Thomas

Experience

- 11+ Maths: ISEB and public school entrance exams

- 13+ Maths & Science: ISEB and public school entrance exams

- (I)GCSE Maths: AQA, CIE, Edexcel, OCR and WJEC

- (I)GCSE Physics: AQA, CIE, Edexcel, OCR and WJEC

- A-level Maths: AQA, CIE, Edexcel, OCR and WJEC

- A-level Further Maths: AQA, CIE, Edexcel, OCR and WJEC

- A-level Physics: AQA, CIE, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC and Pre-U

- Pre-U Physics

I specialise in tutoring the above subjects both online, and face-to-face. I have experience in offering tutoring support to students throughout entire A level and GCSE courses. Working with students in this manner has meant that I am acutely aware of topics that students typically struggle with and how best to help them overcome these problem areas. These experiences have also encouraged me to bring material to life in a meaningful context for each tutee and therefore make it more accessible. I take great pride in helping students to unlock the world of Maths and Science, and, importantly, build confidence in their abilities in these subjects.

I am hugely enthusiastic about my specialist subjects and take great pride in helping students to unlock the worlds of Maths and Science, and, importantly, build confidence in their abilities.

Biography

I grew up living on the North Wales coast. I went to a local state primary school and moved over to a different local state secondary school to study my GCSEs and A-levels. At A-level I studied Physics (A*), Maths (A*), Further Maths (A*), and Chemistry (A). I then moved to Oxford, to study at Oxford University for a Masters degree in Physics. I was a scholar at Keble college, and when not studying I played drums for both Keble's Big Band, and Keble's Not-So-Big Band and captained the college's ultimate team (as cool as that sounds it's actually just frisbee!). I enjoyed my time there greatly, and finished with a First in my MPhys degree.

Whilst I was at Oxford, I also worked as a tutor, tutoring A-level Maths and Physics. It started with face-to-face sessions with students back in North Wales just during the holidays, but evolved into online tutoring so that we could do lessons all year round. I found tutoring to be a very rewarding use of my time, and so in 2016 after graduating from Oxford, I joined Keystone Tutors to begin work as a professional private tutor.

In the years since I have tutored thousands of hours, covering the full age range down from 11+ maths all the way up to university physics. I've worked with a full spectrum of student abilities and I've enjoyed it all!

Personal Approach

One of the best things about tutoring versus teaching is that the nature of one-to-one lessons allows them to be tailored specifically to the individual student. All of my lessons are built around this idea. No cookie cutter lesson plans. No one size fits all. Every student is unique and tutoring allows us to make the most of this by making sure everything is geared toward helping a specific student with their specific problem.

A large part of this is building a good relationship with the student. I feel that an important part of lessons is getting to know each other so that we can start to approach any issues with trust and honesty, allowing me to work out exactly what the student needs from the lesson and how best to deliver it to them.

Combining this with my detailed knowledge built over years of studying and tutoring, I can try and promote understanding of the content beyond the syllabus if necessary to try and ensure the student really knows what they are doing and can feel confident moving forward. I can also be much more flexible with my approach to teaching so that if one way of approaching a problem isn't working out, we can always come at it from another angle.

Finally, what I really hope to achieve in lessons is to make the subjects I tutor seem a bit more interesting! Just because something is hard doesn't mean you can't have fun whilst doing it.

What I do when I am not tutoring

Outside of tutoring I mainly do two things. Firstly, I spend far too long completing maths puzzles. They aren't even for students. I just genuinely enjoy them! Secondly, I love bouldering. It manages to be great exercise, a mental workout, and a social gathering all in one. I can not recommend it enough to literally everyone!

Testimonials

"I just checked my A-level results and I got an A* for Maths. Your help and support in the past few years have played a significant role in me attaining this grade so I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for everything." (A Level Maths Student)

“He wasn't good - he was magnificent. Really.” (PAT student)

“Tom is very patient and detailed. He is to explain things multiple times when needed and to go over a topic without any prior warning. Lots of teachers tend to regurgitate textbook but Tom actually knew his stuff. Like the way the class was set out with theoretical explanations followed by relevant exam questions. He arrives with a great set of notes and more importantly work solutions.” (Mother of A Level student)

“Tom has done a great job with our son teaching Maths. Our son enjoys his time with Tom enormously and looks forward to his lesson week after week. Thank you so much!” (Father of year 6 boy)

''My daughter says she enjoys Chemistry now and I'm sure that is down to you.'' (Mother of AS Chemistry student)

''Tom is exceptionally conscientious''. (Mother of Keystone student)

“Roaring success!” (Mother of homeschooling client)

''My son absolutely adores Thomas. He looks up to him and is always very excited to work with him. Perfect match!'' (Mother of Keystone student)