Davina L - Tutors - Keystone Tutors

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“He really enjoyed the class and immediately asked to have more sessions! Hearing him describe English as ‘fun’ for the first time was super.”

Parent

11+ English, Science, Maths: ISEB and public school entrance exams (including pre-tests)
13+ English, Science, Maths: ISEB and public school entrance exams
(I)GCSE Biology, Chemistry, Physics: Edexcel, CIE, OCR and AQA
(I)GCSE English: English Lit and English Language for Edexcel and AQA
A-level English: English Lit for Edexcel

Schools that I have tutored for (entry to these schools and/or support for students already at these schools) include: Benenden, Cheltenham Ladies College, City of London, Downe House, Eton, Harrow, Latymer, Marlborough, Radley, Rugby, Sevenoaks, St Edward's, St Mary's Ascot, St Paul's, Tonbridge, Wellington, Westminster, Winchester, Wycombe Abbey.

After studying Biology, Chemistry and English at A level at Benenden, I went on to study Zoology at Bristol University where I gained a BSc 2:1. I have always had a particular interest in apes, and worked with chimpanzees and other primates during my school holidays. Upon completing my degree, I studied fine art in Italy, followed by nine months in Zambia working with chimpanzees. Since then, I have worked as both a journalist and a financial PR consultant in the life sciences sector. I turned to tutoring fifteen years ago when I decided to leave full-time work to write a novel. My debut novel, ''The Brittle Star'', was published by Sceptre in 2017. I am in the process of completing my second novel. Tutoring has proved to be both stimulating and rewarding, and a good balance to the solitary profession of writing. I plan to continue to divide my time between writing and tutoring for the foreseeable future. I am not currently based in the UK, so I only tutor online.

“I want to thank you so much for tutoring me this whole time, I feel my English has improved immensely since our first lesson almost three years ago. I don't think I could have achieved this without your help.”

Parent

“My daughter is very happy with Davina. She is sympathetic and understanding and has a very clear teaching style. She is particularly pleased with Davina's notes which she says are concise and to the point and take the fear out of chemistry.”

Parent

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Having tutored a great number of students over the last fifteen years, in both long-term and concentrated exam revision situations, I have found that each of them learns and makes sense of their subjects in particular ways. As such, I always try to match my teaching style with the learning style of my student. I consider myself patient yet energetic.
At school, I was fortunate to be taught by excellent science teachers who developed my interest in the sciences and the natural world. Sadly, the most common complaint that I receive from science students today is that they cannot connect with their science teachers, or that they fail to see the relevance of the sciences to their lives. My approach to science tutoring is to break down these barriers. Science can be both fun and interesting; the common confusions that I come across are so easily unravelled. My time as a journalist and life sciences PR consultant have helped me to develop my ability to summarize large amounts of complex information into simple, easily digestible facts, which is key to success in science examinations. One of the main reasons that so many students struggle with the sciences is that they are not taught exam technique or lateral thinking. I make it a priority to focus on these key tools, and I know that this approach works: every science student that I have tutored has raised their standard by at least a grade. I get as much pleasure from helping an A grade student achieve the A* grade that they need to study medicine as I do from helping the D grade student achieve what once seemed an impossible B.
My approach to tutoring English is spirited and systematic. My first priority is to ensure that the foundations of the language are well established: I take a rigorous approach to grammar and sentence construction. Far from finding this traditional approach tedious, my pupils report how satisfying it is to master the rudiments of the English language, and therefore to be able to express themselves. Once the foundations have been laid, I encourage a comprehensive reading and writing programme. Further to this, I encourage my students to develop their own individual feel for language, and assist them in exploring their own ideas, without stifling their natural creativity. I choose as texts the masters of the English language, using them as models for my students’ own creative writing. By so doing, and in conjunction with a wide range of past examination questions, I also prepare my pupils for entrance and national examinations at 11+, 13+ and GCSE.
In terms of pre-tests, I recommend building up a thorough knowledge of the 11+ Maths and English syllabus and focussing as much as possible on comprehension, grammar and cloze procedure and mental arithmetic and word problems.
Schools that I have tutored for (entry to these schools and/or support for students already at these schools) include: Benenden, Cheltenham Ladies College, City of London, Downe House, Eton, Harrow, Latymer, Marlborough, Radley, Rugby, Sevenoaks, St Edward's, St Mary's Ascot, St Paul's, Tonbridge, Wellington, Westminster, Winchester, Wycombe Abbey.

I am a published author and freelance writer. Despite seeing many mediocre plays, I have never lost the sense of wonder at the theatre and try to go as often as I can. I take every opportunity to speak the enthusiastic but grammatically incorrect Italian that I learnt when I was at art school in Florence. Sadly, the great apes are no longer a part of my life; these days, I content myself with walking dogs and riding horses whenever I can.