Joseph

I was born and raised in Ashford - often considered the Paris of Kent – and my family has a long history in teaching and education. I attended secondary school at The Norton Knatchbull Grammar School. At school I took 4 A-Levels, achieving an A* in Drama and Theatre Studies, as well as 3 A’s in English Literature, Chemistry and Mathematics. Alongside these qualifications I completed an AS Level in Critical Thinking and the EPQ.

I went on to further my education at Durham University, where I achieved a 2:1 in Law. I chose Law due to the academic rigour of the subject, alongside the diversity of learning styles it allowed me to employ. I was elected Common Room President for my college, throughout which I represented hundreds of students to college staff and to the wider university.

I consider myself a passionate and personable tutor, who focusses on using the strengths of each individual student in order to maximise their learning and enjoyment of their subject regardless of their level of prior engagement. I believe it is important to adapt to the needs of each student, depending on their learning style and interests.

I take a structured but adaptive approach to my lessons, which aims to build up students’ confidence in their subject area and develop their independent learning skills at a pace that is suitable for them. I find engaging with a variety of resources, visual tools, and techniques such as everyday examples as well as utilising active learning methods to be particularly effective.

I enjoy creative writing in all forms, whether that be poetry, prose, or scripts. Similarly, I have a passion for acting and performing in live productions on the stage. I also enjoy working on my personal health and fitness as well as playing guitar. I am an avid football fan, and closely follow Newcastle United – although I hope you don’t hold this against me!