Owen

Experience

• A-level/Pre-U History: AQA, CIE, Edexcel, IB and OCR

• A-level Politics/Pre-U: AQA and Edexcel

• GCSE/IGCSE History: AQA, CIE, Edexcel and OCR

I have considerable experience in teaching A level Politics and A level and Pre U History, and also GCSE History. My area of academic specialisation in History is the Modern period with especial interest and expertise in Imperial History and political and military history. On the Politics front I have taught British and US Politics, Ideologies and have been a pioneer in teaching Global Politics. As a Head of Sixth Form I oversaw the 6th Form UCAS applications and have considerable experience mentoring Oxbridge applicants. On the Oxbridge front I have strong track record helping pupils who have gained placed to read PPE, HSPS, Law and History. I have been teaching for over 20 years most recently as Head of Politics at The King's School, Canterbury (9 years) and before that Marlborough College (10 years). I have mentored students for external essay competitions, and recently students have won or placed in Cambridge's Robson and RA Butler Prize Essay Competitions; Oxford's Stubbs Society's Brearley Essay, the FT and Chatham House's Student Writing Competition and the NCH's Humanities Essay Competition.

Biography

I am originally from South Africa and studied for a BA and an LLB at the University of Natal, and then on moving to the UK I read a Master of Studies in Modern History at Exeter College, Oxford.

I am new to tutoring having recently been Head of Politics at the King’s School Canterbury, and Acting Head of Sixth Form, and before that Head of Politics at Marlborough College.

I has a strong interest in both Politics and History and on the academic enrichment front have organised conferences on global affairs hosted at Chatham House, RUSI and the Frontline Club. Further, an annual Methods and Madness: An Intro to Modern Conflict study day focused on conflicts in the Balkans, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and the Sudan, and a recent instalment was hosted at the UK Defence Academy. Talks programmes I have organised have featured Secretaries of State, Attorney General, Chief of the General Staff, Deputy Director General of the UN, Assistant Director General of NATO, Assistant Chief at SIS, Strategy Director at No 10, ambassadors, academics and journalists. I have taken Politics and History Trips to destinations varying from Washington DC to South Africa and Cuba.

I recently delivered on-line enrichment courses on ‘Conflict, War and Terrorism’; ‘Threats to Democracy’; ‘Plato to NATO: A History of Political Thought’ and ‘The Political Impact of Pandemics’.

I have presented CPD courses on Politics teaching for both Tutor2u and Hodder and have had numerous articles published in Politics Review and authored a leading politics blog.

Personal Approach

I believe in creating an individual rapport and that enjoyment and a wider interest in a subject is vital in building critical thinking, confidence and ambition. The right approach usually leads to the right outcome. To this end, creating individual plans that create realisable goals, mastering key subject matter and technique and identifying areas and skills which need sharpening are all important. Most of all I am passionate about the subjects I teach and tutor and also results driven.

What I do when I am not tutoring

Most of my time is spend with my young family. I always have my head in the news, with particular attention to British Politics and also global developments and often provide commentary. I have always been a keen on sport having played representative Squash and Cricket, and also enjoy mountain biking.

Testimonials

''Owen is a fantastic teacher who always goes the extra mile for his students. Speaking from personal experience, Owen is an extremely inspirational teacher who really manages to unlock difficult theories with a dose of his signature humour and always bases his teaching style around the individual. Owen has helped me to achieve my A-level goals and get offers at my preferred universities through his invaluable guidance and support.'' - Student (current Year 13)

''Our eldest daughter was very fortunate to have had Owen both as a mentor and tutor in the Sixth Form. Owen's intellect, integrity, expertise, willingness to go the extra mile and his genuine interest in his students shine through when one meets him. It was Owen's inspiring teaching that first fired our daughter's interest in politics, and led her to exploring international politics and international relations in far greater depth than she would ever have done without his guidance and support. While Owen is enthusiastic, patient, and diligent in the way he prepares his pupils and supports their studies, he equally demands high standards of work and commitment from them. Our daughter certainly benefitted from his rigorous but supportive approach to learning - we saw a distinct change in her ability to reason, analyse and articulate arguments, and he helped build her confidence. His impact on our daughter has been profound, so much so that she has chosen to pursue politics and international relations at university - there can be no higher accolade in our book. Needless to say our view is that you will strike gold if you are fortunate enough to engage Owen as a personal tutor.'' - Parent (former A- level student)