Louise Cleverley

I'm a qualified secondary English teacher working in a UK school, where I teach Years 7 to 11 and lead the Key Stage 3 English curriculum. I also hold the National Professional Qualification (NPQ) in Leading Literacy, so reading and writing development is something I've studied in depth, not just taught. Alongside my school role, I tutor English and literacy from KS2 through to GCSE.

Because I plan and teach the curriculum every day, I know exactly what students are expected to do at each stage, and where they most often get stuck. For younger pupils, that might be reading fluency, comprehension, spelling or building confidence with extended writing. For GCSE students, it's usually analysing unseen extracts, writing about set texts with precision, structuring answers under timed conditions, and understanding what examiners are actually looking for. I mark exam papers regularly, so my feedback is specific and practical.

Lessons are tailored to each student. In the first session I find out what they find tricky and what they want to achieve, and we build from there. A typical lesson includes a short recap of previous learning, focused teaching of a skill, guided practice together, and then a chance for the student to apply it independently, with clear feedback on how to improve. I keep parents updated on progress and next steps.

Above all, I want students to leave lessons feeling more capable and more confident. English can feel vague or subjective, so I break it down into clear, manageable steps that students can see themselves getting better at.