Online English tutor
Stuart
National 5 to Advanced Higher English Tuition - 11+ Years Experience
Online English tutor
National 5 to Advanced Higher English Tuition - 11+ Years Experience
About
I am a qualified teacher and graduate of the University of Edinburgh with an MA in English Literature and a PGDE in Secondary Education English, as well as being a qualified TEFL teacher. In my spare time, I enjoy playing rugby, mountaineering and work as an editor for the online review magazine Broadway Baby.
I possess a sound knowledge of the Scottish education system including Higher Education, the former SQA syllabus (Standard Grade) and the current format (Curriculum for Excellence). I am reliable, adaptable and strive to achieve the best I can for my students. PVG certified and experienced in working with children and adults, I can offer a variety of differentiated learning methods to suit individual needs.
Tutoring Experience
My experience as a teacher consists of:
Private tutoring in Poland including preparation for Cambridge exams for adults and children with successful results. I also taught in two high schools and two primary schools as an EFL teacher during this time.
Secondary teaching within The City of Edinburgh Council and East Lothian Council, teaching broad general education and national grades including National 4, 5 and Higher.
3+ years of TEFL teaching at Heriott Watt University with Oxford International in preparation for IELTS exams.
9+ years of private tutoring for preparation for NAT 5, Higher and Advanced Higher exams, with a universal pass rate and strong percentage of A grades.
Tutoring Approach
I build upon a student's prior knowledge of English and their set texts, and invite them to offer their own perspectives through critical analysis. After assessing what level they are at, I devise a specific strategy tailored for their needs and expectations. I focus upon improving:
The construction of essays
Grammar and vocabulary
Reading for understanding, analysis and evaluation
Creative writing
Technical writing
Listening skills and talking skills, including solo and group presentations
Timed essay writing, short creative writing pieces and mock exams
Confidence in a pupil's work
Subjects & pricing
Group £30/hr ·from £40/hr
- National 3, National 4, 11+, 13+Group £30/hr ·£40/hr
- Group £30/hr ·£45/hr
Languages
- English Native
Qualifications
Higher education
- MA (Hons) English Literature Certificate checked · University of Edinburgh · 2015 University of Edinburgh · 2015 Certificate checked
Teaching qualification
- PGDE English Certificate checked · University of Edinburgh · 2018 University of Edinburgh · 2018 Certificate checked
- TEFL EFL / ESOL Certificate checked · TEFL · 2015 TEFL · 2015 Certificate checked
Reviews from Tutorperch
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Reviews from First Tutors
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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.
- Mar 2025 ·imported from First Tutors
A First Tutors client
Stuart tutored my son for Nat 5 English and did a great job! He helped secure him an A grade, up from a D in the prelim. He was supportive and encouraging, giving my son the confidence that he could achieve his potential.
Stuart replied
Hello Alison, Thank you very much for your valued feedback, and I'm very glad to hear about your son's success in the final exam. He put in a monumental effort so it was thoroughly deserved, and I'm sure he'll do the same for Higher as well. Kind regards, Stuart
- Jun 2021 ·imported from First Tutors
A First Tutors client
Stuart is an excellent tutor, very professional, extremely organised with an indepth knowledge of the Higher curriculum. He has helped my daughter understand and learn the 'technique' needed for Higher English, especially regarding RUAE and the Critical Essay. He has also for the first time inspired my daughter to read more and given her confidence in English. I really cannot recommend this tutor enough. Amelia
Stuart replied
Hello Amelia, Thank you very much for your kind words and feedback. I'm delighted to hear your daughter found more confidence and enjoyment in English, and it was a great opportunity to help someone who has a lot of talent, even if she wasn't initially sure it was there to begin with. I'm certain she'll apply the same aptitude and diligence in whatever avenue of life she wishes to pursue, and I wish her and yourself all the best for the future! Kind regards, Stuart
- May 2021 ·imported from First Tutors
A First Tutors client
Stuart has been a great tutor for Higher English. He is friendly, explains things clearly and has helped me feel well prepared and confident going into assessments. I have enjoyed our sessions each week over the last year and I feel that I have improved a lot with his support and feel a lot more confident. Stuart has been able to provide a level of detail that I wouldn’t get in class in school and this has really helped me.
Stuart replied
Hello Max, Thank you very much for you kind feedback! I'm very glad to hear you've found lessons useful and that your confidence in English has improved, especially given how much time and effort you have put in to improving on your own merit. It's always a great thing to witness a student achieve through their own determination and industriousness, and I wish you all the best for the future! Kind regards, Stuart
- Apr 2021 ·imported from First Tutors
A First Tutors client
Stuart has been a great help to my daughter in studying for her Higher English. He is super organised and his sessions are well prepared and structured. He really helped my daughter gain confidence in her RUAE answers and gave her good guidance on her critical essay structure as well as helped her expand her vocabulary more generally. He also set her challenging but manageable homework which kept her focussed between sessions. He's very knowledgeable and provided my daughter with a huge selection of helpful resources including past papers which they worked through together. Overall a really approachable friendly tutor who's has definitely helped my daughter prepare for her English Higher.
Stuart replied
Hello Rebecca, Thank you so much for your kind feedback, and I'm really glad to hear you and your daughter have found lessons useful. She has worked exceptionally hard to improve the areas she needed to work on and the results have definitely shown, and I'm very confident she'll pass with flying colours. Kind regards, Stuart
- Apr 2021 ·imported from First Tutors
A First Tutors client
I can absolutely recommend Stuart; he has really helped my son for the past year, both with his Nat 5 and his Higher English. We first contacted him last February when I discovered my son had done poorly in his Nat 5 prelim and I realised that he needed a lot of support on order to achieve a decent pass in the main exam. Stuart is very knowledgeable and committed and he really helped get Scott on the right track. He's a nice friendly chap too who my son gets on well with which also makes a big difference. Although he didn't sit the "real" exam due to Covid, my son was awarded a B after only 3 months working with Stuart. He's now supported my son through homeschooling and he's definitely been invaluable. I'm absolutely convinced that he's made the difference between my son now looking like he will achieve a decent pass at Higher rather than having been unable to manage a pass at all!
Stuart replied
Hello Claire, Thank you very much for your lovely words and kind feedback! I'm very honoured to have had such a committed and dedicated student as Scott, and no matter what his grade this year, it won't reflect the magnitude of the effort he has put in. We'll continue to build upon the brilliant effort he has put in this year, and in spite of the great adversity he has face this year - both with the pandemic and the mismanagement of his high school's less than - I am confident he will do excellently. Kindest of regards, Stuart
- Apr 2021 ·imported from First Tutors
A First Tutors client
Stuart has been tutoring our son in NAT 5 English since the start of this academic year and our son's confidence and attainment in this has improved massively during this time. Stuart has great knowledge of all aspects of the English NAT 5 syllabus and communicates this in an easy to understand and enthusiastic way which has really motivated our son and has had a positive effect on his confidence. Stuart always sets clear homework prior to each section and ensures that this relates to the set texts being used at our son's school in addition to encouraging further reading. We would recommend Stuart very highly - he is an excellent tutor.
Stuart replied
Hello Karen, Thank you very much for your valued feedback! I'm elated to hear your son has found greater confidence in English and it has been a pleasure to help him throughout the year, especially given the tremendous effort he has put in. I have no doubts he'll continue to build upon the excellent progress he has made this year and all the way into Higher! Thanks, Stuart
- Apr 2021 ·imported from First Tutors
A First Tutors client
I would highly recommend stuart as a professional, reliable English tutor, he has excellent knowledge in Scottish curriculum. he's helping my son in national 5 . My son enjoyed his lessons and he became very confident when he got exam and he achieved a good grade. Definitely we'll ask for his help in higher.
Stuart replied
Hello Doodie, Thank you very much for your feedback - I'm delighted to hear you and your son have are happy with the way lessons have gone, and I'm very proud of how much progress he has made in such a short time. He has certainly put in the effort to do so, and I'm confident he'll build upon this next year too. Thanks, Stuart
- Dec 2020 ·imported from First Tutors
A First Tutors client
Stuart is currently tutoring my 13 year old son in English. Stuart has a very amiable and engaging manner and has been able to quickly establish a good rapport with my son so that he can get the most out of his lessons. I have found Stuart to be extremely professional and reliable and he has an excellent knowledge of the Scottish curriculum .He is a first rate tutor and my son enjoys his lessons. I would highly recommend him.
Stuart replied
Hello Michelle, Thank you very much for your feedback and kind words, they are greatly appreciated! I am very happy to hear you and your son have found the lessons to be useful, and I hope we can continue to build on the excellent work he has done throughout the year so far - he has been a delight to teach! Kind regards, Stuart
- Oct 2020 ·imported from First Tutors
A First Tutors client
My daughter has greatly benefitted from Stuart's tuition and she now feels a lot more confident about her exams!
Stuart replied
Hello Julie, Thank you very much for your kind and valued feedback. I'm really glad to hear your daughter feels more confident about the exams - she has put in an incredible effort herself, and it's great to see how much she has improved in such a short space of time. I hope we can continue to build upon this in the coming year. Kind regards, Stuart
- Sept 2020 ·imported from First Tutors
A First Tutors client
Excellent tutor, very effective structured approach preparing for the Higher exam
Stuart replied
Hello Tanya, Thank you very much for your kind feedback! It is greatly appreciated and I'm really glad to hear you and your son have found lessons useful. I hope we continue to build upon this in the coming year and overcome any obstacles, and make sure that he can achieve the best he possibly can. Kind regards, Stuart
- May 2020 ·imported from First Tutors
A First Tutors client
I started taking lessons with Stuart in S4 when I got 33% on my National 5 prelim, from then I had him every week until the final exam where I got an A! Fast forward to Higher where I continued taking lessons with Stuart and again I got an A (from failing an N5 prelim). Those are the results, but equally as important is the experience in learning. Stuart does two things extremely well: Helps correct errors and grammatical mistakes on your portfolio Has a huge, ready made accumulation o**Contact Detail Removed**lets containing quotes and in depth annotations of them Again a monumental thank you to Stuart, and if you're looking for a tutor I can reassure you this is the right choice!
Stuart replied
Hello Hazem, Thank you very much for your kind words and feedback! I'm delighted to hear you've been so happy with the way lessons have went, and you should feel extremely proud of yourself for how great you did in both National 5 and Higher, you more than deserved it - well done! I'm delighted you've done brilliantly, not just in English but other subjects too, and I know you're destined for great thing; you've certainly put in the hard effort to make it work. Wishing you all the best for the future, Stuart
- May 2020 ·imported from First Tutors
A First Tutors client
Stuart is a brilliant tutor with a professional approach who manages to simplify things into easily manageable concepts. Within only a few lessons he helped me turn around my folio pieces and is now helping me on close reading, an area I have frequently struggled with. As an adult learner, I find Stuart is great at using analogies to explain things, and he is very knowledgeable about the course. I cannot recommend him more!
Stuart replied
Hello Adam, Thank you very much for your feedback! I'm very glad to hear you've enjoyed the way our lessons have been going, and I am happy to hear you're enjoying my teaching style. I hope we can continue to work on close reading for the coming weeks. Kind regards, Stuart
- May 2020 ·imported from First Tutors
A First Tutors client
Stuart has been a first class Higher English tutor for my son. He has been incredibly supportive, engaging and taken a well thought approach to learning. He has shown a real interest in seeing my son develop. He is always punctual, extremely polite and I’d highly recommend Stuart.
Stuart replied
Hello Lisa, Thank you so much for your kind words! It really means a lot to hear you say that, and despite the unfortunate circumstances regarding the exam cancellations I hope your son manages to achieve the grades he deserves - he certainly worked very hard this year, and he deserves the very best. Wishing you both all the very best for the future, Stuart
- Mar 2020 ·imported from First Tutors
A First Tutors client
Stuart has been helping my son with National 5 English. He is extremely professional and very knowledgeable. My son has enjoyed his sessions with him and I believe has made significant progress in a relatively short space of time. Stuart has kept me well informed of what's been covered in each session and what the next steps are, which I find very helpful. In the current situation with schools closed and exams cancelled we are continuing to work with Stuart, online, to start preparing for Higher English. Highly recommend!
Stuart replied
Hello Arlene, Thank you so much for your kind words and feedback! I'm very pleased to hear your son has managed to make such progress in the time we've spent working together. Despite the unfortunate circumstances surrounding exam cancellations/school closures, he should nonetheless feel very proud of himself for the effort he has put in, and I know he will do excellently in Higher. Kind regards, Stuart
- Mar 2020 ·imported from First Tutors
A First Tutors client
Our son requested an English Tutor to help him prepare for his Nat 5. After reading lots of posts we picked Stuart and we are glad we did. He is professional and flexible and most importantly my son enjoys working with him. His prelim results were excellent, which this year more than ever is going to be really important. We are delighted that Stuart will continue to help our son prepare for his higher and would thoroughly recommend him as a tutor.
Stuart replied
Hello Fiona, Thank you very much your feedback! It means a lot to me that your son enjoys working with me and I am so glad he managed to do brilliantly in his prelims - he thoroughly deserves the result given how much effort he put in. I hope that he continues to excel in English when he sits Higher this year. Kind regards, Stuart
- Mar 2020 ·imported from First Tutors
A First Tutors client
Stuart is a great and competent teacher. He guides my son every step of the way, by providing the necessary tools to achieve his goal. My son is glad to work with Stuart and progress. Of course, he needs to study more on his own but he definitely understood his curriculum now. Thank you, Stuart, for your support. Joelle
Stuart replied
Hello Joelle, Thank you so much for your kind feedback! I'm very happy to hear your son feels more confident with the National 5 curriculum and feels he is progressing. It's brilliant to know he feels more capable, and I hope we can continue to build his confidence in the coming weeks. Kindest of regards, Stuart
- Mar 2020 ·imported from First Tutors
A First Tutors client
Stuart is an excellent teacher and it comes through with his dedication to his students. He was very understanding of my son's needs and quickly managed to assess what level he was at and devise a plan from this. He is extremely knowledgeable when it comes to English and has plenty of resources on dozens of authors - even when he didn't have anything on Ted Hughes, he quickly managed to make up resources that were easy to understand. I cannot recommend him enough!
Stuart replied
Hello Sandy, Thank you very much for your feedback, I'm very grateful for your kind words. It's wonderful to hear you're so pleased with the way things are going. In spite of the unfortunate circumstances surrounding school closures and exam cancellations, I know David will continue to build on the progress we have made - I have no doubts he can achieve his target grade with the effort he puts in. All the best, Stuart
- Mar 2020 ·imported from First Tutors
A First Tutors client
Stuart has been helping my son, Daniel, with his National 5 English course. I have been most impressed with Stuart's reliability and commitment and he has never let us down or arrived late for the tutorial. Stuart is friendly and sincere and Daniel has been very happy to work with him. In the time Stuart has been helping Daniel his confidence and ability has grown. His his school have commented on the improvement they have seen in the standard of his work in class and his essays.Daniel has recently been diagnosed as having Dyslexia and was finding English at school challenging. The support he has received from Stuart has been invaluable in helping him overcome his difficulties with reading and comprehension and we feel confident he is now in a position where he can do well in the National 5 exam. I would have no hesitation whatsoever in recommending Stuart as a tutor as he has had a very positive impact on Daniels learning and focus.
Stuart replied
Hello Gail, Thank you for your valued feedback, I'm thrilled to hear that Daniel's confidence in his abilities has increased. He should feel very proud of himself given how much effort he has and continues to put into his schoolwork. I hope we can continue to see him putting faith in himself for the upcoming exams - I know he'll do brilliantly. Kind regards, Stuart
- Mar 2020 ·imported from First Tutors
A First Tutors client
Highly professional and extremely knowledgable. Very effectively communication and has the skills to make the Higher Geog curriculum less daunting which has given my son a boost in confidence.
Stuart replied
Hello Zoe, Thank you very much for your kind words and feedback, I'm thrilled to hear you and your son are happy with the way things have been going. I hope we can continue to build his confidence up more as the exams draw closer. I have no doubts he will do brilliantly given his natural academic abilities and his drive to do well. Kind regards, Stuart
- Aug 2019 ·imported from First Tutors
A First Tutors client
Stuart is an excellent tutor. He has a genuine interest in his students progress and ensures that all sessions are followed up with guidance emails which as a parent I found very helpful. He quickly established where my daughter needed to focus her attention which helped right from the first session. My daughter achieved an A band 1 in her higher exam which prior to her working with Stuart I’m not sure would have been possible.
Stuart replied
Hello Molly, Thank you very much for your kind words and feedback, it is very much appreciated. I am thoroughly pleased to hear your daughter managed to achieve such a brilliant result - she should be very proud of herself! Wishing you both all the best for what the future will bring, Stuart