Rory

Experience

• I have successfully supported applications to the following schools: Hotchkiss (Connecticut), Thatcher (California), Eton, Winchester, St Paul’s Boys, City of London School for Boys, King’s Wimbledon, Hampton, Sevenoaks, Harrow, Highgate, Putney High, Kew House, Malvern, St Benedict’s, Epsom, Emanuel, King’s Canterbury, Concorde College.

• 11+ English, Maths & Science: the ISEB pre-test and public school examinations.

• 13+ English, Maths & Science: ISEB Common Entrance and public school entrance exams

• I/GCSE English Language & Literature (AQA, CIE, Edexcel, OCR and WJEC)

• I/GCSE Biology (AQA, CIE, Edexcel, OCR and WJEC)

• I/GCSE Chemistry (AQA, CIE, Edexcel, OCR and WJEC)

• I/GCSE Maths (AQA, CIE, Edexcel, OCR and WJEC)

• SSAT and SAT Preparation (Quantitative, Verbal and Comprehension)

• A-level & PreU English (AQA, CIE, Edexcel, OCR and WJEC)

• A-level Biology (AQA, CIE, Edexcel, OCR and WJEC)

• A-level Chemistry (AQA, CIE, Edexcel, OCR and WJEC)

• English Language Aptitude Test Preparation (ELAT)

• Online tuition for students based in Hong Kong, Singapore, Sri Lanka, USA, China, Thailand, UAE, Germany and Turkey.

• I have successfully supported applications to the following universities: Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Queen Mary’s, Leeds, Newcastle, Duke (North Carolina), Brown (Rhode Island).

I am now in my sixth year as a full-time, professional tutor at Keystone. During these six years, I have taught students all the way up from the 11+ right through to A Level and beyond. I’ve taken on a plethora of different jobs, whether that be coaching for a specific exam, enrichment, interview practice, or general support with schoolwork. I have also worked with several homeschooled students, teaching them entire GCSE and A Level syllabuses, and have experience working with families abroad in residential positions.

Biography

My father served in the Armed Forces, so I spent my childhood jumping between various schools and countries, including a two-year stint in Kuwait. Eventually I joined Wycliffe School as a boarder, remaining there until I completed my GCSEs.

By sixth-form, my parents had settled permanently in Stratford-upon-Avon. I attended the local state grammar, King Edward VI School, renowned for its pedagogical contribution to the genius of William Shakespeare.

Surrounded by the RSC's vibrant theatrical productions, my interest in literature superseded my scientific curiosity; alongside Maths AS (A), Biology (A*), and Chemistry (A*), I took the Cambridge Pre-U in English (D1), which I went on to read at Lincoln College, University of Oxford.

While at university, I received the Lord Crewe Scholarship for consistently producing work of a high standard. I later received a first-class mark for my dissertation, which fused my literary and scientific knowledge by exploring Donne's poetry in relation to Early Modern cosmological theory. I also flexed my creative muscles, winning a college poetry competition, and writing various miscellaneous pieces in prose and verse.

Having now graduated with a 2.1, I very much look forward to passing on my range of skills and knowledge to budding tutees.

My blog posts

17/02/2021: Applying to Study English at Oxford University

22/11/2017: Top Tips For Oxbridge Interviews - English at Oxford

Personal Approach

To my mind, interaction and discussion are prerequisites to a successful tutorial. A lesson is not a lecture; rather, it is an opportunity to inform and consolidate understanding through active engagement in a specific topic. Having worked with students of all ages, I have come to notice a common trend: often, the basic knowledge of how to answer a question or solve a problem is present, but the student lacks the skill-set to confidently perform this in an exam scenario. My interlocutory approach will encourage critical investigation into a topic, resulting in a more complete understanding and improved confidence.

What I do when I am not tutoring

Unsurprisingly, I'm a big fan of books. At present I’m reading Donna Tartt’s “The Secret History”, which claims to have inspired the “dark academia” aesthetic subculture. I’d never heard of dark academia before starting the book, but suddenly the strange insistence of some of my fellow Oxfordians on wearing all black and caffeinating themselves in the college library until the first hints of sunrise makes perfect sense.

I also occasionally try and put pen to paper. A smattering of articles and poems can be found on my blog (www.shorterpoems.com), and I’m now at work on a real novel.

Outside of words, one of my greatest loves is the humble pull-up. I’m currently building endurance through use of a weighted vest, and hope one day to have attained the strength of a heavily-armoured hoplite marching upon the doomed city of Troy.

Testimonials

''We want to say a big thanks to Rory for being extremely supportive and encouraging to my son and daughter. He guided them appropriately and also gave them the support they needed. He is an excellent tutor and guide.'' (Mother of Year 8 students in Hong Kong)

"I'm delighted to be able to let you know that my son received an offer this weekend from Kew House, which was his first choice school. We are all delighted (and very relieved), given how popular Kew was this year.

So, I just wanted to say thank you for all your work with my son, especially for strengthening his maths and for helping him with his last minute wobble on comprehensions. He is very excited at the prospect of starting his new school, so thank you for helping him achieve the result he wanted." (Mother of 11+ student)

''My daughter thoroughly enjoyed her first lesson with Rory. She learnt a lot, likes his teaching style, enjoyed talking with him and felt motivated to do the homework he has set her. I can see how Ed thought that he would have quite a positive influence on her approach to English. I appreciated the update from Rory after the lesson. She is looking forward to her next lesson with Rory tomorrow.'' (Mother of 13+ English student)

“Our son absolutely adores his lessons with Rory which is fantastic news. I really hope Rory can stay on long term, he’s a great teacher and is a very good influence on our son. He’s also very professional, we especially like his daily reports on our son’s progress. We are all very impressed. Thanks a million.” (Mother of Year 6 boy)