I am a fully qualified teacher and private tutor who works with children between the ages of 5 and 16. I have 6 years of teaching experience and a First-Class Honours degree in Primary Education from the University of Plymouth.
I started my career working in a primary school - as a Year 6 classroom teacher and English subject leader. I therefore have extensive knowledge about the end of Key Stage 2 assessment procedure, including 11 Plus preparation. Since taking over the teaching of Year 6 in this school, I greatly improved the percentage of children meeting the expected standard and the percentage of children achieving greater depth. I did this through quality teaching and assessment and by identifying any gaps in children’s learning early in the year so that they could be given the correct intervention to ensure that gaps were quickly closed.
I now work as a self-employed private tutor. I offer personalised 1:1 and small group tuition to suit children of all needs and abilities in reading, writing, maths, spelling and 11+ preparation. I teach all my lessons online, using a variety of engaging and interactive activities to suit all ages and abilities. Therefore, lessons can take place in your own home, no matter where you live!
I am intensely enthusiastic about teaching and working with young people and am highly motivated and dedicated to ensuring that all children achieve their absolute best through setting the highest expectations for all. It is my intention that all my pupils obtain the necessary knowledge, skills and understanding to become lifelong learners. I always plan my lessons to be exciting and engaging, making certain that they are well supported, have good pace, and engage and challenge the children - ensuring that learning is consolidated and extended.
I am a kind-hearted and fun tutor and pride myself in building a strong rapport with all my students. I will work with you and your child to identify their next steps through a calm and patient approach and can help whether your child is struggling with basic concepts or working to achieve greater depth.
A conscientious professional with up to date knowledge and excellent communication skills. Highly responsive to the needs of pupils and parents.
Teaching Skills
An outstanding teacher. Lessons are interactive, fun and cater to the individual needs of the students. Friendly personality, with clear explanations of the subjects she teaches.
General
I would highly recommend Portia. She is an enthusiastic, talented and natural teacher who inspires a love of learning in her students.
I started online tuition with B in the January, to work towards his 11 Plus examinations in September. B had done no prior 11 Plus preparation and was unaware of the structure and layout of the exams.
I worked on all 11 Plus papers with B: maths, reading comprehension, creative writing, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning. He started with very little confidence and belief in himself, and he found the idea of the 11 Plus very overwhelming. However, with weekly tuition over the 9 months, B gradually became more comfortable with the exam style and was able to complete each paper independently with confidence.
B passed his 11 Plus exam and obtained a place at his school of choice.