Iante

Experience

I started my tutoring career during my year abroad at Oxford University. I was living in Tehran and applied to volunteer at an NGO focussed on empowering young Afghan women who did not have access to formal education due to their asylum seeker status. I was assigned a student with learning difficulties and discovered how much her English improved by finding new approaches together, trial and error, and by encouraging her and boosting her spirits. I then continued tutoring students throughout my studies, and never stopped! My first students in French and Italian, one taking A-Levels and the other taking the IB, did very well in their exams, and my first school entrance student was offered a place at St Paul’s. These experiences taught me that I could not only spark student’s interest and love for learning, but also support them significantly throughout life-changing entry and qualifying examinations. Having tutored for the last twelve years, I have covered a wide range of subjects including English Language and Literature (primary years, 7+, 8+, 11+, 13+, GCSE, A level), English as a Foreign Language and Business English, Primary Maths, French Language and Literature (total beginners, 13+, GCSE, AS and A level, IB), Italian Language and Literature (total beginners, GCSE, AS and A level, IB, undergraduate and graduate), Latin (GCSE and A level), GCSE Classical Civilisation, Drama & Theatre Studies (GCSE, AS and A level), Ancient Greek (GCSE), History (GCSE and A level), AS and A level History of Art, AS and A level Philosophy, Religious Studies (GCSE and A level), Persian Language and Literature (total beginners, GCSE, undergraduate and graduate), Modern Standard Arabic (total beginners, GCSE, A level, undergraduate and graduate), Classical and Modern Arabic Literature, alongside preparing students for numerous School Entrance interviews, Oxbridge application and Oxbridge entrance tests such as the Oriental Languages Aptitude Test (OLAT), the Modern Languages Aptitude Test, the Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA) and the Philosophy Test.

My passion lies in tutoring Italian, French, Persian, English as a Foreign Language, and coaching students in Motivation, Exam Preparation and Study Skills, School Entrance and all aspects of Oxbridge application including OLAT and MLAT, and as such I have mostly focussed on tutoring these subjects (at GCSE, A level, IB and university level where applicable). To mention only one of many success stories, my most recent Italian student has obtained 9 in her GCSEs and has decided to pursue the subject at A level. I have taught over eighty students one-to-one over the last twelve years, including University students, mature students and actors who needed to improve their foreign language(s). I have also been a classroom teacher of English and History for years 5-7 but I much prefer one-to-one tutoring as this is where I believe I can make the greatest difference.

Biography

I was born in Italy to an Italian mum and Australian dad, and am thus bilingual. I spent most of my childhood in Tuscany and took the Italian equivalent of A-Levels at the prestigious Liceo Classico Piccolomini in Siena (Latin, Ancient Greek, Italian Literature, English Literature, History, History of Art, Philosophy; final score of 94/100), acting as my school’s student representative at the only officially recognised student association in Italy. I took a gap year to perfect my French, working as an au pair girl for the young daughter a journalist and of an orchestra conductor in Strasbourg. I then went on to read Persian and Arabic at Oxford University where I gained a first class degree with distinction in spoken Persian. As part of my degree, I spent one year in Iran, teaching English to Afghan refugee girls. Whilst at Oxford, I won a number of academic prizes, published some of my research work upon my tutors' request and got also deeply involved in the student theatre scene. After graduating I moved to Beirut for two years to perfect my Arabic, working as a classroom teacher and as an arts journalist, before returning to London in 2014. I have since dedicated myself fully to stage acting and to producing TV documentaries about arts and culture for BBC World and other channels. I am currently in rehearsals for a play about Frida Kahlo’s life and have recently finished a documentary about five Afghan women filmmakers. I have been tutoring students since 2009.

Personal Approach

Having tutored a great number of students over the years I find I achieve the best results by being extremely attentive to their interests, aims, and unique way of learning so as to quickly adapt my teaching style to their specific needs. I believe students learn the most when they are genuinely interested in the subject matter, feel confident and find a personal connection to it, so I always try to create an immediate and empathetic tutor-student rapport, sparking students’ passion for the subject and emphasising fun and inspirational elements whilst maintaining clear boundaries that allow me to remain rigorous. I am organised and extremely patient. I ensure that students take tidy notes during our sessions, alongside taking my own personal notes after every lesson to keep track of student progress and of the most effective ways of working with each one of them.

Having been educated in the excellent Italian school system before doing my BA at Oxford, I believe I have gained a great deal from experiencing different pedagogical approaches: a Renaissance-infused holistic way of studying the entire spectrum of humanities, languages and sciences on the one hand, and diving down into a very specific syllabus in much greater detail whilst doing fieldwork on the ground on the other. I have made a point of studying the UK education system in detail, assembling materials and familiarising myself with syllabi, exam specifications and past papers and keeping up-to-date with their developments on a yearly basis. This breadth of experience also allows me to relate on many different levels to the numerous students of all ages who have recently moved to the UK, to those who are changing schools, and to those who need to catch up quickly with new and unexpected subjects.

I have helped many students achieve excellent results, often higher than those they were initially aiming for or believed themselves capable of.

What I do when I am not tutoring

I am currently developing a solo show and rehearsing for a play that goes up in Notting Hill at the end of September.

When I am not learning lines, pitching documentary films or tutoring I enjoy swimming, doing yoga, reading, walking, going to the theatre and watching old films.

Testimonials

''Iante was extremely helpful in my Oxford preparation: from essay-structure suggestions for the TSA (paper 2) to interview prep (including camera positioning!), every tip was useful. Despite not specialising in my subject, she was able to raise new points of view, and recommended a range of wider reading that would bolster my knowledge. The Oxford admissions process can be daunting, so it was reassuring to have some guidance from someone so friendly. I was delighted to receive an offer from my chosen college— thanks Iante!'' (Oxbridge applicant)

''Iante has been extremely helpful with my son’s preparation for Oxford University TSA exams. He managed to get a very high score and received an offer to read PPL. We are delighted and very grateful for Iante’s contribution.'' (parent of successful Oxford applicant)

''Thank you so much for your very informative, focussed and efficient session. It helped me immensely to prepare for my interview and boosted my confidence greatly, resulting in my gaining admission to my chosen Sixth Form. I would highly recommend your expert advice and detailed feedback from our preparatory session.'' (Winchester College 16+ successful applicant)

''Last summer I applied to Sevenoaks. I had very little time to prepare for the multiple exams I sat, only one month and a half, which was an additional challenge. Thankfully I had some tutors to help me. Ms. Roach helped me a great deal in succeeding in the Economics exam. She helped me learn how to construct coherent arguments and synthesize information. I was extremely nervous when beginning my Economics exam but due to the essay writing structure and the tips I got from Ms. Roach, my arguments flowed easily from my mind to the paper. I doubt my exam would have gone nearly as well without Ms. Roach’s tutoring.'' (Sevenoaks 16+ successful applicant)

''Iante has been a fantastic support to my son as he prepared for his GCSE French. She has covered the syllabus thoroughly and is very conscientious. X really enjoyed his lessons with her and achieved A* in his French exams.'' (Mother of GCSE student)

''Hi Iante, my daughter got a 9 in Italian GCSEs. Over the moon! Thank you so so much.'' (Mother of GCSE student)

“I have been doing one-to-one weekly Italian classes with Iante since January as I am trying to improve my Italian before I start a PhD in Renaissance Italian painting at Columbia University in New York in the autumn. I have found Iante to be an excellent teacher. As well as being a native Italian speaker she is an academic linguist and therefore has an excellent understanding of language structures and how to translate accurately, which makes her a much better teacher than most. Her genuine interest in language comes through in her teaching. I have also found Iante to be flexible and very willing to personalise classes towards my particular needs. Iante listens to her students, is patient but rigorous and always encouraging.” (PhD candidate at Columbia University)

''I have known Iante since November 2014, as she has been teaching drama to my daughter and other children. I would recommend her since she is an excellent and enthusiastic teacher, attentive to children’s needs, and highly adaptable to constantly changing situations. I have noticed a great improvement in my daughter’s drama skills since the classes started. Iante gets on well with very diverse children, and manages to create a group ethos and make learning an enjoyable experience for all. She is always on time, well-groomed and attentive, pleasant and patient. Iante is a highly cultivated young woman who clearly enjoys transmitting her love for art and culture to others.'' (Mother of 6 year old)