Emily Senior English Tutor
About
I love my subject and nothing gives me greater pleasure than helping people develop their confidence and abilities to achieve and outperform their English goals. Most of my young students, for example, achieve significant grade improvements in GCSEs and A Levels. I have also helped many pass the 11+.
I approach each of my students as an individual; assessing their strengths and weaknesses and teaching according to their personality, which is the benefit of the one-to-one relationship that is formed during private tuition. Sometimes my students are simply lacking confidence in their abilities. Sometimes my younger students are not ‘clicking’ with their school English teachers or their education has been disrupted in some way. As we know, many young people experience emotional pressures and these often affect their happiness and education. It is very rewarding to see how quickly people respond and blossom with the undivided attention of a knowledgeable and supportive teacher.
I am married, with a teenage son. I am a very experienced teacher of many different types of students with a wide variety of needs. Having gained a BA Hons in English Literature from Leeds University, I took my PGCE at London University, Institute of Education. I followed that later with an MA in English Language Teaching at Kings College, London. My teaching experience includes private and state schools in London, Hackney Community College in London and Keighley College in West Yorkshire, including teaching English as a second language. For several years I have been specialising in tailored English tutoring.
If you would like an initial chat about how I could help you, your son or daughter, please email, text or call me. References are available on request and I am DBS qualified.
Work Experience
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Home Tutor, English
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Creative Writing Teacher, Leeds University
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ESOL Teacher, Keighley College, West Yorkshire
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ESOL Teacher and post-16 English Lecturer, Hackney Community College, London
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TEFL Teacher, St John’s Wood School of English, London
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English Teacher and Form Tutor, Quinton Kynaston Secondary School, London
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Restart Tutor, Department of Employment, London
Qualifications
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Teaching Basic Literacy to ESOL at The London Language and Literacy Unit, South Bank University, London
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MA in English Language Teaching, Kings College, London
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University of Cambridge RSA, Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults, at International House, London
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Diploma in Teaching English as a Second and Foreign Language, Waltham Forest College, London
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PGCE in English, Secondary and FE, Institute of Education, University of London
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BA Hons, English Literature, Leeds University
Tutoring Services
Online
Online live tutoring is as effective as face to face. This will be the preference for some people. I recommend Teams, Facetime, Zoom, WhatsApp Video or Skype and am open to other formats.
Pricing and availability
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Tutoring rate: £45 per hour
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30 minute taster lessons available free of charge with no commitment. Discussions with parents or guardians free of charge
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Available for lesson bookings days and evenings, seven days a week. Booking well in advance is always recommended
In Ilkley
I live in the centre of Ilkley and teach in a spacious and secluded study in my house. I am close to Betty's cafe and the train station, and free parking is available nearby through me.
Improve and Enjoy
My commitment to my students, from primary children through to adults of all ages, is to inspire them to enjoy not only the results that I help them achieve, but also how we get there, including the sessions with me and the subjects we cover. My training and experience enable me to uniquely tailor my tutoring around each of my students. This ‘Improve and Enjoy’ approach is both effective and highly rated by my students, online or face to face, across all my tutoring, irrespective of their ages, needs and goals.
For school age students
To help and inspire young people to achieve and exceed their goals in 11+, GCSEs and A’ Levels, I provide English, English Language and English Literature tutoring. I stay abreast of latest curriculums and what examiners are looking for.
For adults and students with specific goals
Having taught adults for many years, as well as young people, I understand the key areas in which people commonly want to improve, or that they want to enjoy more. It could be due to personal ambitions, development needs at work, school or college, something to enrich leisure time, or to help teach a younger person. I currently provide tutorial sessions on the following:
Grammar and Punctuation
These sessions aim to brush up all aspects of writing, such as grammar rules, syntax, commas, colons, semicolons and spelling rules. There are many self-help books available, but sometimes it is necessary to have a real person to explain and to ask questions of.
Creative Writing
The other side of the coin to reading, practising and improving in creative writing can be hugely enjoyable and fulfilling. In my sessions, I work with people to improve the quality of their expression in poetry or prose.
Shakespeare
Have you ever wished you could appreciate Shakespeare more? I am proficient in Old English and Middle English and my sessions uncover the wonders of Shakespeare’s poetry and drama.
Poetry
Poetry is a great joy and comfort in my life, and my sessions are designed to inspire the same in my students. We analyse the techniques of poetry writing including structure, enjambment, imagery, alliteration, assonance, rhythm and rhyme.
Teaching Your Child English at Home
Teaching your child can create a lasting bond and memory as you work towards a shared goal. These sessions include an overview of the exams and marking schemes. They equip you with the necessary techniques and activities to make your teaching more effective.
If you would like to find out more, please contact me and I would be happy to discuss your situation and how I might be able to help.
Reviews
*****
In January 2019, my daughter (Yr 10) started 1:1 lessons with Emily because she was finding the GCSE English language and literature challenging to say the least. My daughter lacked confidence so initially Emily’s emphasis was on developing her confidence. Consequently, this meant my daughter was able to think creatively and felt more comfortable expressing her ideas. Emily also provided invaluable practical advice and guidance on how to structure essays and answers in a way to obtain maximum marks. As a result, in a short space of time there was a tangible difference in my daughter’s grades. My daughter’s English teacher noticed the difference only a couple of months later because I received an email from school which read:
‘I am pleased to let you know that your child achieved one of the top marks in the recent English test on the character of Hyde, from Jekyll and Hyde and is consistently performing well in class.’
We had never received feedback like this before. Emily tutored my daughter up until the Covid-19 school closures and my daughter continued to make good progress with the GCSE syllabus. I have no doubt that Emily’s support will result in my daughter’s GCSE English grade being one/two grades higher than if we had not had Emily’s support. In my experience, Emily’s approach is personable and flexible and I would have no hesitation in recommending her to other parents looking for English language/literature tutoring.
Emma
*****
Imogen really enjoyed her English sessions with Emily. They helped her build her confidence while working on her weaknesses in a very positive way. Imogen was struggling with how to do the exam and Emily explained simply and quickly what to do and what examiners are looking for. We were thrilled that with help from Emily Imogen got a GCSE grade 8, up from the school target grade of 6.
Richard and Diane, Menston
*****
Emily is a good teacher and I learnt a lot from her lessons. She encouraged me to discuss my ideas and back them up with relevant quotes. This meant I achieved better grades/marks at school.
(Isobel, Year 11)
*****
My daughter has been having lessons with Emily whilst studying for her GCSE's. She says it has made studying English a wonderful treat. Emily really brings the books and poetry to life and has made her want to pursue English literature further. I couldn't recommend Emily highly enough as a teacher, my daughter actually said she would pay for the lessons herself as she enjoys them so much. (I haven't made her do that!)
Mrs Clarke, Ben Rhydding
*****
Our son has attended Emily’s sessions for approximately 18 months. During this time he developed more confidence to express his opinions about the books he was reading and the emotions they evoked. Boys tend to be reticent in exposing their passions and beliefs. Emily managed to instil a self-belief which helped him to mature. Her methods are not traditional and highly original, however I think it’s this quality that separates these sessions from mainstream education; think John Keating rather than Bullet Baxter. My son’s expected grade prior to attending the sessions was a 5 at GCSE, he attained an 8. He was happy to attend, which made life easier, as dragging an unwilling child to after-school would not have been pleasant.
I would recommend Emily, the environment is tranquil, she is professional and it’s value for money.
Ben and Rachael, Ilkley
*****
Emily has taught my daughter GCSE English Language and Literature. She has been an inspirational teacher who makes the plays and novels interesting and accessible. She has excellent rapport with her pupils and encourages them to reach their own opinions about their set texts. She gives her pupils the skills and confidence to make informed judgments. She is an outstanding English teacher who makes the subjects fun and relevant.
Rachael Woodward
*****
Emily is very helpful and she tries very hard to adapt to our time and situation. She is also a very friendly teacher. She helped my daughter's 11+ exam very much.
Eliza
*****
Thank you Emily for the excellent tuition sessions you have provided. I was able to successfully pass the exam that I sat with your extensive help.
Your lessons enabled me to grow in confidence and progress my skills further. I thought you were friendly, engaging and skillful in your teaching.
I would most definitely recommend you to anyone who'd like to progress their English further.
Many thanks
Daljit
*****
Emily tutored our son in preparation for his English GCSE in summer 2019. We would thoroughly recommend her without hesitation. Theo is very strong at maths and sciences but we were concerned that he might not pass English GCSE (he was predicted a 3/4 from school) so we sent him to Emily on recommendation of a family friend. In the end she helped Theo prepare for both the English Language and the English Literature paper. Far from scraping through, he in fact achieved a Level 6 (high "B" equivalent) and was only a couple of points off a Level 7 ("A" equivalent) for English Language, and secured a Level 7 for English Literature. We have no doubt that Emily's assistance was instrumental in Theo's achievement, and she not only helped him with his exam technique but also helped to give him the confidence to believe he was capable of passing, which is so important. These lessons took place face to face but I am confident that Emily would be able to deliver the same quality tuition remotely using online applications.
Kathy and Michael
Further reviews and references available on request
Emily's Tips
Knowing your Shakespeare
English Literature students need to know their Shakespeare quotations, and they will remember a quotation better if they also understand the meaning. Macbeth, after committing two murders, speaks the line: “I am in blood stepped in so far that, should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as to go o’er.”
This was the first Shakespeare quote that made me suddenly think, “Ah, I get it!” It expresses a feeling that many young people may recognise, that we’ve done so many bad things and are in so much trouble already, we might as well carry on.
Analysing the language in this quotation can help to fix it in a student’s mind, starting with a translation, something like: “I’ve gone so far that it will be just as difficult to go back as carry on.” Macbeth uses the metaphor of a pool of blood to represent his evil. The verb, wade, means to move through liquid which comes high up your legs. This suggests how deep in trouble Macbeth is and also how difficult he finds his criminal path.
A simple technique for learning quotations
I really sympathise with young people who are daunted at the prospect of having to learn quotations for their English Literature exams. Many of my students find that the following simple technique works for them and takes the fear away:
Write down the quotation correctly, including punctuation, at least three times WITHOUT LOOKING. They may not be perfect first or even second time, but if they persist they will get there. And they should definitely not leave this learning until the night before the exam!
Learn with a classic game
Classic games played by all the family are a great way to stretch and encourage English skills in a fun way. Instead of us worrying about what academic English work our children should be doing, or trying to get them off their phones to read books, games they play with adults that they don't see as work are in my experience the fastest and most effective way for them to learn.
The game Articulate increases vocabulary and also develops the ability to
describe and explain, building up a bank of synonyms and antonyms. Scrabble also develops vocabulary and improves spelling, while cultivating an intimacy and ease with the written word. Scruples develops a child's ability to formulate persuasive discourse (and find out things about the other players they never knew before!)
Nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs
Many children don’t know the difference between the parts of speech: a noun, a verb, an adjective or an adverb and they need to know this from SATS onwards.
This game can really help. Tear a piece of A4 paper into eight. Each person (you need at least two and teams of two work well) writes down a mixture of verbs, nouns adjectives and adverbs as shown. One person must explain to the other as many words as possible in one minute, always stating which part of speech it is and the answer must be the correct part of speech. For example the verb to sprint; the noun a puppy; the adjective shiny; or the adverb simply. The winner is the one who guesses the most words.
A practice activity for GCSE English Language
Find an article in a newspaper that is arguing a point of view and preferably on a topic that a teenager might be interested in. The Guardian is worth trying and is free online.
Get all the family to read the article and then have a discussion about it; I suggest once a week, perhaps at a mealtime. In English Language Paper Two (AQA), the set texts in Part A often include such an article, always arguing a point of view. The writing task in Part B is also often although not always an article, but it always requires persuasive, or argumentative writing that presents the point of view.
Would I lie to you?
Young people who don’t really enjoy reading sometimes find it hard to invent a story. But GCSE English Language asks students to do just that.
You can play this game with friends or family. It's not quite the same as the TV show but it's a similar idea. Each person must tell three stories and only one is true. For example it could be how mum and dad met, or driving incidents or bad things that people have done.
In order to make a story convincing it needs: a believable plot-line; realistic characters; dialogue; a beginning, a middle and an end and also some kind of problem which is resolved.
Emily’s verbal spelling game
This is a spoken word game, no materials necessary. It’s fun for all ages, including adults, and I particularly recommend it as a way for KS1, 2 and 3 children to grow their confidence with words and spellings.
How to play:
Three or more people can play, each player starts with three ‘lives’. The first player thinks of a word but says only the letter the word begins with. The next player thinks of a word that starts with that first letter but says only the second letter. The third player thinks of a word starting with those two letters but says only the third letter. And so on. Eventually, they will have spelled a word together.
However, players must avoid being the one to say the letter that completes a word, or saying a letter that prevents any recognised word eventually being formed. In either case, another player must issue an immediate verbal challenge, and the challenged player must defend their choice of letter or lose a life. An incorrect challenge loses a life for the challenger.
I suggest using a recognised dictionary (if required) for challenges. No proper nouns are allowed, ie those normally starting with a capital letter.
Example:
The first three players pick B - U - R. If the next player then says ‘N’ they would be completing a word, so if another player challenges, the player suggesting the N loses a life. If the player had instead said ‘J’, then this could also be challenged as a word cannot be built from BURJ. However, if the player had said ‘D’, this could be built on to make a word, such as BURDEN or BURDOCK.
