Firstly, lessons should be tailored to each individual student. This is a collaborative process that prioritises the student's needs and wants where possible.

The types of lessons necessary for holistic improvement in a subject generally boil down to three -

Content - these are meant to fill in the gaps left behind after school lessons. This is to make sure the student has no glaring holes in subject knowledge and is able to take part in and enjoy exam practice and drill sessions.

Building confidence - Confidence is an essential part of any learning process. These lessons would generally be a blend of content and practice - a short bite-sized piece of content, followed by short quick-fire drill questions. For example, in English, these drill questions could be focused on the plot of a key text. In Maths, the questions may be focused on simplifying equations or listing key characteristics of shapes, for example.

Exam practice - to pass exams, students have to be familiar with the structure and type of questions they will get. This is why this lesson is the main collaborative piece of work. My student and I would work through a long answer question in English Literature or a 5 marker from a Maths paper.