Maths tutor for years 7 - 11

My name is Arjun Rai-Roche and I am a maths teacher of several years’ experience. I attained both an undergraduate degree (University of Sheffield) and master’s degree (King’s College London) in Philosophy before deciding to move into teaching mathematics. I completed my PGDE (University College London) via the Teach First training scheme and currently teach at School 21 in East London. Over the last few years, I have tutored students across a range of abilities and years, but with a specific focus on improving attainment at GCSE level. As part of my tutoring programme I ensure that my students:
1) Engage with the deep concepts that underpin mathematics
2) Recognise the interconnectedness of topics within mathematics
3) Develop the ability to articulate mathematical ideas and concepts clearly to themselves and others
4) Reflect thoughtfully on their progress including areas of strength and weakness
5) Develop effective exam techniques including an understanding of mark schemes and the sorts of things examiners look for.
I believe that mastery of these principles sets up students to be effective long-term mathematicians as well as ensuring short-term success in GCSE exams. I am a very patient teacher, and I love to see my students make great progress. I adjust my lessons to suit the needs of each student and ensure that we move at a pace that is right for them.
Some students might want to focus purely on exams and assessments. I would start these lessons by quickly assessing understanding through some ‘skill-check’ questions and, if necessary, take time to address any misconceptions. During the rest of the lesson we might explore all the ways the chosen topic might appear in examinations, or focus on looking at mark schemes to see where easy marks can be picked up.
Some students, however, might simply want to strengthen their understanding of mathematics or some key topics within it. For those students, I might use a combination of manipulatives (physical objects with which they can represent mathematical structures), pictorial representations, and abstract concepts and notation. I have found this journey from concrete – pictorial – abstract to be a very effective method of building and solidifying mathematical understanding within students.
I currently teach to the Edexcel exam board, but am confident teaching across the full range of GCSE exam board