Iris

Primary school tutoring (bilingual school – Jeannine Manuel School)

I tutored a five-year-old student who had just started at her new bilingual school. Although her family spoke both English and French, she struggled to apply her fluency in both languages to classroom exercises and often lost confidence easily. I designed playful, game-based exercises to gradually build her confidence and introduce her to new ways of approaching lessons. According to her parents, she made strong progress at school and became more comfortable switching between French and English.

Primary school tutoring (French system – French High School Charles de Gaulle, South Kensington)

I tutored an 11-year-old student for two years who was struggling to keep up with her class, particularly in mathematics and science. She had hyperactivity and significant difficulty maintaining focus for extended periods. I worked closely with her parents to organise sessions tailored to her needs, ensuring that each lesson had a clear structure and included regular breaks to help her stay engaged throughout the hour. This approach enabled her to catch up on challenging subjects, significantly improve her grades, and gain the confidence needed to succeed in class.

French Literature (French Baccalaureate)

I tutored this student during the final year leading up to his French Baccalaureate oral and written exams. He initially struggled with poor organisation, unstructured class notes and a limited understanding of the exam format. I quickly identified that his disorganisation stemmed from low motivation, driven by consistently low grades in the subject (average 9/20). After a few weeks of working together on exam preparation and helping him understand the importance of achieving a strong grade in French literature (particularly for UCAS predicted grades), his performance and motivation improved significantly. By the final exam in June, he achieved results beyond his expectations: 14/20 in the written exam and 18/20 in the oral. This greatly boosted his confidence and prepared him for undergraduate studies.

History (IB)

The IB History course is widely considered one of the most challenging, especially at Higher Level. My student struggled particularly with Paper 2, which focuses on essay-based questions on world history topics such as the Cold War and authoritarian states. I worked with her to create a structured revision plan, helping her organise and improve her class notes to make them more understandable and easier to memorise. I also guided her through past papers and taught her best practices for structuring and writing strong history essays. My goal was not only to prepare her for the IB exam, but also to support her ambition to study history at university. She ultimately achieved a Grade 7 in IB History.

UCAS application

I began tutoring this student at the start of his final year of secondary school. He was applying to UK universities through UCAS as well as business schools in Europe. I worked closely with him and his family to create a structured plan that aligned with the various application deadlines. My support ranged from advising him on which programmes to target based on his grades and interests, to helping him draft his personal statement and CV. This guidance was especially important as his grades were only slightly above the entry requirements. We worked on his applications together until submission in April. He ultimately received three offers from Russell Group universities and several European business schools, giving him strong options to choose from.

French Literature (Pre-U Cambridge)

This student, who attended Eton, was preparing for the Cambridge Pre-U exam, a particularly challenging assessment. Although his French language skills were excellent, he struggled with the in-depth analysis required for the literary texts (covering novels, plays, and poetry). Over the course of less than four weeks, I helped him develop the analytical skills and methodologies needed to interpret these texts effectively. As a result, he achieved high grades in both the oral and written components of the exam.

Cambridge exam preparation (BA History and Politics)

A brilliant student aimed to study History and Politics at the University of Cambridge. I supported her in preparing for the Cambridge History Admissions Assessment (HAA), which focuses on critical reading and analysis of historical documents. Since the test takes place early in the academic year (October), I created a tailored study plan to help her revise efficiently over the summer while also preparing her UCAS application. This plan included face-to-face lessons to work through HAA practice questions, as well as recommended tools, documents, and methods for independent study. Thanks to this structured preparation, she performed successfully in the exam.

Master’s application (LSE)

This student was in her final year of a Bachelor’s degree in War Studies and History at King’s College London and had started her master’s applications late. I supported her in developing ideas for the cover letters for two programmes at the London School of Economics (LSE), guiding her on the key points to include and helping her present her experience in a compelling way. She was able to submit her applications before the deadline and received an offer for her preferred programme.

Hobbies