Case study
GCSE Science Tutor for Student in London
London, United Kingdom
Location
Hourly Tuition
Category
The parents of a Year 10 student at an independent school in London approached Witherow Brooke after his performance in the sciences had begun to fall behind his other subjects. He was academically capable and doing particularly well in humanities, but was achieving grades 5 and 6 in Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
His parents felt that the pace of classroom teaching was leaving little opportunity to revisit topics he had not fully understood. In particular, he struggled when scientific concepts had to be applied mathematically. Chemical equations, moles and concentration calculations in Chemistry and electricity and energy calculations in Physics were persistent difficulties. With GCSEs approaching the following year, the family wanted to address these weaknesses before they became entrenched.
Role of the Tutor
Witherow Brooke arranged weekly two-hour tuition with a specialist GCSE science tutor. Rather than simply following the order of the school curriculum, the tutor began by working through the student's previous tests and exercise books to identify gaps in his understanding.
A particular focus was placed on the relationship between scientific concepts and the calculations used to express them. Topics such as balancing equations and quantitative chemistry were broken down carefully to ensure a solid understanding before being applied to increasingly difficult GCSE questions. As his underlying knowledge improved, sessions increasingly incorporated timed past-paper questions and examination technique.
Tutor Profile
We selected a science specialist with an academic background in the sciences and extensive experience teaching GCSE Biology, Chemistry and Physics. The tutor was chosen in particular for his ability to diagnose misconceptions and explain mathematical aspects of science clearly, rather than relying on repetition or memorisation.
Outcome
Within the first term, the student showed marked improvement and became more confident tackling unfamiliar questions independently. He ultimately achieved a grade 8 in all three subjects.