Luca Mihai

My teaching style is highly individualised and conversational. I aim to make students feel comfortable thinking aloud, testing ideas and changing their minds, while steadily raising the level of precision expected in both their written and verbal work. Across History, Politics and Philosophy, I focus on the habits that underpin strong academic performance.

I prepare extensive bespoke resources for each student, including structured reading programmes, essay plans, model paragraphs, source exercises, question banks, revision materials and detailed written feedback. I particularly enjoy helping students move beyond descriptive knowledge towards stronger analytical thinking: distinguishing causation from correlation, structure from contingency, evidence from interpretation, and assertion from properly substantiated judgement. Lessons are designed around the individual student rather than a fixed template, whether the priority is rebuilding confidence, mastering an examination specification, improving essay technique, tackling coursework or developing beyond the syllabus.

My approach is demanding but low-anxiety. I want students to become intellectually independent rather than reliant on formulae. I therefore encourage them to explain their reasoning aloud, defend an argument, respond constructively to challenge and recognise where a line of thought needs refinement. Over time, this tends to produce not only stronger essays and exam performance, but students who are more confident, curious and precise in the way they approach academic problems.

My experience includes:

- Five years of tutoring students roughly aged 7–18 across History, Politics, Philosophy and related humanities subjects.
- Several hundred hours of one-to-one tuition, including GCSE, A-Level, Pre-U and university admissions preparation.
- Extensive work with A-Level History students on essay structure, source analysis, coursework, revision strategy and examination technique across multiple specifications.
- Bespoke long-term programmes combining subject tuition, wider reading, essay competitions, academic writing and independent research.
- Successful support for students securing offers from Oxford, Cambridge and a range of Russell Group universities.
- Two out of two students supported through the full Cambridge History and Politics admissions process receiving offers.
- Four successful Oxford or Cambridge History offers across students I have supported.
- Successful applicants in HSPS and Theology alongside History and History & Politics.
- Several students securing strong university outcomes after intensive work on personal statements, written work and interview skills.
- Experience teaching public speaking and argumentation alongside academic subjects, including LAMDA preparation.
- Experience speaking to school students about university applications, academic development and the transition from sixth form to undergraduate study.