Stephen Sandiford

I have experience of GCSE tutoring in addition to industry internal, external and graduate training.

I would be student focused, tailoring any tutoring to cater for a student's individual needs and requirements. I aim to look at someone's personality and learning style in order to get the desired outcomes.

I also think that a respectful and sensitive approach are both beneficial to both tutor and student. This should engender a spirit of trust and mutual learning; as I believe it is important for the tutor to learn from the student as well as the other way around. I would always try to conduct sessions with a patient and supportive approach; always looking to build confidence in a student.

I would attempt to explain why things work the way they do so that the student's understanding of a topic will allow them to approach problems from that standpoint, as opposed to expecting people to learn things by rote. I would look to giving student's strategies towards looking at topics - highlighting exactly what it is that the various questions are asking. I would also try to demonstrate what the real world us of certain topics are.

I would steer clear of evangelising about maths, which I feel is a beautiful subject, but I would take pains to illustrate the use of maths and try to remove any fear that there may be around maths. I would also be goal focused and appreciate that tests and exams are the most likely reason that someone engages a tutor.

I would celebrate successes with a view to motivating students with positivity and support