Sean H - Tutors - Keystone Tutors

I began tutoring more informally during my A levels, supporting students with SEN requirements who would visit my sixth form. Whilst at university in 2019, I began tutoring for a range of subjects, gaining considerable experience online during the pandemic when education went virtual. It was during this time that I discovered a real passion for education, supporting students to do the best they can in what were universally challenging circumstances.

During and post this period, I supported students in the National Tutoring Programme, working with individual and small classes online to help students catch up owing to the lockdowns. I continued tutoring through my masters degree in 2021, offering private tutoring sessions to GCSE and A level students and working with SEN students in educational and social care roles. Across these varied experiences before joining Keystone, I taught around 600 hours.

Since joining Keystone in 2022, I have added over 2700 hours to my teaching experience, as well as widening my skill set by teaching a variety of in-person and online classes, both individual and group. This has included:

• Homeschooling students for GCSE Maths, starting in 2022
• Examining as part of the summer exam series for A level Economics in 2023
• Leading group classes as part of Keystone's Bridge programme for talented primary school-age pupils in 2024
• Teaching a class of Year 12s for their A level Politics for the academic year in 2025
• Teaching group classes for a school in Bedfordshire once a week between 2024-2026
• Homeschooling students in A level Economics and Politics
• Leading Keystone's PPE University Preparation Course in August 2026

With Keystone, I am delighted to say that my experience with both online and in-person teaching has grown exponentially, helping all of my students to excel. All of this has informed my approach to teaching the following subjects:

• GCSE, A level and Undergraduate Economics - Edexcel & AQA GCSE & iGCSE, AQA, OCR and Edexcel A level and first and second year university micro and macroeconomics
• GCSE, A level, Undergraduate and Postgraduate Politics - Edexcel & AQA GCSE & iGCSE, Edexcel, AQA and OCR A level and a variety of university politics, including ideologies, American politics, English and UK politics, international relations, post-Marxism, political theory and philosophy, among others.
• KS1, KS2, KS3 and GCSE Mathematics - Edexcel GCSE & iGCSE, AQA and OCR
• 11+ English and Maths: Pre-Tests and Independent School entrance exams, seeing students gain entry to Dulwich College, Whitgift, Wells Cathedral School and Surbiton High, among others.

In addition, I have tutored students studying at top UK independent schools such as Charterhouse, CLC and Marlborough College in preparation for their A levels. Furthermore, I have supported students from China, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Malaysia and Hong Kong. These are just a snapshot of the numerous students I have tutored since joining Keystone.

These wide range of experiences, including those I have undertaken at Keystone, has fed my enthusiasm to support all of my students to boost their engagement with their subjects, better understanding them and, ultimately, become more independent and confident learners.

I was born in Oxfordshire and lived there until I left for the University of Durham after my A levels. I attended Wallingford School Academy for my secondary education, studying History, French and Mathematics, enjoying the logic of the latter and the critical thinking of the former two. This led me to study Politics, Philosophy and Economics at undergraduate level at the University of Durham, where I was able to explore numerous topics in this interdisciplinary degree. I stayed to complete a Masters of Science in Global Politics in 2021. A year later, I joined Keystone, in 2022.

I began tutoring during my undergraduate degree, working part-time to share my love for education and the techniques which helped me to succeed at school. I have experience teaching students who are learning disabled and with SEN students, in classroom environments, alongside freelance tutoring. I took great pleasure in these roles - so much so that I began tutoring in a professional capacity.

A core guiding principle of my teaching is that students need that spark to light their motivation and become interested in their subject. This is particularly important in subjects like mathematics, where much independent practice is needed to boost outcomes and succeed, as well as in subjects like politics and economics. Through clear communication, gaining an understanding of my students and their perspective on their subjects, I aim to push them where they already do well and give them that confidence boost to spark their capabilities in areas where they need to improve.

In a one-to-one lesson, a student can not only gain from the full attention of their tutor, but become more at ease with the challenges (and thrills) that their subject can present. This can make the learning process feel like less of a chore and more of an interactive process which spurs them on. Sometimes, this can require going deeper to see where any gaps or uncertainties in knowledge arise, tackling these to secure the foundations and allow that academic advancement of which so many students are capable.

Ideally, I want my students to come to lessons feeling ready and comfortable to discuss topic areas they know they need to improve on, without stigma or feeling bad for not understanding something. Together, we will make progress, whether it is for that goal of an exam on the horizon or more generally for boosted confidence.

When not tutoring, I edit journal articles for The Political Quarterly's academic papers. I also enjoy exploring London and reading about English identity and history.