoring service that was definitely worth the money, Benjamin provided high quality tutoring on a number of my university level mechanical engineering modules. His teaching method ensured that I understood exactly why things are as they are with each subject, and often explained to me how each is used in industry and further research, using examples from engineering and his own work, furthering my understanding. Certainly recommended and will be my first call in the future.

First Tutors

Benjamin was able to help my son with his IB Higher Maths, having decided to change from standard to higher level at the end of year 12. Benjamin went over those modules that my son had not covered in year 12 and was very good at explaining everything thoroughly. The tuition he received was on-line so this meant that my son was able to sit in the comfort of his own home and costs were therefore reduced. Finding someone with an understanding of IB Maths was not easy but Benjamin's knowledge was first class. My son was very unsure whether he would be able to take on such a mammoth task but Benjamin gave him the confidence he needed. I would certainly recommend Benjamin to anyone thinking of studying IB maths.

First Tutors

My son was very happy with the teaching received from Ben. He was confident on the exams and he improved his knowledge a lot. Also Ben adjusted to my son's requests in terms of the areas to focus on. The teaching was 100% online and it worked very well for us. My son requested to continue being guided by Ben next year as well.

First Tutors

Wow!! Ben was such a find. He is a fantastic tutor and extremely knowledgeable, able to help even gifted students maximise their potential at the highest level. We are so grateful to him for all his support and look forward to carrying on with him into Year 2 of A levels. Absolute life saver! Thanks Ben!

First Tutors

Ben is a very professional tutor who has supported my son well in his final year of Physics A level. He sets clear targets, provides work in between sessions and communicates with an easy relaxed manner. He is reliable and on time and my son has enjoyed having tutor sessions at the University as he is able to see for himself how Physics can really be applied.

First Tutors

Ben is an excellent tutor. I had not studied math since GCSE and I now needed to rapidly increase my knowledge for my postgraduate work. I have rapidly improved my knowledge to A level/close to University level and plan to continue with Ben until I reach the desired level, which I am very confident will be achieved within the time frame I put forward to Ben before we started the tuition. Ben is patient with my progress and willing to take a look at some of my work even outside of the allocated tuition session. Highly recommended.

First Tutors
First Tutors

Ben has provided excellent tutorial services in GSCE maths for our son. He has a professional approach and always on time. He communicates well with the parents and the tutee. He has an excellent command of his subject and I duly recommend. Although we did not sit in during the tutorials feedback from our son about the sessions has been very good. He always gave feedback and appraisals to us as to progress. He is good value for the money.

First Tutors

Ben is calm and composed . His algebra skills are the best. Helping my kid is Year8 to prepare for the GCSE's early.

First Tutors

Excellent tutor covering mathes and physics Polite punctual and tailors tutorials to pupils needs Would thoroughly recommend to other students

First Tutors

In summary: "A 5 Star Tutor!" Ben has been tutoring my niece on A-Level Maths over the past 6mths. I can honestly say that he's the most helpful and professional Tutor that I've met to date! Not only is he intelligent and knowledgeable in his chosen subjects, but he has the rare skill of actually being able to adapt his approach and really connect with his students, which in my view, is so important to actually succeeding in tutoring. In addition to this, his planning skills are excellent along with the regular progress updates he has provided throughout. I would not hesitate to recommend to anyone looking for tutoring in his specialised field. My experience with Ben has been nothing short of excellent in all areas. Many thanks Ben.

First Tutors

Ben is very helpful, providing relevant work and support. He is an excellent tutor who helps you to gain a greater understanding through clear explanations and questions to your progress.

First Tutors
First Tutors

Ben, I can highly recommend Ben. He is friendly, supportive and encouraging. He has a calm approach to tutoring. Also his subject matter experience, and knowledge of the syllabus is very good. Regards Krushant

Online TuitionDBS checkedTravels up to 25 km
  • This tutor has an average feedback rating of at least 4.75/5 from 20 or more reviews.
  • This tutor is a Professional (self-declared)
  • This tutor is happy to teach online
Subjects Taught
Chemistry
GCSE or National 3-5
£60.00
A-Level, IB or Highers
£60.00
Maths
A-Level, IB or Highers
£60.00
University (or further higher)
£60.00
GCSE or National 3-5
£60.00
Primary (Up to 11 years)
£60.00
Entrance Exams
A-Level, IB or Highers
£60.00
University (or further higher)
£60.00
Combined Science
GCSE or National 3-5
£60.00
Physics
University (or further higher)
£60.00
A-Level, IB or Highers
£60.00
GCSE or National 3-5
£60.00
Mechanical Engineering
A-Level, IB or Highers
£60.00
Medicine
A-Level, IB or Highers
£60.00
University (or further higher)
£60.00
Further Maths
A-Level, IB or Highers
£60.00
GCSE or National 3-5
£60.00
Science
GCSE or National 3-5
£60.00
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