I have a BSc in Mathematics and a PGCE in Secondary Maths Teaching. Alongside classroom experience, I’ve also supported adult learners with personal computing skills.
I have a BSc in Mathematics and a PGCE in Secondary Maths Teaching. Alongside classroom experience, I’ve also supported adult learners with personal computing skills.
I have been offering private tuition since 2012 and have helped many tutees to obtain, or surpass, their target grades in SQA and A level exams. In the last 5 years alone I have delivered over 3000 hours of tuition!
In addition I have 4 years classroom experience, and have worked in providing adult education in computing.
As a dedicated teacher, I enjoy teaching at all levels of ability, tailoring my approach to the needs of my tutees. Having a calm and patient manner I enjoy the challenge of helping tutees to understand basic principles in ways that make sense to them. Whether you need help with a specific problem or an explanation of a more general concept, just let me know what you need assistance with, and I'll do my best to provide a clear and helpful response.
Elements of my approach:
Our aim is to work towards creating a time and space where you can talk about and learn maths in a natural way.
I contend that the big difference between private tuition and, say, watching tutor videos online, or learning by some other online or electronic means, is that a tutor can listen to you and detect things that are misunderstood and provide instant and friendly feedback to correct these misundertandings. Nor can you interrupt a video to ask a pressing question that has just occurred to you, but you can with a tutor. Any good tutor wants you to ask your question and to be engaged.
I ask my tutees to aim high and to that end the focus will always be on you developing as a confident learner.
Jo Boaler in her book Mathematical Mindsets states that “…for the vast majority of children — about 95% — any level of school maths are within their reach.” Further to the point, Nobel prize winner in Physics (1965), Richard Feynman: "I was an ordinary person who studied hard. There's no miracle people. "
With the right support and encouragement to think for yourself you are perfectly capable of learning maths and of being able to obtain a good pass in your exams. So please take this on board and adjust your mindset accordingly.
I don't believe that one can teach effectively if one has forgotten what it is like not to know something, so I gain real satisfaction from explaining complex things in a way that makes sense to others.
Homework may be set where useful, usually growing directly out of the tutorial, and is intended to reinforce learning without becoming burdensome.
Feedback is available on request, with brief summaries of work covered, progress made, and areas for further attention.
As examinations approach, tutorials place increasing emphasis on the habits that matter most for success: clear layout, with a logical flow, careful checking of working, and drawing on prior mathematical knowledge in a thoughtful and connected way. All of these habits are encouraged throughout the year, but brought into sharper focus in the final phase of preparation for the exam.
I offer a discount of 5% for tutorials prepaid in blocks of 5. Please enquire if you wish to take advantage of this offer.
Gary's approach to questions has been very helpful, and he explains concepts in a way that it easy to understand and apply to questions. He has also helped with interpreting exam-style questions and breaking them down into multiple clear steps. The use of the shared whiteboard especially has made the sessions interactive and engaging.
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Thank you Adam, I'm glad to hear that you are benefitting from the tutorials. [Adam is an A-level student]
My son has got off to a great start with Gary as his tutor. His maths has improved as has his confidence already.
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Thanks for your feedback Stephen.
My daughter instantly recognised that Gary had more in depth understanding of how to approach Higher Maths than her previous tutor. He has improved confidence and the mindset of my daughter
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Thanks for your feedback Imran.
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This tutee improved from a fail at her prelim to achieve an 'A' in her SQA Higher exam.
Gary has proven to be an outstanding tutor for our son. It’s been a pleasure to hear them solving problems together and it’s been good for Dylan to have Gary to support and challenge him. Dylan got an A in advance higher mathematics today- two years early. Given he could not attend over 1/3 of his school classes, having Gary to backfill made all the difference! Thank Gary… on to STEP and advanced higher mechanics and stats now
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Thanks Ian. I'm looking forward to the challenges of the next academic year.
Gary has been absolutely fantastic. His explanation makes it easy to understand complex mathematics and the use of a shared whiteboard makes online lessons feel as though they were face to face. He has tutored and helped me through my preparation for my engineering maths exam and in just a few lessons I am definitely feeling far more confident in the topics I was previously struggling with. Communication regarding lessons arrangements has been excellent from day one. If you are struggling with mathematics, I definitely recommend Gary.
Gary has been extremely helpful in guiding my son towards his advanced highers in maths. His teaching methods have been great, improving my son's approach towards tackling questions and improving his confidence. I would highly recommend Gary.
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Thanks for your feedback Arunava. This tutee obtained an A pass at Advanced Higher.
Gary provided over 8 months of online tuition for my daughter during her Higher Maths. He was excellent from start to finish. My daughter grew in confidence and valued his insightful, methodical approach. He was well versed in the SQA marking schemes and really added value with tips on what to focus on. I would highly recommend him.
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Thank you Lorna for your feedback. It was a pleasure helping your daughter. This tutee obtained an A pass at Higher.
Dear Gary, thank you for all the support and encouragement that you gave given Lucas for advanced higher maths. Lucas has felt much more confident as a result of your tutoring. You have explained complex problems thoroughly that he was struggling with. He is now going in to his exam tomorrow feeling prepared. Thank you for your excellent tutoring.
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Thank you for your feedback Clare.
Thank you so much for your support and guidance. It’s really helped, and my son is feeling more confident now. We truly appreciate it!
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Thank you Po Yin. I enjoyed helping your son and wish him well for his exams.
Gary is an experienced and patient tutor who has helped my son build his confidence in preparation for his Higher Mathematics exam. All the tuition was provided online - Gary was reliable, provided links to supporting materials, and has delivered valuable, high quality tutoring to get my son exam-ready. Many thanks Gary - recommended.
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Thank you Charlie for your feedback. It was a pleasure helping your son.
Can highly recommend Gary as a tutor. He greatly assisted our son for public maths exams.
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Thanks for your feedback Patrick.
Gary has been great , very good feedback and really wants to help my son get back on track , would highly recommend. Regards Stuart
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Thank you for your feedback Stuart.
Dear Gary, Thanks for your tutoring of James for TMUA this year. I think he told you already that he found the first paper very different to previous years and very difficult. The second one was "fine". You probably know that from this year the tests are administered, and I think set, by Pearson VUE for the first time. On asking James afterwards if more preparation would have been helpful he didn't really think so, since the types of questions seemed so different to those on past papers. So, he did the best he could on the day with the practice he had done and approaches and knowledge from his study and tutoring with you. The scoring system seems to have changed this year as well, norming around 4.5, with some universities stating that a score of 5.0 this year is taken to be equivalent to 6.5 last year (and in previous years). James got his result this morning. His score was 6.2. This seems to be about the 20th percentile. He hasn't heard back yet on whether he has an interview at the college he applied for in Cambridge, to do Computer Science, but this score might well help his application. Many of the people doing the TMUA would be applying for maths degrees at other universities and perhaps this would drag the average score upwards. So, thank you very much for your help. It seems to have been a strange or transitional year for the TMUA and we hope that this result will help James with his application. I will send this message to you directly by email as well. Best wishes, Denis
Tutor response
Dear Denis, I had read that paper 1 was different to previous papers. So I'm very pleased to hear that James scored so well. Best wishes to him for his future studies. Kind regards, Gary
My son was very satisfied with the taster lesson graciously offered free by Gary. We however were unable to proceed as we were looking for a fortnightly arrangement which Gary is unable to offer.
A very experienced tutor. Gary takes time to understand what the tutee knows and gradually talks with them and builds upon their knowledge. He also makes them understand how to structure their answers.
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Thank you for your feedback Shahzad.
Gary worked with my son for 3 months before his A level Maths, it was very short notice but after my son's D in his year 13 mocks he asked for additional help. Gary really helped him with his understanding of the content and achieved an A in his actual exam. I can highly recommend Gary to anyone who needs additional support with A level Maths. Thank you Gary, we are both very please!
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Thank you Kathy, I’m also very pleased at that outcome.
I highly recommend Gary to every student. My daughter received a C in her prelims, but after eight lessons with Gary, she achieved an A in her Higher exam. He understood students' needs well and helped them specifically. Thanks Gary :)
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Thank you for saying. I found your daughter to be very capable.
Gary was an excellent tutor. He went at a pace that was appropriate to my daughter's level - something which wasn't happening at school - and she felt comfortable asking him all of her questions. Gary explained maths concepts in a very clear way, which really helped her to build confidence. The online sessions worked well for us, as she could fit them in around the other things she does. Having failed her Nat5 prelim she ended up - with Gary's help - getting an A in the final exam. Thanks Gary!
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You're welcome Marianne, it was a pleasure giving tuition to your daughter.
As we needed help with my son's IB Maths HL, which is an unusual request, we were impressed with Gary's ability to adjust to the different curriculum and still able to get our son to exactly where he needed to be. He really appreciated Gary's time and the effort he put in. Thank you very much.
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It was a pleasure helping your son.
Really pleased with Gary. He comes prepared and always works through solutions. I taught my kids show your workings and he rams that home in a massively positive and intuitive way with harder stuff.
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Thanks for your feedback John, greatly appreciated.
Gary is an excellent tutor. He helped my son with preparation for his advanced Highers examination and simplified complex mathematical topics for easy understanding.
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Thank you for saying Ronye. This student achieved an A at SQA Advanced Higher.
Gary is an excellent maths teacher. Kind, patient, very clear in his explanations. He clearly enjoy teaching, prepares lessons and is very good with young people. Our 16 yr old daughter (preparing Highers) summed up her experience by saying 'Gary is a fantastic teacher'. We highly recommend him.
Tutor response
Thank you for your kind comments Gaelle, both from yourself and from your daughter. I enjoyed working with your daughter and wish her well in all her future endeavours.
Gary has been an excellent support for my daughter studying advanced higher maths. Very reliable & helpful & approachable - my daughter has found the lessons very beneficial & it has been a great support as she heads towards her exams.
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Thank you Jenny. It was a pleasure to help your daughter.
Gary is very patient and thorough in his attempts to understand what you are struggling with. His conversational approach makes communicating easy, and you feel at ease to work through the problem, where he guides you along the way to ensure you grasp the solution. A great tutor that I would highly recommend.
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Thank you G!
We were lucky to find Gary for my daughter to help her with Advance Higher Maths to get to the required level and get accepted to the University. Gary is an exceptionally knowledgeable teacher and his ability to identify any gaps and address them got an immediate positive effect on my daughter's confidence and later on results as well. I couldn't be more grateful for Gary's support and input to my daughter's progress. Highly recommended.
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Thanks for your feedback, Anna. I’ll do my all I can to help your daughter achieve her best.
Gary really helped my son with the Maths module of his BA in Economics Management. He was flexible and good value. I’m sure we will seek his help again over the next couple of years.
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I was very happy to help your son. Please do let me know if I can help again in the future.
Gary is providing tuition for my son doing higher math. Son seems happy with progress.
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Thanks Helen glad to hear that.
Gary was a very flexible teacher who would personalise each lesson to any topics or specific questions you had. He would go through each question and would talk about the principles behind them which helped to deepen you're understanding of the topic. He is polite and lovely to talk to.
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Thanks for the feedback Dipen, very much appreciated. (Edexcel A-level A* achieved.)
Gary managed to take our daughter from a prelim mark of 23% to a C level pass which is fantastic. Gary also managed to set out a clear path for Anna to follow and was able to explain in multiple ways to solidify her understanding.
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Thanks for saying Nick. It was a pleasure helping Anna,
Gary is a wonderful tutor and a real encouragment for my son to get the best grades possible in his Alevel. I cannot thank him enough. Gary is very reliable, organised and a very good teacher.
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Thank you Friederike, that’s kind of you to say.
Gary is extremely supportive, reliable and provides clear, informative and immediate feedback. He is very knowledgable and patient. He has helped to make challenging topics much more straightforward for me. A-Levels are a stressful time and whilst the stress cant be taken away, Gary's approach to tutoring has helped to make me feel more confident in my exam preparations. I would happily recommend Gary to others. Thanks Gary; your support is appreciated.
Tutor response
Thanks for your feedback Jonathan, I'm glad to hear that.
In the short time my son has been having tuition with Gary I have already seen a positive change in my sons belief in his ability to do A level maths. Gary is an excellent tutor and my son is thoroughly enjoying his lessons.
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Thank you for saying Rachel. Glad to hear your son is enjoying his studies more.
Gary is tutoring my daughter for advanced higher maths. She’s really happy with how it is going and finds Gary really friendly, helpful, clear and knowledgeable. It has been very easy dealing with Gary and we highly recommend him.
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Thanks for your feedback Lisa. I'm enjoying working with your daughter.
Very friendly and helpful tutoring. My son is feeling much more confident going into the higher exam after only a few lessons.
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Thank you for saying Stephanie.
I would highly recommend Gary to anyone struggling with maths I found Gary really easy to talk to and a friendly person He helped break my problems down into smaller terms that I could understand and explained to me the process of why we do these step in maths and how formulas work.
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Thank you for your feedback Matthew.
Gary has great knowledge of the whole A-level Maths syllabus, with expertise in pure mathematics and the Edexcel (Pearson) exam board. The online lessons are engaging and very productive, Gary encourages questions and explains methods well. Gary offers good levels of support while helping you to strengthen independent study through problem solving skills and study, overall a good balance of support and guidance.
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Thanks for saying Nigel.
My nephew is absolutely delighted to be working with Gary. His approach is perfect as it engenders independence and a growth mindset.
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Thank you for that feedback Carole.
Gary has worked well with my son. He is very clear in his explainations which has helped with my sons confidence and understanding.
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Thanks Kimberley.
Gary worked with my son for over a year, helping him to prepare for Higher and Advanced Higher Maths, TMUA and STEP exams. Gary was punctual and reliable, he established a good, professional working relationship with my son, the sessions were student led, stimulating and there was a very successful outcome. I would have no hesitation in recommending Gary as a tutor for students who have advanced level mathematical skills and who are interested in pursuing STEM subjects at top UK universities.
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Thank you for saying Frances. It was a pleasure helping your son.
Gary is an excellent tutor, very professional and explains everything really well. I would highly recommend Gary.
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Thank you Mary.
So far Gary has been excellent in explaining things and helping with my requests. I would highly recommend.
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Thanks for saying Gordon.
Gary has been highly professional in his approach and communication throughout has been clear and more than adequate. As parents we had confidence in the service Gary offers. Our daughter was working at Higher Level and found Gary's approach to be flexible to her needs and she felt comfortable and supported in all the work that was undertaken. We would highly recommend Gary and we're very grateful to him for all the help he has provided.
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Thank you for your feedback Janet.
I got in contact with gary in preparation for a job application. I wanted to gain more confidence with basic maths and calculations. Gary was excellent from the first session. Patient, clear in his explanations and really responsive out-with our planned sessions. I will go into this assessment feeling so much more confident, which is invaluable.
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Thanks for saying. Glad to know that tuition helped. All the best for the future.
My daughter is finding Gary's input incredibly useful and constructive. He has a supportive approach and provides a safe and welcoming environment for learning online.
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Thank you Fiona. I'm glad to hear that.
Very patient!
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Thank you Katia. I feel very complimented.
I contacted Gary through the summer holidays, in order to keep attainment in 6th year maths during the holidays. Gary is patient with my youngest and understands that face to face tuition is not for everyone. We all decided on zoom meetings for maths. This actually promoted more discussion and it was good to hear that enthusiasm for maths was restored!
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Thanks for your feedback Sharon.
Mr. is an amazing tutor, he is very patient with me and explains everything really well. I would definitely recommend him if you want to improve your mathematical skills!
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Thank you for saying Ana.
Gary is an excellent tutor with great work ethics, he has been tutoring my son Alex for few months now in A level maths. Gary is knowledgeable, organised and patient. The sessions are engaging, my son his happy and confident to ask anything to Gary. I highly recommend Gary.
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Thank you Elisabeth!
Gary is teaching my son AH maths. He is very punctual, helpful and understands his student's capability very well and helps them to understand the concepts clearly. My son is very happy with Gary and is improving in his reasoning skills. I find Gary very flexible as when I requested extra sessions for my son to catch up, he immediately agreed to help even though he is busy with his time. He also organised a homework plan for my son that helps him to practice during the week, which is very helpful. I am really pleased with Gary, he encourages my son to aim higher than what he thinks he can achieve and provides confidence that he will be able to reach that target. I find it a very important trait that needs in every teacher these days. In present difficult times, Gary is teaching online, however this is not making any difference as he has very good resources and tools similar to white board for teaching online where both can share the board while learning. I find him very professional and I am really glad I found Gary for helping my son.
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Thank you for your feedback Khadar.
My son has been doing online tuition with Gary for about three weeks and is really enjoying it and finding it very helpful. Gary uses a whiteboard to go through questions in detail that my son is having difficulty with. He provides high quality teaching and is very flexible and reliable. We would highly recommend him.
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Thank you for your feedback Anne.
My 16 year old son is finding Gary an excellent tutor. He has an engaging manner, a very effective zoom teaching method and explains problems in a clear, effective and understandable way. My son speaks very highly of Gary and is delighted with his regular sessions. I have no hesitation in recommending Gary as a very effective tutor.
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Thank you for your feedback Stewart, it's much appreciated.
Gary has provided online tutoring for my son in advanced higher maths. The online platform of learning works exceptionally well. My son has commented that it is like having a tutor in the same room. Topics to be covered are discussed prior to the session - this allows my son to go over areas of maths he requires particular help with. I would highly recommend Gary as a tutor.
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Thank you for your feedback Mark.
My son has had four virtual sessions with Gary so far, and he has found them to be very worthwhile. He completes his calculations on a shared whiteboard which means that Gary can see what he is doing in real-time. Gary has adapted his sessions to cover the topics my son has found the most challenging, and it is very straight forward having the sessions in the online format. Many thanks!
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Thanks for that feedback Jan.
Gary has an excellent structured approach to the Maths tuition that can help at any stage of preparing for the exams or tests or simply catching up. Gary was the only person my son could find who agreed to help him with Advanced SQA Higher in Maths of Mechanics.
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Thank you for your feedback, Tatyana. I’m pleased to offer your son the support he requires.
Gary was great at helping me acheive the maths grade I needed to progress into PDGE teaching English Literature. Maths intimidates me, and Gary was really good at explaining things in a way I understood. If there was anything I was unsure of, he'd always find a good analogy that would make it relatable. And no question was too silly. When COVID hit and we had to go into lockdown, Gary made the transition to online learning really easy for me. I was worried I wouldn't learn as much as I would in person, but if anything it was even better because I could make notes easier on the PC while we were going over things. Thanks Gary :)
Tutor response
Thank you for your feedback Hannah. I hope your studies go well.
Excellent support provided online. Gary is professional and clearly experienced in teaching and has tools to provide value and positive learning experience for my son. Calm and supportive. Quiet, shy boy feeling comfortable and encouraged to target maths he finds difficult, checking over areas he is more confident in. Only a few lessons in but would already recommend to all.
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Thanks for your feedback April.
Gary tutored our son Andrew for Higher maths. Gary is an excellent tutor: very reliable, patient, and encouraging. He was able to explain very tricky aspects of maths in a clear manner. Andrew seemed to get on well with Gary and never complained about doing extra maths outwith school. Andrew went on to acheive an A in higher maths, definitely thanks in a big part to Gary. Andrew is now studying for advanced higher maths, so we are delighted that Gary is able to tutor him again this year.
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Thank you Fiona. Glad Andrew achieved an A. Looking forward to Advanced Higher.
Thanks to Gary, my son improved from a D in Higher Maths at first attempt to an A. Through his student-led approach combining careful listening and patient tuition, Gary helped my son fill in the gaps in his knowledge, built on and improved his understanding of concepts and working methods, and increased his self-confidence in tackling exam questions. My son found his explanations clear, and his manner very approachable and supportive. I cannot recommend Gary highly enough!
Tutor response
Thank you so much for that Eliza. I really enjoyed teaching your son and very pleased to see him improve in the way that he has.
Gary was tutoring our grandaughter for Higher Maths. Gary’s excellent explanations and examples provided her with the understanding and confidence that she lacked from her school studies. Highly recommend Gary.
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Thanks for your feedback Sheila.
Gary has attended promptly and has been good at identifying strengths and weaknesses in my sons ability. He has done this in a way that is constructive and positive . My son has fed back that the sessions have been beneficial and his understanding in the areas looked at during sessions has improved.
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Thank you for the feedback Jacqueline.
Gary is knowledgeable, straightforward and reliable. He connects well with my daughter and we are very happy with him.
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Thank you for saying Anke.
Quick to respond and commit to tutoring but unfortunately after I had paid the finders fee Gary indicated that he had a clash in his diary and so couldn't tutor. Gary was very apologetic and liaised with first tutors about me getting a refund on the finders fee.
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Thanks for your comment Ruth.
Gary replies promptly to messages. It was unfortunately impossible for us a suitable time for tuition as he is almost fully booked. He must be a good tutor.
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Sorry, Sylwia, that we were unable to find a mutually convenient time.
Excellent… very pleased with lessons.
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Thanks for your feedback Lynda.
Great help for my son Bill and look forward to working with Gary over the coming year …
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Thank you Ann. I hope to be able to give Bill the support he needs for A level.
Gary is a very good tutor but it didn't workout for my son as he required tuition at university level.
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Hi Shiv, Thanks for your feedback. The linear algebra questions that your son needed help with were a bit beyond what is covered in SQA Advanced Higher hence I was not able to answer as confidently as I would have liked.
Gary is an excellent teacher.
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Thank you Kiran.
Very happy with Gary and his teaching methods . Gary is very friendly and my teen boy enjoys the lessons.
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Thank you for saying Alison.
My son is really enjoying his sessions with Gary. He is feeling more confident and looks forward to his weekly tutoring.
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Nice to hear that Kath. I'm enjoying the tutorials as well.
Gary brought my daughter from a Nat5 Grade D to a fabulous A… He did more than I would have expected, in terms of additional assistance, igniting a joy for the subject and in giving of his own time. Megan has now secured her postgraduate place thanks entirely to Gary's tutoring.
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Thank you for saying Margaret. It was a pleasure to tutor Megan. I wish her well in her future studies.
Gary has significantly helped my daughter with her Higher Maths course. I would highly recommend him.
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Thanks for saying, Deborah.
Anna loved the fact that she was able to ask Gary questions. Very nice guy.
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Thanks for saying Niki. Anna should keep asking questions in order to increase her understanding.
Thank you very much Gary. My son achieved an A for his Higher. We are very pleased with his results. Gary is a very measured and practical Tutor. He was able to give my son the confidence he needed as well as the support to learn the subject and consolidate his school work. I would thoroughly recommend him to anyone looking for support in Maths.
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Thanks for saying Jonathan. I really enjoyed meeting and helping your son to do his best in the exam.
Very pleased with Gary. He has been reliable and is already providing valuable input to my son's Advanced Higher studies.
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Thank you for saying:)
Mr was enthusiastic and incredible in helping me with my higher maths , because of his help and advice i was able to achieve an A in my Higher Maths this year , he constantly pushed me to do better and kept on encouraging me . I would definitely recommend Mr to anyone that needs help in higher maths.
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Thanks Dan, it was a pleasure to work with someone so motivated and willing to work hard.
It was truly fantastic to find out earlier this month our daughter was awarded an A in her Maths higher (Having had a C at prelim). We found Gary's tutoring to be integral in helping to achieve this.
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Thank you Lesley. It was great to see your daughter's confidence grow in the weeks leading up to the exam. I'm very pleased that she obtained her goal.