20 years teaching Physics degree, trained in Cuba QTS (2018) Registered Mental Health Nurse All UK exam boards Online & in person around Corby

Subjects

I trained as a physics teacher and have taught the sciences and maths for twenty years, in two education systems. At A-Level I teach the two subjects I can teach properly — physics and maths. I'd rather turn work away than take a subject I can't do justice.

By level

How it works

A free 15-minute call

Usually with the parent first, then a few minutes with the student. No sales pitch. If I'm not the right fit I'll say so and point you somewhere better.

I find where it broke

The first session is diagnostic. I work backwards from what they can't do now until we reach the last thing they genuinely understood. It's rarely where anyone expects.

Weekly sessions with a plan

An hour a week, same slot, with a written plan you can see. Work set between sessions is short and specific, not a pile of past papers.

You get told the truth

A short note after each session on what we did and what's still shaky. If your child is on track, I'll tell you. If they aren't, I'll tell you that too.

Why me rather than someone cheaper

There are a lot of tutors. Some are excellent, some are university students working from the mark scheme a week ahead of your child. Three things make me different, and they're worth being plain about.

I trained as a physics teacher in Cuba, in Spanish, in five years. The Cuban system has no category called "not a maths person". If a student hasn't understood, the teaching is what changes. That is not a slogan to me — it's the method I was trained in, and it's why the first thing I do is find the break rather than push harder on the current topic.

Fifteen of my twenty years were spent as a supply teacher. That sounds like a weakness and it isn't. It put me in a very large number of schools, classes and year groups — far more than a teacher who stays in one department ever sees. I have taught the same topic to dozens of different classes who had no reason to give me the benefit of the doubt. You learn very quickly which explanations actually work.

I'm also a registered mental health nurse. I work on a psychiatric intensive care unit. A significant number of students who are "underperforming" are actually anxious, exhausted, or avoiding a subject because it's become frightening. I notice that early, I don't panic about it, and I know the difference between a student who needs pushing and a student who needs something else entirely.

I am not the cheapest tutor in Northamptonshire and I don't try to be. I'm the one who finds the actual problem in the first fortnight.

What it costs

Published openly, because you shouldn't have to book a call to find out what someone charges.

Per hour
SubjectLevelRate
BiologyGCSE£40 / hour
ChemistryGCSE£40 / hour
MathsGCSE£45 / hour
PhysicsGCSE£45 / hour
MathsA-Level£55 / hour
PhysicsA-Level£55 / hour
Blocks of sessions

Booking a block works out cheaper and, more usefully, gives us long enough to actually fix something. Most problems need more than a fortnight.

BlockPriceWorks out at
5 × GCSE biology or chemistry£190£38 / hour
5 × GCSE maths or physics£215£43 / hour
5 × A-Level maths or physics£260£52 / hour
10 × GCSE biology or chemistry£370£37 / hour
10 × GCSE maths or physics£420£42 / hour
10 × A-Level maths or physics£500£50 / hour

Same rates in person around Corby and nearby Northamptonshire, subject to availability. The first 15-minute call is free and there's no obligation after it.

Common questions

Do you teach online or in person?

Both. I've taught over Zoom since covid and most of my students are online now, anywhere in the UK — it works better than people expect, and it means no travel time eating into the hour. I also teach in person around Corby and nearby Northamptonshire, subject to availability.

Which exam boards do you cover?

All the UK boards — AQA, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC/Eduqas and Cambridge International. Tell me your child's board on the first call and I'll work to that specification, because the differences between them matter more than most people realise.

How many sessions will my child need?

I can't answer that honestly until after the first session, and I'd be wary of anyone who gives you a number before they've met your child. What I can say is that the first session is diagnostic, and after it you'll get a straight answer about what's actually wrong and roughly how long it takes to fix.

My child is in Year 11 and the exams are close. Is it too late?

No, but what we do changes. With months left, we build understanding properly. With weeks left, we work on exam technique, mark schemes and the highest-value topics, because that's where the marks actually are at that stage. I'll tell you which situation you're in.

Why don't you teach A-Level chemistry or biology?

Because I trained as a physics teacher, and A-Level chemistry and biology deserve a specialist in those subjects. I teach all four sciences at GCSE, where the depth is within my range. At A-Level I stick to physics and maths. I'd rather send you elsewhere than take your money for something I can't do properly.

My child gets very anxious about exams. Can you help with that?

Often, yes. I'm a registered mental health nurse as well as a teacher, so I recognise exam anxiety quickly and I don't treat it as a discipline problem or a motivation problem. What I offer is calm, structure and realistic expectations — not therapy. If something more than that is needed, I'll say so and point you towards the right kind of help.

Do you offer a free trial?

A free 15-minute call, yes — usually with you first, then a few minutes with your child so they can decide whether they'd be comfortable. The first full session is charged, because it's the diagnostic one and it's where most of the useful work happens.

Start with a conversation

Fifteen minutes, free, no pressure. Tell me what's going wrong and I'll tell you honestly whether I can help.