A Level Maths And Further Maths Tuition

A-Level Maths and Further Maths Tutor

John Armstrong (A Level Maths Tutor and Site Creator)

a level maths tutor

Hi. I'm John Armstrong; site creator and experienced classroom teacher and tutor of A-Level Maths and Further Maths and creator of "The Ultimate Study Tool for A-Level Maths". I have now successfully helped hundreds of students from across the world across all of the main exam boards (OCR, Edexcel, AQA and Cambridge International) achieve their goals. You can find out more about me and my tutoring approach in the information below.

John Armstrong BSc.(Hons) MSc. PGCE
Prices
About Me
Book/Enquire

A Level Maths Tuition Prices

You will notice that my advertised rates are higher than those of many other tutors. Please expand the “About My Prices” menu below for more information about why this is the case.

  • A Level Maths Tuition £GBP 95/hour

    Tuition for all of the main UK A-Level Maths syllabuses and the iAL (International A Level) Maths, including Pearson Edexcel and Cambridge International.

  • A Level Further Maths Tuition £GBP 95/hour

    Tuition for all of the main UK A-Level Further Maths syllabuses and the iAL (International A-Level) Further Maths.

  • Mathematical University Entrance Exams Coaching £GBP 95/hour

    Tuition for university entrance exams such as STEP, TMUA and MAT.

These rates reflect my many years of experience in teaching A Level Maths and Further Maths both in the classroom and through online tutoring, my qualifications and, more importantly, the results my students achieve through a partnership of both mine and their hard work and dedication. Each lesson includes:

      • An hour of one-to-one tuition from me, John Armstrong, the creator of ALevelMathsRevision.com, an experienced teacher of A Level Maths and Further Maths with exam board marking experience;
      • Expert advice on exam technique and how to “target the marks” in an exam situation on a topic-by-topic basis;
      • Tailor-made resources to complete as homework that complement the learning process and further embed any newly learned material.

If you want to book a lesson or are unsure about whether one-to-one tuition is for you, please get in touch using the contact form below to organise an interactive online demonstration of how interactive, engaging and effective one-to-one tuition can be.

About Me
Book/Enquire

Key Information (Click Item To Expand)

In order to help you decide whether my online A Level Maths and Further Maths tutoring is the right thing for you, I have provided as much information as possible about myself and how my tuition works in the expanding menus below.

A Bit About Myself…

My name is John Armstrong and I am a fully qualified and experienced tutor and classroom teacher of A Level Mathematics and Further Mathematics. I also tutor university entrance exams such as STEP, TMUA and MAT.

As you can probably see from the sheer amount of A Level Maths and Further Maths resources on my site, I am passionate about students having access to the best resources. Take a look, just for example, at the A Level Maths exam questions by topic that I have collated, my A Level Maths revision notes or the equivalent for A Level Further Maths or my proudest achievement resource-wise: The Ultimate Study Tool for A Level Maths; I am absolutely dedicated to delivering the best for my own (and all other) students.

I have been professionally tutoring on a one-to-one and small group basis for many years now, refining and perfecting my approach over my many years of experience. My classroom teaching experience is mainly in Sixth Form Colleges teaching A Level Maths, Further Maths and preparing students for entrance exams such as STEP, MAT, TMUA among others.

My Tutoring Approach and Philosophy

When it comes to A Level Maths and Further Maths, high grades come with hard work. In all my teaching experience, it is always the students that put the most work in that get the best grades. As an A Level Maths tutor, it is my job to help you thoroughly understand the material, giving you the knowledge, self-confidence, and of course, the resources required to practice what we go through in sessions and, ultimately, get the grades. I will help you to uncover which areas need work and will guide you through exactly what approach is needed to get the best grades in A Level Maths.

My Academic and Professional Background

I am a fully qualified teacher of mathematics holding a PGCE and Qualified Teaching Status in the UK. My degree is in Mathematics and Computer Science and I hold a Master’s degree in Applied Mathematics in which I was awarded a “distinction” grade.

A tutor can perform many roles. As an A Level Maths tutor, I have to be able to adapt to whatever your individual needs and circumstances might be. From my years of experience, I firmly believe that a good A Level Maths tutor must be able to perform any of the following roles depending on the needs of the student at the time:

  • A subject expert: over the course of my career, I have heard many stories from my students who had previously taken on tutors who were very good and accomplished mathematicians (university lecturers or PhD students, for example) but who didn’t have an in-depth knowledge of the A Level syllabuses which they tutored. Knowing the syllabuses inside-out: their idiosyncrasies, how the marking guidance has developed over the years, the differences between syllabuses is key and fundamental knowledge for an A Level Maths tutor to be effective. An effective tutor should be adding value by giving students sound, expert guidance on how to improve both subject knowledge and technique ultimately leading to a boost in exam performance. A tutoring session should not simply consist of the tutor and student muddling through questions together session hoping that an improvement will be seen.
  • A teacher: a tutor may have all the above attributes but, to be effective, an A Level Maths tutor must also be skilled in being able to impart this knowledge upon their students. An effective A Level Maths tutor should have experience in both teaching and delivery to be able to engage and deliver content in a way that you understand. A well-practised classroom teacher of A Level Maths will be able to recall at a moment’s notice all of the content required and be able to instantly help students with any problems they may be facing.
  • A mentor: it is important that you choose an A Level maths tutor who can help motivate and drive you to success; a tutor who can get to know not just your mathematical strengths and weaknesses, but actually get to know you as a person and truly understand what makes you tick. Such a tutor will be better at helping you do what needs to be done to achieve your full potential in A Level Maths.

Should you want more detail, I have written an article on “What To Expect From a Good A Level Maths Tutor” which you can read by clicking here.

Is An Online A Level Maths/Further Maths Tutor for You?

I have written this to present you with all the facts about online tuition so that you can decide whether the online A Level Maths and Further Maths tuition I offer is suitable for you or your son/daughter. I hope to answer a few questions you are probably asking yourself. If I have missed anything, please do email me and I will add your question to this list.

Q1: Is online tuition as interactive as in-person tuition?

The short answer is yes; when done properly with the right technology then it certainly is! I have been tutoring online for many years now and have tried and tested many different methods and have an excellent knowledge of the software available, having settled on what works best.

With the right equipment (i.e. a touchscreen tablet with a stylus or an ordinary laptop with a USB graphics tablet) the experience can be as authentic as if the tutor and student are sat next to each other; with an open audio channel on Zoom and a web-based shared whiteboard, the tutor and student can see and hear each other and, importantly, see what the other is writing in real time, as shown in the excerpt from one of my online tutorials in the video below.

So to summarise, if you have the correct equipment, geographical distance will not be a limitation to you getting the right tutor for you. Without a tablet and stylus, however, I would suggest that the experience would not be as authentic and that a local in-person tutor may be better.

Q2: I have the right equipment but how do I know if my son/daughter will engage with tuition?

Try it out. You’ll be surprised. As a tutor I certainly do not want to provide students with a service that is not going to be of benefit to them. For that reason, I have a policy whereby I say that after the first session, don’t pay me for it if you don’t want to continue. The last thing I want is for people to be paying for something that isn’t of benefit to them. I’m pretty confident, however, after the first session that you will be surprised at how productive and worthwhile students find the experience.

Q3: Do you set work between sessions?

Yes! Work done between sessions consolidates what was done in the tutorial session and is equally as important, if not more so, than what happens in the session.

Q4: You seem to charge more than other tutors. How do you justify that?

My rates (see the prices tab) are a reflection of both my classroom experience, my experience one-to-one tutoring, the time and effort that goes into the top-quality resources I produce to use in tutorial sessions and the grades my students obtain as a result of all of this. Furthermore, the support does not end at the end of the session; I am happy to answer any questions my students have via WhatsApp between sessions.

Q5: Do I have to commit to a certain number of lessons?

          No. We take it lesson-by-lesson.

Q6: Why is there a myth that online tuition is less effective than in-person?

Until recently, the technology just wasn’t there in order to make online lessons effective. Many tutors tried to pass off long-winded verbal explanations off as being tutoring, thus giving online tuition a bad reputation. I am happy to say that my online lessons are far more interactive,  harnessing the power of all of the best available technology in order to create a session which is as interactive (if not more interactive) than an in-person lesson. In fact, online tuition has some significant advantages over in person tuition:

              • The student has the comfort of taking part in the lesson in the space they feel most comfortable.
              • You can access to the tutor that is best for your needs; geographic separation is no longer a limitation.
              • A tutor is able to see exactly what the student is writing on the screen in front of them and vice versa, meaning there is no awkward “looking over shoulders” or “hand getting in the way of the piece of paper while writing.

I am confident that after a session, students will see the value of online tuition and want to continue. And if I’m wrong, don’t worry! Simply don’t pay for it.

In order for the sessions to be truly interactive, the student needs to have access to the technology that will make this possible. Many students have such technology without even realising it!

  1. A good, stable internet connection is essential to ensure that the session runs smoothly. Uninterrupted dialogue is essential to ensure that learning takes place.
  2. A tablet (e.g. iPad, MS Surface or Touchscreen Laptop) with stylus or a graphics tablet attached to your computer is used in conjunction with cutting-edge and simple-to-use whiteboard software which enables me to see what you are writing in realtime, allowing me to demonstrate, explain and mark your work as you produce it.

And that is everything! As long as you have access to both of the above then online tuition is as interactive, personal and effective as in-person tuition.

As an A Level Maths tutor and an experienced classroom teacher of A Level Maths, I have seen many different reasons why a parent would want a A Level Maths tutor. However, choosing a tutor with the right approach is always a worry and it can seem like a daunting task. I will now outline some common scenarios, one or more of which will probably ring true. Each individual student needs a personalised approach as each personality is different, however, in order to give you an idea roughly of the approach that should be taken by a tutor in a range of circumstances, let me give a few case studies of the different types of students and how a tutor may help.

Example Student #1: Underconfident and Scared To Ask For Help In Class

Student Profile

Laura (a hypothetical student) lets things get on top of her; she feels she understands most things to an extent in class but when it comes to things she doesn’t understand, she rarely asks the teacher. The thought of asking about something she doesn’t understand while everyone is watching sends shivers down her spine. And there are many more students like Laura; it is extremely common for A Level Maths students feel like this. They shouldn’t; we as teachers are here to help. However, the fact remains that some students don’t like to ask questions in class. And as a result they end up slowly falling behind.

My Approach as a Tutor

In my experience, these traits very common. In this situation, the key to getting a student back on track is to thoroughly assess at the earliest opportunity. But the word” assess” can induce a lot of anxiety. The first thought that comes to mind is the idea of having to do a paper in timed conditions, a situation that would leave a student who is struggling feeling useless and exposed. But it need not be that way; assessment can be gentler. Assessment can be performed concurrently with teaching. Over the years, I have found that assessment for the purpose of determining gaps in knowledge is better done during lessons using past paper questions; the approach involves concurrently discovering gaps in knowledge and supporting the student in filling those gaps. I have found this to be far more effective in the initial stages than simply setting a student off with a past paper and constantly reminding them their knowledge has gaps. The latter would be demoralising and serve no real purpose.

Once these initial gaps in knowledge are filled, I have found it particularly productive to then try to teach students slightly ahead of their class teaching schedule, getting them, say, one week ahead of what they will be learning in class so that they have the ground knowledge and confidence to ask (and answer!) questions in class.

Example Student #2: Overconfident After GCSEs and Doesn’t Practise

Student Profile

Simon (again, hypothetical) is a student who performed brilliantly in his GCSEs. An all round top grade student. However, a couple of terms into A Level Maths his grades from school seem to be slipping. Simon says that it is just a blip and that he feels he is doing well, but as a parent you are not so sure. This is yet another common scenario. Many students who have a natural ability up to about the GCSE level often find that as soon as a bit of extra work is required outside of lessons, things start to fall apart.

My Approach as a Tutor

This is yet another very common scenario, with these traits most commonly being found in boys who achieved highly at GCSE. Early intervention is the key to restoring confidence and instilling a strong work ethic that will carry them successfully through A Level. With this type of student it is imperative that the gaps in knowledge are diagnosed and that a programme of work is drawn up early on to help the student. But generating a (potentially long) list of knowledge gaps is not enough. On its own, to simply tell a student that they are behind and can be overwhelming and demotivating. The best approach is to drip feed the students the gaps in knowledge and simultaneously plug the gaps so as not to knock the student’s confidence.

Once the gaps are filled and the student is back on track, a slightly different approach is then needed. As an experienced A Level Maths tutor, at this point I would ensure that the student actually starts to get ahead of the game, teaching them the content that they are about to study in class to give them a head start will put them in a position in which they ooze confidence, but by this stage the confidence is justified.

Example Student #3: High Achiever but Terrified of Exams and Underperforms in Tests

Student Profile

This particular type of student is also very common. The pressure of exam situations always gets to them and they underperform as a result. They are a top student: they ask questions; they do the homework; they take detailed notes and spend time rewriting them out neatly; they make beautiful concise revision cards to bolster their study. But it is with these final two points where the problem lies. The student spends a lot of time doing many many things other than the thing they find most difficult: exam questions.

My Approach as a Tutor

In my time as a classroom teacher and tutor of A Level Maths and Further Maths, I find that a gentle approach to try to wean students off spending their time producing (admittedly beautiful) archives of lesson notes and fantastic revision cards. With A Level Maths and Further Maths, any classroom teacher or private tutor will tell you that to do well, the key is practice practice practice of exam questions. To change the working habits of a hardworking and diligent high achiever could be made into a battle, but it is important not to approach it this way. I have found that the confidence of such high achieving students is easily shattered and to tell them that they have been doing everything wrong up to this point would be a mistake. My approach in this situation would be to have the student to discover for themselves that there is a better way of working by gently nudging them in the right direction.

Example Student #4: Failed to Progress onto the Second Year of the Course

Student Profile

Dan struggled throughout his first year and never really seemed to get to grips with the jump between GCSE and A Level. A few weeks before the end of year tests Dan realised the mess he was in and worked harder than he’d ever worked before. But it was too late and it was not enough. He has been told that he didn’t get enough marks on his end of year test to progress to the second year, so if he wants to continue with maths he has no option but to repeat the year.

My Approach as a Tutor

With students in this scenario it is important that a tutor gets in there straight away before the student loses hope. Clearly the student’s confidence is bruised, but a good A Level Maths tutor will know that this situation can be turned round and made into a positive. In this situation, as a tutor I would capitalise on the improved work ethic that Dan exhibited towards the exam period and help him use this to his advantage. Dan has spent all of the last year feeling like he is bottom of the class but he will still have taken in a lot of the mathematics that was taught to him even if it is not currently fluent or instantly recallable, but there will be an underlying base knowledge. And provided a tutor works with Dan to keep him slightly ahead of the schedule of what he is going to be taught in class, he can go from like he felt last year (bottom of the class and behind) to feeling on top of the material and able to hold his own, achieving well in homework and class tests.

To further help you make the correct choice about whether my online A Level Maths tuition is for you, I have also written the following articles you may find useful.

If you feel you have any more questions, please feel free to get in touch by filling out an online enquiry form.

Book/Enquire

Book a Lesson

For an initial chat or to arrange a taster session to see whether online 1:1 tuition is for you, for the quickest response please fill out the following form, giving all relevant details. I will respond via your preferred contact method as soon as possible.

Alternatively, email me at john@ALevelMathsRevision.com or call me on +44 (0)203 4 888 040.

View More Tutors At A Range Of Different Prices

More A Level Maths Tutors

Perwez

  • GCSE £40/hour

    All exam boards including iGCSE.

  • A Level Maths £50/hour

    All UK exam boards.

Hi, my name is Perwez and I’m a qualified, trained (PGCE) and experienced Mathematics teacher. I’ve taught in comprehensive schools across the full age (11-18) and ability range for over thirty years at both GCSE and A-Level.

As a former examiner at both GCSE and A Level, I’m able to teach to different exam board requirements. Hence my lessons are usually differentiated according to need ie the focus is on conceptual understanding of topics suggested by students or teaching to support learning at school or college.

Moreover, I make the subject matter relevant to real life when teaching, so an emphasis on problem solving – a key theme in any maths syllabus – is essential in different topics.

What about exam performance? Well, my record is exemplary, with students gaining exceptional results at every level, almost always exceeding their set target grade.

And if parents wished me to support their loved ones with supplementary learning work, I’ll be happy to do so over a given period, and check progress as necessary in subsequent lesson if required.

To book a lesson, please fill in the form by clicking the button below, specifying that you would like to contact Perwez in the additional information box.

Book A Lesson

Testimonials