FAQ

I teach all branches of Maths – Pure Maths, Mechanics and Statistics – for the following courses:

A level Maths

A level Further Maths

GCSE Maths and Additional Maths

International Baccalaureate

Cambridge Pre –U 

Adult learners at any level are very welcome, whether you need to improve your Maths skills, would like to take Maths GCSE or A Level, or just want to do some Maths for fun!  Your previous Maths experience may be traumatic, forgotten, or non-existent: we can plan an individual programme for you, to take the stress out of learning Maths and give you confidence and the Maths skills you want.

I teach both in person and online.

For those who would like teaching in person, sessions take place either at my home in central Guildford, or at your home.  There is no charge for travelling within a 5 mile radius of central Guildford. If you live further away, travel costs are by arrangement.

Online teaching takes place via Zoom.

The feedback I have had from students is that it works very well.  The student experience is not very different to having tutoring in person.  I use a webcam so the student can see what I am writing, and any work that the student would like me to see, as well as the notes for each session, are photographed and sent via email.  Otherwise, the discussion and the way sessions develop are virtually identical whether we are face to face or on Zoom.

This can vary according to the wishes and needs of the student.  The best length for most students seems to be 1 hour.  If a student wishes to have a shorter session for any reason, that is usually fine.  Similarly, some students wish to have longer sessions, which can be up to 1 hour 30 minutes long.  Students usually find the sessions quite intensive, and to concentrate hard on Maths for an hour is enough for most people.  I would not recommend sessions of longer than 1 hour 30 minutes at the most, for optimal learning.

This varies with the individual student’s circumstances.  For many students, meeting once a week works well.  If the lessons are less frequent, momentum is lost and learning can be impaired.  Some students require more frequent sessions, twice weekly, or exceptionally more frequently.  In my experience, the pace at which students can absorb new information and progress has a limit; more frequent sessions may be of no benefit, and may indeed be counterproductive.  However, each student has different requirements, so the option to meet more frequently can be considered, my other commitments permitting.

Not as a rule.  For a student at school or college, their existing workload is usually quite enough.  Occasionally, if I think a student would benefit from additional work I may set this, but always with the student’s agreement.  For adult students who are not learning Maths elsewhere, we can discuss this when planning their learning programme

I try to be as flexible as possible regarding session times.  We normally commit to a regular time and day, but with the best of intentions life can sometimes get in the way.  We can usually find an alternative time with enough notice.