Alongside my writing, I also tutor secondary school GCSE science online.

Experience

• 12 years of secondary school classroom experience.
• 3 years GCSE science tutoring for National Tutoring Programme (Government-funded).
• 2 years tutoring for Wolfthorn Knight and private clients.
• Examiner with the Pearson/Edexcel exam board, marking both GCSE and iGCSE.
• Team Leader for Pearson’s Remote Invigilation Service, helping deliver secure exam delivery for learners unable to attend a traditional exam centre.
• BSc (Hons) Molecular and Cellular Biology University of Bath.
• PhD in Molecular Biology University of Manchester.
• PGCE Homerton College, University of Cambridge.
• Fully DBS checked.

What Can I Offer?

• GCSE Science (Foundation and Higher tiers):
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Physics
  • Combined Science
• Exam insights
  • Exam techniques.
  • What markers are looking for.
• Fun creative writing classes online – I’m a published crime fiction author, too!

How My Tutoring Works

Please see Terms and Conditions ↓

• Lessons are typically delivered in multiples of an hour.
• I can teach small groups of up to 3 students (all doing the same content).
• I deliver prewritten and planned lessons, rather than open book sessions where students bring along homework or class notes for tutor assistance.
• Learners choose from a ‘menu’ of lessons arranged in categories – students are free to choose blocks of related lessons e.g. Electricity and Electromagnetism or take a more customised approach, choosing individual lessons to plug gaps in their current understanding.
• Learners can use basic tools to annotate images on the screen or do simple activities, but typically I would expect students to work on paper.
• The lessons consist of teaching and activities, supported by discussion.
• I use the Bramble Software as my teaching platform. Lessons are designed for use without need for a webcam. Students will need access to a microphone and speakers/headset.
• I typically teach weekdays, Monday to Friday. I can teach during school hours or after school, depending on availability and prior commitments. I am usually available to teach during school holidays, including more intensive sessions of multiple lessons per week.
• I offer discounts for block bookings of multiple lessons, and small groups of up to three students (so parents can split costs between them).

Please complete the contact form below for more information.

Testimonials

“With Paul’s excellent teaching sessions my daughter’s understanding of science has improved greatly. I can’t recommend him highly enough for his professionalism but also for his friendly and inclusive manner that put my daughter at ease and helped her immensely with a subject she was struggling with at school.” Parent of current Y11 student.

“Paul, Just wanted to send a few words thanking you for tutoring and the support you gave R in the lead up to her GCSE science exams. Not only did you help cement her knowledge in the subject, you also helped improve her confidence! R went from disliking science to actually enjoying the subjects! For R to go from grade 3/3 to a 5/4 in 6 months was amazing! Thanks to her hard work and your professional, organised and great way of teaching she achieved these great results. I will be highly recommending you!” Parent of former Y11 student.

See Below for Terms and Conditions ↓

Request for More Information

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Please enter the name of the PARENT/GUARDIAN requesting information. For safeguarding I only deal with adults initially.

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Please enter the email address of the PARENT/GUARDIAN here. For safeguarding reasons, all email correspondence will need to go through an adult.

Are You Interested in Science Tutoring, Creative Writing Sessions or Both?

• Online Science Tutoring
• Online Creative Writing Sessions
• Both!

(Optional) To Help Me Choose The Correct Lessons For Your Child, Please Select One Of the Folllowing.

• Combined Science – sometimes called ‘Double Award Science’.
• Single (Separate) Sciences – sometimes called ‘Triple Award Science’.

You can leave this blank at this time if you prefer.

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(Optional) To Help Me Target The Lessons To Your Child's Needs, Please Choose The Tier That They Are Working Towards. (If You Don't Know This Ask Your Child's School Or Leave Blank).

• Foundation Tier – Target Grades 1-5
• Higher Tier – Target Grades 4-9

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(Optional) Lesson Times. Click as many of the following options as relevant to give me an idea of what you are looking for before I reply.

• Weekdays – during school hours (9am to 4pm).
• Weekdays – after school hours (4pm to 7pm).
• Holiday Sessions (weekly or more intensive).

I typically teach weekdays, Monday to Friday. I can teach during school hours or after school, depending on availability and prior commitments. I am usually available to teach during school holidays, including more intensive sessions of multiple lessons per week. Click as many of the following options as relevant to give me an idea of what you are looking for before I reply.

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Feel free to ask me any questions.

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Terms and Conditions

1 – Payment.

1.1  Lessons are typically delivered in multiples of an hour.

1.2 Lessons must be booked and paid for in advance via BACS transfer. A formal invoice will be supplied.

1.3 Block bookings of 5 or more lessons or 10+ lessons are eligible for a discounted rate.

1.4 I can teach small groups of up to 3 students (all doing the same content). Each additional student costs £5/h on top of the standard hourly rate (after any deductions for block bookings). It is up to the parents/guardians of the students to decide how to split the cost.

1.5 Learner(s) must choose (with my guidance if necessary) what lesson they wish to study at least 48 hours in advance. (It can take a couple of hours or more to design a lesson from scratch, so I need to have time to do so). Late changes to a pre-agreed lesson will be accommodated purely at the tutor’s discretion (I will try my best, but I might not have the necessary resources to hand or the time to write a new lesson from scratch). See below (3 – Delivering Content) for more information about choosing lessons.

2 – Cancellation Policy.

2.1 If a lesson is cancelled by the client with more than 24 hours notice, then the lesson can be rearranged for a later date.

2.2 If a lesson is cancelled by the client with less than 24 hours notice, then the lesson is not eligible for a refund or rearrangement.

(There is no realistic possibility of me finding a replacement student with so little notice).

2.3 For small group teaching, if the lesson still takes place with one student, non-attendees are not entitled to a refund or rearrangement.

2.4 If, in exceptional circumstances, I (the tutor) cancel then I will seek to rearrange the lesson or refund it (pro-rata, subject to any block-booking deductions).

2.5 Rearrangement of booked sessions. Sometimes circumstances change and previously agreed sessions may not be possible. In the case of either the student or the tutor needing to change one or more booked sessions, agreement shall be sought via email to rearrange sessions for a mutually convenient time and date. In the case of group teaching sessions, the parents/guardians should agree amongst themselves about what to do and then discuss it with the tutor.

3 – Delivery of Content.

3.1 I use the Bramble Software as my teaching platform. Lessons are designed for use without need for a webcam. Students will need access to a microphone and speakers/headset.

Content is shared on screen via an interactive whiteboard.

Learners can use basic tools to annotate images on the screen or do simple activities, but typically I would expect students to work on paper, reflecting exam conditions.

3.2 Unlike some tutoring services, I follow the basic methodology established by the National Tutoring Programme during lockdown. That is, I deliver prewritten and planned lessons, rather than open book sessions where students bring along homework or class notes for tutor assistance. Learners choose from a ‘menu’ of lessons arranged in categories – students are free to choose blocks of related lessons eg Electricity and Electromagnetism or take a more a customised approach, choosing individual lessons to plug gaps in their current understanding.

The lessons consist of teaching and activities, supported by discussion. The answers to activities are contained on the following slide, with any working out shown to allow troubleshooting.

I tend to ‘over cater’ with additional content at the end so that lessons that proceed more rapidly than expected don’t run out of material. If this isn’t completed in the lesson, then learners can (voluntarily) complete this in their own time, when they are automatically sent the lesson PDF at the end of the session.

3.3 Experience has shown that some lessons can take more than an hour and are better served by being split. I will speak to the learner about whether they wish to continue the lesson the following session or they would rather stick to the original timetable and attempt to work through the remainder of the lesson themselves.

3.4 At the end of the session, all learners who logged into that session will be sent a PDF containing all of the lesson slides, plus any annotations added by the tutor or learners during the lesson. They will also receive a link to a recording of the lesson, showing the slides as they are presented, with any audio from tutor and learners.

4 – Safeguarding.

4.1 As a trained teacher and tutor, safeguarding is my number one priority. My roles with the Pearson exam board require me to do the same Government-approved annual refresher training as classroom teachers. I am also registered with the Disclosure and Barring Service update service and have a current enhanced DBS check (formerly known as a Criminal Records Check).

Therefore:

• All communication will be with the parent or guardian over email, NOT the learner (unless the learner is themselves an adult).
• Any resources that I send to learners (eg lesson menus or a useful resource I think they might find helpful), will be via the parent.
• No contact will be made with the learner either in person, via mobile phone or social media.
• All tutoring will take place through the Bramble Platform.
• Learners will need to set up a free account for the platform and will be assigned to a secure ‘room’ that is only accessible to those with the link.
• I am able to see who is in a session and can remove them if necessary.
• The session is automatically recorded and a secure link sent. The link is only sent to those who logged in for the lesson.

5 – Behaviour Policy.

5.1 My expectations of learners are the same as what I would expect within a classroom environment.

• Ready to learn with all necessary equipment (pen, paper and calculator).
• All devices, other than the one they are using to access Bramble, to be turned off.

5.2 As this is a one-to-one or small group environment, the usual classroom hands-up rule is not applicable, and I positively welcome questions and requests for clarity. The lesson progresses at a rate that suits the learner(s). However, everyone is expected to treat all participants with respect and not to interrupt others when speaking.

In the rare event a learner’s behaviour doesn’t meet expectations, I would deal with them as I would within a classroom.

• In the first instance I will remind them of my expectations (and that the lesson is being recorded).
• More significant examples of poor behaviour may warrant an email to the parent.
• In very rare instances, such as abuse towards myself or other learners (in a small group session), I will eject the student from the session and contact the parent/guardian with a view to discussing what steps may be necessary in future.
• I reserve the right to cancel future sessions for students whose behaviour I deem to be unacceptable.

6 – Declaration.

By booking tuition with Dr Paul Gitsham, you are agreeing to be bound by these terms and conditions. Dr Gitsham reserves the right to update and amend these conditions when necessary, informing all those affected by email.

Current Revision May 2026