Max

I grew up on the campus of Rugby School where my parents were teachers and I studied as a day boy. I took four full A-Levels in English Literature, English Language, Politics and Art as well as an AS in Photography. I subsequently took my degree in English at Exeter College, Oxford, writing dissertations on modernist literature and Hollywood Golden Age film. After graduating in 2012, I moved to London where, with the exception of a short break to do a MPhil in American Literature at Cambridge, I have since been living and working as a freelance writer, editor and private tutor.

My approach is to avoid having a single approach. I think that it’s important for a tutor to be responsive and to adapt to the specific needs of the student. Some young people will need closer support, while others will prefer to work more independently; some will need to cover a lot of material to catch up while still others can afford to dwell in a topic for longer. I have experience working with students of all levels and with diverse educational needs and can tailor my approach as needed. Above all, however, I like my practice to be transparent and I try to keep both parents and students aware of targets and how I think the course of tuition is progressing.

For a few years after leaving Oxford I performed in London and around the country as a comedian, specialising in character comedy and sketches. A foot injury caused by another great passion of mine – cycling – forced me to take a hiatus from performing but, by the time I was fully recovered, I was already too deep into a prose fiction project to fully re-engage with the comedy scene. This project has morphed a lot since then but currently it is a comic novel set on a country estate in Northumberland. I also contribute book reviews and features to publications including the Spectator.