Shu is an exceptional tutor. Whereas we had a daily fight to get our son to focus ahead of his 8+ exams, she seemed to have him eating out of her hand within days. She made the lessons fun, tuned into areas he needed help on, and worked out how to get him to improve them. We firmly believe that had our son not had Shu on his side, he wouldn't have been offered a place at Westminster Under.
Parent of 8 Plus student (St Paul's Juniors & Westminster Under)
Shu's biography
Born and bred in north London, Shu completed her post-graduate teacher training at University of Surrey after obtaining a BSc (Hons) Psychology degree from Goldsmiths College- University of London.
Shu is an experienced teacher who has enjoyed a satisfying career in education for over twenty-five years. Her roles have included Primary Class Teacher, Maths, Assessment (Key stages 1 and 2) and Art Coordinator, and Private Tutor. She has had extensive experience delivering the British, International and IBO PYP curricula in London and Hong Kong, in both school and home settings. She is a specialist with the 4-12 years age range and skilled at teaching bi-lingual learners, as well as individuals with specific learning needs.
With a degree in Psychology, Shu believes in nurturing children holistically; social and emotional growth is as important as mental development. Her teaching is best defined as skills based; that which promotes creativity, critical thinking and problem solving. She incorporates a diversity of techniques in her instruction that helps to address the wide range of learning styles. Her lessons are meaningful, innovative and stimulating activities, which provide the skill-set necessary to enable her students to reach their full academic potential.
Shu’s goal is to instill a passion for learning within her students and be an excellent role model. She communicates effectively by giving insightful feedback on how to help her students improve in order for them to achieve success. Her ability to build trusting and respectful relationships, and her determination to ‘go the extra mile’ are two of her strengths as a teacher.
IB Experience
Having previously attended ongoing training courses and workshops for the IB, I am qualified to teach all subject areas (Language, Social Studies, Mathematics, Science and Art) in the Primary Years Programme (PYP). I taught this curriculum as a PYP Class Teacher at ESF Discovery College, an international school in Hong Kong, for five years.
In addition, I have supported senior students following the IB MYP Programme. I have specifically focused on teaching the skills necessary for Composition/Essay writing, providing support with subjects including Language and Literature, Design, Individuals and Societies, Science and Art.
Shu's availability
All times are displayed in UK time.
Monday: 3:30PM - 6;30PM
Tuesday: 3:30PM - 6:30PM
Easter and Summer school holidays- available during weekdays, and flexible with timings.
School entrance experience
Shu has worked with children aiming to attend the following schools:
Working as a Private Tutor, mainly in-person, I have placed many students into top London selective schools.
Recent successes (2023-2025) have included two placements (7+ and 8+) at Westminster Under School, St Paul’s Junior (7+), Bute House (7+), Highgate School (11+) and University College School (8+) and South Hampstead School (11+).
Also, I have successfully placed students (with awarded scholarships) in boarding schools, including Rugby School, Cheltenham Ladies College, Wycombe Abbey, Shrewsbury and Benenden School.
Shu's qualifications
Shu qualified to teach English in 1994, and holds a PGCE - Primary Education from University of Surrey- Roehampton Institute.
We met Shu nine months before our son sat the 8+ exams. He has a curious mind, and we felt he had the potential to do very well, but his school were ambivalent about his chances of getting into one of the leading London Junior schools, and the daily fights to get him to do any extra work were extreme, often involving tantrums, slammed doors, shouting, and the rest. When Shu walked through our front door, in March 2023, we thought she'd last two minutes - she seemed strict and we expected the tantrums to escalate. How wrong we were!
Shu has a magic learning flute, and even our son was unable to resist it's tune. From the get-go, she 'got him'. After the first few sessions, she gave us a more acute assessment than the teachers who'd known him for years ever had. And while our son still complained constantly about doing anything extra with us, over the following nine months he accepted Shu's word as gospel - sometimes calling her himself to ask whether he should do A or B as we requested! More than that, he really enjoyed his lessons, and I'd often look in to see them both roaring with laughter over a shared, private joke. Shu believed in and enjoyed our son in a way no-one had before, and as a result I think he started to believe in himself. She was also an invaluable sounding board for us, often calming us down when we worried that he was not up to it, or that his confidence would suffer, at all times reminding us that she believed he had what it took, whether it was this round or the next. And her belief in him was contagious.
By the end of January 2023, our son had an offer from his first choice school, Westminster Under, as well as from other top London prep schools, and I'm 100% confident that this would never have happened had we not met Shu!
Parent of an 8 plus candidate
Monday, 22nd January 2024
Here's where Shu can teach
London
Goodge Street, Warren Street (W1P)
Oxford Street, Regent Street (W1R)
Marylebone (W1M)
Regents Park, Oxford Circus (W1N)
Soho, Piccadilly (W1V)
Mayfair (W1X)
Mayfair (W1Y)
EC1
EC2
WC2
Westminster
Great Portland Street, Fitzrovia (W1W)
Portland Street, Regent Street (W1B)
Soho (south east), Chinatown, Soho Square (W1D)
Soho (north west) (W1F)
Harley Street (W1G)
Marylebone (W1H)
Mayfair (south), Piccadilly, Royal Academy (W1J)
Mayfair (north), Grosvenor Square (W1K)
Hanover Square, Savile Row (W1S)
Marylebone (W1U)
Westminster (SW1)
Camden
Fitzrovia, Tottenham Court Road (W1T)
Hampstead, Chalk Farm, Primrose Hill, Swiss Cottage, Belsize Park, Gospel Oak, Frognal, Childs Hill (NW3)
Kentish Town, Tufnell Park, Dartmouth Park, Gospel Oak (NW5)
St John’s Wood, Primrose Hill, Lisson Grove (NW8)
WC1
Kensington and Chelsea
Chelsea, Brompton, Knightsbridge (SW3)
Earl’s Court (SW5)
South Kensington, Knightsbridge (SW7)
Hammersmith and Fulham
Fulham, Parson’s Green (SW6)
Barnet
East Finchley, Fortis Green, Hampstead Garden Suburb (N2)
Finchley, Church End, Finchley Central (N3)
Whetstone, Totteridge, Oakleigh Park (N20)
Mill Hill, Arkley (NW7)
Golders Green, Hampstead Garden Suburb (NW11)
City of London
EC3
EC4
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