Private English tutoring in London and online
Whether it's 11+, Common Entrance, GCSE, A Level or something else — we can help you ace English!
Toby — our featured English tutor in London
Toby graduated from Oxford in 2012 with a degree in English Language and Literature. He then completed a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at New York University.
Toby has over 1000 hours' tutoring experience in English Language and English Literature, including a lot of teaching for 11+ and 13+ exams.
He has also taught English Language and English Literature in schools.
Is English a useful subject to study?
English provides us with a toolkit for communication across all aspects of life. When we’re studying the works of great literature, whether that’s in the form of a novel, a play or even poetry, by analysing and exploring the techniques the writers used to create them, we’re widening our understanding of what’s possible in the English language.
The tools and techniques that these writers use and have used can be applied to our own methods of communication, whether that’s in day to day speech, or in writing, both creatively or academically. We can learn by example from writers like Charles Dickens all the way to Toni Morrison. By noticing what these writers do in order to successfully tell a story, we can then apply these techniques to our own English Language work.
In English Language, you might be asked to write a variety of different things, from your own short story to a piece of persuasive text, but all of the skills you pick up along the way will be with you for life!
Perhaps you’ll need to write a cover letter to a future employer to persuade them of how much of an asset you will be to their team, or you might want to write a letter to your MP about a subject you feel passionately about - but whatever the context, the work you do in your English classes will set you up for every eventuality in life.
How can an English tutor help?
There are many reasons why someone may seek support from an English tutor. It might be that you are struggling with a set text and need someone to go through it with you in order for it to make more sense.
For example, Shakespeare can feel a little intimidating to some people at first, as it can feel like reading something in a different language, but our tutors can help break down the text with you and provide you with the tools you need to be able to understand it independently. This might be for your work in Key Stage 3, or it might even be that you need some more thorough help in preparation for your GCSEs or A Levels.
Sometimes, you might need a bit of help building confidence with your creative writing, and our tutors can help by guiding you through exercises or creating activities that develop those areas that you feel you need strengthening.
In some cases, you might be searching for a tutor to help your child improve their reading comprehension, or literacy skills, which would call for a tutor with plenty of experience working with younger students.
Whether you want to work with a tutor who is currently studying English at university, or work with an experienced English teacher to talk you through any (or all!) aspects of your syllabus, a tutor can really help to boost your confidence, and your grade!
How can I find an English tutor?
There are two primary options when seeking an English tutor: the first involves directly hiring an English tutor, without the help of an intermediary agency. Typically, this method is more cost-effective, allowing you to discover suitable tutors through a Google search or recommendations from acquaintances.
However, there are various benefits associated with employing a tutoring agency to connect with an English tutor:
1) Agencies have an in-depth understanding of their tutors and can pair you (or your child) with an English tutor whose personality and teaching style align best with your needs. Since every student has a unique learning approach, finding the right match is crucial.
2) Tutoring agencies meticulously screen their tutors. They verify their identities, confirming their qualifications and academic achievements, and conduct background checks, including reviewing DBS certificates, to ensure a clean record for working with students. Additionally, they collect references from other parents or students. Some agencies, like Titanium Tutors, may even conduct interviews with tutors, which can involve observing them during an English lesson.
3) Agencies provide continuous support. They facilitate regular lesson and progress reports from your English tutor. In case of any concerns, there will always be someone available to address your queries. Moreover, if your English tutor becomes temporarily unavailable, the agency can readily arrange a replacement.
What English tutors are available at Titanium Tutors?
We provide English tutoring across a diverse range of proficiency levels, catering to various age groups. Our offering extends from young learners (ages 7+, 11+, 13+, Scholarship, etc.) to more advanced students (GCSE, IGCSE, A Level, IB, Pre-U, university entrance exams like Oxbridge, etc.), and even encompasses adult learners (those pursuing undergraduate or Master's programs, or simply learning for personal enrichment).
Our skilled English tutors have been meticulously selected by educational experts, including our most accomplished and long-standing tutors, some of whom hold PGCE qualifications. Our rigorous selection process ensures the highest quality of instruction.
For those seeking budget-friendly options, we offer undergraduate tutors — current students at renowned universities who are actively studying English. These tutors boast impressive academic records and a contagious passion for their subject, making them exceptional study companions.
For those with a more extensive budget, we provide highly experienced graduates with substantial tutoring backgrounds, having accumulated hundreds or even thousands of hours of teaching experience. Our most exceptional English tutors possess a combination of qualifications such as PGCEs (teacher training), PhDs, teaching experience in English schools, leadership as Heads of Department, or expertise as English examiners.
What does an English tutor cost?
The cost of an English tutor will be influenced by the tutor's credentials and their cumulative hours of private tutoring or classroom teaching experience. Undergraduate students studying English or related fields will generally fall on the cheaper side of the pricing spectrum, whereas those possessing a PGCE, prior experience in school teaching, Head of Department experience or examiner experience, will typically command higher fees.
At Titanium Tutors, we offer varied English tutoring rates to suit all budgets - check out our prices here.
Hear from our English tutors
Why you will Love English
by Cicely
English is one of the core subjects that everyone studies at some point in their education, and it’s for this reason that it can sometimes be taken for granted. However, there is a lot to love about it, and at Titanium Tutors we are passionate that it can, and should, be fun and accessible for everyone, no matter their ability.
Think about some of your favourite TV programmes and films. Maybe you love the world of the Upside Down in Stranger Things, or you might be a huge Marvel fan. Perhaps you really enjoy an American Campus drama! Whatever genre or style of TV or film you prefer, chances are the writers who created these programmes studied English at some point in their education, or, if not, they have worked hard to excel in telling really good stories.
Ultimately, that’s what underpins everything great about English – the telling of, and working out how to tell, really good stories. The reason we become so invested in these fictional worlds is because the writers have created characters that feel real to us so that we care about what happens to them and want to stay to find out what happens next. It is also a lovely form of escapism!
The same is true of great works of literature going all the way back to the beginning of storytelling; characters were created in order for us to explore a little piece of their world, worlds that sometimes felt familiar and sometimes were so different that it was like entering a new dimension!
Humans love telling stories: it’s a way we have communicated since the dawn of time, and in English, whether in Literature or Language, we get to talk about stories for the whole lesson! Yes, even when we might be talking about how an author uses rhetorical devices, or rhyme, we are still thinking about what makes the storytelling successful, and what it is that makes our experience as a reader so special.
That’s why we love English so much: it is a subject that is both academic and creative, and we are given an opportunity to read stories from all over the planet (and sometimes even about different planets!). This is the way we grow and develop as humans, by learning about different cultures and different moments in history, and even by reading something that is similar to our own lives, we might be able to look at things with a new perspective.
Article by Cicely
Cicely is a tutor, actor and writer. After graduating from Drama Centre London in 2018, Cicely has worked on stage and screen. In 2020, Cicely discovered her love of teaching, and has been tutoring English Literature and Drama ever since, as well as running a drama school audition help service with her friend and fellow actor to help prospective drama school students with their audition speeches. Cicely has had her poetry published in anthologies and online, and in her free time is an avid reader, often setting (mainly unattainable) reading goals for the year! She loves living by the sea, a good podcast, and taking long walks in the countryside.
A Fun and Easy Way to Become a Better Writer
by Toby
A question often posed to me by the parents of my students: “What can my son/daughter do to improve their writing?”. I get this from the mothers and fathers of GCSE students, of A Level students, of younger children, and of more mature learners. “Well,” I usually respond, raising a scholarly eyebrow, “does she read for pleasure?” More often than not this is met with an unimpressed look, bordering on disdain. “Of course she does. She burnt her way through all the Harry Potters.” “Ah,” I say, “and does she write letters?”
I want you to take up a new pastime: the art of letter writing. How old do you think Gustave Flaubert, author of Madame Bovary, was when he wrote this New Year’s greeting to his friend?
Any guesses? He was nine years old. Articulate little fellow, wasn't he! This is everything a good letter ought to be: amusing, opinionated, and affectionate. How did he get to be so good at expressing himself through the written word at such a young age? Great writers of the past, from Cicero to John Keats, have always honed their writing skills by composing short notes to entertain their friends, and to spread news and gossip. In our time, social media sites, instant messaging, and the ubiquity of mobile phones, threaten to displace this historic form of communication.
Of course, it is a huge drag to gather together paper, pen, and stamps, to then look up an address, and walk down to a postbox. Not to mention the unpleasantness of licking the adhesive strip at the top of an envelope. I'd be the last person to blame you for thinking it's not worth the effort. But thankfully our age has also made letter-writing easier and quicker than it has ever been before — we have emails.
So, my advice to anyone who wants to improve their writing, whether they have an English Language GCSE looming over the horizon or not, is this: sit down at your laptop two or three evenings a week and write a thoughtful, lengthy email to a friend you haven’t seen in some time. Or a distant member of your family.
The aim is to be as interesting as possible. Try to imagine the person you address is sitting in the room with you eagerly listening. Make it personal. Tell an anecdote that has recently taken place in your life. Talk about something you feel strongly about. Ask for your correspondent’s opinions on a problem you have. Think about what advantages the long-form email has over the comparatively short text messages, and make use of them. Of if you prefer, just give up TV and video games, and spend more time reading.
Article by Toby
Toby graduated from Oxford in 2012 with a degree in English Language and Literature. He then completed a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at New York University.
Toby has over 1000 hours' tutoring experience in English Language and English Literature, including a lot of teaching for 11+ and 13+ exams. He has also taught English Language and English Literature in schools.
Muddled by Milton? Sick of Shakespeare? Had it with Hemingway? Let us find you an English tutor to inspire you and get you back on track! Contact us today.