I got a First from Cambridge reading English and I've been a working writer since then: a BBC journalist, a novelist with agent, and most recently a published songwriter; I have released two albums with a record label; the Independent kindly dubbed me, “the most literate songwriter of her generation”. I love English and see it as the ultimate civilizing subject, bestowing on us the chance to live under someone else’s skin for a brief moment, and to spot patterns in their life that contrasts with our own. I want to share my love of literature and creative writing. I am also a lucky mum of two. Whatever your child learns with me will not just be to get through an exam; my goal will be to give them a love of texts which will, like mine, last a lifetime.
I am currently preparing regular students for GCSE and A-Level English Literature and Language in 2010. I enjoy in particular getting to grips with poetic meter and scansion. In all cases their classroom results have improved by two grades since my intervention. One A-Level student wrote recently - "I had a clear planned argument, those summaries you got me to do are gold because it allowed me to remember so many valuable quotes and arguments with the time i had. I set everything out well... all in all the tuition really helped me alot in the exams, I felt I did so much better than before." I have also led songwriting workshops, working with children to bring out their creative and performance skills. One such occasion was where the 15-16 year olds wrote, recorded and performed a song in a day.
Using real texts, past papers and tried-and-tested exercises, I will firstly make sure your child understands every-day grammar - something that doesn't seem to get taught any more. Then, with reference to the specific curriculum requirements of your child's exam board, I will pass on your child some good old-fashioned exam technique. I will address any problem areas in spelling and punctuation that may have gone uncorrected. Creative Writing is becoming more common as an optional module. It can be very rewarding, especially for those who struggle with confidence or emotional issues. I will stimulate your child’s imagination using some great exercises and tips I’ve picked up through my own work.