I like to ensure that students feel confident in themselves and know that even if they are struggling, they still have the incredible ability to learn and grow. Through teaching both specification content and effective revision strategies, I maximise what they are getting out of each session.

Each session normally starts with active recall. This involves engaging their short term memory to revisit topics they have previously learnt, and is the fastest way to embed information into the long-term memory. Long-term memory is vital for large summative exams such as A Levels, where there is just too much content to cram.

Next, we'll do a deep dive into a topic the student thinks they might need some help with, or a topic I've identified as weaker. We'll start by working to understand the topic, using lots of diagrams and analogies. I try not to just talk at the student, instead asking them what they think happens next and giving small prompts. My long term goal is that they understand Biology, rather than just recalling facts. This will help them with the application questions which form a large part of the A Level exam and Year 13 topic tests.

Finally, we'll move on to exam style questions. These will be taken directly from past papers, shadow papers and sample papers, and will help the student to use their knowledge to gain more marks. We'll look at how to approach different types of six markers, the keywords that we need to use to get us marks and all the errors that are normally made by students. I combine different styles of question (eg. recall, application, practical) to help the student to make links between topics and gain confidence in exams. The more past paper questions they can have a go at before their exam, the more likely questions in the exam will seem familiar, and the more confidence they will have.

I send each student a flashcard deck on the topic we just covered as soon as possible after the session. Using this is completely optional but is the best way to embed information in their long-term memory. This will mean they can recall information more quickly, saving time with recall questions, and this can also help them to apply knowledge to unfamiliar contexts.

I hope you/your child enjoys learning with me, and I look forward to seeing them succeed!