Jake has had very limited attendance at school since April 2023. He has very low self esteem and confidence towards any type of schoolwork. I asked Claire to start tutoring Jake to try and build his confidence up and start to catch him up on the work he has missed. Jake can quite often try to avoid doing the work, especially if he thinks he can’t do it and he is reluctant to say when he needs help. Claire has been excellent at building a relationship with Jake and gaining his trust so that he feels comfortable to speak up. Due to Jake’s avoidance, Claire has identified that sometimes the work needs to be disguised in something that Jake is interested in such as scooters or monster trucks. This way Jake comes off the lesson feeling good about himself and proud of the work he has done. Claire is very personable and clearly cares about Jake and his education and has his best interests at heart

Claire came weekly to teach our daughter Bryony 1-2-1 at our house in preparation for entrance exams throughout autumn/winter 2023. Claire was always professional and punctual and communications were excellent with us. She kept us updated on Bryony’s progress. In terms of the teaching, it was clear that Claire was really skilled at working in education and with kids of this age group. She instantly adapted to Bryony’s personality which suited a gentle approach initially. Each lesson we could see that Bryony had learnt lots and been worked really hard (in a good way) and we were really impressed with the impact of the lessons. Claire identified areas where there could be the biggest improvement and I think the lessons boosted our daughter’s confidence generally beyond the teaching. Claire came across as really kind, and attentive and a great teacher. She is incredibly professional and we were really happy with the teaching. Bryony can be quite cautious with new people and I think it says a lot that she instantly warmed to Claire. I would recommend Claire to anyone who enquired.

We started tutoring for Daniel as he was struggling with his self confidence and was very hard on himself when he found things difficult at school. He would often compare himself to peers and was upset when he felt he wasn’t doing well. Before Claire's first session with Daniel we spoke about our wish to build his confidence whilst supporting him with areas that he found difficult at school. She has focussed very much on what we discussed. Over the course of the 2 years his confidence has grown hugely, which has also been recognised by his school teachers. He has become a much more self confident and a happier boy. He is achieving well at school. I was unsure how online tutoring sessions would work for a child of Daniel's age but Claire has kept Daniel engaged in learning activities which he enjoys and often doesn’t recognise the " games " they play and puzzles they solve as being learning. He looks forward to his weekly online session. Claire has varied the sessions and used lots of different activities and styles to keep Daniel's interest. She has followed the curriculum that he is doing at school so she can strengthen and support him in areas he finds more challenging. Claire has established a very strong and trusting relationship with Daniel. He asks questions and interacts with Claire in a way he hasn't with any of his school teachers. She has shown a real interest in him, his interests and achievements inside and outside of school. We would highly recommend Claire as a tutor, she has been fantastic.

Claire tutors my son on the three subjects as stated above throughout the week, as he is home educated. He absolutely loves these sessions as not only does he enjoy the lessons, he adores Claire as well. She always goes above and beyond for us and him, with flexibility, always asks how his day/week/holiday etc has been, takes an interest in day to day life and her love and passion for teaching is obvious! I have heard her a few times when the sessions have commenced and the way in which she interacts with the students and sets up the lesson is wonderful, she has always been nothing but kind, sensitive and inspiring. Drew has made fantastic progress since starting these sessions, especially with creative writing as Claire brings out his imagination and vocabulary to a high standard and continues to support, advise and help in any way possible. Statement from Drew: I love how Claire always indulges in personal life and feelings. She always talks about her dogs and everyday life and I think that is key in building relationships with students. She is funny and helpful and makes her lessons much more enjoyable by her charismatic personality.

Claire’s tutoring has been incredibly helpful for my son who has autism. My son has fortnightly lessons with Claire to help reinforce his learning of KS2 maths. My son has difficulties with speed processing, memory recall and he has really struggled with his confidence, Claire has been so encouraging to my son. He really enjoys the lessons. Claire really cares about her students, and she always comes up with new ways of explaining until my son fully understands. I believe this extra help is continuing to improve my son’s understanding in his maths schoolwork, including learning strategies which he can use in his SATs assessments. He is notably more confident in his maths calculations and willing to try and answer questions independently. Claire is very knowledgeable and skilled at helping children with special needs reach their full potential. I would highly recommend working with Claire for any tutoring needs.

Due to a family breakdown Isla was estranged from her mother at the age of 13. Isla’s mental health deteriorated significantly from year 10 and subsequently did not attend school from mid-year 10 all the way through until her GCSEs. In November 2022, Isla decided she wanted to attempt 5 GCSEs in an attempt to go to 6th form and become “like all other 16yr olds” and start her life once more. I requested Claire to come to our home and undertake an assessment of Isla’s English Literature ability with the aim of taking the subject at GCSE level in the summer of 2023. Isla hit it off with Claire immediately and so we agreed for Claire to work with Isla for 4hrs per week and build a plan to get Isla to GCSE pass level. As the weeks went on, Isla grew in confidence under the guidance of Claire and for the first time in a long time she had belief that it was possible to gain the required marks and get back into the schooling system and start her life once again. Isla passed her English Literature exams with a grade 5. For a child who had been through so much in the previous 3yrs and missed most of year 10 and all of year 11 this was an outstanding achievement, none of which would have been possible without the support of Claire. Getting Isla through her exam was not just about teaching her English, building her self-confidence, helping her understand how to learn once again, keeping her clam and rational during the many difficult times was equally as important as the teaching.