MY STORY SO FAR

My successful teaching career so far has seen me manage some of the most challenging of UK’s classrooms for the past 20 years’+. During this time, I have consistently been ranked an inspirational grade-one “outstanding” teacher in my present school, and have delivered KS3, GCSE, and A-Level English, History, and Maths in the secondary and sixth-form sectors, far surpassing students’ target grades and national pass rates. Moreover, due to these outstanding results and teaching innovation that led to my lessons being cited in Ofsted reports for their commitment to Equality and Diversity, I have served as Head of Department, helping us to be awarded an internal grade 1 “outstanding” rating during my tenure.

Whilst in this position, I also became Lead Internal Verifier for NEAs across the department; Lead for UCAS Applications, managing the pathway for students into top universities including Oxford and Cambridge; Lead for Departmental Higher Education Provision, in which I crafted curricula for a variety of degree-level courses; and Learning Mentor for the “Gifted and Talented” Programme, that saw me guide some of the UK’s most deprived learners to become the first in their families to go to university—a role still very close to my heart.

Furthermore, I have extensive experience in driving up educational standards within schools and colleges. As an Advanced Teaching Practitioner tasked with developing best teaching practices, I’ve led Action Research Projects yielding invaluable data on topics such as: whether computer games can be used productively in the classroom; whether Miro whiteboards can better engage kinaesthetic learners, and how to increase achievement rates of learners with Protected Characteristics. Through such incisive research, as well as mentoring colleagues, this role saw me play a decisive role in turning around failing cohorts in some of the UK’s most challenging classrooms, improving life chances by engaging disenchanted students and improving poor behaviour.

Additionally, as an examiner for various GCSE/A-Level exam boards, I have shown myself to be an inspirational mentor to both students and new entrants into the teaching profession. As a teaching mentor to many new entrants on the PGCE programme, I am proud to have helped develop the next generation of the UK’s teaching talent through careful observation and support of their practice. Allied to this, I have been a mentor on the UK Government’s “Gifted and Talented” initiative, which saw me nurture the intellectual curiosity and resilience of students whose SATs results indicated great academic promise. My guidance resulted in learners from areas of high social deprivation attaining prestigious university places at Durham and King’s College, amongst others.

Due to this long history of being a highly sought-after teacher and mentor, my educational views have been sought out on national media and radio to discuss government school policy. I have also been head-hunted to tutor the children of prominent public figures, including Premiership footballers, PGA Junior golfers, England cricketers, Olympic athletes, construction tycoons, and even the family of a Nobel Prize winner—all of which has been extremely humbling.

In terms of my extracurricular activities, I am an accomplished entrepreneur. Having been born into the bottom 2% of the UK’s most deprived households, I am proud to have become an accomplished property developer, with my own significant UK portfolio of residential holdings and stocks, as well as being co-founder of a former nationally operating property brand. This has led me to act as a business mentor for disadvantaged students on entrepreneurship, helping them begin their own property investment journey. It has been a real joy guiding some of the UK’s brightest new generation of business leaders.

In my remaining spare time, I am currently engaged in the pre-reading for the start of my future PhD in International Relations, during which I will be studying the Grand Strategy of the USA and China as they negotiate the twenty-first century during a period of superpower decline. Furthermore, I enjoy traveling with my young family in Tuscany and my wife’s homeland of Mauritius, supporting my beloved Manchester United (a very interesting experience!), hiking in our home of the Malvern Hills, and playing the drums (although, not as much as I used to, with two small children!).

As my full and varied career has hopefully shown, I have a passion for using my specialisms in English, Maths, History, Biology, International Relations, and Entrance Exams, taking great pride in providing the best academic and pastoral support I can, while hopefully being an inspirational role model for my students, as I help them forge their way in the world.

MY QUALIFICATIONS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

* PhD (start pending) at London School of Economics—my research will analyze the decline of the US superpower and its implications for international security architecture as it manages its great power relationship with China during this structural change. This work will see me publish a number of International Relations articles, culminating in my first full-length book on the subject.

* MRes (Dist) in International Security from the University of Warwick—I won academic plaudits for writing an “outstanding and genuinely original dissertation” that represented: “an important contribution to existing literature in the field of International Relations.”

* PGCE in Secondary Education—ranked amongst the top trainee teachers in my year’s cohort, with outstanding feedback on academic assignments and during my placement in an area of high social deprivation.

* BA (Hons) in English/History from the University of Birmingham—received special recognition for achieving academic excellence despite coming from the bottom 2% of UK families in terms of economic poverty, of which I am immensely proud.

* A Levels (A* in all subjects taken): prize-winning student in my sixth form for most inspirational pupil, and was in the top 2% of the UK for my academic results, including 100% in certain key modules.

* Co-founder of a former nationally operating property brand specialising in HMO and BTL investment, consultancy, and management.

* A skilled property developer with a personal portfolio valued at circa £3.1 million, and experience as a consultant on residential and hotel renovations worth circa £16 million+.

* Inspirational academic/business mentor to disadvantaged students, guiding them in the start of their entrepreneurial journey.

MY TUTORING EXPERIENCE

In terms of my teaching and tutoring experience, as stated, I have 20 years’+ experience turning around some of the UK’s toughest classrooms, as well as challenging high-achieving learners in the pursuit of academic excellence. This has seen me teach/tutor across the curriculum Key Stage ranges (7-18 years), extending all the way to postgraduate-level students. While I have much experience teaching learners lacking confidence and those with Special Educational Needs, my rigorous yet friendly approach is also well-suited to developing the most able pupils.

As Head of Department, I raised English and Maths pass rates with a 25% upward leap in my opening two years, with most students achieving at least one grade above their targets, with Ofsted noting the rapid improvement. As regards my tutoring practice, my pass grades in the subjects of English, Maths, History, and Biology have been consistently outstanding, with the vast majority of my tutees passing with strong academic grades, attaining entry to prestigious institutions across the globe. Thus, during the last three academic years, my tutees enjoyed superb results in my specialist subjects, with 94% reaching their target minimum grade and 74% exceeding this mark, entering fantastic institutions including Concord College, Oxbridge, The Sorbonne, Malvern College, and the University of Heidelberg, as well as world-class employers like Rolls Royce and Microsoft.

Therefore, over my career as a leading global tutor so far, I am proud to have delivered over 37,000+ lessons across 5 continents and 42 countries, from the UK to Ukraine, and beyond.

As stated previously, I also have considerable mentoring expertise. Having built my own UK property portfolio currently valued at £3.1 million from sourcing, to renovation, to letting, I have mentored many adult and teenage entrants into property investing, guiding their purchases and renovations to the overall value of £16 million, and counting. In addition to this, I have also been an informal mentor to UK gang-affiliates, tasked with persuading them to turn their lives around and embrace the transformative potential of education, which has been among the most rewarding roles of my career thus far.

MY FEEDBACK

Again, this is just a small selection of feedback from my many fantastic parents and students, who make it all worthwhile.

* “Jonathan is fantastic and my 15 years old have a big turn round about his view of education. Now he can't wait for his lesson!”

* “I could not have wished for a better tutor for my son! I cannot praise Jon's enthusiasm for his subject, motivational skills and professionalism enough.”

* “The biggest testimonial comes from my son, who now looks forward to and enjoys his weekly visit! praise indeed from a teenager!”

* “I have nothing but praise for Jonathan.”

* “George is totally happy to see him which is a miracle at 3pm on a Saturday!”

* “Thanks soooo much Jon, Ashleigh passed, she won't be doing retakes and is feeling incredibly relieved.”

* “We feel lucky to book a place with him early on as he seemed to be full booked before December.”

* “Never passed an English test before in my whole life then came to Jonathan with very little time for my first GCSE exam and managed to get an A for English literature and a B for creative writing. 10/10.”

* "Jon has a unique ability to get students onboard in a short amount of time. He is quick to establish a rapport, building on trust and confidence which makes an ideal platform for focused learning”.

* “He is heavily in demand which speaks volumes in terms of his reputation and is super knowledgeable and prepared for all elements of the syllabus.”

* “Jon, thank you for all the effort and time you have shown me. The friendship and chats we had shall last a lifetime. He is one of the best tutors I’ve ever had.”

* “He went from a predicted a 4/5 to an 8 !!! We were extremely pleased and put this down to Jons ability.”

* “I wish we had found him earlier! We highly recommend him!”

* “He is helpful and gifted at tutoring kids so they understand exactly what they need to change or improve on. We will be using Jon for all of our children.”


HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER

* Regular Weekly Sessions: my most popular service, with fully individualised, weekly sessions designed to build that sense of momentum and confidence. Simple and effective

* Booster Sessions: a more intensive set of lessons over a shorter timespan. When time is short, this burst of lessons can really be the difference maker in deciding those grades

* UCAS Applications: A bespoke service where I’ll guide you through exactly how to write, craft and edit your perfect UCAS statement, that will help you unlock the university of your dreams

* Coursework Support: In need of some serious coursework intervention? No worries. I can help draft, edit and proof-read that crucial non-exam assessment with you, making sure it’s a piece of work you’re proud to hand in

* Career Planning: in having a clear track-record of success in the public, academic and commercial worlds, I’m happy to help you plan your own career, to ensure you avoid the many pitfalls and achieve the job you always wanted

* Mentoring: whether it’s academic mentoring to overcome school-stress and the dreaded procrastination, or more tailored mentoring in life or business, I am an expert in bringing out people’s true potential

* Property and Entrepreneurship Masterclasses: in being a successful property investor and entrepreneur, I’m privileged to mentor new entrants into the industry, helping them to avoid the (many!) pitfalls and maximise their profits in a safe and financially sustainable way. (I’m an absolute property geek, so I’m always happy to
pass on my skills in this area)

SOME OF MY PROUDEST STUDENT MOMENTS

In having tutored thousands of students globally over the past 20 years, it is always hard to choose my favourite student moments. Nevertheless, here are a few, which just help to illustrate my global reach, experience, and expertise.

* (Helping a Brilliant Cricketer Make the Grade): When I started tutoring this learner, confidence was low and time was short. We had to increase the GCSE English Language and Maths grades to a 6 minimum, for entry to a prestigious boarding school regarded as the cradle of many of England’s top cricketers for the national team. The time pressure was intense, as we only had 3 months to jump 3 grades. Nevertheless, with a robust study plan put in place and constant emotional support (in between the daily net sessions!), it was a wonderful moment when they received their acceptance results, with the student going on to represent the national team. Great job :)

* (England’s Golf Captain Heads to the States): I began tutoring this student locally, and we bonded immediately, with each lesson always bringing much laughter due to their brilliantly dry sense of humour. With golf tournaments taking place internationally, this required much flexibility and leveraging of online learning tools, to bring the required results. I was so pleased they achieved their sports scholarship at a top US university, before hopefully joining the PGA Tour. I still remain in touch when I can, and am privileged to be charting their amazing progress in the sport.

* (Creating an Amazing Bermudian Success Story): When I began tutoring this international student from Bermuda, they were desperately in need of a fresh start. Their parents had heard of my tutoring results and contacted me for help in ensuring the grades needed for entrance to a prestigious English boarding school. This required a robust, intensive, 2-year plan that saw the student learn everything from scratch. However, through a sheer love of learning and a constant sharing of knowledge and skills, they went on to secure an A* in their GCSE English, which delighted both the parents and school, before joining another prestigious international institution for their A-Level studies.

* (Delivering English to a Chinese Billionaire’s Child): I began this tuition request knowing that the stakes were high: this student needed high grades in GCSE English Literature and Language in order to gain entrance to one of the most prestigious boarding schools in the UK, from where many of the elite in this particular field had been educated. However, English was not their first language, and this resulted in several complexities with their comprehension skills, especially under the pressure of a time-limited GCSE exam. Nevertheless, after much intensive training and a focused study plan to reduce exam pressure, I was delighted when this student achieved the required grades to progress to this fantastic institution.

JUST REMAINS TO SAY

This brings me to the end of my story, with just a final word to say “Thank You” for considering me as a potential tutor for your family. Whatever the chosen subjects you need help with, and wherever the location, I look forward to helping my students achieve their full academic potential and life goals during our time together.

Hope to hear from you soon! :)