Gregory

Experience

- 13+ Maths

- GCSE Maths

- A Level Maths

- A Level Further Maths

- IB Maths

- MAT

- STEP Maths

- Maths Olympiad

I have taught a wide range of students, from those starting their journey in Maths to those at University. In particular, I have a lot of experience helping students towards their 11+, 13+, GCSE and A-Level examinations.

Primary school: 

I have helped several students begin their maths journey, so I know how important their first few steps can be.

One student was changing schools, and the standard in her new school, Eaton Square, was much higher than in her previous school. Over a few sessions, we quickly bridged the gap in standards, giving her the confidence to start at her new school. 

11+ & 13+ Maths, verbal & non-verbal reasoning: 

I have successfully helped students prepare for 11+ and 13+ examinations in maths, non-verbal & verbal reasoning. The students were applying for schools including Latymer Upper, Eton, St Pauls, Godolphin & Latymer, Ibstock, Dulwich, City of London, Sevenoaks, and Uppingham. ?

Maddie, 11+:  Maddie was at a state primary school, so she hadn’t been exposed to some of the material and the problem-solving questions that are part of the 11+ examinations. I quickly identified the gaps in her knowledge and filled them in, then taught her how to approach and answer the 11+ questions. She got into Ibstock and came top of her year at her primary school (despite being a year younger than the other students). 

A student was struggling with the Common Entrance exam; initially, he was getting less than 30% on the paper. After a few sessions, his marks soon shot up; he passed the exam and was offered a place at Eton, his preferred school. He also struggled with his revision schedule, so I helped him organise his time and develop an effective revision plan. 

GCSE maths

I have worked with several exam boards (OCR, Edexcel, AQA, CIE) for both iGCSE /GCSE and thus have a strong understanding of the content. I have helped students achieve the top grades and enabled students at the lower end of the grade spectrum to gain a solid grasp of the contents and achieve and exceed their desired grades. 

One of my GCSE student injured his leg and, as a result, missed a lot of school. I helped him cover the areas he was missing. I then helped him revise and learn how to answer the exam questions. He went on to get a 9, the top grade, in his Maths GCSE and an A in Additional Maths GCSE. 

A-level and IB maths:

I have worked with a number of the A-Level exam boards (OCR, Edexcel, AQA, CIE) and taught many students the IB course (Standard and Higher). 

One of my A-Level was struggling with the leap from GCSE to A-Level maths. I helped him develop his understanding of the content, his ability to answer exam questions and his confidence. He exceeded his expectations by achieving an A in maths and getting a place in Engineering at Warwick, his first choice university. 

University Preparation (STEP, MAT and interview preparation): 

I have had a lot of experience with STEP (Maths examination for Cambridge and Warwick) and MAT (Oxford’s entrance exam for maths-related courses). I am aware of how daunting these longer, difficult, problem-solving questions can be. However, I believe every student looking to take this exam can perform well if they prepare correctly. This is due to the rigid syllabus and the consistency with question style, length and difficulty.

Job assessments / Numeracy tests: one student was applying to be a Music teacher in secondary schools but struggled with the required numeracy tests.  I showed him how to approach and answer each type of question. We worked on ways to save time, including various mental arithmetic tricks. Within a few sessions, his test scores and confidence shot up. He passed the exam and is now enjoying life as a music teacher! 

Homeschooling:

I have experience teaching students who are homeschooled or who are doing a course outside of school. In these instances, I have delivered the entire syllabus to the students.  This included preparing monthly plans & targets, setting weekly homework and monthly tests to monitor their progress. 

SEN students 

I have taught students with social, emotional, behavioural and learning difficulties. As such, I am aware of how different conditions can affect a student’s learning, but in my experience, they need never stop their progress. 

One of my students struggled with a social communication disorder and dyslexia;  on top of that, English wasn’t his first language. As advised by his psychologist's report, I employed a multi-modal approach and helped him with his organisation. 

Biography

I spent my first few years in York before moving to London. After taking my A-Levels in Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Art I went on to do a Mathematics degree at Warwick University.

After my degree, I returned to my other passion: art! I recently completed an MA in Sculpture at the Royal College of Art. I find the creative process in art and maths very similar, whether solving a problem in maths or creating something in art, there is a difficulty involved which forces me to think, pause, and give my mind some space to find a solution. This is followed by an immense satisfaction once a result is achieved.

Personal Approach

During the sessions, you will guide what we cover, and we will go at a pace that works for you. In maths, basic understanding is key - so before we do exam questions, we will focus on this. I will use as many different ways (diagrams, words, analogies) as possible to explain a concept until you are confident enough to explain it to me (or anyone else... the cat... the goldfish!).

The sessions will be fun – and a lot can be achieved in an hour, especially if it is made enjoyable. Maths is amazing, and if you didn’t think that before,  you will by the end of the session!

What I do when I am not tutoring

I'm currently tutoring maths full-time but as this is primarily in the evenings I have a lot of time for my other passion: art! I love this setup and can’t imagine it changing in the next few years.

I am a Leader at a Boys Brigade group. I supervise boys (ages 11-18) in a variety of sports including Hockey, Football, Basketball and Gymnastics.

When I'm not doing any of these things you can usually find me rock climbing up a cliff face!

Testimonials

'Greg was an enormous support for my son in his preparation for Maths GCSE last year and was a godsend for us as the pandemic disrupted school life. He provided clear explanations about topics that my son found difficult. His interactive approach on the trickier topics ensured that Alex was engaged from the outset and was able to apply new strategies to solve the mathematical problems. We were delighted with his grade 8 in Maths. Alex finished his year feeling confident and able to apply his new learning in his mocks and school papers. We would highly recommend Greg and are happy to speak personally as a reference in the future.'  December 2020 

'I self-studied for my A-levels, so never had a formal teacher. Whenever I ran into a difficult subject, I would turn to Greg, who was able to help me gain an intuitive understanding of anything I struggled with. He is very knowledgeable, and the method of teaching he delivers is impeccable. Hence I always walked away from a lesson with new skills, the likes of which I still use in my endeavours at higher education.' December 2020

'My daughters Natasha and Svetlana were changing schools. However, the maths level at their new school was considerably higher than at their previous school. Over just a few sessions, Greg managed to help the girls bridge the gap and greatly improve their confidence in maths. Not only did the girls learn a huge amount, they also thoroughly enjoyed the sessions and now have a much more positive attitude towards maths!' September 2017

'I started being tutored when I was in Year 12 and coming up towards my A-Level exams, and I was really far behind in terms of understanding, Greg helped me understand the concepts and problems, and I ended up getting a B in my AS Level. I worked a lot on maths in Year 13 and got an A in my A-Level and now I’m studying Engineering at the University of Warwick.' October 2018

'Greg goes through and explains things extremely clearly; great examples which can be done to reinforce the understanding. He helped me understand some concepts which I couldn't understand in class!' June 2016

Greg has been tutoring my daughter in maths, and we both think highly of him as a teacher. His enthusiasm for his subject shines through, and my daughter has really enjoyed her lessons and looks forward to them every week. He has helped her grasp concepts she previously found difficult, and she has commented that he is very good at explaining tricky things in a way that makes them appear much simpler. Greg is a patient teacher and a good communicator, and I would not hesitate to recommend him as a tutor.