Private tuition · Years 5–11
One student, one hour, and the exact gap we are working on.
I am Nola Line, a private tutor in English and maths. Every student starts with a diagnostic session, works from a plan we both can read, and goes home with a note that tells you what changed.
- One to one only
- 60 or 90 minute lessons
- Written note after every lesson
The approach
Tutoring works when the diagnosis is honest and the practice is specific.
Most students arriving here are not behind on everything. They are stuck on three or four things that quietly block the rest, and those are what we find first.
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01
Find the real gap
The first session is diagnostic. We work through graded problems or a short piece of writing until I can see where the understanding stops, rather than where the marks dropped.
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02
Build one plan, in plain words
You get a short written plan listing the skills we will rebuild, in order, and roughly how many sessions each needs. It changes as the student changes, and you always have the current version.
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03
Practise until it is boring
A skill is finished when the student can do it unprompted, on a bad day, under time. Until then it stays in the weekly warm-up, even if we have moved on to new material.
Subjects & levels
What I teach, and what each stage usually needs.
English language
Years 5–11
Reading unseen texts under time, planning before writing, paragraph structure, and the difference between describing a device and explaining its effect.
English literature
Years 9–11
Quotation banks a student can actually recall, thesis-led essay openings, comparison questions, and keeping context in service of the argument.
Maths — foundation
Years 7–11
Fractions, ratio and percentage change as one connected idea; rearranging simple formulae; reading multi-step word problems without panic.
Maths — higher
Years 9–11
Algebraic fluency, simultaneous equations and quadratics, surds and indices, circle theorems, and the long questions where method marks are lost.
Primary numeracy & literacy
Years 5–6
Times-table recall, written methods that survive bigger numbers, reading comprehension vocabulary, and confidence with longer written answers.
Study skills clinic
Years 9–11
Revision timetables that fit a real week, active recall instead of re-reading, past-paper routines, and what to do in the last twenty minutes of an exam.
I follow the exam board your school uses and mark to its criteria. If a student needs support in a subject I do not teach, I will say so at the first conversation rather than take the booking.
How a session runs
Four steps from first message to a routine that holds.
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A short conversation first
Tell me the year group, the subject, what school has flagged and what you have noticed at home. I will tell you honestly whether weekly tuition is the right answer.
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A diagnostic lesson
One full session of graded work with no teaching to the test. It ends with the written plan, and you decide afterwards whether to carry on. Nothing is booked in advance.
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The weekly hour
Ten minutes of recall warm-up, the main skill taught and practised, then one piece of independent work set for the week. Students keep one notebook that stays with them.
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A note home, every time
A few lines by the next morning: what we covered, what the student did well, what was set, and what to listen for if they get stuck mid-week. No jargon and no marketing.
Weekly rhythm
The practical details parents ask about before anything else.
- Lesson length
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60 minutes weekly, or 90 in exam term
Younger students do better with a focused hour. From the spring of Year 11, most move to 90 minutes so there is time for a full past-paper section and the review afterwards.
- Where lessons happen
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At my study desk, or online
In person for primary and lower secondary, where paper and hands-on marking matter most. Online lessons use a shared whiteboard and work well from Year 9 upwards.
- Term structure
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Blocks of six, then a review
We book six sessions at a time and look at the plan together at the end of each block. You can stop, pause for a school trip, or change subject focus at any review point.
- Materials
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Everything is provided
Worksheets, past papers and mark schemes come from me, matched to your exam board. The only thing a student brings is the notebook and whatever their teacher has set.
Enquire
Tell me about the student and I will reply with honest options.
A few lines is plenty. If I have no suitable slot, I will say so in the first reply rather than leave you waiting.
- 01I reply within two working days, usually sooner.
- 02We have a short conversation about what is actually needed.
- 03If it is a good fit, we book one diagnostic lesson.
- 04You decide about the first block of six afterwards.
Questions parents ask
Answers to the eight that come up most.
Is the first lesson a free trial?
No — it is a full paid diagnostic session, because a useful diagnosis takes the whole hour and the student should get real teaching out of it. You are not committed to anything beyond that single lesson, and you receive the written plan whether you continue or not.
Do you follow our school's exam board?
Yes. Tell me the board and tier at the first conversation and I will teach to that specification, mark to its criteria and use its past papers. If the school changes set or tier mid-year, we adjust the plan at the next review point.
What happens if we miss a session?
Let me know by the evening before and we will move the lesson to another slot that week where one exists, or roll it to the end of the block. Illness on the day is simply rescheduled — I would rather not teach a student who cannot concentrate.
How much homework do you set?
One piece a week, designed to take twenty to thirty minutes. It is always practice of something already taught, never new material, so a student can finish it without help. School work comes first, and in exam term I cut the set work back to make room for revision.
Can you teach two siblings together?
Not in the same session. Shared lessons drift towards the stronger student and the diagnostic work stops being accurate. Siblings can take consecutive slots on the same evening, which most families find easier for travel.
How will I know whether it is working?
The note after each lesson tells you what changed that week, and at the end of every six-session block we look at the plan together and compare it with school assessments. If progress has stalled, I will tell you and suggest what to change — including stopping if tuition is not the right tool.
Are online lessons as effective?
From Year 9 upwards, yes, provided the student has a quiet space and a device with a proper keyboard. We use a shared whiteboard and the student still writes on paper, photographing work for marking. For primary students I recommend in person.
What if there is no slot available?
I keep a short waiting list in date order and contact people as slots open, usually around half term. When I write, I will tell you what is free and you are free to decline — nothing is held or charged while you are on the list.