30+ Years in the Classroom — Teacher, Head of Science, Headteacher

My career has run from classroom teacher in West Yorkshire schools, through Head of Science, to Headteacher at an international school. Today I tutor full-time, teaching students all over the world — predominantly in China, as well as Singapore, the Middle East, and across the UK, alongside in-person tuition from Bradford. Here's the timeline — and what I take from each stage into every lesson I teach now.

2020 – Present

Private Tutor & Educational Consultant (UK & Global)

Full-time one-to-one tuition in GCSE, IGCSE and A-Level Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. I teach students all over the world — mainly in China, but also across Singapore, the Middle East, and the UK. In-person tuition is provided across Bradford, Leeds, Ilkley, Bingley, Shipley, Keighley, Halifax, Huddersfield and Wakefield; online tuition is delivered to families worldwide across international time zones.

Recent outcomes include a 269/270 in A-Level Chemistry in 2024 — the highest A-Level Chemistry score in the world that year, multiple grade-9 outcomes at GCSE Triple Science, and successful applications onto competitive STEM degree courses including Medicine, Dentistry and Engineering. I also work with adult learners retaking GCSE Maths and Science for nursing and access courses.

2012 – 2020

Headteacher — International School

Eight years leading an international school. Responsible for curriculum design across Key Stages 3, 4 and 5, staff development, examination strategy and parent partnership. Oversaw the school through two full inspection cycles with consistently positive outcomes.

What I bring from those years into tutoring: an examiner's eye for what differentiates a grade-7 answer from a grade-9 answer, and a leader's understanding of how to set realistic targets and work backwards from them.

2005 – 2012

Head of Science Department

Seven years running a Science department at a UK secondary school. Led curriculum delivery across Physics, Chemistry and Biology, mentored ECT and middle-career teachers, and rebuilt the department's KS4 results profile.

This is where I refined the approach that underpins my tutoring today — diagnose first, then teach. Most students don't need more topics covered; they need the gaps in the topics they've already been taught to be found and filled.

1995 – 2005

Science & Mathematics Teacher

A decade of front-line teaching in Yorkshire secondary schools. GCSE Physics, Chemistry and Biology; GCSE Mathematics across Foundation and Higher tiers; A-Level Physics and Chemistry. Form tutor responsibilities, parents' evenings, exam invigilation, after-school revision clubs.

Ten years of reading thousands of student exam scripts is the reason I can usually predict, within a couple of marks, where a student will land before they sit the paper. It's also the reason I'm patient — there is no error in GCSE Maths I haven't already seen a hundred times.

1991 – 1995

PGCE & Early Career

BSc Genetics from the University of Manchester, followed by a PGCE in Science Education. Trained in West Yorkshire schools and stayed in the region.

What that experience means for your child's lessons

Worldwide Teaching Experience

I teach students all over the world — mainly in China, but also across Singapore, the Middle East, and the UK. I am highly experienced in navigating UK and international curricula (AQA, Edexcel, Cambridge CIE, OCR) across global time zones.

Examiner's perspective

I've worked as a GCSE/A-Level examiner. I know which one-mark phrases earn the marks and which sound right but don't. Students are taught to write for the mark scheme, not just for the question.

Diagnostic teaching

In session one, we find the actual stuck point — usually a small misconception that's been quietly holding the student back for two or three years. Fix it, and the rest of the topic flows.

School-leader insight

As a former Headteacher, I know how schools work, how exam entries are managed, and what to do when a school's targets and a parent's targets don't quite align.

Single tutor, four subjects

Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology — at GCSE and A-Level. One tutor across multiple subjects means one consistent approach, less scheduling overhead for parents, and the ability to spot when a Physics struggle is actually a Maths gap.

Beyond exams

Personal statements, Oxbridge interview practice, STEP/MAT preparation, and university choice conversations — the parts of the journey schools sometimes don't have time for.

Local roots & In-Person Support

Three decades teaching in West Yorkshire schools. In-person tuition across Bradford and West Yorkshire, alongside an extensive international online student community.

Questions about whether I'm the right tutor?

Send a quick WhatsApp with your child's year, subject and exam board. I'll reply with an honest assessment of fit and what I'd expect to see in the first three months.

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