I am a fully qualified English teacher and full-time private tutor, specialising in GCSE English Language, GCSE English Literature, A-level English Literature and A-level English Language. I also teach KS2 and 3 together with entrance examination skills for 11+ and 13+ candidates.

I am also an AQA Examiner.

Before moving into teaching, I spent fifteen years working as a criminal defence Barrister, a background which gave me a strong grounding in close reading, precise argument, persuasive writing and the careful use of evidence. Those skills transfer very naturally into English tutoring, particularly when students need to move beyond vague or general responses and develop sharper, more analytical written work.

I began teaching English in 2012, first in a state school in West London where I acquired my QTS and then at an independent girls’ school in Buckinghamshire, where I spent the final six years of my classroom teaching career. I now dedicate all of my time to private tutoring. I teach GCSE English Language and Literature, as well as A-level English Literature and English Language, and I have worked with students across a wide range of abilities, from those needing confidence and structure to those aiming for the highest grades. I have also worked as an AQA examiner for ten years, which gives me a very clear understanding of how exam answers are assessed and what students need to do to move securely through the mark bands. Although exam boards differ in wording and format, the underlying assessment skills are often closely related: clear argument, precise evidence, close analysis, contextual awareness where relevant, and confident control of written expression.

My tutoring is carefully tailored to the individual student. Some students need help with confidence, planning and basic structure; others need more advanced support with close analysis, essay style, unseen texts, exam timing or moving from good answers into the top bands. I work in a clear, practical and focused way, breaking tasks down without lowering expectations. I have considerable experience supporting students with learning differences, processing difficulties and uneven confidence in English, and I try to make the subject feel manageable rather than mysterious. My lessons are supportive but honest: students are shown exactly what they are doing well, where marks are being lost, and how to improve their responses in a way they can actually reproduce independently.