GCSE English tutors
Showing 24 of 165 UK tutors who teach English at GCSE. £15–£150/hr · median £45
'English' at primary level covers reading, writing, grammar, spelling and oracy across the National Curriculum, and is the foundation that splits into English Language and English Literature at GCSE. Tutoring helps most where two strands diverge: the technical mechanics (sentence structure, punctuation, SPaG) which exam mark schemes reward explicitly, and the comprehension-and-inference side which rewards how a student reads. For Year 6 SATs, the reading paper is the main bottleneck: it's a comprehension test under time pressure, and pace is half the battle. Look for tutors who teach both the analysis and the exam-paper craft.
GCSEs are sat in Year 11 (age 15-16), with most students taking 8-10 subjects. They're the main UK school qualification at 16: the 9-1 graded exams that drive sixth-form admission, apprenticeship eligibility, and (via maths and English at grade 4 or 5) university and many job prerequisites. Tutoring demand peaks here. The biggest grade gains tend to come from exam-paper technique rather than further content. Students often know more than they show. Boards (AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, WJEC, CIE) diverge on content and assessment, so tutor familiarity with the specific spec is meaningful in most subjects.
GCSE English exam boards, dates and past papers
Ruth D.
Qualified GCSE & A Level English Language & Literature Tutor with over 26 years experience
- English Language
- English Literature
- EFL
- SpLD
- Autism
- ADHD & EF
- +2 more
About the GCSE English exam
Which exam board?
Your child's school will know which board they sit.
AQA English Language · 8700
Exam dates, summer 2027
- Monday, 24 May 2027 Paper 1: Explorations in creative reading and writing, morning
- Tuesday, 8 June 2027 Paper 2: Writers' viewpoints and perspectives, morning
Past papers, June 2025
- Paper 1 Question paper Mark scheme Examiners' report Insert
- Paper 2 Question paper Mark scheme Examiners' report Insert
Grade boundaries, every series
Grade boundaries
| Series | Grade 4 | Grade 7 |
|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | 75/160 47% | 103/160 64% |
| June 2025 | 73/160 46% | 100/160 63% |
The total marks needed across all the papers. From AQA GCSE grade boundaries, June 2026 and AQA GCSE grade boundaries, June 2025.
AQA English Literature · 8702
Exam dates, summer 2027
- Wednesday, 12 May 2027 Paper 1: Shakespeare and the 19th century novel, morning
- Wednesday, 19 May 2027 Paper 2: Modern texts and poetry, morning
Past papers, June 2022
- Paper 1M Question paper Mark scheme Examiners' report
- Paper 1N Question paper Mark scheme Examiners' report
- Paper 1P Question paper Mark scheme Examiners' report
- Paper 2 Question paper Mark scheme Examiners' report
Grade boundaries, every series
Grade boundaries
| Series | Grade 4 | Grade 7 |
|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | 66/160 41% | 113/160 71% |
| June 2025 | 62/160 39% | 108/160 68% |
The total marks needed across all the papers. From AQA GCSE grade boundaries, June 2026 and AQA GCSE grade boundaries, June 2025.
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Plain-English guides
About English
What English covers across UK levels, where tutoring usually helps, and what to look for in a tutor.
About GCSE
Year groups, exam timing, and how GCSE fits into the UK qualification ladder.
Exam boards
AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, CCEA, SQA (now Qualifications Scotland) and Cambridge International: what each is known for.
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