Case study
A-Level Maths Tutor for Student Applying to Medicine
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Location
Hourly Tuition
Category
The parents of a Year 12 student approached Witherow Brooke for support with A-Level Mathematics. The student hoped to study Medicine at university and was performing strongly in Biology and Chemistry, but Maths was proving considerably more difficult.
She was particularly struggling with algebraic manipulation and trigonometry, which was beginning to affect her progress in other areas of the course. With strong predicted grades important for her university applications, the family wanted to address these weaknesses during Year 12 rather than leave them until the final examination year.
Role of the Tutor
Witherow Brooke arranged weekly tuition with a specialist A-Level Maths tutor. The tutor initially worked through recent school assessments to identify the areas causing the greatest difficulty, before concentrating on the underlying algebraic skills that were holding back her progress.
The tutor found that the student often understood a topic in class but became stuck when a question was presented in an unfamiliar way. They worked on recognising the underlying mathematics in more complex problems and breaking questions into manageable steps. Particular attention was given to algebra and trigonometry, while new material from school was regularly brought into sessions so that difficulties could be addressed as soon as they arose.
Tutor Profile
We selected an experienced Maths tutor with a strong academic background and extensive experience teaching A-Level Mathematics. As well as excellent subject knowledge, the tutor had experience working with students preparing for competitive university applications and understood the level she needed to reach.
The tutor's calm and methodical approach was a particularly good fit for the student, who had become anxious about Maths and tended to lose confidence when she could not immediately see how to approach a problem.
Outcome
Over the course of Year 12, the student's performance in Maths improved significantly and she became much more confident tackling difficult questions independently. Her predicted grade increased from a B to an A, putting her in a much stronger position as she began her applications to study Medicine, and ultimately gained a place at UCL.