I have 15 years experience as a primary school teacher, teaching in Greatstone, Dover, Hawkinge and Deal. I have taught all year groups at primary level and I now enjoy tutoring both primary and secondary aged children, as well as the occasional adult!
I qualified with a First Class Honours in Education with Qualified Teacher Status (BA(QTS)) in 2000 and I also achieved a Masters in Education (MA) in 2005. During my teaching career I was a Lead Numeracy and Music teacher, a Senior Leader for KS2 and also a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator.
I greatly enjoy teaching children and moving them on in their learning. I feel that it is terribly important to help children gain confidence in their own abilities and believe in themselves as learners. I like to make learning an enjoyable experience and I have a good rapport with the children I currently tutor.
Ian is a creative, innovative and passionate tutor. He qualified with a first class Bachelor of Education with Honours degree in December 1992 and began his teaching career at Risley Avenue Infant school in Tottenham. After four years he changed school and worked first as a teacher then as Acting Deputy Head at Tetherdown Primary School in Muswell Hill. Ian was also the school’s literacy co-ordinator, a subject he really enjoys. In September 2000, Ian became Deputy Head of Risley Avenue Primary School, Tottenham with responsibility for just under 700 pupils and over 50 staff.
Ian continued in his role as Deputy Head for 8 years before making the move into higher education as a part-time lecturer in Geography at Middlesex University for the BA Primary/Early Years Education course. Following this, he became a senior lecturer in Early Years and Primary Education at London Metropolitan University. During this time, Ian was a full-time lecturer on three teacher training degree and post graduate courses and a supervising tutor for students on school placements. In 2017, Ian left full-time employment and began to work as a private tutor. He currently undertakes tuition work at the Cherry Tree Tuition Centre in East Finchley and has recently joined Shepway Tutoring after moving to Hythe.
As a tutor, Ian is extremely proficient in devising appropriate learning programmes for all abilities. He has worked with children with many different special educational needs including ASD, dyslexia and ADHD. He has a great deal of experience in preparing children for 11+ (Kent Test) and SATs and has a very good understanding of assessing the knowledge and skills of children in order to inform the planning of future sessions.
Ian’s personal interests and hobbies include writing children’s stories, reading, going to the cinema and theatre, music, cooking and gardening. We are very pleased to be able to offer Ian’s services to our clients.
Sue is a creative and caring tutor. She has been involved in education for over 30 years and has a great deal of experience supporting children and young people from her positions as a Teaching Assistant, Learning Mentor, Pastoral Manager and most recently as Inclusions Manager at a local secondary school. She also has qualifications in Art Therapy and Creative Learning and so her sessions can be geared to using art as a learning tool. In her role as an Inclusions Manager, Sue has a wealth of experience in engaging children and young people who would otherwise be disengaged and at risk of being excluded. She has an extensive knowledge of Special Educational Needs. When asked to write a little bit about her ethos when working with children, Sue said:
“I am passionate in my approach to learning and understand how important it is to “know” my pupil in order to deliver the most effective outcome for them. Through careful planning and discussion with the pupil and parents/carers, I aim to deliver enjoyable, engaging and individual sessions that not only help my pupil learn but help them gain confidence to go on to be successful learners throughout their lives.”
Sue’s personal interests and hobbies include amateur dramatics and art - she has her own business – Create and Shine. We are very pleased to be able to offer Sue’s services to our clients.
Someone once said to Caroline, “you’re wasting your time learning languages because everyone speaks English.” Far from feeling discouraged, this made her even more determined to achieve her ambition of becoming multilingual. She graduated from the University of Surrey with a joint honours degree in French and Spanish. As part of her course, she spent extended study periods at university in both Barcelona and Tours and undertook professional work placements in France.
Following university, Caroline pursued a career in private industry, including around 15 years as a procurement professional working for multinational companies, including Eurotunnel and Church & Dwight. She has continued to build on her language proficiency in the workplace by managing international suppliers and working regularly in France. Throughout her career, she has had to undertake multilingual tasks as diverse as presenting training courses, complex supplier negotiations, translation and managing multilingual teams. Following a serious health scare in 2018, she decided to change careers and follow her passion for writing. She now works for Holiday Extras as a copywriter, producing bilingual content for the company’s websites. Her career has been testament to just how valuable it can be to achieve proficiency in another language.
Caroline is an experienced tutor and has previously taught both French and Spanish to conversation and GCSE level. She has an absolute love of languages and feels passionate that learning should be fun, as well as informative. She is very adept in helping pupils who may be shy or lacking confidence with speaking languages. Her previous students have exceeded expectations with their predicted grades with one going on to study Spanish at university.
When not working, Caroline retains strong connections to her Romney Marsh roots with her voluntary work organising community events. She is a member of the New Romney Country Fayre Committee and is also the team leader for the Light Up New Romney Community Christmas Lantern Parade.
Margaret is an imaginative and passionate tutor. She qualified in December 1993 with a 2:1 Bachelor of Arts with honours degree in Business Studies and began her business career with Scottish Enterprise, BBC Scotland, Telewest Communications and TSC (outsourcing) to name a few. After relocating to Hawkinge with her family in 2008, Margaret volunteered in her daughters’ primary school. This led to her undertaking her PGCE qualification at Canterbury Christchurch University and beginning her teaching career at Furley Park Primary Academy in Ashford in 2012.
During her time at Furley Park, she taught both Year 1 and Year 4 and was nominated for KMFM’s Teacher of the Year Award, receiving a Highly Commended. After four years she changed school to Martello Primary Academy in Folkestone and then its sister school, Morehall Primary. Margaret was Literacy Co-ordinator at Martello Primary, a subject she really enjoys. She was also the Wellbeing co-ordinator for both Morehall and Martello Primaries.
In a voluntary capacity, Margaret has been involved in both her daughters’ primary and secondary PTFAs, continuing to hold the post of Chair of Folkestone School for Girls PTFA, a role she has undertaken for the last 9 years. In December 2018 Margaret stopped teaching to care for her late mother. Since then she has been working as a private tutor and part-time exam invigilator.
As a tutor, Margaret is patient, compassionate and supportive. She adapts her teaching to meet the needs of all her pupils and is dedicated to helping them feel confident, raising their self-esteem. Margaret recognises and appreciates that all children are unique and learn at their own individual pace.
Margaret’s personal interests and hobbies include cycling, drawing, reading, going to the theatre, music, cooking and reluctant gardening. We are very pleased to be able to offer Margaret’s services to our clients.
Kat is a knowledgeable, creative and patient tutor who encourages young people to have a positive attitude, to think critically, and to emphasise their strengths. Over the past 10 years she has worked with children in schools both in Kent and London. During her time in the classroom, she has gained invaluable experience assisting children through their learning journeys. Kat has worked with children and young people with special educational needs including ASD, ADHD, ODD and Dyslexia. She also has experience working with children with mental illness and has completed some training in this field.
Kat has completed a BSc (Hons) degree in Marketing Management and has worked as a business consultant and workplace trainer. In addition to this, Kat has qualifications in music; singing and playing the guitar. She is very computer competent and has learnt to use Adobe’s Creative Cloud which includes applications such as Photoshop and Illustrator. She also uses Procreate to generate her own work as a graphic designer and she loves to use her creative flair to adapt and find engaging ways for children to learn.
Part of her work as a Marketer has involved copywriting and creating press releases and as a result Kat has a very high standard of written English. In her own time, she loves to read books, play and listen to music, go for bike rides and she is currently learning how to code to develop websites. Kat’s varied knowledge makes her a valuable part of our team and an inspiring tutor.
Sam is a dedicated, compassionate and motivational tutor who enjoys finding the key to unlock her students’ potential. She qualified to deliver courses in Further Education colleges in 2001 before completing her BA Honours degree in Post Compulsory Education and Training in 2008. While teaching in college, Sam started to work with younger students, many who had been permanently excluded from school. This led her to pursue a career teaching students who struggled in mainstream education. During this time, Sam was Deputy Head in two schools, one of which she was instrumental in setting up.
Sam has worked with many students with different special educational needs including ASD, Mental Health issues, Dyslexia, ODD and ADHD. She is skilled in a variety of behavioural techniques and delivers these to a high standard. She also has wide experience working with external agencies that support young people, for example, Educational Welfare Officers, CYPMHS (Children and Young People’s Mental Health Service) and Local Authority EHCP Officers.
As a tutor, Sam is extremely competent in assessing the needs of her pupils and devising appropriate learning programmes for all abilities. Her subject areas include Maths, English, Science, History and ICT from KS2 to GCSE level and she is also experienced in preparing children for 11+ (Kent Test). Sam uses an extensive range of alternative teaching strategies to ensure her students enjoy learning and grow in confidence and self-esteem.
Personally, Sam is a writer for many online publications, as well as publishing a children’s book. When she isn’t writing, she likes nothing better than spending time with her children and pets or burying her head in a book!
Jack is a committed and enthusiastic tutor who enjoys working with Key Stage 1 and 2 students. He is particularly keen to encourage, develop and nurture students holistically, focusing on more than just their academic needs. He is a qualified teacher with experience of teaching in both Key Stage 1 and 2 across a number of primary schools in Medway, Kent and London. Jack has delivered many educational programmes for children in primary, private, state, secondary and SEND schools.
Jack first developed his interest in educating through sport when he worked for a professional football club. Part of his role required him to go out to schools and deliver PE lessons, PE training to teachers and extra-curricular lessons for the students.
Jack has taught a range of children with additional educational needs, including dyslexia, ADHD, ASD and other specialist needs. He is himself dyslexic and so fully understands the challenges and hurdles that comes with this.
He has completed multiple Continuous Professional Development courses to help develop and enhance his skills and knowledge. This has enabled him to teach and work with children in a calm and structured manner, ensuring they fully benefit from the learning experience.
As a tutor, Jack is enthusiastic and fun. He uses a broad range of teaching strategies to ensure his students enjoy learning and grow in confidence and self-esteem. His subject areas include Maths, English (reading, grammar, punctuation and spelling), Science, Geography, History, ICT and PE from EYFS to KS2 level.
As well as teaching Jack has a passion for sport and football in particular. He is a UEFA qualified coach and has worked for a number of different clubs in Kent, both the boys’ and girls’ sections as well as youth and adult teams. When Jack is not teaching or coaching, he enjoys working out and spending time with his family and friends.
Ange is not only a tutor that helps students reach their full potential, she also knows and values the importance of building positive relationships and gaining the trust of students and their families. She is excellent at developing mental well-being using techniques which enable children to manage and cope with their emotions be it anger, anxiety, depression or low self-esteem. Ange will always work with the child and family to achieve the best outcomes.
During her 15 years working within Special Educational Needs provisions, Ange has used Play Therapy, Lego Therapy and “Drawing and Talking” to make a difference to children’s lives. She helps her students improve their social skills and have more confidence to achieve in their education setting. Ange tutors Key Stage 1 and 2 mathematics and English, preparation and revision for the Kent Test (11+) and English as an additional language (ESOL).
From the beginning of her career in education Ange has always worked with children who have special educational needs including those with ASD, Dyslexia, ODD, ADHD, Global Development Delay, childhood trauma and mental health issues. She is skilled in a number of behavioural techniques and delivers these to a high standard.
Personally, Ange is a friendly, encouraging, non-judgemental person that thoroughly enjoys spending time with her family and her two granddaughters Daisy and Talia. She also spends a lot of time gardening and loves a good book at the end of her busy day.
"Kirsten was amazing, the absolute best. I couldn't have asked for anything better. From her tutoring, all the worries for the Kent Test were put to one side and I know that it gave me a boost to do it. I couldn't have asked for someone better to tutor me than Kirsten."
Fin, aged 10.
"Couldn't have met a better person for our boy at a tricky time. Kirsten really understands SEN as well as children in general . Fantastic learning opportunities with a fun approach tailored to your child's own interests."
Rebecca Readman, parent.
"Kirsten you are not just a superb teacher, you are more than that. You encourage my daughter and bring out the best in her in your teaching, she always has fun at the same time. You care about her and genuinely want to support and help her achieve her best. You have been kind and understanding to us as a family. You give more than just teaching, you go that extra mile to help out and support."
Paula Middleton, parent.
"Ian is such a lovely tutor. He really brought out my son's confidence and had a very calming effect. Would recommend in a heart-beat."
Vicki Welch, parent.Vicki Welch, parent.
"Honestly cannot recommend Kirsten enough. She's fabulous and what she doesn't know isn't worth knowing. Amazing lovely lady with the patience of a saint. Really warm and welcoming and makes the children want to learn. Really knew how to connect with all my SEN children from high functioning ASD, ADHD and chromosome disorders. Thank you for everything Kirsten, you're a star!"
Erin Reid, parent.
"Kirsten was a huge support for my son who has learning needs. She not only supported him but supported me in finding a solution to Thomas’s education. I cannot thank her enough for her kindness."
Natalie Lack, parent.
"Kirsten has tutored my son in the run up to his GCSEs. She was brilliant at understanding his special needs and quickly developed a very good rapport with him. Tom loved attending the sessions. Kirsten rapidly got him up to speed for his exams – helping him not only with subject content but also building his exam technique and giving him a real understanding of what he needed to do to be exam ready. She was happy to help develop revision schedules and tailor the sessions to fit with our needs. I would wholeheartedly recommend Kirsten’s tutoring."
Emily Carr, parent.
"I found Shepway Tutoring 4 years ago and Kirsten has been tutoring my 3 children since. One on one time to supplement school learning has given my children the confidence to try their best in areas they're not as strong in, and Kirsten's advice to them: 'if you get stuck at school, imagine I'm sitting next to you - what would I suggest you do?' has been invaluable. I'm so glad I found her!"
Deborah Taylor, parent.
We send out a regular newsletter with tips and advice in helping children to learn and understand, so if you would like to receive these tips and tricks the please sign up to our newsletter below.
We do not use your email address for any other purposes…
Website by Arpent Design