Mark

Experience

The majority of my teaching has been in a multicultural setting, working with students from many countries. I have most recently been teaching Maths following the Cambridge Board at an international school in India. Other roles have included being a Class Teacher, Head of Junior School and Maths teacher of students aged from 9 to 16. I taught online Maths classes from Year 6 to Year 9 for 18 months during Covid. I was also involved in the Cambridge PDQ course as an experienced practitioner to demonstrate outstanding teaching practice. Part of my role has been to stretch the more able students in accelerated classes. I have also helped students of all ability levels to grow in confidence, develop a secure skills base and discover real enjoyment in their learning. Prior to my job in India, I spent five years teaching at St Helen’s School, an independent girls' school in north London. With over 30 years of teaching experience, I am confident in my ability to bring out the best in each student and to help them to understand the key concepts needed to succeed.

Biography

I grew up in a country town in Australia and my favourite subjects at school were Maths and Science. I studied one year of Engineering before transferring to a Bachelor of Teaching course. I love working with children and was involved in running camps for young people before embarking on my teaching career.

I started my teaching career at King's College in Warrnambool, Australia. In 1997 I left Australia to work at Hebron School in South India. While there I met my wife (who is from the UK) and we married in 2001. We moved back to the UK in 2004 for five years, during which time I taught at St Helens School in Northwood, London. In 2009 we relocated back with our three children back to Hebron School, where we lived and worked until June 2023. Now we have moved to the south coast of England. Our two oldest children are at university in London and our youngest is starting her A Levels.

I am passionate about my teaching - and particularly love teaching students from KS2 upwards. In the last ten years I have been given opportunities to teach Maths in the Middle School and then the Senior School. I relished the challenge of transitioning from a Junior School teacher to a Maths teacher. I am passionate about the subject and love seeing my students learn, grow in confidence and make progress.

Personal Approach

I have been a teacher for over 30 years now and have worked with students of many different ages, backgrounds and ability levels. Having initially trained as a Primary Teacher, I automatically break concepts down into small, simpler steps. This strategy has helped many of my older Maths students - even up to GCSE level. I enjoy discovering how each student learns best and then try to incorporate their learning style into my planning. In each lesson I use questioning to ensure my students have understood the concept being covered. I think that Maths should be fun and I aim to help my students to also enjoy Maths and to believe that they can all succeed.

What I do when I am not tutoring

When I'm not tutoring I enjoy playing and listening to music, following sport - especially Australian Rules Football. I also love travelling and exploring new places as well as spending time with my wife and three children. Walking along the south coast of England is a great way to relax - as well as doing puzzles. When I'm in Australia I enjoy water-skiing and sailing.

Testimonials

''I have observed Mark’s Maths teaching first-hand and always found his teaching to be outstanding. He is clear in his explanations and uses a range of engaging strategies and activities to both demonstrate and reinforce his points. His lessons are meticulously structured, including engaging starters and plenaries. His attitude is professional, friendly, positive, fun but firm. My children still talk about how they enjoyed his lessons and how engaging and clear his teaching was.'' (Parents of past students)

''Mr R has been involved in teaching my daughter maths over the last few years. He has helped her really enjoy the subject; making it fun and relevant, even in online learning during covid, which was a feat of preparation and commitment. Mr has also given my daughter individual attention when teaching, above and beyond what would be expected. She is dyslexic and he has sought us out to discuss the best options for her learning, aware of her needs for extra time and thinking about maths in a non-standard way. She is thriving this year in the top maths set, and we are very grateful to Mr Ronalds for his part in her finding pleasure in this subject.'' (Parent of Year 9 student)

''Maths has become one of my daughter's favourite subjects. This is in spite of her still finding some concepts challenging since she is taking maths at a level one year higher than her year. I have to give all credit due to Mr Ronalds for my daughter's continued interest as well as her successful results and progress in maths. This is because Mr R is genuinely passionate about his subject, has years of experience and also knows how to engage children in their learning, helping to fuel the same passion and interest in his students.'' (Parent of Year 9 student)

''It has been fantastic to see both my children flourish and ‘enjoy’ spending time working on Mathematics, thanks to their teacher. Mr. R has made Mathematics both fun and interesting. His positive attitude to learning and making school fun is contagious.'' (Parent of twins in Year 9)

''Mark has taught two of my sons. He has always been a dedicated and effective teacher, explaining maths concepts clearly, making the students work hard and yet also incorporating fun activities. During a long season of online school during Covid, I was impressed by how quickly and efficiently he marked and returned work with helpful feedback. His concern for each student and his commitment to high professional standards has been evident both online and with in-person teaching.'' (Parent of boys in Years 11 and 13)

''Mr. R taught Mathematics to my daughter for five years. He was very knowledgeable in the subject and is clear in terms of what his objectives for the lessons are. He is a very passionate teacher and puts in extra effort to ensure that every type of question for each topic is covered and explained thoroughly. He is exquisitely good at justifying the importance of every question raised in class. Rather than feeding his students with answers, he pushes them to understand and learn each concept by giving hints to remember steps to solve the question. Mr. R taught Math in unique ways that made remembering tedious formulas easy, as well as providing sufficient practice for smooth learning. He helped to build up her interest and confidence in the subject. With his help, my daughter was able to obtain an A in Math. He always ensures that my daughter remembers concepts and formulas based on understanding instead of memory work. She has always looked forward to attending his lessons since he makes his teaching interactive and engaging and is willing to clarify any doubts any time.'' (Mother of Year 11 student)

''Both my children have had the great privilege of being taught by Mr Ronalds. He is an extraordinary teacher. His passion for teaching, his patience and his quiet humour make his students look forward to his classes. My daughter, who is now in university, still speaks so highly of his teaching - of how he made her understand maths concepts that she found difficult to grasp. He shows personal interest in his students and goes the extra mile to make sure that no child is left behind. I know that students worked extra-hard to get into higher Mathematics, just so they could be in his class!'' (Parent of current and past students)

''Your dedication and passion for the subject have been evident in every lesson, and I’m thrilled to see how much my son has grown under your guidance. Your ability to explain complex concepts in a way that is easy to understand has been invaluable. I’m grateful for all the extra time you’ve spent working with him one-on-one and helped him in gaining confidence and achieving an A* in his IGCSE Mathematics.'' (Parent of Year 11 student)

''I have been impressed by Mr R's unwavering dedication to helping his students achieve their full potential. He has a unique ability to make maths fun and engaging for his students, and his passion for the subject is evident in his teaching style. He has a way of breaking down complex concepts into easily digestible pieces, which makes it easier for students to understand and grasp the subject matter. His innovative and creative teaching methods are effective in promoting a love for maths among his students...'' (Parent of students currently in Years 11 & 13)