Florence

Professional Keystone Tutor

Florence is an experienced tutor who has worked across the age range, helping 140 Keystone clients. While first completing a DPhil and then working as a research fellow at Oxford, Florence held several teaching and lecturing roles. However, she also helps primary level students build solid foundations. Florence encourages her tutees to become self-motivated learners with a love for their subjects.

Florence is a professional Keystone tutor. This means Florence:

✔ Engages with Keystone's bespoke professional development programme
✔ Works exclusively for Keystone on a fully employed basis
✔ Is committed to tutoring as a career and profession

We believe these factors combine to make a unique difference to the level of commitment we can assure, as well as the quality of teaching that our professional tutors offer.

Florence teaches: Primary (Year 1 - 6) English, 7+ English, 7+ Maths, 8+ English, 8+ Maths, 11+ English, 11+ Maths, 13+ English, 13+ French, 13+ Spanish, GCSE English, GCSE Spanish, AS/A Level English, AS/A Level Spanish, IB English, IB Spanish, School Entrance Interviews, English Literature Admissions Test (ELAT), Modern Languages Admissions Test (MLAT), Undergraduate & Graduate Academic writing, Undergraduate & Graduate Dissertation, Undergraduate & Graduate English, Undergraduate & Graduate Essay, Undergraduate & Graduate Spanish, English as a Foreign Language (EFL), Motivation, Exam Preparation and Study Skills, Oxbridge Preparation, UKISET

''Yesterday our daughter read out some of her recent work and we were amazed by how much she has improved. You have helped her develop her style without losing her own voice. Thank you!''

Mother of Year 11 International student

About Florence:

Experience
Biography
Approach to Tutoring
When not tutoring

Experience

-Primary English

-7+ English & Maths: public school entrance exams

-8+ English and Maths: public school entrance exams

-9+ English and Maths: public school entrance exams

-11+ English and Maths: ISEB and public school exams, including pre-tests

-13+ English: ISEB and public school entrance exams

-13+ French (All exam boards)

-13+ Spanish (all exam boards)

-GCSE/IGCSE English (All exam boards)

-GCSE/IGCSE Spanish (All exam boards, esp. AQA, Edexcel)

-school entrance interviews, especially 11+, 13+ and 16+

-A-level English (All exam boards, esp. Edexcel)

-A-level Spanish (All exam boards)

-IB English

-IB Spanish

-IELTS, esp. IELTS Academic

-University Entrance, esp. Oxbridge

I have experience helping students with school entrance to: Eton, Westminster, Wellington, Harrow, Marlborough, Sevenoaks, St Paul's, Brighton College, Cheltenham Ladies, Cheltenham College, King's College Wimbledon, King's Canterbury, Stowe, City of London, The Stephen Perse, Wycombe Abbey, Downe House, Wymondham, Abingdon, and Magdalen College School (Oxford), among others.

I specialise in the four areas of prep for Oxbridge entrance: tests, guided reading and specialist knowledge, writing personal statements and interviews. A former award-winning University of Oxford teacher and researcher, I have four years of experience co-interviewing students for undergraduate places at Oxford University.

As a former academic, I am used to working with international students. For six years I taught literature and language at Oxford across the year groups and for several colleges, responsible for ongoing study as well as exam preparation, and pastoral care in some instances.

I have completed Keystone training including: students with special educational needs, English 7/8+ and Maths 7/8+, English 11+ and Maths 11+, school entrance interviewing (especially 11+, 13+ and 16+), GCSE/IGCSE English Language, GCSE/IGCSE English Literature, and A-Level English Literature. I have also completed Keystone’s online tutoring training programme and have a wealth of resources at my fingertips to enrich the online tutoring experience.

I have worked with the British Council, teaching English as an additional language to adolescents and adults.

Over 2020 and 2021, I completed an introductory qualification in child and adolescent counselling and psychotherapy with the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust in London.

I am very pleased to bring my extensive experience in the Higher Education sector, along with my training in mental health and wellbeing, to work as a tutor.

Biography

I grew up in the South West and attended grammar school, where I was fortunate enough to be encouraged to apply to Oxbridge by my English teacher. I gained four As at A-Level and took up a place at Oxford University to study for the BA Hons in English and Spanish, a degree that included a year abroad teaching English for the British Council.

After my BA, I worked as a private tutor. I then moved to the commercial art world, while studying History of Art at Birkbeck, University of London. With this experience under my belt, I decided to go back to Oxford to research early European literature and manuscripts.

I ended up winning a series of awards at Oxford, including a full Arts and Humanities Research Council doctoral studentship, and stayed to complete a DPhil and work in several teaching and lecturing roles. I also worked as a co-interviewer in undergraduate admissions for two Oxford colleges over four years. After completing the DPhil, I took up the post of Laming Research Fellow at the Queen's College. This role was international and I was lucky enough to live in Spain for some time while conducting research at local libraries.

During my post at the Queen's College, I started a family and was blessed with twins. Having the boys further fired my interest in the development of children and young people, and I completed introductory training as a child and adolescent psychotherapist with the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust over 2020/2021. I am continuing study in this area in my spare time while pursuing my new career as a Professional Tutor with Keystone.

Approach to Tutoring

I focus on building a rapport with my students in order to tailor content as much as possible to their needs. As a former academic with an interest in memory and cognition, I specialise in study skills, motivation and solving problems around matters such as study anxiety and stress. I have trained in the field of child and adolescent mental health and am sensitive to the many issues that can arise for children in relation to their education.

I am open to a wide range of teaching approaches depending on the individual child, although my overall goal is to promote self-motivated learning and student autonomy.

When not tutoring

I am usually looking after my twins. When time allows, I pursue my interest in child and adolescent psychotherapy. I also love to write, cook, sing, listen to music, and practice yoga. I am very keen on cats.

What clients say about Florence:

“Huge thanks to Florence for tutoring my daughter for Spanish GCSE from complete beginner at the start of Year 10. Florence worked quickly to build my daughter’s confidence focussing on key vocabulary, enabling my daughter to assimilate with the lesson plans at school. I felt that Florence really got to know my daughter and her support brilliantly considered both her natural strengths and those areas needing more support. The school entered my daughter for the higher paper exam and she feels ready to take on the challenge and do the best she can. Thank you Florence”.

Parent of GCSE Spanish Student

''Florence has ignited my interest in a subject that I had previously never really liked. Classes with her have truly helped me a lot to prepare for my English exams. I feel like I have made much progress in literary analysis, exam technique and overall language level. Florence is a great and very kind tutor and our lessons are always a pleasure. The interviewing classes we have recently done have boosted my confidence and improved my interviewing skills and answers.''

Year 11 International student for 16+ entrance

''Just wanted to let you know that my daughter has received an offer of a place at Marlborough college and is on the waiting list for Wellington College. Considering there were circa 500 applicants for each and only 35/45 places respectively, she did very well. Your input with the interview prep was very helpful and put her in the right frame of mind. We will definitely be back in touch for University interviews if not before that!''

Mother of Year 11 girl

“We finally had news from the school that our son has been offered a place for Sixth Form. His offer letter stated that they were really impressed with him and that he had a very strong run of interviews. He is very pleased and couldn’t have done it without your help. His confidence was much improved. Thank you for the sessions and for your detailed feedback. He said that you made him feel at ease and the more formal lesson helped him to appreciate what would be expected when faced with the most demanding interview questions.”

Mother of Year 11 boy

"Florence is an exceptional English teacher whose dedication and passion for teaching is evident in the improvement she has brought about in my son's grades. Her teaching methods are tailor-made, engaging and effective, and my son has shown a remarkable improvement in his English skills since he started taking classes with her. Florence's personalized approach ensures that each student receives the attention and support they need to succeed."

Mother of Year 10 international student

''Thank you very much for the lessons, my daughter feels much more confident. Going further into her GCSEs, I am sure your classes and instruction in exam technique will help her a lot, not only in Spanish, but also more generally.''

Mother of Year 10 girl

''I am REALLY THANKFUL that I have been a student of yours. Thank you for helping me to achieve this brilliant goal and for encouraging and motivating me. I will try my best at Abingdon. Thank you!''

International student in Year 9

''Florence conducted a mock Oxbridge interview with my daughter. She then gave her feedback and suggestions on how to improve. Her comments were extremely helpful and she could not have been more professional, objective, or done a better job. It was excellent.''

Mother of Oxbridge candidate for an undergraduate place

''Florence was excellent at improving our son’s English skills. She used material that he personally found engaging such as fantasy and Harry Potter and this provided a springboard for him. Not many teachers take the time to look at each child’s interests, but she did, and it paid dividends. Her manner was always positive and constructive and although our son hates extracurricular work, he never minded studying with Florence. We highly recommend her. We achieved our school entrance goal with Florence’s help.''

Mother of Year 4 boy

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