Chris

Chris is an experienced teacher with a passion for Education. He teaches at all Secondary levels with a particular focus on History and humanities.

Chris teaches: GCSE History, AS/A Level History, Motivation, Exam Preparation and Study Skills

''Chris' mentoring played a huge part in my son achieving better results than he (or I!) ever dreamed of!''

Parent of GCSE student

About Chris:

Experience
Biography
Approach to Tutoring
When not tutoring

Experience

For the last 3 years teaching in schools I was Head of 6th Form, and a member of the Senior Leadership Team. My responsibilities included:

- Training teachers to improve Learning & Teaching at KS5

- Providing Pathways guidance to students, supporting their UCAS applications (personal statements, references) or guiding them into degree apprenticeships / industry apprenticeships

- Developing a tutor programme, which developed students’ employability skills, character traits, and generally aimed to broaden their horizons to prepare them for the step into Higher Education.

Results in the 6th Form improved year on year, with a massive 10% increase in A* - B grades in the final year, which placed the Academy in the number 1 spot for progress in the borough, beating many private schools such as Whitgift.

7 years teaching all ability levels in secondary schools in south London.

- KS3, KS4, KS5 History (EdExcel) – I/GCSE and units at both AS/A2

- KS4 Ancient History (OCR) – GCSE

- KS3 Geography, English & Religious Studies

I am adept at unpicking exam specifications, mark schemes and examiner’s reports. I have created countless schemes of work and revision resources.

Passing the National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership has helped me to grow as a leader at all levels of my work, from leading 50 staff on school-wide initiatives, to leading a student in one-to-one interventions.

Biography

After attending Winchester College (1997-2002) I went on to study History at Newcastle University, graduating with a high 2:1 BA degree. I then spent four years shipping works of art around the world before recognising that I needed a career shift.

I trained under the Teach First programme and was awarded my PGCE through the Institute of Education. I’ve loved every day I’ve taught; it was the best decision I’ve ever made to move into the education sector.

Five years ago I decided to move into the emerging EdTech market for a new challenge and more time with my children.

I have tutored & mentored students for the past five years as well, increasingly in the area of skills development, and have also led teams of teachers in home schooling placements.

Approach to Tutoring

The first place I start with my students is with their goals; if they don’t have goals, or a vision for their immediate future, I look to develop these and make them concrete so they can use them to self-motivate. Whether a student is 11 or 19 years old, building a vision that is both aspirational and inspirational is critical.

After this I then tailor sessions to their needs. What always underpins my approach is developing students’ core knowledge of topics, and their understanding of the examination demands, through the use of mark schemes that are unpicked with precision and compared with examiner’s feedback.

Most of my work is now as a mentor supporting executive skills development. I am passionate about up-skilling students in areas usually overlooked in education. Executive skills, such as problem-solving, task initiation and sustained attention underpin academic achievement.

I have completed extensive training to be both a mentor and a coach and am very happy switching between the two roles from session to session and student to student.

When not tutoring

I am Chief Learning Officer for a learning technology start-up. Our apps help support knowledge acquisition and retrieval.

Apart from this, and spending time with family and friends, I try to see exhibitions, catch a film, and go for country walks (escaping London).

Playing board games with friends is a particular hobby.

What clients say about Chris:

"My son has had an uneven educational path but Chris built a strong platform of trust with him and anchored him through these crucial years, difficult enough in normal times, but with the added pressure of covid and online teaching, he did not lose focus. My son could not have done it without him."

Parent of GCSE / A-Level student

"Chris is very intuitive - finding just the right approach to suit the student and help them build confidence (especially needed after the disruption of Covid). Chris' mentoring played a huge part in my son achieving better results than he (or I!) ever dreamed of and was worth every penny."

Parent of GCSE student

"Mr W is one of those teachers who made sure you got the grade. When I hit sixth form I lost all motivation for my education and developed some mental health issues, which meant that I was at extreme risk of failing year 12. When I took these issues to Mr W he helped me find different ways of dealing with my problems. He was really supportive when it came to applying to university and as my History teacher was constantly driving me to do well and remain motivated and never gave up on me. I honestly owe my A level success and acceptance to a university to Mr W."

Student taught between the ages of 11 - 18

"I was taught by Mr W for 3 years during my History GCSE and A level, and my Ancient History GSCE. His love for the subjects came through in every class and inspired me and my friends a great deal. We developed a great relationship over the years and I really felt that he took particular care and interest in my progress and helped me gain very high grades in all of his classes. He strikes a good balance creating a relaxed work environment, whilst also pushing students to perform the best they can."

Student taught between the ages of 14 - 18

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