Nicola H - Tutors - Keystone Tutors
Nicola
Nicola is a qualified Geography teacher with a wealth of experience. As well as having been Head of Department, she has extensive examining experience with various exam boards. Nicola has a passion for both human and physical Geography that she enjoys sharing with her tutees.
“We couldn't have wished for a better tutor.”
- 13+ Geography
- GCSE Geography
- A Level Geography
- School Entrance Interviews
I have experience teaching students aged 11-18 in formal classroom settings, online during the pandemic and 1-1 in revision and tutorial settings. I am interested in and enthusiastic about both human and physical geography topics - you can most definitely enjoy both!
Fieldtrips are one of the highlights of being a Geographer and during my career I have been fortunate to accompany students on a wide range of trips both in the UK and abroad. The Lake District, the Jurassic coast, Iceland, Italy, Ghana & Malaysia are some of the places that have influenced me professionally.
I have examining experience with AQA, Edexcel and OCR. Most recently for CIE (A level) & AQA (GCSE).
As a Housemistress and latterly Deputy Head Pastoral I have gained significant experience interviewing pupils for entry to senior school (13+, 14+ & 16+).
I am an experienced personal tutor and have supported many pupils throughout my career with their UCAS applications.
I am a Geography graduate (BA Hons) with a Secondary PGCE in Geography. I have been teaching Geography since 1998 and have also always been involved in coaching sport as well as being a pastoral tutor. I am married and have two adult children.
I have experience as a Head of Geography, a boarding Housemistress and most recently a Deputy Head Pastoral, so believe I am well placed to engage with and understand the academic and social environment facing teenagers today.
I have taught both human and physical geography topics across a variety of exam specifications during my career, most recently Edexcel iGCSE and CIE A level.
“You have really brought the subject to life for my son, he never thought Geography would be the subject he would enjoy most and now he's even considering studying it at university - we and he are so pleased, thank you!”
“I never dreamed I could get a top grade in my A level Geography but your patience and supported boosted my confidence and really helped me understand what the questions were asking so I didn't panic in the exams - thank you so much!”
“We couldn't have wished for a better tutor. My daughter has spoken so highly of her sessions with you, it has been wonderful to see her confidence grow so quickly and to hear her being so positive about her learning. Thank you for being such a great support through her A level years.”
“We worked with Nicola in the run up to the GCSEs to strengthen my daughter’s capabilities. Nicola zeroed in on what needed to improve of content, structure and style. She honed my daughter’s strengths and addressed her areas for development. This resulted in a more academically defined and developed writing style that is essential to access the higher grades. Lessons with Nicola were always a bright spot in the week and her confidence was boosted as she methodically developed her analytical and essay structuring skills. Nicola is an excellent communicator, unfailingly positive, constructive and nurturing. She is an fantastic tutor.”
Having taught a wide range of students in my career I have experience of adapting my teaching to suit all learning styles and supporting pupils with specific learning needs such as dyslexia and ADHD.
Bringing theory to life through the use of 'real world' examples is key to teaching Geography and I really enjoy this aspect of my work. GCSE and A level examinations require knowledge of a range of case studies, and I will work with pupils to help them understand and apply their examples to the questions they will face.
Helping students to also translate their fieldwork experiences into successful exam preparation and coursework projects is an area I particularly enjoy. There's nothing better than seeing a student suddenly 'get it' when they can link what they've experienced first hand to a question in an exam!
Interpreting exam questions and using subject specific terminology to enhance written answers is another important area of focus – building confidence with the language of Geography will feature in each session. Being able to construct a focused written response to questions posed is vital for success and therefore I will work with pupils each session on answering exam style questions.
Boosting student confidence is key to progress and I seek to build a positive and professional rapport through getting to know students individually so I can tailor each session to their specific needs.
I work as an assistant examiner.
In my free time I like to keep active, especially hiking, cycling, pilates, netball, playing real tennis and going to the gym.
I love baking, travelling, reading and have recently learnt to knit!
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