Francine

Australian-born, I was educated at a selective-entry grammar school in Melbourne before completing undergraduate degrees in Music (Violin Performance) and Arts (Social Theory) at the University of Melbourne.

After several years teaching in Australia, I relocated to Europe and subsequently moved to the UK in 2018. Here, I completed a Master of Education at the University of Cambridge alongside a Master of Music at the Royal College of Music.

I have since built extensive experience across London’s independent school sector, working in classroom teaching, academic tutoring, and specialist music education. I currently teach full-time at Dulwich College Prep.

My teaching approach combines high academic expectations with warmth, encouragement, and clear structure. I aim to create an environment in which students feel supported enough to take intellectual risks, whilst also developing the discipline and resilience needed for long-term academic success.

I believe that students make the strongest progress when they are both challenged and understood as individuals. As a result, I place significant emphasis on adapting my teaching style to suit each student’s strengths, areas for development, and preferred ways of learning.

Having worked with a broad range of pupils across classroom teaching, music education, and academic tutoring, I have developed extensive experience supporting students with varying abilities, confidence levels, and learning needs. Tutoring provides a unique opportunity to personalise learning in a way that is rarely possible in a classroom setting, and I strive to use that flexibility to help students build both strong outcomes and genuine confidence in their abilities.

Outside tutoring, I work full-time at Dulwich College Prep and continue to maintain an active professional involvement in music as a violinist. Music has been a central part of my life since childhood, both academically and professionally, and I still enjoy performing whenever possible.

Alongside teaching and music, I enjoy fitness, travel, and ongoing professional learning. I value maintaining a balanced and active lifestyle, and I believe this contributes positively to the energy, organisation, and enthusiasm I bring to my work with students.