Chris

I was born in the centre of civilisation that is Frimley (just off the M3, near the big Tesco) and won an academic scholarship to Hampton School at 13+. At first I struggled with the change of pace but grew into myself, found a passion for Geography, played as much sport as possible, and ended up as School Captain. In the same year I got a deferred place to study Geography at Worcester College Oxford, and soon set off for a winter playing cricket in Australia which led to a professional contract with Hampshire CCC back in the UK.

During my time at Oxford (when not on the cricket pitch) I switched on to the scale of the climate crisis, and have since spent three years working in London in sustainable finance and consulting, punctuated with time hiking around Nepal and the Cornish coast. I am now undertaking an MSc in Climate Change, Development and Policy at the Institute of Development Studies with the hope of transitioning into the policy world, thus returning to a focus on people and society, in other words Geography.

Alongside this work, I am an experienced and passionate tutor in a diverse range of subjects. Inspired by my Dad who was a headmaster and careers advisor, I often find myself flirting with the idea of changing tack and teaching full time, and likely one day will. I find the chance to have even a minor influence on someone else at such a key stage of their life exhilarating, and as such enjoy the pastoral element of tutoring as much as the academic. I hope, therefore, that lessons will be as valuable for me as I hope they could be for prospective tutees.

I am most experienced in teaching Geography, History, Psychology and Oxbridge entry, but have also supported more junior students with entrance exams, English and Maths, and feel particularly confident in helping struggling students in these areas. At school, for example, I didn't find Maths as natural as the humanities but I was wonderfully taught and ended up with an A at A-level a year in advance. I would love to be able to pass on the techniques I was taught and help someone else get over their line in such an important subject. In terms of philosophy, I like to be very student led. Empowering the student to reach a conclusion themselves is in my opinion a much more rounded and sustainable manner of learning that brings benefits beyond simply the information retained. I think plenty of tutors have good grades, many probably better than mine, but I believe I can bring a much more rounded perspective than most, which allows me to connect and win the trust of a broad range of students while helping them to navigate some of the most challenging years of their lives both within and beyond the classroom.

As outlined in my bio, I have just started an MSc at the Institute of Development Studies in Brighton. When I have completed this I plan to apply for a PhD with my old tutor at the University of Oxford, working on the politics of climate change. My long term ambition is to influence environmental policy both in the UK and abroad, potentially as part of the annual COP process.

At the same time, I have always had this nagging dream of teaching. My dad was a headmaster, kind of my hero, and lived and breathed teaching. I think we are quite similar characters and get the same satisfaction from seeing the real world impact of your work on others, something I don't and won't necessarily get from my current work in the background of climate change policy. I would like to continue gaining experience through tutoring (a win-win as I look to support myself through further study) in order to be able to apply to teach full time at some point down the line.

Outside of work I play as much sport as possible. I was Blues cricket captain at Oxford having formerly held a professional contract with Hampshire CCC and still play and coach for fun. I also play football, hockey and escape on my bike whenever I can. This summer I walked and camped nearly 300 miles around the Cornish coast path to raise money in memory of Dad, and hope to undertake more similar adventures down the line.