Lorelei
"Lorelei has been an absolute delight to have as a tutor for my children, guiding them in preparation for the 11+ exams to top-tier schools including St Paul's Girls' School, Westminster School, and Wycombe Abbey. Her work ethic, punctuality, and dedication to excellence are simply stellar."
Parent of students preparing for 11+ Exams
11+
13 +
Ancient Greek
Classics
English
Latin
Oxbridge Applications
Academic History
University of Oxford, St Anne’s College: Classics (Literae Humaniores) 2:1
A Levels: 3 A*s in Latin, English Literature, History
GCSEs: 11 A*s in English Literature, English Language, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, History, Latin, Music, Drama, Religious Studies
About Me
I have personally always adopted a disciplined approach to studying, and always believe that little and often is the most effective and manageable way to work. I recognise that almost every person is their own “type” of learner, and that different techniques can work for different tasks. I think visual aides such as colour coordinating notes can be incredibly helpful (and make things a bit brighter!) and have also found using auditory learning very helpful by recording myself to listen to as I walk around from place to place when I can’t be sat at my desk. My time at Oxford taught me many things, but by far the most valuable was learning how to learn and be curious about the world around you. School syllabi can give the impression that learning requires a rigid approach and understanding, but I believe it is vital to recognise the need for the flexibility and fluidity of ideas. I believe engaging with students as individuals with interests outside of their studies is very important, and always do my best to ensure each individual student is enjoying lessons and feels able to discuss the work we are doing in a way that relates it to the world around them. I plan thoroughly for each session but am always able to adapt if students bring other problems to lessons and am prepared for work to go slower or faster than initially planned.
Recent tuition
Alongside delivering Latin tuition, I regularly work with students preparing for the 11+. Those whom I have most recently worked with have applied to a range of schools including St Paul’s Girls’ School, Westminster, St Olave’s and Whitgift. I also have supported students with 16+ entrance to top schools such as Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Westminster and St Paul’s. I have extensive experience preparing students for Oxbridge applications, with a focus on Classics, at every step of the process. I also run mock interviews for other humanities subjects including history and archaeology.
Below is a snapshot of my recent tutoring experience:
11+ Support
I supported this student for a year in the run up to her 11+ exams. We focused primarily on English as she struggled with answering comprehensions concisely and accurately and was nervous about timings in the exam. We worked on reading questions closely and how to respond most efficiently, and how to use a first and second read of a passage to glean information effectively. She went on to receive offers from all schools applied to and now attends St Paul’s Girls School.
Latin GCSE
I supported a student (St Paul’s Girls’ School) for eighteen months prior to her Latin GCSE. She was a very able student but required confidence and was determined to achieve a 9 in her final exam. We worked on both the literature and language sides of her syllabus. I pushed her accordingly as she was very bright, and introduced her to literary analysis skills at a higher level than is expected of GCSE students. She went on to achieve a 9 in her Latin and all other subjects.
Latin A Level (OCR)
I supported this student (Eton) in the two month period before his A Level exams. He was predicted an A in his Latin, but got a B in mocks and needed an A for his university offers. Unseen translation was his main concern, as this was where he was losing the most marks. We worked on consolidating and expanding his vocabulary knowledge with regular tests, and went through multiple past papers to practice his unseen translating, focusing on application of grammatical knowledge that he felt confident with in isolated exercises. He went on to achieve an A*.
Oxbridge admission – Classics
This student (Cheltenham Ladies’ College) initially came to me for a summer project/EPQ in the summer before her final school year, to expand her knowledge of Classics and engage in work outside the classroom. I suggested multiple essay areas, and she selected the topic she found most engaging. I then suggested reading and we had tutorial-style sessions that allowed her to write a full essay. She then requested support with her personal statement, CAT preparation and eventually mock interviews. We worked together at least once a week for several months, focusing on vocabulary for translation, unseen practice, and discussion of her personal statement. She received an offer for Balliol and began her studies there after achieving her offer grades.
University admission
This student (Esher College) came to me aspiring to study Classics at Oxbridge, and also hoping to apply to UCL, Bristol, and Edinburgh. She was also in the process of receiving a SEN diagnosis. She struggled a lot with confidence, and whilst studying Classics A Level, had never studied Latin or Greek. We worked together for over six months on an extended essay and then on her application for Oxford. She found it very difficult to articulate herself, but had a very keen interest in the subject, and I worked with her to boost her confidence and feel able to express her ideas clearly in interviews as she did this very well on paper. She was invited for interview at Oxford which she and her family were thrilled about, but unfortunately did not receive an offer. She was, however, very happy with her other offers and started at UCL recently. She gained masses of confidence in her ability and was able to articulate herself with clarity and maturity by the end of our time working together.
Hobbies
As an actor and creative, singing, writing, and watching film and theatre are a very important part of my life. I have always been drawn to live performance and think it’s the closest we can get to understanding each other and those we might never meet without direct personal communication. I am learning Italian currently as my grandmother was Italian and really enjoy studying the language for fun, especially as I’ve spent most of my time studying ancient languages. As I recently spent a year in Australia, my favourite way to pass time is with my family and friends- you really don’t realise how lucky you are until you are ten thousand miles away from everyone you love!
Testimonials
“Lorelei is an outstanding English tutor who is kind, patient, and exceptionally thorough. She exudes confidence in her teaching style, effortlessly keeping her students engaged and motivated. Her warm and encouraging personality far exceeds even her impressive Oxford credentials.
Lorelei has been an absolute delight to have as a tutor for my children, guiding them in preparation for the 11+ exams to top-tier schools including St Paul’s Girls’ School, Westminster School, and Wycombe Abbey.
Her work ethic, punctuality, and dedication to excellence are simply stellar. I recommend her without reservation.”
11+ preparation (English, and previously Maths with two girls aged 8 and 10)
“Lorelei tutored my son in Latin A level from November 2023 to June 2024. As a result of her tuition, he improved his grade in Latin A level and is now going to university to read Ancient History and Archaeology.
Lorelei is a very nice tutor. She is friendly, professional and reliable and always kept me, the tutee’s mother, informed of what was going on. She had a good easy going relationship with me which was great, and she was efficient with her communications, always answering emails and invoicing on time. She was able to be flexible and give my son additional tuition nearer the exams.
She also had a lovely manner with my son who remembers Lorelei with affection. She was quite demanding of him, but good humoured and engaged, and he wanted to please her; he worked hard at his Latin as a result.
I recommend Lorelei highly as a tutor.”
Latin A level
