Tutor profile - Alison

Alison has many years of teaching and examining experience. She is an accredited AQA examiner and is a senior examiner (Team Leader) for AQA English language Paper 1. Her main recent teaching experience has been enabling students to get a good grade in English Language GCSE. She has been very successful in this field. One recent example was with an autistic boy who had not been attending school, Previously he had achieved a Grade 3 in English Language. Under her tuition he achieved a Grade 6.

Alison has also had success in tutoring students to get into grammar and independent schools. The latest student was offered a place at all the schools she had applied for, including a very competitive girls' grammar school. Prior to working as a private tutor Alison was Head of Modern Foreign Languages at an International College, teaching French up to GCSE and Spanish to A level. She returned to teaching after she retired, joining the Government's Catch up programme (The National Tutoring Programme) as an Academic Mentor. She received training from Teach First for this role. She has also undertaken voluntary teaching at both primary and secondary level. One of her great loves is teaching poetry at all levels. The rhythm, sound and meaning all contribute to an enriching learning experience.

Apart from academic work Alison enjoys music and has played the violin and viola in various musical groups. Her other great interest is in art. She recently studied Islamic Art and Architecture at SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London) and achieved a Merit in her Masters Degree. She enjoys visiting exhibitions in London whenever time allows.