Veronica
Education
School
St Mary’s School, Shaftesbury
University
Edinburgh University BA Spanish
Teaching and tutoring experience
I’ve been tutoring since 2015 – I have tutored over 70 pupils in Maths, French, Spanish and ISEB 11+ pre-test tutoring. I’ve done more pre-test tutoring than the other subjects and it is the subject I am now focusing on. I have taught Spanish at Cumnor House, Sussex prep school since 2016 on a part time basis – I gave a year 8 pupil one-to-one lessons for a year. I have also done two years of teaching the year 8 scholars Spanish as an extra subject in their last term and I have done a year of teaching Spanish to a class of year 1s and 2s.
Teaching style and philosophy
My main aim, other than to prepare the children fully for the test, is for my pupils to want to come to my lessons – I really do not want it to be a battle for the parents!! So I make my lessons fun and varied. I teach a mixture of Maths, English, Verbal and Non Verbal reasoning in my lessons and I break up the hour with an interview type question or two. The children like talking about themselves on the whole and I use this as a way to get to know them better and to build a rapport. It is also helpful preparation for the children’s interviews with the schools after the pre-test.
I am engaging and enthusiastic in the lessons and I have various little tricks and stories I use to get the pupils to remember certain techniques – mostly in maths. I do a lot of repetition with the pupils to ensure every topic remains fresh for the test. With the maths I make sure they know the year 5 maths syllabus well and, depending on their ability, I will also teach the year 6 (and beyond) syllabuses. With regard to the Verbal and Non Verbal Reasoning l make sure they have been exposed and understand every type of weird and wonderful question that they may face, some of which are extraordinarily difficult to decipher when doing it for the first time! The English is about consolidating all parts of grammar and practising comprehension. I find, however, that the work on comprehension that children do at school is often enough so the main focus quite often is the grammar.
I use the ISEB Galore Park books as well as my own material and Atom. I don't set homework until the Autumn term (other than the odd times tables practise if needed) but this will always be on Atom and if they have the time. What I do not want is a child to be walking into the test all stressed so I keep it pretty relaxed and will offer two lessons a week if needed towards the end. I am also totally available for the October half term weeks so children can have as many lessons as their parents would like during those two weeks.
Additional information
I have three children of my own (all now at Wellington College) and I am based in East Sussex (near Lewes / Haywards Heath) and I either teach at home or online.