Tuesday morning, starting 3rd September 

9.30-10.20am - Functional Skills English Entry 3 - Level 1

10.40am -11.30am - Functional Skills Level 2 and GCSE  English 

Contact me to discuss a best-fit in terms of age and starting point.

These lessons are ideal for young people who are out of school or experiencing challenges with accessing school and want to develop their skills in a low-pressure and friendly environment. 

Lessons will be flexible and follow the needs, interests, skills and approaches to learning within the group. The balance between GCSE and Functional Skills will depend on the needs of the group but we will cover skills with span both qualifications. 

I teach English online including creative writing, non-fiction writing, SPAG skills and strategies, vocabulary and etymology, discussion and debating skills and reading strategies, skills and approaches. 

I also have experience of teaching maths, science, drama, film-making, music, PE, PSHE, citizenship, health and social care, EFL, ESOL and modern languages (French, Spanish and Italian). 

50 minute lesson online - £20 per person, max 8 learners per group. 

1-1 lessons £60 per hour. 

I have experience of teaching adults who have returned to learning, supporting them to acheive Level 1 and 2 qualifications in English and maths. I started my teaching careers as an EFL teacher abroad and then as an ESOL teacher in the UK with asylum seekers and refugees. 

I currently also teach ESOL to groups of migrants from a diverse range of countries including Ukraine, Peru, Turkiye and Afghanistan. 

I have experience of teaching young people with learning disabilities in a generic special school where I am a class teacher across all subjects and lead the school's maths provision. 

I lead the Duke of Edinburgh provision in a special school and have experience of developing outdoor learning provision in a range of settings.  

I established a successful alternative provision pathway in an FE college in Skipton for young people who have been home educated or not accessing mainstream education.

I managed all aspects of GCSE and Functional Skills English and maths provision in an FE college. 

I have managed and taught on traineeship, NEET and foundation learning provision in a number of FE colleges in Yorkshire and Lancashire. 

I have first-hand, personal experince of PDA, ASC, ADHD and school-based trauma. I have two children with diagnoses of ASC, both of whom have had periods out of school, accessed alternative provision and tutoring. 

I run a circus skills club and circus skills workshops for young people. I also love playing music, exploring woodlands, hills and rivers, learning languages, films and books and  mucking about on my allotment. 

I aim to be as inclusive as possible and want to be able to reach those who do not access 'mainstream' education either through choice or through circumstances and needs not being met. My lessons are not about 'catching up', flashy gimmicks, exam prep, homework help or fast-track learning, but are about making real and meaningful connections between people through purposeful learning. 

I teach with a focus on purpose and functionality, making links across curriculum area and topics. I have a love of languages and cultures and love to broaden my own and others' horizons through learning. I see beyond the comparmentalised curriculum and aim to develop critical thinking and reasoning skills through discussion and gently challenging views and beliefs. I develop supportive, collaborative learning environments in whcih everyone is genuinely valued and learners support each other to grow and learn. I place a strong focus on verbal communication, using speaking skills to develop confidence for writing. 

Where necessary and appropriate, I am able to support learners to progress towards Functional Skills and GCSE exams with techniques and terminology for the syllabus as well as supporting learners with the wider preparation for exams such as time management, managing pressure and anxiety and study skills.  

I am kind, calm and patient but with high expectations. I am skilled in harnessing individuals' skills, ambitions and interests to inspire and motivate. I am clear and consistent and have been frequently praised by learners and lesson observers for creating relaxed, collaborative and productive learning environments. 

Young people are blank canvases, ready to learn, to be challenged and  develop their invididual characters through exploration, communication and collaboration. I want to help them to learn in ways that suit them and to make learning meaningful and enjoyable. This often means undoing some of the rigidity and negativity associated with mainstream education which, with my professional and personal experience, I feel well-placed to be able to help with with.

 I love camping in our family bell tent where being sheltered under canvas is such a peaceful and relaxing experience.

Canvas is also associated with strength and durability, it was originally used for sails on ships and is therefore also linked to exploration and adventure. 

Use the contact page to arrange a phone call initially. I can then set up a short meeting online or face to face if local before booking onto a lesson if everything seems to be a good fit. 

Online group lessons - max 8 learners per session. 

Online classes on Zoom are 50 minutes  long. Lessons are topic-based and link to the wider world, events, current affairs and society, starting with learners' interests, ambitions and experiences.

We would usually start with a question or problem to discuss before looking closely at vocabulary, language or structure and approaching texts by reading and then writing.

I encourage learners to keep a note-pad during lessons and to read and write at home in between lessons but I understand the pressures and challenges of this for some and that everyone learns differently and at a different pace. 

I encourage cameras and microphones to be on to help everyone to engage and participate but understand that some young people might find this difficult. 

I aim for my lessons to be fun, challenging, collaborative, relaxed and engaging.