Neil T - Tutors - Keystone Tutors

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“Neil is an excellent teacher at GCSE and A level. He gave our sons a clear understanding of all topics and an enthusiasm for the subject. Both said he is one of the best teacher they’ve had. We have found Neil to be encouraging, personable and completely reliable. He also produced the top grades without that being the main focus of the tutoring”

Parent

I/GCSE Chemistry (AQA, CIE, Edexcel, OCR and WJEC)
A-level Chemistry (AQA, CIE, Edexcel, OCR and WJEC)

I have taught Chemistry in small examination-oriented tutorial colleges in London since 1993, where I have contributed to their excellent record of obtaining great chemistry results, usually as one of a three person team.

Mostly (26 years) this has been for the same employer, the Abbey DLD group. During this time I have been a Director of Studies, Head of Chemistry, Head of Science, and Acting Principal.

Throughout all of these positions I remained a classroom teacher, and I taught very much with the specification in one hand and mark schemes in another, balancing the need to understand the subject with the need to be fully practised in examination technique and past-paper questions.

I am currently an examiner for GCSE chemistry and A level for two of the major U.K examination boards,

I am from Northumberland, where I went to Ashington High School, and gained AAB grades in Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics.

I then studied Chemistry at Wadham College, Oxford, gaining a II.ii in 1993.

After moving to London, I have taught Chemistry continuously, at the Abbey DLD group and Lansdowne College, the former of which I have taught at for over 26 years before leaving at the end of 2021 to focus fully on online tuition.

I live in Muswell Hill, North London.

“Neil was my A-level chemistry teacher. He is one the most enthusiastic and knowledgeable teachers I ever had. His deep understanding of the topics makes his explanations super easy to understand. I would definitely recommend him to anyone looking for some extra help”

Parent

“Neil tutored my daughter for GCSE chemistry at a time when her confidence was at an all time low. Neil was patient and encouraging, tailoring his lessons to suit my daughter and her style of learning. As a result, she really enjoyed her lessons and ultimately passed her GCSE with flying colours, something she would not have achieved without Neil's excellent tutoring and unwavering support. I would highly recommend.”

Parent

“Neil is an outstanding chemistry teacher, for both top end students who are aiming for the highest grades as well as those who struggle to understand concepts fundamental to chemistry. Neil excelled at forming the solid understanding of the subject matter required for the exams, rather than just learning answers from past papers”

Parent

I offer A-level chemistry tuition in an examination-oriented, skills-based manner.

The majority of marks in an examination come from material that can either be rote-learned (such as giving the definition of ionisation energy) or material that is routine, and can therefore be rehearsed (such as interpreting a graph of ionisation energies). Difficulties often arise when questions are asked in an oblique way, meaning the inexperienced student may not write the answer down, even though they actually know it.

Underpinning the subject is a range of skills, such as being able to confidently manipulate the various and confusing ways that organic molecules are depicted, that are sometimes taught quickly at the beginning of a course. If not correctly grasped and fully developed, these can affect vast swathes of the subject down the line.

Consequently I teach by breaking down the subject into material to be memorised, individual topic skills that can be rehearsed, and broader subject skills that need to be fully understood and developed. This is coupled with early introduction and emphasis upon board-specific past-paper questions, in order to develop examination technique and identify barriers to achievement.

When I am not teaching I am mostly listening to music, mainly opera, classical and jazz.