Ruth Ingamells

I bring together both academic and creative experience in the way I teach. I have a First-class degree in English Literature and a Master’s in World Literature from Oxford, and I have worked in the creative industries for over a decade as a professional illustrator, visual artist, and member of art departments on productions including Barbie and Wicked. I also have over 700 hours of one-to-one tutoring experience teaching children, teenagers, and adults.

Whether I am teaching drawing, English Literature, or creative writing, my approach begins with the underlying mechanisms that build stronger thinking. I want students to develop a real toolkit of skills and understanding they can rely on, rather than just rushing towards an answer or outcome.

In drawing, that means learning how to break things down into simpler forms and then build them back up again. This is the key to strong drawing, and in many ways it is a wider life skill too. I design bespoke lessons around each student’s goals, with demonstrations, focused exercises, and homework so that we can see real improvement over time.

In English Literature and writing, I take a similar approach. I help students build the foundations that make them more confident and capable: close reading, clear thinking, structure, analysis, vocabulary, and expression. If a student is preparing for an exam, I can shape lessons around a set text, their specific areas of difficulty, and the demands of the exam specification. If the goal is broader academic confidence, I focus on the habits of mind that help students read more carefully, think more critically, and write with greater clarity and control.

I tailor lessons to each student and build a bespoke course around their level, interests, and aims. My teaching is thoughtful, structured, and encouraging, and my aim is always to make learning feel relevant, engaging, and genuinely useful.