Where can I find an A Level English tutor in my area?

A Level English Tuition

A large proportion of students taking A Levels will go on to Higher Education after Year 13; where they go is likely to be dependent on their performance in their A Levels, particularly for the most competitive universities and courses. It is quite usual for universities or degree apprenticeship providers to set high entry requirements – after all, they want to attract the best students. This can mean that pressure on A Level students, particularly in Year 13 when universities will have told students what grades they need to achieve to take their next steps, can be immense.

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Added to this pressure, A Level students often have to juggle study with having a part time job, learning to drive, getting some work experience, worrying about the future and having a social life – it’s no wonder they get stressed! As a Sixth Form tutor and then Head of Sixth Form, dealing with, what I called, the ‘sixth form wobble’ was a regular part of the job. Most students, particularly the very hard-working ones, will have this wobble. The wobble can often mean that students stop being productive for a while, seeing the amount of work they have to do as insurmountable, which can mean they fall behind. Having an A Level tutor can help the student rebuild their confidence, as well as covering any material they may have fallen behind with. Adding another hour to the student’s commitments for the week may seem unhelpful but working on a one-to-one basis with a tutor won’t be an unproductive hour and this can help to rebuild the student’s confidence as it is a positive step to getting back on track.

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Bridging the Gap from GCSE to A Level

The jump from GCSE to A Level in English can be quite daunting to many students. They will probably have been achieving high marks at GCSE and perhaps have been top of the class, but when they start studying A Levels, they are likely to get D and E grades for the first term or so. This can lead to a crisis of confidence and a lot of frustration and upset. Many students will feel they have made the wrong choice; some may even want to drop the subject.

Whilst I would reassure A Level students that this is quite normal (it was that way for me and for almost all of the A Level students I have taught and none of them have ever failed!), having an A Level English tutor will help to bridge the gap from GCSE to A Level.

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Is it worth getting an English tutor for A Level students?

Students, particularly at A Level, are often too embarrassed to ask their teacher for help, usually assuming that the rest of the class already ‘get it’ and are doing much better than them. They may start by studying a much more challenging text than they have studied before and think that they are the only one who doesn’t understand it. A Level teachers will have higher expectations of their students; many will be very willing to give their time to help the student individually, but some will expect their classes to work it out themselves. This can mean that the student carries on making the mistakes they are making and can waste their time reading a book that they are not understanding.

An A Level English tutor will be able to teach the student how to write A Level essays; how to take their analysis beyond the GCSE level; how to construct thesis-based arguments; and how to use critical works to develop their perspectives, giving students the foundation and skills they need to communicate their ideas and insights in the most effective and persuasive manner possible. A tutor can also go through any material the student may be struggling with to make sure they understand it.

Some students may feel confident that they have made the transition from GCSE and that they have grasped the skills needed to succeed at A Level but could still benefit from the one-to-one English tutor experience. If they are planning to go on to study for an English degree, they will probably have tutorials and seminars on their timetable at university, where they will be taught in very small, sometimes one-to-one sessions. Whilst many students will embrace this opportunity to share their views and defend their perspectives, some (who may be just as knowledgeable and passionate about the subject) will lack the confidence needed to get their voice heard. Having one-to-one or small group sessions with an A Level tutor gives students the opportunity to practise speaking openly, expressing their opinions and justifying their views so that they are ready for one of the challenges of degree courses.

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What would I do in a session with a tutor?

All of my tutorials sessions are designed for the individual student so, in effect, we will do exactly what you want and need to do.

Most A Level students choose to bring an essay they are working on to the sessions; if this is the case, we would plan the essay together, selecting the best evidence from the texts, developing your analysis, discussing the argument you want to pursue and talking about the context that might be relevant to your essay. All students benefit from talking through their ideas – it enables you to evaluate the strength of your points and consider other perspectives – which is exactly what examiners want to see in high grade exam papers.

Some students wish to go over particular texts in a session with a tutor, perhaps a poem that they really don’t understand or a part of a novel that they have been asked to respond to. Again, the benefit of talking about the text is considerable, enabling students to ask questions, check understanding and give their opinions without fear of judgement.

Many students need help with revision and exam preparation. I can plan sessions on the texts you are studying so that the tutoring session is a key part of your revision schedule.

Timed essays and exam practices are really important parts of preparing for examinations and schools don’t always have time to set as many of these as they might like to. Whilst most students would prefer to do these in their own time and not use a tutoring session, others (particularly those who cannot make themselves do this in their own time!) prefer to do it with a tutor present. Again, this will be your choice.

Marking and Assessment

As your tutor, it will be my job to help you make your writing as accurate, detailed and effective as possible and so I will happily check any English work you produce before you submit it to your teacher. I can tell you the grade I would award your work, but teachers do not always agree, and your teacher may give you a different grade. English is a very subjective subject which is why predicting grades can be problematic. My priority is to advise you on how you could improve your work.

I will mark any work I set for you in our sessions.