I have always been fascinated by language and I aim to instil a similar enthusiasm in the students that I teach.
Initially, I taught English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in Portugal. On moving back to the UK, I enrolled on a Master’s degree in Linguistics – I thoroughly enjoyed it and attained a DISTINCTION. From teaching foreign speakers in private language schools, I shifted to teaching native speakers within the further education sector. I worked for 15 years in two different Further Education colleges in London, completing my Post Graduation Certificate in Education (PGCE) and a Certificate in Dyslexia Support. Many of my students were held back in their academic journey through poor literacy skills. I gave them the skills they needed to succeed in their chosen specialism, or that would enable them to pass GCSE English as a gateway to further studies. I also taught maths up to GCSE level.
Around 10 years ago, my son started preparing for secondary school entrance exams. These exams are extremely competitive and due to his young age (9 at the time) I had to think very carefully about how to develop his skills without making it too stressful for him. It’s not easy teaching your own child! I employed a tutor in the end, but was able to use my creative input to maximise learning in a way that was enjoyable. I’m proud to say that he did get into his first choice of school. It also launched my career in a new direction – as well as working at the college, I became a home tutor, specialising in preparing young learners for secondary school entrance exams. By word of mouth, I soon took on enough students that I was able to give up my day job at the college.
Fully qualified teacher
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10 years of home tutoring
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Specialising in secondary school entrance exams
I have successfully guided students to gain places at their preferred school.
At the onset of Covid, I switched to online tutoring. Although difficult at first (I was used to face-to-face contact and paper resources), it opened my eyes to the whole world of digital tools that can enhance the learning experience. For example, I have created many PowerPoint presentations to accompany sample tests from a wide range of schools. Many of these are in standard format that require written answers (as opposed to multiple-choice). I thrive on preparing students for this type of exam and have acquired a great deal of experience throughout 10 years as a private tutor. I have successfully guided students to gain places at high ranking schools such as: City of London Girls', St.Paul's Girls', Alleyn's, Dulwich College, Westminster, Sevenoaks, Wimbledon High School and St.Olave's Grammar School.
Recently, I have condensed the best advice into self-study resources. Students are guided through the thought processes involved in crafting an A-star answer, as well as common errors to avoid, and example responses. These can be used as an alternative to tutoring, or together with weekly tutoring, or a combination of self-study with tutoring during school holidays. I aim to release a new resource each week – either a guided reading comprehension or developing creative writing. These can be purchased individually or as part of a subscription plan.
My daughter was preparing for the 11+. She’s very bright but the exams are so competitive! I needed to make sure she was doing the very best that she is capable of. Vicky pointed out areas that could be improved and explained gaps in her knowledge. As an anxious parent, Vicky was on hand if I needed to discuss anything. Hannah passed several grammar school tests and was offered bursary places at 3 independent schools including one scholarship!. She took the place at Wimbledon High School but also had offers from Putney High School and JAGS. We are very proud and very grateful of all the help Vicky gave us.
[Parent/Hannah, 11]
Usually we use the Bond books and can check the answers ourselves. But we don’t speak English at home and some of the questions have lots of ways to answer. Vicky lets us send photos to WhatsApp and they go over them together. It’s efficient way and she always explains very well. We are very happy with her service and will give a high recommendation. Thank you so much:)
[Parent of KM, 9 years old]
Awesome!! Vicky helps me with English and maths. She shows me a different way to think about it and makes it easy to understand. I look forward to the lessons each week.
[NN, 9 years old]
Vicky breaks it down and makes it so easy for my son to follow. He will take exams soon and we feel he is in a much stronger position now. Thank you Vicky!
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[Parent of Tm, age 10]