Ben H
"He instilled in my son not only a love of subject, but a passion for learning itself."
Parent of History student
11+
13 +
English
History
IGCSE
Academic History
University of Buckingham – Postgraduate Certificate of Education, PGCE
Newcastle University – Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) II.I English Literature
About Me
Much like my approach to class teaching, I do think that the key to learning is forming a relationship or rapport between tutee and teacher. That comes through making sure that what one covers is interesting and things are brought to life via enthusiasm and subject knowledge. I would hope that my teaching is characterised by an approachability and a levity that makes lessons fun and engaging. Everyone learns at their own pace and in their own way, so it is the job of the tutor to find the best methods available and tap into the ability of those who they are teaching.
Recent tuition
Eton King’s Scholarship, English and History
Over the course of a year I tutored a boy who was undertaking the examination in the summer term. Given the huge demands of the examinations, focus was firstly given on the theory of both subjects and once a sound platform was in place we moved on to more specific topics that were studied to give relevant examples that could be used in written essays to build arguments. It was so gratifying to see just how much progress had been made in his understanding of how to approach such advanced work and it was even more wonderful when he scored the highest grade out of all the candidates in history and a similarly superb grade in English. He was awarded a King’s scholarship.
Interview preparation for a candidate who wished to attend Harrow
I was asked to help a child who struggled to find his feet when being interviewed by adults. To start with it was hard going as the candidate lacked confidence when speaking to adults he did not know and tended to be flustered when asked questions that were not obviously apparent. Little by little we worked on his confidence and introduced harder and harder questions until he felt increasingly more happy to be himself and demonstrate his obvious intelligence. What is more, over the course of the summer holiday we managed to turn what had been something he dreaded into something he positively enjoyed without him sounding overly coached or indeed like a robot trotting out pre-prepared answers. It was thus hugely pleasing when he secured a place and said he had a wonderful day being interviewed.
English and History revision work in preparation for Common Entrance
I helped a candidate who was struggling with both subjects in the run to Common Entrance. We started by going back to basics and finding the areas that the candidate was unsure of and plugging these one by one. Having sorted out his subject knowledge, we then worked on exam technique and little by little his marks began to improve consistently. He achieved an A grade in both examinations.
IGCSE English Language and Literature
Over the course of two years I assisted a student who did not have English as their first language. We worked on using the set texts as a way into the language and on increasing their understanding of vocabulary and English idioms and phrases. With a sound understanding of the language we moved onto spending more time on creative writing and analysing poetry. I would hope that our work together fostered within the student a love for the subject and encouraged them to think they could achieve great things come the examinations, which indeed they did.
IGCSE History
I assisted a candidate who was looking for help with extending her knowledge and going beyond the confines of the syllabus. The candidate was very able and it was a delight to work together on pushing her beyond her comfort zone and seeing exactly how far we could go together. It was not a surprise that she scored a 9 in the subject, but it was very pleasing that she chose to carry on history at A-Level.
Hobbies
I would hope I have a fairly broad hinterland of interests and the list of things that I have become fascinated by does slightly worryingly seem to grow every time it is committed to the page. However, if pushed and asked not to cast too wide a net, I would say I take great pleasure spending time in the worlds of antique furniture, carpentry, cooking, travel, aviation, wine, the sea and ancient tractors, not to mention of course, cricket, fly fishing and my beloved rugby.
Testimonials
“Mr H taught my son for two years. His passion for the subject combined with the ability to make a lesson humorous, engages his pupils in such a way that they do not really realise they are working hard. In my son’s case, this fostered a dedication and enthusiasm which now sees him moving on to university to read History. On a more personal note, Mr H’s professional interest in his pupils’ development and their continued interest in the subject beyond his teaching, is second to none. This is a teacher who cares about his subjects and who cares that his pupils like it and do well in it.”
“Ben is a larger-than-life character, who is amongst the most enthusiastic educators I have met. He instilled in my son not only a love of subject, but a passion for learning itself. He understands how to motivate younger people in all the different aspects of education and wider learning, going far beyond the curriculum. I would have no hesitation in recommending him as a tutor. He is that teacher that you always remember!”
“It was Ben’s teaching and enthusiasm for the subject that instilled —’s passion for history. — excelled in history which he took to A level and beyond. He is now reading History in his first year at Cambridge.”
