Enthusiastic physics and maths tutor with 28 years experience
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What I teach -
I have been a specialist tutor in A-level physics for the last 28 years and also teach GCSE physics and maths plus the mechanics part of A-level maths. I teach all exam boards- Edexcel, AQA, OCR including syllabus B, Welsh Board, plus Scottish Higher, Advanced Higher, University Foundation, and International Baccalaureate.
I teach what an individual student requires e.g. reinforcing what you learned in school that week, revision for exams and mocks, teaching specific topics as required, and teaching private candidates. I encourage students to be proactive in suggesting what topics to teach that lesson.
I can certainly teach exam technique (I am an examiner) and study technique as we go along.
Results
My students get excellent results. My year 13 students on Sherpa got A* A and B grades-AQA Edexcel and OCR in 2021. Recently two of my students got A* grades and an AQA retake student improved from E to A, by giving her the exam practice she lacked in her last school. Some of my students score 100% on A-level units and once 600/600. Most of my two-year students score minimum B and my retake grade improvement is at least two grades e.g. D to B. Many of my students go on to university to study medicine engineering and sciences.
Experience
Since 1993 I have taught full-time, in most private tutorial colleges in London e.g. MPW and Albemarle, often as Head of Physics, all exam boards. I teach two-year courses, one-year retakes, Easter Revision. I have tutored privately through agencies, via colleges and personal recommendations. I am experienced in teaching students whose first language is not English.
I am an examiner, marking A-level and GCSE physics each year since 2001.
Methods
I have successfully made the transition from face-to-face to online teaching and have acquired a taste for it. It works just as well for my students as traditional teaching. I enjoy using my online whiteboard and scanned resources-packs of exam board-specific past paper questions plus my own questions arranged by topic.
I teach study and revision techniques and provide topic-specific revision notes. I have been interested in exam technique since I was a teenager and share this with my students. As an examiner, I know exactly what is required and often use questions I have marked professionally. I address each individual student's issues and am patient and happy to repeat and use different explanations until a topic is understood.
I use my own repertoire of worked examples which make the subject interesting by being real-life related, and also similar to exam questions. I use packs of board-specific past paper questions arranged by topic. My worked examples cover 90% of what will come up in your exam. For descriptive questions e.g. 6 mark questions I give lists of key descriptive phrases to break these down into manageable chunks, and details of the key practicals.
I enjoy making links between physics and other A-levels e.g. maths and chemistry and its relevance to e.g. engineering and medicine. I enjoy sharing my enthusiasm for physics but also respect those for whom physics is not their favourite subject, and work with them to get the best possible grade.
Interests
I am passionate about physics. I am a keen amateur astronomer and give lectures on the subject and keep up to date by attending lectures at London Universities and the Institute of Physics. I also enjoy landscape photography, country walking, and cycling.
Qualifications
I have a 2/1 degree in astronomy and physics from University College London, a postgraduate qualification in meteorology, and a Further Education teaching qualification.
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Reviews
James teaches my year 11 child GCSE Physics and Chemistry. James has been able to build her confidence in these subjects particularly in understanding what examiners are looking for. Using real life examples to give clarity to these subjects in addition to identifying and testing any weaknesses, has been of great help. My child has entered her mock exam week with confidence and determination because of James support.
James is a brilliant tutor. My daughter studied AQA A-Level Physics and she achieved an A*. He is very approachable and kind, with an extremely positive attitude to teaching. In my opinion if a child is relaxed and feels very able to ask questions, that's a first big step towards improvement. James very quickly showed his absolute love and personal enthusiasm for physics - I believe that all of the best teachers have a true love of their subject areas which in turn makes their lessons more engaging. His practical knowledge of the physics syllabus was vital and reassuring. James was very obliging when it came to scheduling lessons. My daughter loves physics and could only be tutored by someone who she respects professionally. I do not hesitate to recommend James and if my son needs tutoring, I will certainly be using James - perhaps I might use James just for a bit of extra fun and practice for my son! We are very glad to have found you James - thank you so much!
James is a great tutor. He is very devoted to making sure you are learning as much as possible, and I really like how he can make even the most obscure topic be relevant to your specific interests/future aspirations. I have seen a great improvement in both my exam technique as well as my knowledge for physics, and I highly recommend his teaching style. I was predicted a B but thanks to his support my final grade in physics became an A.
Very thorough, detailed explanations regarding all the math aspects I struggle with in physics, and would highly recommend Mr. Hilder! As I feel more confident with physics than before
James is a great teacher who has been able to raise my ability with GCSE Physics. He has a positive attitude with teaching and is able to clearly explain any queries. His teaching style is great and he has a wide knowledge of GCSE sciences
My son had a few classes with James and is very happy. After the first class with James, my son said that he felt that he is learning the subject deeply through the class. James is a very knowledgeable and professional tutor. Very grateful.
My son is very happy with the way James explains things to him. He is clear, easy to follow, and helps a lot with my son's coursework.
Excellent tutor, goes thoroughly through topics and explains them well if you do not understand.
James taught my daughter AQA A level Physics for two months. He is an excellent teacher of the subject and has a very good working knowledge of the AQA spec. He helped my daughter to understand topics she had found difficult and helped to build her confidence. Good physics tutors are hard to find - I would highly recommend James.
James is an extremely professional tutor and has a wide range of knowledge around maths and physics. He is able to adapt to any pathway which involves maths. When I contacted him for help with Nursing drug calculations, he researched into the nursing field in order to best support my learning. In my recent mock exam I achieved 90% and I could not have done this without his help. Would highly recommended to anyone who is struggling with maths.
very good at getting across information
Only the first session but it ended with me feeling like i can really learn off James. Thank you
We approached James to tutor our daughter who is in S4. She had missed a term of school due to poor health and needed catching up. James took up the challenge and initially spent two intense weeks helping her prepare for her assessment. She passed the assessment with flying colours. He then tutored her for her prelims and we were very impressed with his dedication and knowledge of the subject. He was also very fair and we were kept informed at all stages. We felt that teaching is Jame's vocation, not his profession. The lessons were not cheap but we never felt that he persuaded us to take more than what was really needed. To the extent that James took the time to assess our daughter and then wrote a report to help us make the best decision for our daughter . He worked very hard to help our daughter regain her confidence in studies. We highly recommend James for Physics and hope he will continue to help other students as he has helped our daughter.
explained the questions really detailed
James is the most Passionate tutor i ever had !! He is Sincere in his teaching as he really puts a 100% effort on getting you to understand the topic every lesson, which will be an easy task because thanks to his vast and varied knowledge James can come up with many real life examples in so many different areas that will help you understand as he gives familiar examples that are close to your culture or to an area you might be interested in... English will never be a problem as he will make sure to that you understand every word he says ! James has a very deep knowledge of physics, specially Astronomy! His explanations are clear, concise and precise, as he can make a hard and confusing chapter look very simple and much clearer, after a lesson with James all the pieces of the puzzle seemed to fall into place and the lesson was fully understood which then allowed us to tackle on many exercises therefore making me always feel serene about upcoming exams! James is truly an AMAZING tutor ! He is for me the BEST TO DO IT !
I found this lesson extremely helpful as I was taught extra things which weren’t too related to the question, but they were good to know for my own scientific knowledge.
Brilliant feedback and I know exactly where I'm going wrong now :)
James is really a great tutor. He helped my son for preparing his GCSE exam during the Easter Holiday. It makes him very confident now.
A great teacher for Physics A-level. He has helped me so much in improving my understanding of physics. He has a great method of always using real-life examples which ensures better understanding, especially when answering exam questions. He also knows the exam boards very well so has helped me reach A and A* grades in my mock exams. I highly recommend James.
Teaches
Subject | Level |
---|---|
Maths | GCSE |
Physics | IB |
Physics | GCSE |
Physics | A-Level |
Showing off Their Knowledge
Our tutors can answer one-off questions from students in our forum.
Asked in GCSE Physics - Newton's Laws by Kara Johnston
Not really. In terms of A-level Newton's Laws are fully correct for macroscopic objects-even those r...
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Answered 5 days ago
Asked in GCSE Physics - Newton's Laws by Prof. Reginald Wisoky II
Avoid thinking about action and reaction or you will be confused by the book and the table example a...
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Answered 5 days ago
Asked in GCSE Physics - Newton's Laws by Dr. Misty Cronin IV
Rate of change of momentum is directly proportional to the resultant force, and in the same directio...
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Answered 5 days ago
Asked in GCSE Physics - Newton's Laws by Theresia Reichel
Object at rest or moving with constant velocity remains so unless a net/resultant external force act...
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Answered 5 days ago
Asked in GCSE Maths - Plot and Interpret Graphs by Antonietta Nikolaus PhD
it means as x goes up y goes up. A positive correlation, a positive gradient...
242 views
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Answered 2 months ago
Where do I go from here?
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Sherpa gives you the opportunity to meet our tutors in a free 20 minute introduction, which takes place through the Sherpa classroom.
How do lessons work?
All lessons take place through Sherpa's online, industry-leading classroom. This is a combination of a collaborative, real time whiteboard and a video call, like Zoom.