Writing lessons and courses in Greater London near me

I am an experienced primary school teacher and can help your child with maths, reading and writing skills.

English, maths, reading and writing lessons in London, England.

Primary school subjects offered in London, UK.

We are an all-through, values-led Primary School, with its own Nursery Class.

Primary school teacher, specialist in early reading and writing. Year 2 class teacher in Chelsea, UK.

Primary teacher in London, UK.

Returning to teaching after a career in newspaper and magazine publishing, I've had recent classroom experience and now offer one-to-one tutorials for Key Stage 2 and 3 pupils. Lessons aim to support learning, encourage good grasp of grammar, vocabulary and sentence construction, and promote confidence in verbal reasoning and creative writing. Currently, I am offering online tutorials via Zoom, so location is flexible. Ordinarily, I'm based in Sevenoaks and can welcome pupils to my home. For parents' reassurance, I hold fully updated DBS certification.

Qualified Primary School Teacher, in my 30s, with 7 years experience. 11+ Expert for 31 schools, 90% success rate. English, Maths, Verbal, Nonverbal Reasoning. British-Born, English Speaker. Motto: FUN + FOCUS! Engaging, encouraging, enjoyable lessons!    Ready to help your child succeed with    FUN + FOCUS!    My name is Sonal, I am a Qualified Former Primary School Teacher, in my 30s and have been teaching, coaching and mentoring students for over 7 years. I have provided engaging, encouraging, enjoyable lessons for:    - over 100 students, one-to-one - 90% of my students have been in Years 3 to 6, 7-11 years old  Subjects: English, Maths, Verbal and Non Verbal Reasoning - School teaching and tutoring combined, I have over 6000 hours teaching experience  - I no longer teach Secondary students, except for 13+ English or English Language Comprehension or Creative Writing to GCSE Level (I do not teach English Literature).     Unfortunately, following a life-changing, mountain-carting accident in Switzerland, which left me with a chronic pain condition affecting my lower back and left arm, I stopped teaching in schools. I am now a dedicated, full-time, one-to-one, online www.*** ;   I have 2 years online tutoring experience using Zoom, which has shared screen features to see visual pictures, read text, hear and watch educational videos and allows students to write, type and draw on applications such as Microsoft Word and the online whiteboard.   Subjects Taught   - General English & Maths, Verbal & Non Verbal Reasoning for Years 3 to 6 (7-11 year olds) - 11 Plus English, Maths, Verbal & Non Verbal Reasoning, interview preparation  - 13 Plus English, interview preparation  - English Language Comprehension and Creative Writing to GCSE Level   My area of expertise is that I have prepared students for:    - 31 schools (28 for the 11+ and 2 for 13+ English)  - With over 90% school entrance success rates   UK Independent or Grammar School 11+/13+ Entrance Exams I have prepared children for:   1) Henrietta Barnett School for Girls 2) Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School for Boys  3) Latymer Upper and Godolphin Latymer  4) Kew House  5) Francis Holland School 6) Queensgate college  7) Merchant Taylors  8) Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’  9) St Albans Boys 10) North London Collegiate  11) Dame Alice Owen  12) South West Herts School Consortium 13) Belmont School  14) Emanuel School  15) Mill Hill School  16) Channing School  17) Northbridge House  18) Royal Russel - 13+ English 19) Woldingham - 13+ English 20) Eltham College 21) Trinity School  22) Sevenoaks School  23) Alleyn's 24) Brighton College  25) Epsom College 26) Bexley Grammar School and Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School  27) Newstead Wood School for Girls  28) Altrincham Grammar School For Boys  29) Sale Grammar School  30) Urmston Grammar School  31) Stretford Grammar School  Successful results have been achieved through my 5-part Eleven Plus Approach:   1. Tailored Teaching, in which I use a holistic approach that allows me to get to know each child:    - Personally: their likes/dislikes, interests/challenges, character, nature and unique personality - Based on well-being: supporting any learning difficulties or mental/physical health conditions  - Academically: through ongoing assessment of subject strengths/struggles and learning style    2. Mindset Coaching (and interview coaching if requested)   - I am a certified Breath Coach and practise Mantra Meditation and Mindfulness, for 2 hours daily. I have done this since I was 22 (the last 14 years) - I empower children overcome anxiety, stress, overwhelm, intense exam pressure, concentration problems and lack of confidence, using methods such as sharing success stories of children I have taught, to show them they can enjoy learning, build on strengths and overcome challenges too - I create space for children to blossom and bloom with a relaxed self-confidence, whereby they can tackle any task and deal with unexpected challenges and change, with resilience and determination  I hold mock interviews to prepare children for their real interviews, using likely questions they will be asked as well as questions and ‘mini-tasks’ that test their ability to think outside the box and express their own personality, www.*** ;   3. Exam Preparation: I assist with exam technique, time-management tips, practice papers and questions to target students’ learning gaps/areas of struggle, through regular homework. I have over a 100 past exam papers for 11 Plus and 13 Plus from Schools such as:    - St Edwards Oxford, Kent College, Alleyns, JAG’s (James Allen’s Girls School), Whitgift, Trinity Boys - Dulwich College, Royal Russel, Woldingham, St Dunstan’s, Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’  - Merchant Taylors’, City of London for Girls, St Paul’s Girls, The John Lyon, Sevenoaks Latymer Upper, King’s College, Hampton Court, Eltham College, Aldenham, St Alban’s, Forest, Bancroft’s    And many www.*** ;   Additionally, I have used papers from exam boards such as GL Assessment, CEM and ISEB (Galore Park and Pre-test).    I can also contact schools you are applying for, if I do not have those specific past papers.   4. The Student: their positive hard work, ability, aptitude, attitude, determined efforts with a growth mindset    5. The Parent(s)/Guardian(s): their cooperation with me as a teacher, based on: mutual trust, respect, appreciation, patience, positive communication and facing challenges together as a team, for the student’s benefit and growth   As a Former Teacher of 4 years, I taught hundreds of Key Stage 2 children, 7-11 years old in Years 3 to 6, in London Schools and achieved my Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) at an OFSTED Outstanding School in North London.     I attained my Primary PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) from UCL Institute of Education (IoE), based in London, as a Key Stage 2 Specialist Teacher. UCL IoE is the Number 1 University for Education, www.*** ;   I teach in line with the UK National Curriculum and to simultaneously help young people develop a growth mindset, as Stanford Professor Carol Dweck promotes and teaches so well. This encourages them to be independent, resilient, confident individuals, who feel motivated to enjoy life and make their unique difference in this world!   My Diverse Background, Qualifications, Experience, Expertise and Journey to Teaching   For my Secondary Education, I successfully passed my Eleven Plus exam and attended Newstead Wood - a Grammar School for Girls. Here I attained 10 A* and an A for my GCSEs and 3 A grades at A-Level, in Biology, Chemistry and www.*** ;   After my school years, I worked full-time in London NHS Hospitals for 8 years and schools for 4 years, as a:    - Dentistry Student for 4 years,  - Pharmacy Technician for 4 years  - Teacher for 4 years   The first career transition from Dentistry to Pharmacy, was because of my mountain-carting accident in Switzerland, when I was just 19 years old. The initial impact developed into a chronic pain condition that affected my lower back at the time and now also my left arm. This made Dentistry no longer possible for me to physically manage as a career. Doing fillings, dentures, root canal treatment etc strained my lower back www.*** ;   Therefore I graduated with a BSc Honours in Dental Studies from King’s College London, which was offered as a degree, because I passed the first 3 years with Distinctions, even though I could not finish the original 5-year Dentistry Degree, due to my www.*** ;   With determination and resilience, I continued to progress in my career, with ambition, drive and full dedication. My next step training and working in London NHS Hospitals as a Pharmacy Technician, because Science and Maths was my ‘comfort zone’.    However, it was through becoming a Private Tutor and working for 9 months as a Maths and English Tutor, in a Tuition Centre for 4-14 year olds, that I discovered and developed my true life calling and passion - www.*** ;   Experience as an Online Tutor since 2 years Brilliant breakthroughs and overcoming of blocks I have seen with my online students:    - Fulfilment from consistent effort and achievement www.*** entry into 11 Plus or 13 Plus Schools  - An increase in their confidence, competence and communication to speak about their progress and challenges in a very mature and motivated manner that shows they are determined to reach their academic www.*** ; - An increase in their exam paper marks, some of them initially starting with 40-50%, are now getting 80-100%.  - An increase in the quality of work. Using English as an example: more detailed and descriptive creative writing, using a wide range of excellent vocabulary and literary devices (onomatopoeia, personification, simile, metaphor, alliteration, the power of contrast and imagery), which draws their reader in to continue reading with anticipation and www.*** ; - An increase in their organisation skills - to set goals, monitor, track and take responsibility and ownership for their own learning progress, with my help and guidance at every step. I create progress trackers for them, we celebrate their success together and I help them to mindfully know their learning gaps and grow through www.*** ; - With my tutoring, teachers and students have reported that children have been able to catch up and continue learning comfortably in class at www.*** ; - The happiest students try their best and are confident and positive about their powerful progress and attainment of their potential. Whatever form that may take, it is cause to celebrate. This is the open secret to my success – genuine encouragement and appreciation of sincere effort to keep going and www.*** ;   My Teaching Philosophy based on Educational Research:  Why is hiring a Tutor essential, even if students go to school?   I base my tutoring on several pedagogical approaches (‘pedagogy’ is the science and art of teaching’), including a principle emphasised by the famous Professor of Education in Melbourne, Australia: John Hattie, whose research I studied on my PGCE. He found through numerous case studies, that:    “The most powerful single modification for achievement, is www.*** ;    This is why I tutor full-time now, because children in a classroom do not get that exclusive, one-to-one attention and www.*** ;   My Teaching Philosophy: Holistic Education Combining Self Development and Academics   I completed a Life Coaching course at University of Cambridge and have been a Life Coach for 8 years within local community projects for ladies. Therefore I also coach my students in Life Skills to grow a motivational mindset and actively apply it, to their academic work and daily life. Therefore I am a Holistic Educator - teaching Self Development and Academic Subjects, to empower my students to thrive as positive, unique www.*** ;   I help my students and coaching clients in Life Skills, to grow a motivational mindset and actively apply it, to:    1. Personal Wellbeing: Spiritual/Self Development, Mental/Physical Health   2. Relationships    3. Work or School/Further Studies   I teach my students tips, tools and techniques for:   - time management, goal-setting, questioning and communication skills - anger/stress management and controlling emotions  - confidence and developing a resilient growth mindset - prioritising, problem-solving and productivity tips to avoid procrastination    My Teaching Philosophy: Metacognition, Feedback and Achieving Academic Goals I teach my students 'metacognition': thinking about their thinking and learning to learn. I identify their gaps in learning/misconceptions, make them aware of WHAT they need to improve on, provide accessible help on HOW they can improve and MODEL/CLARIFY what success looks www.*** ;   Effective feedback connects students to three foundational aspects of achieving academic goals:    1) Where am I going? (What is my goal?)  2) How am I going? (Where am I at now? What am I doing well? What is holding me back?)  3) Where to next? (What do I need to do to progress from where I am now to achieving my goal?)   My Teaching Style: Focus + Fun    With a personality that is warm, friendly, adventurous and animated, I engage my students in a way that is focused on character building AND interactive, exciting and enjoyable academic learning. When we enjoy learning, we remember and apply our learning dynamically, in different contexts, with www.*** ;   I also like to get to know my students  - their hobbies, interests, favourite books, films etc because I place the development of a tutor-student relationship based on mutual trust and respect, first and www.*** ;   Therefore, I ensure I am up-to-date on any of their significant life events, as well as in-tune with any important thoughts/feelings on their mind, as this all affects learning. I believe this is a more, authentic, friendly and successful approach to education.   My goal is to help them achieve their full potential, love learning and be prepared for life outside the four walls of a classroom. Successful people don’t do different things, they do things www.*** ;   Thank you for reading my application and I look forward to hearing from www.*** ;   Yours faithfully,    Sonal P.   BSc Honours, PGCE, QTS and Life Coaching Qualifications          I also tutored children in General English (Years 3-11, ages 7-16) and Maths (Years 3-6 only, ages 7-11), including English Language GCSE, not Literature (mainly AQA Exam Board). I am adept in reading, comprehension, creative writing, spelling, punctuation and www.*** ;       I have 2 years online tutoring experience using the Zoom video www.*** ;       As a Former Teacher of 4 years, I taught hundreds of KS2 children, 7-11 years old in Years 3 to 6, in London Schools and achieved my Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) at an OFSTED Outstanding School in North www.*** ;       I attained my Primary PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) from UCL Institute of Education (IOE) - the Number 1 University for Education worldwide, in London.       I teach in line with the National Curriculum and to simultaneously help young people develop a growth mindset, as Stanford Professor Carol Dweck promotes and teaches so well. This encourages them to be independent, resilient, confident individuals, with bright futures ahead of them, who feel motivated to make a unique difference in this world!       For my Secondary Education, I successfully passed my Eleven Plus exam and attended a Girls Grammar School in Kent. There, I attained 10 A* and an A for my GCSEs and 3 A grades at A-Level, in Biology, Chemistry and www.*** ;       After my school years, I worked as a Dentistry Student for 4 years, then became a Pharmacy Technician for 4 years and moved on to be a Teacher for 4 www.*** ;       The first career transition from Dentistry at King’s College London to Pharmacy Technician at London NHS Hospitals, was because I had an accident on holiday in Switzerland whilst mountain carting. It left me with a chronic lower back pain condition, which made Dentistry no longer physically possible to pursue as a www.*** ;       I graduated with a BSc Honours in Dental Studies as I passed the first 3 years with Distinctions, even though I could not finish the 5-year Degree, due to my www.*** ;       Unexpectedly, through becoming a Tutor in 2014, I discovered my calling - www.*** ;       In March 2019, I chose to Tutor full time as there is little time in schools, to offer www.*** ;       However, John Hattie, an education professor, states,        The most powerful single modification that enhances achievement, is feedback.       Therefore tuition is essential - to provide that one-to-one feedback for improvement, which students often do not get in www.*** ;       My Teaching Philosophy: Holistic Education, Combining Self Development and Academics       I completed a Life Coaching course at University of Cambridge and through sharing what I am also continually learning from my own coaches and mentors, I have been a Life Coach for 9 years, helping ladies to empower themselves, overcome limiting beliefs and achieve their personal, relationship and career www.*** ;       I help my students and coaching clients in Life Skills, to grow a motivational mindset and actively apply it, to:        1. Personal Wellbeing: Spiritual/Self Development, Mental/Physical Health   2. Relationships    3. Work or School/Further Studies       Therefore I am a Holistic Educator and www.*** ;       I teach my students and coaching clients tips, tools and techniques for:       - time management, goal-setting   - anger/stress management and controlling emotions like fear, worry and anxiety    - confidence and developing a resilient growth mindset to deal with difficulties, failures and challenges    - prioritising, problem-solving and productivity tips to avoid procrastination    - questioning and communication skills       My Teaching Philosophy: Using Metacognition and Feedback to Achieve Goals       I teach my students and coaching clients 'metacognition': thinking about their thinking and learning to learn. I identify their gaps in learning/misconceptions, make them aware of WHAT they need to improve on, provide accessible help on HOW they can improve and MODEL/CLARIFY what success looks www.*** ;       Effective feedback connects my students to the three foundational aspects of achieving their academic goals:        1) Where am I going? (What is my goal?)    2) How am I going? (Where am I at now? What am I doing well? What is holding me back?)    3) Where to next? (What do I need to do to progress from where I am now to achieving my goal?)       My Teaching Style: Focused and Fun and a Personal Approach to Tutoring        With a personality that is warm, friendly, adventurous and animated, I’m able to engage my students in a way that lessons are not only focused on academic progress but also interactive, exciting and enjoyable. When we enjoy ourselves we learn better, we remember what we learn and we can apply our learning dynamically, with www.*** ;       I also like to get to know my students  - their hobbies, interests, favourite books, films etc because I place the development of a tutor-student relationship mutual trust and respect, first and foremost. Therefore I ensure I am up-to-date on any of their significant life events, as well as in-tune with any important thoughts/feelings on their mind, as this all effects learning. I believe this is a more, authentic, friendly and successful approach to education.       A little more about me and what I like doing outside of teaching and coaching:        - Spending time with family and friends    - Avid Reader   - Writing (especially poetry – 1000 rhyming poems written since 2016)   - Cooking from a variety of cultures and cuisines   - Singing       Successful people don’t do different things, they do things - differently.       My aim is to help my students achieve their academic goals and love learning, through independent thinking, confidence, resilience, determination and enthusiasm. What makes me different from many tutors is that I also prepare my students for life outside the four walls of a classroom. By remembering and applying what I teach, they can keep evolving their potential every day, be happy and successful and help others too, to make a difference in this www.*** ;       Yours faithfully,        Sonal www.*** ;       BSc Honours, PGCE, QTS and Life Coaching Qualifications