History tutor & more · Fair Oak and Horton Heath
Ben B
12 years and over 10,000hrs tutoring experience
History tutor & more · Fair Oak and Horton Heath
12 years and over 10,000hrs tutoring experience
About
Hi, I am Ben, you may recognize my face from a Sky TV documentary or an 'I' newspaper article both of which talk about my experiences as a tutor and the impact tutoring can have.
I am a full-time professional tutor. I graduated from Clare College Cambridge with a 2.1 in History in 2012 (making me 35). Being younger than your average tutor, I pride myself on being able to empathize with my students. Moreover, a few Cambridge horror stories usually convinces most students that the exam revision timetable I make for them is quite generous! It also means I have a brilliant understanding of the exam system. I have picked up the kind of wisdom that you won’t find in any revision guide but will make all the difference to final grades.
I aim to make my lessons as interesting and relatable as possible. My real-life examples have been known to cause uncontrollable laughter, but at the same time there is always a point to them. Students always seem to remember that point as well as the funny story! I am a staunch advocate that tutoring is a completely different skill set from teaching in a class. This is what I believe has brought me my success.
I also offer training for Oxbridge entrance exams and interviews. As a successful applicant myself I can fill the gaps that a college Oxbridge department cannot.
Tutoring Approach
I understand many students are reluctant to be tutored so I try and make my lessons as engaging as possible. I use relate-able examples from my own knowledge to explain key points, on the principle that interesting information is easier to remember and more likely to inculcate. I have never failed to get even the most reluctant student onside and some of the transformations I have engineered have surprised even me! I also understand that each student is an individual and tailor my lessons accordingly. I have a skill for understanding individuals quickly and working out how to alter my methods to get the best results from them.
I pride myself on being available every step of the journey. This includes parents of students as well. I am always on hand to offer advice, reassurance or even direct intervention with schools or teachers personally if that is what is needed. I am a great believer that tutoring has three participants; myself, the student and the parent / guardian.
I also teach study skills as part of my lessons. This includes a tailored essay structure program, and a personalized revision program for exam season.
About me
In my free time I am keen charity fundraiser and a mentor for young disabled people, the former also means I spent a bit of time in the gym! Outside of that I enjoy reading and writing historical fiction and watching cricket.
£60–£90/hr · 6 subjects · 16 levels
Subjects & pricing
Languages
- English Native
Qualifications
Higher education
- BA (Hons) History Certificate checked · Clare College Cambridge · 2:1 (Upper second) · 2012 Clare College Cambridge · 2:1 (Upper second) · 2012 Certificate checked
Pre-degree
- A-level History Certificate checked · A · 2009 A · 2009 Certificate checked
- A-level Government and Politics Certificate checked · A · 2009 A · 2009 Certificate checked
- A-level Geography Certificate checked · A · 2009 A · 2009 Certificate checked
- GCSE English Language Certificate checked · A* · 2007 A* · 2007 Certificate checked
- GCSE English Literature Certificate checked · A* · 2007 A* · 2007 Certificate checked
- GCSE History Certificate checked · A* · 2007 A* · 2007 Certificate checked
Reviews from Tutorperch
No Tutorperch reviews yet. Students can leave a verified review here after a lesson.
Reviews from First Tutors
Imported from Ben B's First Tutors profile before the site went dark. Shown separately from Tutorperch reviews — today they don't feed this tutor's Tutorperch rating or ranking.
How we verify these
Each imported review went through admin review. The tutor proved ownership of the First Tutors profile via one of two paths:
- Photo match. The First Tutors avatar matched the tutor's identity-verified Tutorperch photo, confirmed by admin.
- Cryptographic email check. The tutor uploaded an original First Tutors email (.eml). We verified the DKIM signature against First Tutors' signing keys and cross-checked the embedded tutor ID against the claimed profile.
The review text is the original reviewer's own words, quoted as-is. We verified the tutor's ownership of the profile, not the truth of what each individual reviewer wrote.
- Nov 2025 ·imported from First Tutors
Daud
Ben has been an exceptional tutor for my son, Daud — not just academically, but as a person. His skill in teaching A-Level Geography with clarity, patience, and genuine enthusiasm has made a remarkable difference to Daud’s confidence and understanding. The same goes for GCSE English, where Ben’s guidance has helped Daud develop structure, belief, and steady progress. What truly sets Ben apart is the quality of his character. He shows consistency, warmth, and professionalism in every session. He treats Daud with respect, encourages him without pressure, and creates an atmosphere where he can genuinely learn, ask questions, and grow. As a parent, that kind of integrity and care means everything. Since working with Ben, I’ve seen real improvement in Daud’s subject knowledge, motivation, and overall mindset — and much of that comes from the trust and rapport Ben has built with him. He is not just a great tutor; he is a great human being who clearly cares about the young people he teaches. I’m deeply grateful for the patience, insight, and effort he has invested into Daud. I recommend him wholeheartedly to any parent looking for a tutor who brings both expertise and heart to their work. Regards Dr Jan
Ben B replied
Thank you for your kind words Dr Jan
- Nov 2025 ·imported from First Tutors
Reema
He is amazing. He has so much knowledge. I am ever so pleased with his amazing teaching. Can not praise him enough
Ben B replied
Thanks for your kind words Reema
- Aug 2025 ·imported from First Tutors
Sheetal
Ben is an excellent tutor, really kind and patient. We are very thankful we found Ben :)
Ben B replied
Thanks for your kind words Sheetal
- Aug 2025 ·imported from First Tutors
Max
Ben was everything we could have hoped for and more! In just 4 months, he expertly prepared, guided, and motivated our son to tackle his History A-Level exams with genuine confidence. Our son had been struggling to maintain focus with such a content-heavy subject over an extended period. Ben's approach was transformative - he broke down complex historical concepts into manageable, digestible portions while keeping lessons engaging through his natural humor and dynamic teaching style. His structured approach not only improved our son's recall abilities and essay writing skills but also filled crucial knowledge gaps we hadn't even realised existed. What truly sets Ben apart is his exceptional communication with parents. He provided regular, detailed progress updates that kept us informed every step of the way. His lessons were so well-structured and engaging that our son actually started requesting double sessions - something we never thought we'd see from a teenager! Ben's expertise, professionalism, and genuine care for his students' success made all the difference. We absolutely struck gold when we chose Ben as our son's tutor. Without hesitation, we give him our highest recommendation - you won't find better A-Level History support anywhere else!
Ben B replied
Thanks for your kind words!
- Jul 2025 ·imported from First Tutors
Harinder
My daughter really enjoyed her lessons with Ben. As well as being an excellent and rigorous technical tutor, he is bursting with personality and made the whole thing fun. I would recommend Ben as a tutor.
Ben B replied
Thanks for your kind words Harinder!
- Jun 2025 ·imported from First Tutors
Rebekah
Ben is an exceptional tutor, who is at the top of his game. Able to provide clear, consistent and upto date guidance for my daughter whilst navigating her politics A level and ensuring we as parents were kept fully in the loop as to next steps. It's been an absolute pleasure working with Ben and would not hesitate to recommend him. You'd be mad not to hire this man
Ben B replied
Hi Rebekah, thanks for your lovely sentiments. Kind regards Ben
- May 2025 ·imported from First Tutors
maddie
Excellent Teacher. Has guided me through 3 years at university achieving first class grades. Ben's lessons are well structured and clear. He responds quickly to emails and will revert feedback from essays fast too. Would highly recommend Ben.
Ben B replied
Thanks for your kind words Maddie!
- May 2025 ·imported from First Tutors
Kate
Ben has managed to make tutoring something our son has really engaged with and he always very much looked forward to his lessons. Ben’s approach is through and has provided our son with many tips and tricks of how to best revise and best perform in the exam. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Ben for anyone looking for English and History support.
Ben B replied
Thanks for your kind words Kate
- Mar 2025 ·imported from First Tutors
Shelley
I came to 1st tutors looking for someone to help my son with GCSE religious studies. My son is academically able, but had become so disillusioned with the teaching at school that he had completely switched off and reconciled himself to getting no more than a grade 6, simply because he could not face trying to engage with the subject. Paragraph during the first lesson with Ben, it was clear that we had found exactly the right person for our son; Ben‘s Way of challenging students to engage and up their game was exactly what our son needed. The fact that Ben is also incredibly knowledgeable not only of the exam content but also more generally around the topic, meant that he was able to re-Kindle our son’s original interest in comparative religion, philosophy and ethics which had led him to choose the subject in the first place. put it quite bluntly, it was clear that our son felt the tiff someone as intelligent, knowledgeable and cool as Ben was into RS, then it must be interesting! As well as taking a very rigourous approach to exam questions and homework, Ben inspired our son to reengage with the subject. he achieved a grade 9 and his school teacher (who knew nothing about the private tuition) sent away for his exam script to use as an example for other students. we will be forever grateful to Ben and have no hesitation about recommending him.
Ben B replied
Thanks for your kind words Shelley
- Sept 2024 ·imported from First Tutors
Maria
Ben tutored my son for his A-Level history exam preparation. With his outstanding knowledge of history, and engaging teaching style, Ben systematically and methodically supported my son to gradually build on knowledge, skills and eventually confidence for his exams. Whilst my son's initial predicted grades were in the A-C range, his hard work and Ben's excellent support meant that he was ultimately rewarded with a well-deserved A.
Ben B replied
Thanks for your kind words Maria!
- May 2024 ·imported from First Tutors
sally
An excellent tutor who has worked consistently with my son and helped him to overcome exam anxiety and structuring of information to ensure the best performance. I would highly recommend Ben as a tutor.
Ben B replied
Thank you for your kind words Sally!
- Feb 2024 ·imported from First Tutors
Oliver
Ben B replied
Thank you Oliver
- Oct 2023 ·imported from First Tutors
Jane
Ben is an amazing History tutor and mentor! We were lucky to find him a few months before Olivia’s GCSE exams. Ben managed to help Olivia bring her grade up from a predicted 4 to a solid 7 (only a couple of marks off an 8)! Olivia has now chosen to do History at A level and is going from strength to strength. Most importantly Ben makes the lessons fun and engaging and has inspired Olivia’s passion for History. It is so wonderful to see the enthusiasm and confidence learning a subject can bring. Thank you Ben!!!
Ben B replied
Thanks for your kind words Jane
- Aug 2023 ·imported from First Tutors
Frederic
Ben is a fantastic tutor. He has been tutoring my son since September. Before Ben’s involvement, my son was predicted a poor grade in History for his GCSE but thanks to his hard work and Ben, he has achieved the top grade. What an achievement. We will continue to use Ben for my son A levels.
Ben B replied
Thank you for your kind words Frederic
- Aug 2023 ·imported from First Tutors
Sebrina
Ben has been an excellent source of knowledge and support for my Son in preparation for his GCSEs. His professional yet approachable manner ensures that teenagers are engaged and focused during his sessions and assignments. I would highly recommend Ben.
Ben B replied
Thank you for your kind words Sebrina.
- Jul 2023 ·imported from First Tutors
George
We couldn't be happier with the work that Ben did with our son in the his final year, running up to A Levels. We started with a kid who didn't have a clue how to write an essay, structure his coursework and process facts into arguments. We ended up with a revision machine, happy and confident as he went into his final exams. Would highly recommend a wonderful young man.
Ben B replied
Thanks for your kind words George.
- Jul 2023 ·imported from First Tutors
Nina
My child's review is, "Ben is an amazing tutor, has helped with struggles and has taught me new ways of remembering key terminology and information in geography. Overall, I would highly recommend Ben for pupils who need tutoring, online schooling, who want/need to go through homeschooling route (short or longer term), exam revision or gap filler."
Ben B replied
Thank you for your kind words Nina / George
- May 2023 ·imported from First Tutors
Ziyaad
I have been tutored by Ben for the past year and a half in Politics A- level. Ben has a unique ability to make the subject of politics engaging and enjoyable to learn, which seemed almost impossible to me at first. His holistic approach to teaching goes beyond the subject, as he also provides invaluable guidance and expertise on crafting personal statements. I truly believe that Ben's knowledge in this area is unparalleled. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from him, and I highly recommend him as a tutor for anyone studying politics amongst the range of other subjects he teaches.
Ben B replied
Thank you for your kind words Ziyaad.
- May 2023 ·imported from First Tutors
denise
Ben has built an excellent rapport with my son during their sessions, instilling a confidence and purpose when approaching his history a level. My son’s coursework has improved 2 to 3 grades depending on the topic thanks to Ben providing the tools and skills for my son to reach his potential.
Ben B replied
Thank you for your kind words Denise.
- Apr 2023 ·imported from First Tutors
Samira
Ben has been an absolute life saver in the run up to the GCSE exams. He is an absolutely excellent tutor and my son feels so much more confident now.
Ben B replied
Thanks for your kind words Samira.