Francesca D.

About me
I am a qualified teacher (PGCE with QTS) with 14 years’ experience teaching Chemistry, predominantly in Ofsted-outstanding schools. Alongside this, I held roles as Head of Chemistry and as Head of Year 12/13. I am also an experienced AQA GCSE and A Level examiner - this experience in particular enables me to help students improve their exam technique and equip them with insights into how marks are awarded.

My background
After working for c.25 years in the pharmaceutical industry, in 2012 I took voluntary redundancy and trained to teach. To many, this was a surprising and potentially risky move but it is one that I have never regretted – I love teaching and quickly realised that I have probably always been a teacher at heart! My experience working in industry does however enable me to set what I teach in a real-world context, helping students understand the relevance of what they are studying. I retired at the end of 2024 and set up a small, part-time tutoring business and my tutoring sessions are one of the highlights of my week.

Feedback from previous clients
Whilst I am new to TutorPerch, I am not new to tutoring - here's what some of my students and their parents have said:

"I have overheard some of the lessons and you have a lovely tone - both fiery and energetic but also kind and encouraging !!"

"Francesca provided brilliant support to my daughters who were struggling with confidence in science. They massively benefitted from really great teaching online with follow up materials every week and they gained confidence and grasped the topics really well".

"Francesca's lessons were a combination of fun and making learning enjoyable which really helped my confidence with my chemistry".

"Francesca was a great help to both my children as they worked towards their GCSE Chemistry exams. Her caring approach to each child’s individual needs and their different ways of learning was perfect, with plenty of praise, which ensured both increased confidence in their ability which made a big difference to the way in which they were able to prepare for their exams. I would highly recommend Francesca as a tutor"

"Working with Francesca for my A Level Chemistry was such a positive experience. She always explained difficult topics in a way that made them much easier to understand, and her patience and encouragement really helped me become more confident in chemistry. I genuinely don’t think I would have achieved the same results without her support. I would highly recommend Francesca to anyone looking for an excellent chemistry tutor"