Personal Maths Tuition On-Line

Welcome to my website! I'm Chris Moffett and for many years I've enjoyed teaching maths to school-age students as a maths tutor in West Kent, England. Nowadays all my teaching is online tuition and I have students in other places including overseas. I offer maths tutoring for Key stages 3 and 4 (including GCSE and iGCSE), and also those in further education taking GCSE resits, with an emphasis on individual needs and tutoring special needs students. Almost all the students I take on come because they are underachieving in relation to their potential. The majority begin feeling discouraged and with low morale. But during their time with me they steadily find it all 'makes sense'. Probably the most common theme in the feedback I receive is, "My child's confidence has grown!"

Individual Teaching

Apart from ad hoc holiday revision groups, I teach all my regular students on-line, 1:1 using Zoom.   I give my students my 100% attention! I can provide students with regular term-time support for at least a year or longer, depending on their needs and circumstances. Standard regular sessions last an hour. I also offer ad hoc targeted troubleshooting "maths clinics" of  50 mins.

I will be offering some additional small group revision practice sessions during the main school holidays for those sitting GCSE  next June. See availability below.

Teaching details

I offer:

• Mathematics tutoring at KS3 and KS4 (GCSE foundation and higher tiers) and Common Entrance. (Please note: I do not offer primary, 11+ coaching, A level or IB.)
• Support to established GCSE students continuing to A level during their first year. This is based on the AQA Certificate in Further Mathematics and elements drawn from the AS syllabus.
• Support to students with Asperger's, ASD, ADHD and others out of school, missed schooling.
• Support to youngsters who find maths challenging, are discouraged and underachieving. I aim to help youngsters reach their full potential in relation to their ability.
• Enrichment sessions for higher achievers who would benefit from extra stimulation than is available in the school setting.
• Help to adults returning to maths later in life.
• Specialist mathematics help for those being home-schooled.
• To liaise with students' school maths teachers should they wish to.

My qualifications and experience

I have 

• an MA from Cambridge University and I have studied Mathematics with the Open University.
  
• some 40 years teaching experience of a variety of subjects including 10,000+ hours teaching and tutoring maths.
  
• seen many students through GCSE and other public and entrance examinations. 
  
• been a leading player in two secondary school start-ups. In one of them I was, for 10 years, the Vice Principal and Head of Education, with responsibility for curriculum and staff development. 
  
• extensive experience of students with a variety of special educational needs. In maths teaching my varied experience has given me insight into difficulties associated with each topic and common sources of misunderstanding and mistakes.
  

I frequently use an App called ShowMe on my iPad to video record segments of lessons for later revision and consolidation. For some topics I have pre-recorded video material with associated worksheets and booklets which I use for pre-learning or follow-up. I expect students do some work between sessions to practice and apply skills and concepts learned. How much is something we negotiate. Students are asked to check their emails before sessions for lesson material to be printed. Using a high speed scanner I have the facility to share the paperwork and workings with students at the end of each session so that they can refresh and review before the start of the following session. This reduces the burden of note-taking enabling students to concentrate on understanding the topic. Those learning maths with me are given a personal login to access to my resources website stepbystepmaths.co.uk which has a range of resources to help identify where help is needed, for practice of skills and understanding and enrichment. 

What do students need?

Two essentials

• A good internet connection.
• A printer, to print out lesson material before or during the lesson.

Good to have

• A mobile phone or tablet that can take photographs or scan students' work to send me via Zoom chat or WhatsAapp.

Signing up and getting started

Generally, I am not able to take new students immediately, so planning is essential. I have a short waiting-list of people ready to take spaces as they become available. Typically, GCSE student slots are released in June and in such cases, it is possible to start before the summer break. For those unable to wait, I have some limited space during the school holidays and others may make use of Friday clinic slots. Occasionally, students do drop out for unexpected reasons, so for that reason it might be worth getting in touch to be put on my 'reserve' list.

For regular weekly sessions, please see below for available slots.  After an initial phone discussion I offer a paid 'taster' session before firming-up a regular arrangement.

I usually begin with a topic chosen by the student  so that they can experience progress right from the start.The first few lessons involve a proportion of assessment and testing before settling into a bespoke programme.

Availability

Academic Year September 2024 to July 2025

I expect to have a couple of spaces available, subject to the ongoing needs of current students.  Please email me if you are interested.

Summer 2025

I reduce my teaching commitment over the summer but I am able to give support on most Thursdays over the school vacation. This is useful for those with exams next year and a lot of catching up to do, or aiming to secure a top grade or transitioning to A level in September. Spaces available. Please email me if you wish to make an appointment to discuss this over the phone.

Academic Year September 2025 to July 2026

Spaces available for firm bookings. I also have a waiting list for parents to flag up interest which can be converted to a firm arrangement at a later date. This is for those thinking ahead and wishing to be certain of a place and  is useful for brothers and sisters of current students wishing to take over an existing slot. Please email me if you wish to make an appointment to discuss this over the phone.

Fees and Payment

September 24 - July 25

A Good Question: Do you always succeed with your students?

Hand on heart, No! Not always! On-line teaching doesn't suit everyone. Some people really prefer to work face to face. Younger students who need a more hands-on approach cutting up shapes and using apparatus do better sitting down with someone at a table. So occasionally I do suggest to parents that they look for someone who can do that.   

There are some students who find learning maths very difficult and there may be underlying issues to do with processing of information or short-term memory or dyscalculia (the mathematical equivalent of dyslexia). Having worked for many years in a special needs setting (SEN) I can usually sense when this is the case and I have suggested from time to time to parents that they seek a thorough assessment by an educational psychologist. In those cases where that has been followed up, parents have invariably told me it was worth it, notwithstanding the significant cost. In such cases I don't  turn the student away but rather work with the strategies and revised expectations suggested by the report. But realistically such youngsters will always find maths challenging. It is worth mentioning that often they have considerable talent and strengths in other areas.

Students do need to 'buy in' to the value of extra tuition. Reluctant heroes can be won over but not always. I do, occasionally, tell parents that I am not delivering value for money because my efforts are not being matched by an equal commitment from the student. After some straight talking there may be a turnaround, but sometimes not! This doesn't happen often because I do try to establish whether there is the necessary commitment before we begin.   

No two students are quite the same. Some thrive when things are explained. Once they understand, difficulties evaporate. Others might 'get it' but need lots of practice to consolidate skills. "If you don't use it you'll lose it," is something I find myself saying quite a lot. Others need help to know what to do when they get stuck particularly in more challenging reasoning or application questions. Because I teach one to one, I do have the freedom to adapt my approach to the individual's learning preferences and needs. Sometimes students have gaps in their understanding which can be traced back to a period of absence, a change of school or teacher. Maths is a hierarchical subject and secure foundations make for good progress. The students who make the best progress are those who put in the time and effort and who are prepared to ask questions and be brutally honest when they do not understand! These are the students who make the most progress in our learning partnership.   

Some students do not perform to their full potential in formal examinations. Gone are the days of coursework. Occasionally students don't get the grade they had been hoping for despite good preparation. Generally, those who work hard and prepare well are positioned to get the result they deserve but occasionally not. Thankfully this is balanced by others who do even better than they (or I) expected!   

The general picture is that my students do make good progress and, in most situations, I do seem to find a way to get alongside them, even the shy young lady who wanted her camera turned off, and even the traumatised student who had been locked in a cupboard by her teacher (yes that actually happened!).   Below is some feedback from a selection of my former students and their parents. 

Feedback