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ABOUT ME
I am a fully qualified teacher of English with over twelve years' experience in education. I specialise in delivering effective and innovative online teaching, tuition and coaching, and work with students and corporate clients from across the UK as well as internationally.
I graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2005 with a 2:1 MA HONS in English Literature. I then worked as a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Essex and a cover supervisor at Uplands Community College in East Sussex before gaining my PGCE from the Institute of Education in 2012. I was a full time teacher of English at the Royal Hospital School in Suffolk until 2018, teaching the entire secondary age range from 11-18.
Since then, I have worked with both private, exam-focused students and with a range of students who are not in formal, full-time education as a full time online teacher and tutor, developing and managing a successful business as a self-employed and contracting tutor before establishing Explore Online Learning as a Limited Company in 2022.
I have extensive experience of teaching both GCSE English Literature and Language, A-Level English Literature, A-Level English Language (both single and combined) and teach and coach students for:
OCR A-Level English Literature
Edexcel A-Level English Literature
AQA A-Level English Literature
AQA A-Level English Language
AQA A-Level English Language and Literature (Combined course)
AQA GCSE English Literature and Language
Edexcel GCSE English Literature and Language
I also teach the Edexcel International A-Level English Literature specification.
I also offer individual, bespoke studies of English Literature for students of all ages.
I hold a full, enhanced, current DBS check and a Level Two Safeguarding certificate.
TESTIMONIALS
"Kirsten is the best tutor you could possibly be lucky enough to have! She is so incredibly supportive and willing to devote a lot of time to make amazing resources. I immediately saw an improvement, after a few sessions with her, which was evident as I had previously received 58% on an English exam and, after receiving her guidance, I managed to obtain 84% in my next English exam.
A Level English Literature was very gruelling for me and there was a lot of pressure to perform well. I found that all of this stress really affected my enjoyment of the subject. However,
Kirsten really helped me to rediscover my love for English again; she structured the sessions methodically so that they weren’t overwhelming and lifted my spirits with her lovely sense of humour! Not only were we very productive but we could also have a good giggle too. When she would notice that I felt particularly stressed or downcast, she came up with plans and resources to tackle my concerns.
I absolutely couldn’t have asked for a better tutor and am so glad that I found her; I
unreservedly recommend her!"
(B. A-Level English Literature)
Testimonials and messages from exam students, 2024
A-Level
I cannot recommend Kirsten highly enough as an A-level English tutor. From the moment I started lessons with her, she personalised every session to suit my needs and put in countless hours of extra work to ensure my success. Initially, I felt like I was failing English, but Kirsten's dedication and encouragement helped me recognise my potential. If I ever needed any extra resources, she would create them specifically for me, personalising many documents to meet my needs. She marked all my essays in detail and provided invaluable feedback, all while maintaining a sense of humour and kindness that made learning enjoyable. Kirsten took a genuine interest in my life beyond academics, which made her support even more meaningful. Despite only starting with her a few months before my exams, she made a tremendous impact by helping me improve my structure and addressing my weaknesses.
Kirsten is, without a doubt, the best tutor and teacher I have ever had. She truly listened to me and made me feel heard, which I had never fully experienced with other teachers. Her amazing support and expertise were instrumental in my development in English, and I couldn't have asked for a better tutor. (Y. OCR A Level English Literature student, 2024)
Kirsten tutored my son whilst he was preparing for English literature A level. She helped my son organise his unstructured thoughts into focused essays and provided tools that he could use to develop essay plans and effective writing. She explained the complexities of the assessment objectives and marking scheme in a clear and convivial manner. She provided excellent resources and is clearly an extremely dedicated and knowledgeable teacher. I cannot recommend Kirsten highly enough. (Parent of OCR A Level English Literature student, 2024)
Kirsten is an amazing tutor - she has been invaluable in helping me gain more confidence with A level English Literature. Over the many months Kirsten created a bespoke plan for every lesson, going out of her way to make personalised revision materials for my texts. After our sessions a clear improvement could be seen in my work, which really gave me the confidence which I had lost, moreover Kirsten is very well versed with my exam board which allowed her to teach me how to score as high as possible in exams. I would highly recommend Kirsten to any English Literature students. (P. A-Level English Literature OCR student, 2024)
Testimonials and messages from exam students, 2023
A-Level
It was only since starting with Kirsten in September that I fully began to enjoy English Literature. I had picked it as an A Level thinking it would be like GCSE, so I was really overwhelmed by how different it was and how much more challenging it had become. At first, my grades were low, and I couldn’t find the motivation to try harder. I had seriously considered dropping the subject completely. When I started with Kirsten in year 13, however, not only did the quality of my essay planning and writing improve, and thus my grades, but also it has expanded the way I think about the texts I study and inspired me to enjoy English again. Kirsten is an incredibly insightful and inspiring person. She is full of energy and brings a different perspective to her sessions which I don’t find in lessons at school. Moreover, it is clear that she has worked really hard to ensure that I have had the support I need to get through the past year, as I’m sure she does with all her students. I would recommend her to anyone doing English A level, whether they are struggling with the subject or just in need of some extra support. (A. A-Level English Literature OCR student, 2023)
Kirsten is a fantastic teacher, very clear and brilliant at explaining complicated ideas in an easy way! She is organised and devotes time to making invaluable resources. Kirsten brings even the most difficult and tedious English literature texts to life and I always look forward to the interesting discussions we have in our sessions. Not only this, but I have seen a real improvement in the quality of my work since starting the lessons with Kirsten. There is so much that can be learnt from her breadth and depth of knowledge of literature. I would recommend Kirsten to all English students, her enthusiasm for her subject and engaging style of teaching is unmatched! (N. A-Level English Literature OCR student, 2023)
I was struggling with the jump from GCSE to A-level and adapting my writing style to a more developed and analytical one. Upon starting sessions with Kirsten, at the beginning of year 13, my essays became more structured and my understanding of the texts I studied improved. I thoroughly enjoyed all my sessions with Kirsten and I was always looking forward to the next, as each session was engaging and relaxed as I felt I could discuss all my thoughts towards my studies and school life. I felt incredibly supported by Kirsten, and with that my confidence towards the subject and writing essays grew undoubtedly. I am so grateful for all the hard work Kirsten put towards me and the help she gave me, and I would definitely recommend her for any student taking English A-level. (L. A-level English Literature AQA student, 2023)
A-LEVEL AND GCSE 2022
A-Level
Dear Kirsten T. got 3 A s in her A levels. We are so thrilled and wanted to say a huge thanks for all your amazing work and support in helping her achieve this. Thank you. She is heading to Bristol and is so thrilled.
We are so thrilled and could not have reached the target without your dedication and time.
L, mother of student taking A-Level OCR English Literature
GCSE
Thank you so much for your help Kirsten, I can’t thank you enough. A year of weekly sessions with you has helped me more than my whole time in English at my school! You are so nice and I will miss seeing you every week! You’ve been such a good tutor: you are so hardworking, so good at English, so good at explaining, so polite and lovely, funny, and just amazing! Again, thank you thank you thank you!!!!!!
Hi Kirsten,
I’m so happy !!!!
I got a 7 in English literature and 8 in English language!!!
Thank you so much for your help… I couldn’t have done it without you!
Year 11 GCSE English Literature and Language AQA student
Hi Kirsten, I just wanted to tell you that I did really well in my GCSEs… I got an 8 in English language and a 7 in English literature so I am very very happy. I just wanted to thank you for being such a great tutor, your tutoring made a massive difference plus your lessons were always great fun as you’re always so nice and understanding… You really helped me, thank you so much.
Year 11 GCSE English Literature and Language AQA student
GCSE AND A-LEVEL RESULTS 2021
"Dear Kirsten, I hope you are well - I just wanted to give you one final update. I got all A*s in my A-Levels and I am so delighted! I really wouldn't have been able to do so well in my English Literature A-Level without you and your amazing guidance! Best wishes, B."
(B. OCR A-Level English Literature student)
"Hi Kirsten, I thought I'd let you know how today went. I got an A in English also meaning I got into my first choice university. I can't express how much I appreciate your help this year :)"
(A. AQA A-Level English Literature student)
"Dear Kirsten, hope you're keeping well. Just to let you know K. achieved 9 for both English and English Literature papers. Thanks again for all your support..."
(Mother of K. AQA GCSE English Literature and Language student)
"I thought you'd like to know that A. got a 5 in English Language and a 6 in English Literature, which she's very happy with indeed. Thank you so much for all of your help..."
(Mother of A., AQA GCSE English Literature and Language student)
"Hi Kirsten, I hope you're well. A. got a 5 for English Language and a 6 for English Literature. He is very pleased, as are we... Thank you again for your help."
(Mother of A., Edexcel GCSE English Literature and Language student)
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
"You're my first English Literature tutor, and I really want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. First off, thanks for helping me navigate those international specifications when I first reached out to you. It meant a lot, even though you hadn't taught the International Edexcel curriculum before. When I requested changes to our classes, you were incredibly accommodating and tailored our sessions precisely to my needs. Despite the relatively short time we've known each other, thank you for always being so supportive, patient, and making our sessions incredibly engaging. Learning with you is an absolute pleasure.
You're exactly the kind of Literature tutor I had in mind for so long. Every class we've had has been super productive and totally worth it, exceeding all my expectations. As a Chinese student who started with English Literature from scratch, I was initially quite anxious about communicating with native speakers and worried if I was up to the task. Your gentle guidance and support have been a game-changer.
After just a few classes with you, I can honestly say I'm feeling more confident, and everything seems to be falling into place. That initial uneasiness has faded away."
(Q, International Edexcel English Literature A-Level Student)
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