English Language tutor & more · Fleet
Vivienne
English Language and Literature GCSE Tutor
English Language tutor & more · Fleet
English Language and Literature GCSE Tutor
About
** I specialise in teaching English Language and Literature for GCSE and 11+
** I have 35 years teaching experience
** Average improvement for GCSE is 2-4 grades.
** I have an empathetic, calm, patient and intuitive approach and believe in gently encouraging and motivating all learners to achieve their potential.
** I love teaching those who don't really like English and may have struggled with English; feel lost in the classroom and have a loss of confidence; don't know what to do to achieve those higher grades; need to learn to structure and craft their essays better; or just need a little boost and direction and personalised attention .
** I teach English Language and Literature and am familiar with the mark schemes and exam format of all the exam boards. I thoroughly know the texts and exam requirements for:
*Macbeth,
*Romeo and Juliet,
*Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde,
*A Christmas Carol,
*An Inspector Calls,
*Lord of the Flies,
*Various poetry anthologies and many 'unseen' poems for practice.
** To accompany my lessons I have written my own exam question guides and notes for revision purposes.
** I have a small number of spaces available for 2026/2027
*I have been teaching for 30 years and have been tutoring GCSE English for the past 10 years.
* Many students have come to me on a grade 2 and have all achieved passes in the GCSE. It is possible! Most students increase 2-3 grades.
*One to one tutoring is about understanding the needs of individual student. Every student is different!
*Fundamental is confidence, self- belief; and motivation and this is what I try to find and build in every student.
*From my experience tutoring privately and working in schools overseas (in Japan, Singapore, Italy and Moscow) I have gained valuable expertise, sensitivity and insight in teaching all levels, backgrounds and abilities.
*I am gentle, intuitive, and empathetic
*I offer a free chat before tutoring begins so you can ask any questions.
*I ask to be sent a piece of written work before the first lesson to help assess needs and level.
*I identify ways a student can improve from the initial lesson by having a chat, trying a reading comprehension together and by seeing a sample of their work if they have it. With this, I am then able to identify small changes to make that will help them improve and gain increased confidence.
*I start with language analysis skills as this is essential to all components of English.
*In Literature, I believe that understanding the question, and the introduction is the most important part of the essay. I provide guidance on how to write it for all possible exam topics.
*The lesson is a combination of coaching and working together on exam type questions. As well as checking understanding orally I give mini written class exercises if needed to consolidate the skills learnt.
*I always set a small amount of homework which is essential to monitor improvement. This makes all the difference!!
*I am always available to contact between lessons and am happy to mark work and give detailed feedback. This feedback is essential and significantly helps the student improve.
* I base exam preparation on practice papers and exam question practice.
*I have myself written a vast library of resources that include notes to accompany my lessons, quotations from literature texts, and many GCSE sample and model answers.
Subjects & pricing
Languages
- English Native
- Italian Conversational
Qualifications
Higher education
- BSc (Hons) Sociology Certificate checked · University of Southampton · 2:2 (Lower second) University of Southampton · 2:2 (Lower second) Certificate checked
Teaching qualification
- CELTA Certificate checked · Hammersmith · Pass A · 1999 Hammersmith · Pass A · 1999 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 Vivienne'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.
- Sept 2025 ·imported from First Tutors
Mark
I am writing to highly recommend Viv as an English tutor. Viv tutored my daughter, Imogene, in preparation for her GCSE English exams and we could not be more pleased with the results. From the very beginning, she built a genuine rapport and trust that made all the difference. This was crucial, as it allowed Imogene's confidence to flourish, a quality that had previously been a significant barrier for her in the subject. Viv tailored her sessions to Imogene’s needs, always striking the right balance between structure and creativity. She demystified tricky grammar and gave Imogene the tools to write with clarity and conviction. She focused on building a solid foundation of understanding while also giving Imogene effective strategies for exam technique. Thanks to Viv’s dedication and support, Imogene passed her English GCSE with flying colours, an achievement that reflects not only hard work, but the belief Viv instilled in her along the way. We’re incredibly grateful.
Vivienne replied
I was so happy to help Imogene and so glad she was able to achieve her potential. She was an absolute delight and her result was a credit to her hard work and perseverance. I wish her every happiness and success.
- Aug 2025 ·imported from First Tutors
Victoria
Vivienne was very helpful. Took me 3 years to pass as a mature student and I passed once I had her help. She was extremely grateful, supportive and flexible around my work schedule. I couldn’t recommend her more.
Vivienne replied
You have shown that the importance of the English GCSE cannot be overestimated and I am so happy for your achievement. Your success story is testament to your motivation, hard work and determination and I wish you every success in your career. Congratulations!
- Aug 2025 ·imported from First Tutors
Megan
Viv was full when I contacted her for support for my son who has dyslexia and was struggling with his English Language GCSE. She kindly managed to squeeze in a few ad-hoc sessions before his exam. Her gentle approach, patience and encouragement gave my son the skills and confidence which helped in all of his exams, but incredibly got him from a 3 to a 5 in his English Language exam. Our thanks to Viv for helping him to believe in himself and help him achieve what he needed for his next steps onto college.
Vivienne replied
I’m so happy for him ☺️. He should be very proud of himself. Thank you for choosing me to help and all the best for the future.
- Jun 2025 ·imported from First Tutors
Katy
Viv has been tutoring my daughter in English Literature and Language for GCSE for the last two years both in-person and online and has really helped her prepare for the demands and expected requirements of the examinations. Thank you Viv for all the valuable feedback, ideas and insights you gave her.
Vivienne replied
Thank you very much. I wish her the very best in all that follows - she has been extraordinarily diligent and committed and deserves all that this will bring her.
- Jun 2025 ·imported from First Tutors
ANCA
We have had a really great experience with Vivienne. She has been patient, supportive, and very accommodating, making time to fit in a session at short notice. My daughter has already grown more confident with analysis and writing, and we have noticed improvement even after just a few sessions. We’re looking forward to continuing to work with Vivienne next year in preparation for GCSEs. We just want to sa**Contact Detail Removed**ge thank you to her.
Vivienne replied
That's very kind of you to say so. It's always so rewarding to see such improvement. Thank you!
- Aug 2024 ·imported from First Tutors
Lisa
My son really enjoyed his tutoring with Viv, it gave him confidence and knowledge of the GCSE requirements, which even helped in other subjects. Viv was friendly, pleasant and processional.
Vivienne replied
Thank you for choosing me for your son. He has done very well and I wish him the very best for a wonderful future.
- Jun 2024 ·imported from First Tutors
Nicola
Viv has been an excellent source of support for my daughter, quickly building a rapport and helping to build her confidence. She has been caring, supportive and flexible and has made an enormous impact on her progress in a short amount of time.
Vivienne replied
That’s very kind. She has been attentive and committed and deserves all her wishes to come true.
- Jun 2024 ·imported from First Tutors
Ray
Vivienne. Has been an excellent tutor for my Grandson, and we are very grateful for all the work she has put in over the last 3 months to help him with his studies in readiness for his GCSE exams.
- Jun 2024 ·imported from First Tutors
Natalie
My son has enjoyed his time with Vivienne and has found it extremely helpful in the run up to his GCSE. Vivienne has found a way to explain things so my son can understand and then put into practice. My son has always struggled with English however has taken his English GCSE with confidence. I would highly recommend Vivienne.
Vivienne replied
Thank you Natalie. Your son was a great pleasure to help and I’m sure he will do very well in whatever he chooses to do next. My very best wishes to him.
- May 2024 ·imported from First Tutors
Victoria
My son is in year 10 and not an enthusiastic English student generally but he knows he needs to work hard in run up to his GCSE later this year. He felt that the better than expected results in his mock exam were really due to the advice and teaching from Vivienne. She was really good at working out his mindset and just finding a way to get him to focus - not easy with teenage boys at all! Vivienne gave great feedback to us, related brilliantly to my son and is a fantastic, professional and inutuitive tutor.
- May 2024 ·imported from First Tutors
Ellis
Viv has been tutoring our son on the lead up to exams. Due to lengthy periods of sickness our son had large gaps in his knowledge of his English Literature, and consequently affecting his confidence and enjoyment of the subject. Viv has worked wonders over the last few months. Engagement was always going to be key and She has done so wonderfully with Max and has such a lovely and caring teaching manner. She has managed the impossible and it has been a joy to hear Max quote Macbeth over dinner ! Not once has Max ever tried to get out of attending his session…a miracle in itself ! My only regret is not finding Viv sooner !
Vivienne replied
That's generous of you to say so and it is very much appreciated to know that I have been of some help. Max is a joy and it has been a great pleasure. I wish him every success for his future in everything he does.
- May 2024 ·imported from First Tutors
Andrew
Viv has been tutored Alex for GCSE English. He has found her sessions to be both challenging and enormously helpful in improving his understanding and skills. This has supported his learning for English, and given him a better understanding of critical thinking, interpretation and analysis, which is helping with other subjects. We rate Viv extremely highly and recommend her.
- May 2024 ·imported from First Tutors
Joanna
Vivienne helped Ella to gain more confidence and structure in English. Highly recommended. She is flexible, kind and caring also. Thanks so much.
Vivienne replied
It has been my pleasure to help Ella. She was able to progress and improve really quickly thanks to her hard work and diligence. Well done!
- Jun 2023 ·imported from First Tutors
Jill
Viv has been a very supportive and caring tutor and she really helped my daughter with her reading papers and poetry exams.
Vivienne replied
Thank you for your kind words. I’m glad I could be of some help and wish her the very best for her future.
- Jun 2023 ·imported from First Tutors
Alison
Viv was very friendly and immediately put my Daughter, who gets very worried about meeting new people, at ease. Viv explained things in a way that was different to school and gave my Daughter the confidence to believe she could do well. I am very grateful for all the help and aftercare Viv has provided as she often sent my Daughter tips before her exams. I would highly recommended.
Vivienne replied
Thank you for your feedback. It was my pleasure to help and I wish her the very brightest future ahead.
- Jun 2023 ·imported from First Tutors
Amy
My daughter has attended and continues to attend English lessons with Vivienne once a week for the past year. She struggles with English at school and could not independently complete her homework for her GCSE course. Her school grade has significantly improved and she is now predicted to pass her exams next year. She actually enjoys going to Vivienne and she has given her the skills to independently complete her work! Vivienne is patient, supportive and current with the curriculum for language and literature. Highly recommend.
Vivienne replied
Thank you so much - she is a conscientious hard-worker who deserves to do very well.
- Jun 2023 ·imported from First Tutors
Sharon
Vivienne is a very good and experienced teacher for my year 10 daughter who is preparing for the GCSE. She is always willing to tailor made the lesson content to accommodate her exams and curriculums. Vivienne is highly recommended and appropriated.
- May 2023 ·imported from First Tutors
Nikki
Viv has helped my daughter enormously with her English GCSEs, improving her grades and confidence.
- Jan 2023 ·imported from First Tutors
Abigail
- Oct 2022 ·imported from First Tutors
Jackie
A really great first session!
Hourly rates
£40–£50/hr
Varies by subject. See breakdown above.
- 50% off first lesson