Giving AQA GCSE English Students a Forensic Understanding of the Course

Thank you, Claire for all the resources and tips you’ve given so far. All very much appreciated. J & A are loving the sessions. No easy task keeping two 16 year olds engaged for an hour, but you do it well. Huge thanks, Claire!

“I really can’t recommend Claire enough! She taught me through KS4 and inspired me to continue with English Literature and take it at A-Level. She is so strikingly kind and cares deeply for all of her students, and that has stuck with me all these years later! If you are looking for a passionate and experienced tutor that will motivate, engage and inspire, I can’t think of anyone better than Claire for the job. 5 stars does this service an injustice!”

‘I wasn’t an amazingly academic student. Frequently, I was the class clown and the one to make a cheeky comment. This was of course all bravado and in reality, a cover up for a 16 year old with little confidence and belief in herself. I had a passion for English and occasionally some good ideas which were reflected in my work. Claire, Mrs Davidson saw through to the real me and coaxed me to put some effort in and see how I did. Eventually I softened my stubbornness and did what she advised. She was there every step of the way, constantly marking my work, to give me an idea on how I was getting on. She was on hand for everything and no idea was bad in her eyes. She truly believes in her students and does everything she can, professionally and personally to get results, but also provides fantastic support in the process, making you believe in yourself. I was terrified to do my speaking and listening exam and was sure I was going to fail. Claire listened to my endless moans and whinging (give the woman a medal- patience of a saint!!) and she just urged me to give it my all and to believe in what I was saying. You best believe it, I nearly fell off of my chair when she delivered the news that little old me had the highest speaking and listening grade out of our top set class! I went from an E Grade in my mocks, to getting 2 As in English Language & English Literature. If you are looking for anyone to help you with your English, Claire is the lady for you.’

“Professional, experienced, friendly, knowledgeable, supportive, brilliant! English has always been a struggle for my son, who got a low level 3 in the summer so started tutoring with Claire ahead of November resits.  Her knowledge of the exam process, student learning and the English syllabus is amazing.  She was able to encourage and support my son, who made terrific progress in a short time.  He came out of the summer exam shrugged his shoulders and made a grunt. He came out of the November exam saying he has never written so much in an English exam, (and knew how to approach each question correctly.) He was smiling, actually smiling after an English exam! Claire and my son worked together to find the areas he needed to focus on and then worked intensively through the process. He regularly submitted work, which Claire thoroughly and accurately marked, using her many years of experience.  This bespoke approach motivated him and gave him confidence. I cannot speak highly enough of Claire, her knowledge and approach has given my son the best chance possible.” Update: ‘W received his November resit results and achieved the Grade 4 he needs to finally pursue the course of his choice. He did this within 2.5 months. I am so relieved and delighted.’ (N.H.)

My son really struggled with his English; 2 years ago it looked like he was not going to pass his GCSE at all and we were really worried. This is when Claire kindly agreed to support him. The one to one tutoring Claire gave him was online. I loved listening to her lessons. Claire is so enthusiastic, encouraging, kind and supportive. She also has a huge amount of knowledge and understanding around her subject. Over the next two years my son’s confidence grew. He started to enjoy English and believe in himself. I know this is because of how Claire made him feel; it was wonderful to watch. This summer our son passed his English GCSE. This was such an achievement and I believe it was only possible because of Claire’s patient and continued support. I cannot recommend her more highly. She has enabled our son to believe he can do it. He is now going to continue with his education and start his A-levels. I couldn’t ask for anymore.

“I highly recommend Claire Davidson as an exceptional English tutor for GCSE exam preparation. With her expert guidance and personalised approach, my daughter not only improved her understanding of the subject but also gained confidence in her abilities. Claire possesses a deep understanding of the curriculum and tailored her lessons to address my daughter’s specific needs, ensuring that she grasped challenging concepts with ease. Her patience, dedication, and passion for teaching shone through in every session, creating a supportive learning environment. I am immensely grateful for the invaluable impact Claire has had on my daughter’s academic journey. No doubt we’ll see Claire again in a few years when my son needs some help with his GCSEs.”  

“I couldn’t recommend Claire Davidson enough. Claire taught me for my GCSEs back in 2000 & 2001. With Claire’s enthusiasm and great teaching style, I went from getting Cs & Bs at the beginning to finally ending up with an A/A* for English language & English literature. Claire made English lessons become interesting, rather than a boring compulsory subject that I thought of it as before entering her class. Claire taught me so many skills for essay writing and analysis that prepared me for not just the rest of my education up to post-graduate Masters level, but life in general. With the company “World Challenge”, Claire took my brother in a team of students to Morocco for a week and a few years later, Claire & I went to Malawi & Zambia for a month with another team. She encouraged and helped motivate us into such life skills and experiences that we would never have achieved through school alone. These skills helped with university and job applications and life in general. I will never forget the time and effort Claire put into us as children and the opportunities she gave us. Claire is the perfect candidate, if you are considering her tutoring services of your child.”

I can’t praise our experience with The English Lab highly enough! My daughter struggled with English, and after she received a grade 4 in her mocks we decided to turn to Claire for help, with just months to go before the GCSE exams. Claire quickly identified my daughter’s strengths and areas for improvement, and tailored the tutoring sessions to her specific needs, focusing on strategies that would make the biggest impact on grades. Claire’s expertise, combined with her fun and informal teaching style kept my daughter motivated, improved her confidence, and made a world of difference in her GCSE results. Thanks to Claire’s guidance and encouragement, my daughter was able to achieve a grade 6 in her final exams – a significant improvement from her previous results. I wholeheartedly recommend The English Lab to any student seeking to improve or excel in English

“I cannot recommend Claire (Mrs Davidson/Ms Smith) highly enough. I was fortunate enough to be taught by Claire for my GCSE English (years 10 & 11). I really struggled at school, English in particular (later diagnosed with Dyslexia) and struggled even more with authority. Far from the perfect student. Claire completely transformed my English learning experience. I enjoyed the books we read and even enjoyed writing about them afterwards. I was given an understanding of that which had previously alluded me. Claire’s passion, patience and strong personality make for an exceptional teacher. I am extremely grateful for her influence in my schooling as I was able to attain a Grade C in GCSE’s – which I appreciate isn’t the pinnacle of educational accolades, but for someone who was previously predicted E/F this was a great achievement and meant I was able to enter into my chosen career as an Aircraft Engineer in the RAF. Again, for this I am extremely grateful and would not hesitate to recommend her as a tutor”