Curiosity, Courage, and Collaboration: The Soul of Lettered Tutoring

I developed a love of English language and literature during my studies and am passionate about passing that on to the students I support. Literary learning is a subject that’s often misunderstood and can be associated with stale learning techniques that encourage memorising a text verbatim or reciting a passage without feeling and emotion.

I’m passionate about showing students that literary excellence can be joyous, and that’s what Lettered Tutoring is all about.

My studies and early career followed the traditional route with degrees in English: an M. A. from Clark University, an M. Phil. from Oxford University and a doctorate from Royal Holloway, University of London.  I then started my teaching career in a range of independent schools and universities both in the UK and US, and currently teach part-time at Greene’s College, Oxford, alongside coaching and tutoring. 

It’s a career I love and continues to bring me joy. But over the years, I’ve seen so many bright and curious students get lost in a noisy classroom because their learning style doesn’t align with the conventional teaching methods. At a time when they need guidance the most to nurture their curiosity and growth, they disappear and feel unseen and unheard because they don’t shout the loudest or gain the most attention.

I knew I wanted to create a different type of learning environment that encourages a more joyful participation in literary culture and learning, that is accessible to everyone and helps each student find their voice as they strive for excellence.

Transformative English Tutoring

Lettered tutoring is an elite educator and bespoke space where we encourage and nurture students to find the joy in words and texts. We encourage them to think critically about what they’re reading and use their authentic expression to talk and write about their thoughts on a piece of work, sharing how it makes them feel and think. 

Our ethos is to show students that studying English is about so much more than a grade or exam. It’s about letting a text get under their skin and feeling and knowing it so they can form their own opinion and share it eloquently with others, whether that’s collaboratively with their peers or during an exam.

When students feel confident and courageous about their learning, it becomes joyful and meaningful, rather than just going through the motions. And joyful learning is where the magic happens and excellence starts to shine through.

We want students to learn in a way that brings out their best work, not just so they can achieve academic success, but so they’ve got that learning for life, which will serve them well throughout all aspects of their future

Literary Excellence

I’ve spent over 20 years guiding and supporting students, watching them gain confidence and fall in love with studying English, which brings me great joy.

Over the last 10 years, I’ve helped hundreds of students achieve success, whether that’s by getting the grades they wanted and deserved, or obtaining a place at their dream school or university.

I’ve had the pleasure of helping students achieve top grades and offers of places at Oxbridge, Russell Group, and Ivy League Universities. They’ve done this through hard work, but also because they were in a space that let them think and be curious, and find their unique voice. With this comes confidence and excitement, which helps them achieve excellence.

Enjoying Culture

My love of English language and literature is a big influence on my life, and gives me a desire to keep on learning and exploring. I enjoy visiting museums and cultural heritage sites to deepen my knowledge, and love watching performances at the theatre, whether that’s a traditional play or a modern dance show.

I also love to take long walks, explore new places and travel around the world, experiencing new cultures and ideas.

If you’d like to find out more about Lettered and how we can help students achieve academic excellence in English in a nurturing and supportive space, get in touch today.