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Peter Halfpenny - Maths Tutor and Science Tutor

In view of recent government advice concerning coronavirus, I am now offering online tuition via Skype instead of face-to-face lessons for all of my teaching.

Schools throughout the UK are now closed to most students. I understand schools will be providing work for students to continue with their learning and maintain progress through their GCSE or A level courses at the necessary rate despite the school closures. I am sure all schools will be doing everything they can to help students through this period, though it is not clear what form that help will take or how extensive it will be. Inevitably exam-directed studies during this time will require a significant level of independent work. My aim is to provide direct one to one support and guidance as students tackle new and challenging topics outside the normal classroom environment.

I have switched entirely to online lessons since Tuesday 17th March. Skype works well for one-to-one tuition. I am able to use screen sharing or can switch between multiple cameras. So students can see me, what I am writing or a shared screen with questions, diagrams or examples. Students are also able to use screen capture to take copies of examples or other information to incorporate into their notes after the lesson. An ipad or other tablet or laptop work well. A desktop with a webcam also seems to be fine for the lessons. A smartphone may be ok if reasonably large, though I have not tried this as yet.

I am normally fully booked at this time of year, However, most students are now at home and able to have lessons during normal school hours. This has opened up a number of additional spaces. Several are currently available. If you are interested, please email.

Patient, effective teaching from an experienced Maths tutor - helping to develop confidence and understanding. I am based in Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire but travel to surrounding towns and villages within about 6 miles, including Trowbridge, Winsley, Holt and Atworth. I have been providing support to Maths and Science students in West Wiltshire for over sixteen years, drawing on more than 40 years experience of Science and Maths in teaching, research and industry. I offer help and support in Mathematics for students of all abilities:

  • GCSE Maths tuition
  • GCSE Statistics tuition
  • A level Maths tuition

Bringing Science to life - Science tuition based on a broad experience of research and teaching in Universities and industry. I offer tuition which encourages curiosity about the world around us and develops a sound understanding of science and technology:

  • GCSE Physics tuition
  • GCSE Chemistry tuition
  • A level Chemistry tuition

Every student deserves the chance to reach the full potential of their talents and abilities. There are times, however, when normal school lessons and a large classroom environment are not sufficient to allow this to happen.

"...building confidence and removing barriers to understanding"

Individual tuition is a very effective way to identify and remedy problem areas, thereby building confidence and removing barriers to learning. Many see tuition primarily as a means to preparation for examinations. It can certainly make a substantial difference to the grades obtained but it can also provide much more.

"...far greater benefit and satisfaction from their school lessons"

The increased confidence and motivation which usually result from effective, ongoing tuition allow students to gain far greater benefit and satisfaction from their school lessons. This is probably why many of my students choose to continue their tuition with me throughout a substantial fraction of their secondary education.

If your son or daughter has a friend in the same class who is also looking for tuition, double lessons can be an effective way of reducing the cost. Clearly, the individual attention of a one-to-one lesson is the ideal situation but the substantial savings of a double lesson make this a useful compromise. This approach can work very well provided the two students are of similar ability. I can usually advise after an initial lesson whether or not abilities are sufficiently closely matched for double lessons to be effective. The charge for a double lesson is £22 per student per hour - a saving of £8 compared to the normal rate.