Anne-Marie

I was born and spent my first two years in Dublin, before emigrating to Melbourne, Australia, for 5 years due to my father's work. I spent my first few years of primary schooling there and thoroughly enjoyed the active approach to education. I returned to Dublin aged 7, where I attended Sutton Park International school, an independent co-educational multi-denominational school. Having attended an all-through international school of 300 pupils, I am familiar with such close-knit, multicultural, supportive school communities. My personal experiences have given me an understanding of the specific environments of schools; teachers have the responsibility to nurture the differences of individual students, and to equally encourage and facilitate students’ integration into, and respect of, the local culture and social environment. I flourished during primary and secondary school, engaging with all aspects of school life and participating in a wide range of extra-curricular activities including sports, drama, music and national debating through both English and foreign languages. I was a competitive swimmer, athlete, hockey and basketball player, and captained the Senior Girls' Hockey Team in my final two years. I have also played basketball competitively since the age of 7 and was a member of the U17s Dublin National Team and U16s Irish International Squad. I continue to play basketball in London at a high level. I was an active member of the Student Council, and was delighted to be Deputy Head Girl in my final year of school.

Following my Leaving Certificate Examinations (A Level equivalent), I achieved a BA Hons in European Studies at Trinity College Dublin, with Distinction in Spoken French. I spent one year of my four year undergraduate degree studying at Institut d'Etudes Politiques (Sciences Po) in Bordeaux, France (Erasmus year). Throughout my time at university, I developed a strong interest in humanitarian issues and educational disadvantage in underprivileged communities, and undertook several volunteering and internship roles in Ireland, India and Israel/Palestine.

On completion of my BA, I completed the two-year Teach First Development Programme in Birmingham (UK) and obtained my PGCE. I continued to teach in Birmingham for a further three years, and undertook an MA in Educational Leadership with the University of Warwick (2018). I achieved Distinction in my dissertation, of which the subject was gender and educational leadership (a study of how gender has influenced the professional experiences and identity constructs of female senior leaders in a large UK primary school).

After five years teaching and leading in primary schools in Birmingham, I moved to London in 2019 and started my own private tutoring business. I have diverse tutoring experience, including social/emotional development and mentoring as well as academic support. In recent years, I have cultivated a highly specialised and holistic service in 11+/13+ exam preparation with profoundly personable family support, often continuing to work with siblings and accompanying families abroad. For the past three years, I have also managed and taught the VR/NVR computerised test curriculum in a prep school in north London (primarily using Atom Learning).

The British education system and school entrance process can be relentless, unforgiving and a somewhat anonymous experience, which is tough on children and parents.

My uniquely personable approach is to know each student as an individual and to ensure they feel heard, valued and clear about their own education journey, while making the learning experience as fun and enjoyable as possible.

Most tutors specialise in one subject. Thanks to my background in primary education and private school experience, I can support students in all of the four main exam subjects: English, maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning.

Rather than working with multiple tutors for multiple subjects, this renders communication and coordination easier for parents. More importantly, it enables myself and the student to develop a stronger and more robust working relationship with a holistic approach to exam preparation. I know where the student is at in all areas and can target each subject proportionately, also allowing for cross-curricular links.

All of my classes and teaching and learning methods are tailored to meet the learning behaviours, personality, interests, needs and goals of the individual student. I highly value visual tools for students of all ages; during our time together, we will build an engaging wall of colourful flashcards and posters to showcase and support our progress and learning.

My interests and past times include:

Running

Reading

Cooking

Veganism and the environment

Sport: Basketball (experienced competitive player), swimming, tennis, cycling

Music

Travel

Language learning

Human Rights and current affairs

Volunteer work: I have participated in extensive volunteer work in various countries, including the UK, working with the influx of young Syrian (and other) refugees into France and England. I currently do pro bono tutoring work with children from Afghan migrant backgrounds to support their schoolwork.

For more information, please visit my website: tutorofnorthlondon.com