Alice S - Tutors - Keystone Tutors

“Alice tutored my son before his English examination. I only wish I had got her help sooner.”

Parent

For the past 7 years I have taught at 3 independent schools in Scotland. My roles included; Head of English at George Heriot's School, Deputy Head of English at The Mary Erskine School and English Teacher at Loretto School. I have taught English at all ages and stages from Year 7-Year 13 and have a wealth of experience teaching examination years. I have taught both English Language and Literature at GCSE and A-level, and English Language and Literature in the Scottish education system from National 5 to Advanced Higher. Alongside this, I have tutored in my spare time and it has been a real pleasure to see pupils achieving their goals and surpassing their own expectations.

A condensed list of my experience can be found below:

OCR: GCSE English Language and GCSE English Literature
OCR: A-level English Literature
AQA: Experience and knowledge of GCSE English Language/GCSE English Literature and A-level English Literature
National 5: English
Higher: English
Advanced Higher: English
I have a wealth of experience mentoring pupils preparing for coursework assignments and dissertations.
I have also supported many pupils through their UCAS applications and can mentor pupils as they are writing their personal statements.
I have experience supporting pupils in the early stages of secondary school to improve both reading comprehension and writing skills across a range of genres which can help prepare them for entrance examinations.

I grew up in rural Sussex and attended St Leonards-Mayfield for secondary school where I took A-levels in English Literature, Classics and Philosophy & Ethics. After leaving school I went to St Andrews University where I gained a first class degree in English Literature. Following this I completed a PGDE in English at the University of Edinburgh before going on to work for 7 years at 3 independent schools in Edinburgh teaching English and latterly leading a department as Head of English.

“Alice has a way of breaking down complex ideas into manageable chunks and explaining them in a way that just makes sense. Her teaching gave me the confidence and clarity I needed to succeed.”

Parent

“Alice is a brilliant teacher who played a huge role in helping me achieve an extremely high grade in my English examination. I genuinely don't think I could have done it without her support. Her resources were fantastic; they were clearly structured and easy to follow.”

Parent

“Alice tutored my son before his English examination. I only wish I had got her help sooner. She is an excellent teacher and her experience as Head of English at a top independent school in Edinburgh meant my son was in safe hands. She's a lovely person and I can't think of a better person to hire as a private tutor.”

Parent

Having taught many pupils over the years I know the importance of tailoring my teaching style to each individual's specific learning requirements. Another top priority of mine is to ensure that I am fostering a love of literature and language in my pupils, alongside ensuring my lessons are knowledge-rich. Pedagogically, embedding 'Assessment is for Learning' strategies into each of my lessons is central to my teaching as I want to ensure that pupils are effectively gaining the knowledge and mastering the skills they need to be successful in examinations. I consider myself positive and supportive and like to incorporate games into lessons to assist with memory retention and ensure pupils are engaged and enjoying themselves.

Tutoring is my profession and I am flexible with my availability. Outside of my working hours, I enjoy hiking and long-distance running, and generally spending time outdoors with my family and friends.