Dr Will G.

University of London Fellow Specialising in Literature, History, and Drama

Offering personalised 1-to-1 coaching in advanced essay writing, critical reading techniques, and understanding context and theory. I help students move beyond the classroom syllabus to master the essay techniques, critical ideas, and advanced understanding that can transform curious students into higher-grade scholars.

Hi! I’m Will. I am a published historian and experienced student mentor with over eight years' experience teaching and supporting students at leading universities. I am currently a research fellow at the Institute of English Studies (School of Advanced Study, University of London) and an associate fellow of the Royal Historical Society, and hold Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).

I am currently taking on a limited number of private students for ongoing weekly tuition, EPQ mentorship, and skills development. Specialist short courses also available (see below).

Whether you are a Sixth Form student seeking to improve subject knowledge and study skills for A-Level/IB, working through the challenges of an EPQ, or seeking advice on university admissions, I bring the exact student support methodologies and grading insights used at top universities directly to our sessions. My goal is to help you move beyond rigid GCSE formulas and develop the critical independence needed to achieve A/A* grades.

With extensive experience across university teaching, schools outreach, and public history, I am deeply passionate about literature, history, and theatre, and strive to build positive, engaging, and encouraging professional relationships with all my students.

Logistics & Personalised Packages

• Tailored Guidance, Online and Offline: My hourly rate is billed per contact hour, but includes ongoing support between sessions. This includes answering student email queries and reviewing essay plans/drafts to give detailed feedback in our next scheduled meeting.

• Free 30-Minute Consultation: Offered for prospective students and parents to discuss specific goals, syllabus requirements, and scheduling options before committing.

• Flexible Scheduling: All ongoing tuition and short course packages are scheduled on demand to suit your timetable, whether that means regular weekly slots, intensive half-term/holiday blocks, or flexible sessions booked around exam schedules.

• Verification & Safeguarding: Prior to our first session, parents and students will receive a scanned copy of my Enhanced DBS certificate alongside a direct link to my official University of London staff profile for complete peace of mind.

• Platform: Online via Microsoft Teams or Google Meet.

Specialist Short Courses Available

Structured, personalised packages designed for half-term intensives, targeted skill upgrades, or focused exam preparation:

• Getting to Grips with Shakespeare (5 sessions, GCSE or A-Level): A comprehensive breakdown of close-reading techniques, language analysis, performance history, and historical context. All plays catered for.

• Toolkit for Analysing Unseen Texts (3 sessions, GCSE or A-Level): Strategic frameworks for dissecting unseen extracts under pressure and applying literary/historical knowledge seamlessly without info-dumping.

• Advanced Essay Writing (4 sessions, A-Level or University): Moving beyond rigid formulas to master argument, prose clarity, source handling, and high-band assessment objectives.

• Jumpstarting Your Independent Project (5 sessions, EPQ or University): Step-by-step guidance on research design, literature reviews, source evaluation, and structuring an EPQ or university dissertation.

Message me for free to enquire about any of these packages.

My Mentoring Approach

I do not offer rigid, off-the-shelf tutoring with generic worksheets. Instead, I provide outcomes-focused academic mentoring designed to demystify the unwritten rules of high-level study:

1. The Socratic Method: Conversational learning driven by targeted, probing questions that challenge students to sharpen their thesis and eliminate purely descriptive writing.

2. Rigorous Feedback: Detailed, line-by-line guidance on essay structure, evidence handling, referencing, and academic style.

3. Enriched Context: Tailored support built around your specific set texts, modules, or EPQ topic to push understanding well beyond standard classroom slides.

Teaching, Marking & Subject Expertise

Having marked and provided feedback on university-level work and as part of school outreach programmes, I have insider knowledge of how marking criteria are applied in practice. I show students how to satisfy exam board assessment objectives while developing the independent academic voice markers look for.

Specialist Support Areas:

• Assessment Objectives & Exam Boards: In-depth understanding of Ofqual standards and exam board criteria (AQA, OCR, Edexcel, and more).

• Core Study Skills: Essay structure, prose clarity, literature reviews, secondary reading integration, and development of original arguments.

• English Literature & History: Deep contextual analysis, primary source handling, literary theory, and historical framing from medieval and early modern contexts through to modern periods.

• Theatre Studies: Historical staging conditions, playtext analysis, performance contexts, and dramatic theory.

• EPQ Supervision & University Prep: Independent research design, source evaluation, draft feedback, and personal statement refinement.

Academic Background & Credentials

• PhD and University Experience: Scholarship-funded PhD from the University of Birmingham's Shakespeare Institute (2021). Teaching and research background across the universities of Birmingham, Warwick, and Nottingham. Current research fellow at the School of Advanced Study, University of London.

• One-on-One Mentorship: Experienced as a named personal mentor since 2018. I specialise in building positive, constructive mentor-student relationships that respect every student as an individual learner, rather than just a name on a client list.

• Published Subject Expert: Author of two academic books (with Routledge) on early modern theatre history, alongside published research in numerous academic journals.

• Public Historian and Researcher: Academic partner to Shakespeare's Schoolroom & Guildhall in Stratford-upon-Avon, regular contributor to History Today, and speaker on podcasts and at theatre history and museum events. This background allows me to translate complex academic concepts into clear, engaging, and accessible insights for students.

Now accepting new students for the 2026-27 academic year. Send a message to discuss your goals!