Matthew D
"His lessons were inspiring and full of passion, and he was one of the few teachers who I can pin down as having had a pivotal influence on my academic life."
A-Level Further Maths
A Level
ESAT
IB
MAT
Maths
PAT
Physics
TMUA
Undergraduate Level
Academic History
PhD in Theoretical Cosmology – Queen Mary University of London – Pass with minor corrections
Masters in Mathematical and Theoretical Physics – University of Oxford – Distinction
BSc in Physics and Philosophy – University of Oxford – 1st Class
Cambridge Pre-U: Physics – D1
A-Levels: Mathematics – A* Further Mathematics – A* Additional Further Mathematics – A* Chemistry – A* AS-Levels: Ancient History – A
GCSEs: Biology – A* Chemistry – A* Computing – A* English Language – A* English Literature – A* French – A* Further Mathematics – A* Geography – A* History – A* Mathematics – A* Physics – A* Religious Studies (half) – A
About Me
Since every student is different, adaptability is key. I tailor my lessons to each individual student to make sure they’re getting the most effective help in achieving their goals. Some students thrive on tackling the trickiest problems, others just need greater confidence and a more solid understanding of the basic course material.
But at the heart of my tutoring style is an active approach to learning, resembling the tutorial-style experience one would find at Oxford and Cambridge. The best way to learn is by doing, so in all my lessons the main focus is on working through problems.
By encouraging the student to think through questions out loud, I can clearly see where their thought process is operating smoothly and where it can be improved. When a student is clearly struggling to see the next step, I offer hints and guidance as to how to proceed until either they manage to find their way or we need to dive into a deeper discussion of the appropriate methods and iron out flaws in their understanding.
Recent tuition
A-Level Mathematics (AQA)
This student’s exams were drawing near and had received a few disappointing grades in internal tests. When I started tutoring him, it was clear the basic material had not been properly understood and his attempted solutions would go astray almost immediately. A few months later, his confidence was massively improved and I had to look for the most difficult questions to push him.
MAT Oxford Admissions Test
I tutored this student over the course of five months providing coaching for the Oxford Mathematics admissions exam and interviews. He was already a good mathematician with a strong command of the basic syllabus material, but the MAT requires sophisticated and creative problem-solving skills that students have rarely needed to use. By the end of our sessions, this student had developed impressive problem-solving ability and received an offer from Oxford.
PAT Oxford Admissions Test
I tutored this student for the PAT and Oxford Physics admissions. She was a bright student, but had big problems with confidence. One of the biggest things we needed to work on was making sure she felt comfortable enough to talk through problems, so that if/when she earned an interview, it had the best chance of going well. After six months of tuition, she has become much more confident, regularly seeks out the most difficult problems to work through and received an offer from Oxford.
BSc Physics (Open University)
This student was completely flummoxed by the quantum mechanics course he had signed up for and had started to think he’d made a mistake. We had sessions for around six months. During these, we went through many of the questions he struggled with and helped develop his understanding to the point where he could successfully complete his assignments and was enjoying the course!
BSc Physics (University of Southampton)
This student had done poorly in their exams and had taken a year out. Upon returning to university, they needed to resit their exams in quantum mechanics and mathematics for physics. Together we worked through the material in detail to help develop a solid basic understanding of the course. Originally he had scored 33%, but in the resit he achieved a score of 83% and continued into the next year of study with confidence.
Hobbies
I like to get involved with science communication and enjoy sharing some of the fascinating things I’ve learned in my career so far via my own YouTube channel – “Shots in The Quark”. My aim is to make some of the most abstract parts of physics understandable to a general audience. In particular I focus on interesting topics in theoretical physics and philosophy of physics.
And I never stop looking to learn myself! I continue to self-teach undergraduate level topics in mathematics that I didn’t get the chance to study during my own degree programme.
I’m also an aspiring writer – I’m a big fan of classic sci-fi and would love to write something of my own.
And finally I have a thing for board games – the more complicated and strategic the better!
Testimonials
“As someone who has personally benefited from Matt’s teaching, I can confidently say that he has a unique ability to break down complex concepts and present them in a clear and engaging way. His lessons were inspiring and full of passion, and he was one of the few teachers who I can pin down as having had a pivotal influence on my academic life. When I first began studying more advanced mathematics, I was struggling to find motivation and was on the verge of giving up. But with Matt’s help, I not only gained a greater understanding of the subject, but I also developed a newfound love for maths that has had a profound impact on my academic and personal life. I now study a degree that is heavily rooted in mathematics, and I owe much of my success to Matt’s exceptional teaching style and passion for the subject.”
A-Level Further Maths
“Matthew has tutored my son since September 2022. He is a truly wonderful maths teacher with very professional teaching skill and attitude. My son was about to drop Further Maths from his A-level choices as one test was less than 60%, After Matthew helped him, he got 98% in the term test, very happy and confident to carry on with his maths for the Oxford target.”
A-Level Further Maths
“I have just finished a year of regular tutoring sessions with Matt and his tutelage was invaluable for helping me master the content in IB AAHL maths. Matt’s ability to synthesise complex topics and present them clearly and concisely was always appreciated. Additionally, his preparation and his innate ability as a teacher have enabled me to build upon my knowledge every lesson. Finally, and most importantly, Matt is a really lovely person who made even the dull grind of IB maths more enjoyable. Highly recommended.”
IB HL Maths
