Maths · Physics · English literature
Pine Studio is a one-tutor practice for learners in years 9 to 13. Every place begins with a diagnostic session, then a written weekly plan you can actually see progress against — online, or in person at your kitchen table.
How it works
Nothing here is a package you sign up to for a year. The first session tells us both whether tutoring is the right tool, and what the actual problem is.
01
We work through a short set of problems chosen from the last two years of the course, out loud. I am listening for where the reasoning breaks, not marking it.
02
Each session covers one narrow thing properly, then revisits something from three weeks ago. Spacing the return visits is what makes it stick through to the exam.
03
From February the work shifts to timed papers and mark schemes — reading the question, budgeting minutes, and writing answers that actually earn the method marks.
Subjects & levels
Four lanes, kept deliberately narrow. Anything outside them I will decline rather than teach badly — ask and I will tell you honestly.
The usual sticking points: algebraic fractions and rearranging, then differentiation and integration once the algebra underneath is solid. Pure first, applied second.
Most marks are lost in the six-mark written answers, not the calculations. We spend real time on explanation structure alongside the problem sets.
Set texts and unseen poetry. The work is building a defensible argument in a paragraph, then repeating that shape under time pressure.
A short block for learners who know the content but fall apart in revision season. Usually three or four sessions, not a term.
Formats & rates
All sessions are 55 minutes with one learner. Rates include the written plan, marking between sessions, and messages during the week.
£54 per session
£58 per session
£240 for four sessions
Availability
| Day | Online | In person |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 16:30 · 17:45 | — |
| Tuesday | 16:30 · 19:00 | 17:45 |
| Wednesday | — | 16:30 · 17:45 |
| Thursday | 17:45 · 19:00 | — |
| Saturday | 09:00 · 10:15 | 11:30 |
Questions parents ask first
At the diagnostic I ask for the exam board, the specification code and the school's scheme of work if you have it. The weekly plan is written against that document, so the order of topics matches what is being taught in class rather than running in parallel to it.
For maths and physics, yes — a shared whiteboard shows working line by line, and the session recording means a learner can re-watch the part that lost them. In-person tends to suit younger learners and anyone who struggles to stay off their phone for an hour. You can switch between the two at any point in the term.
Give me 24 hours' notice and the session moves free of charge, twice per term. Beyond that the slot is charged, because it cannot usually be refilled at short notice. Sessions I cancel are always rescheduled or credited.
About thirty minutes for a weekly place and around an hour for fortnightly. It is deliberately small: the point is spaced practice on one or two ideas, not a second homework load on top of school. If it is not getting done we talk about why rather than setting more.
Often. That usually means starting with shorter question sets and untimed practice, then adding time pressure gradually once the content feels secure. I am a tutor, not a clinician — if something looks like it needs proper support beyond academic work, I will say so and suggest you speak to the school.
Three signals: the running topic list showing what has moved from shaky to solid, marks on the timed papers we do in session, and school assessment results. If none of those have shifted after six weeks, I will tell you before you have to ask.
Only if they are on the same paper in the same year, which is rare. Otherwise the hour halves for both of them. It is usually better value to book one weekly place and alternate learners fortnightly.
Enquire
A few details are enough to say whether I have a suitable slot and whether I am the right tutor for the subject. There is no obligation after the diagnostic session.