Ellie Whaley

I have a first-class degree in English and History from The University of Sheffield, and as part of my degree i gained in-depth subject knowledge and skills, as well as a deepened passion for the value of history in education. I personally did history at both GCSE and A-Level and achieved an A in both of these.


I am currently doing a PGCE in primary education, but i also have experience as a Girlguiding leader where i worked with young people up to the age of 16. I am also aware of the changes made to the national curriculum in 2013 and how this has impacted what examiners now look for in exams. My teacher training also means i have a brilliant selection of teaching methods and strategies to use within my tutoring to keep tutees engaged and potentially build up their interest in history.

I believe that effective tutoring is active and builds on the various skills necessary for success in history exams. Simply giving tutees worksheets to complete or constant exam paper practice is not an effective use of tutoring time; instead i aim to weave exam questions should be interwoven into a wider scheme of learning. Learning for history is not two-dimensional, and content and facts, history skills, getting to grips with source material, and reflecting on their own opinions (for exam “line of argument”) are all absolutely essential. I aim to ensure my tutees are equipped to think and write historically, rather than just repeat facts.