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English with Dr Sophie Breese

An award-winning former English teacher at St Paul's Girls' School and lecturer at Oxford University, I have been working as an independent English tutor since 2011. I offer online tutoring for all levels of English literature, including home-schooling; 11+ entrance, GCSE, iGCSE, A Level and university-level English; English language to GCSE; Oxbridge entrance; general enrichment for all ages; and creative writing lessons. I also offer a unique service called 11plusConsultancy providing advice and an assessment to year 5/6 students for their application to independent schools in the UK. NEW: a one-hour lesson for Year 4 students/discussion with parents about 11+ (for girls) is now available, after much demand!

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My students come from all backgrounds and are based all over the world: the UK & elsewhere in Europe; the Middle-East; India, Pakistan, Hong Kong, China & Singapore; New Zealand & Australia; the United States.

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Since introducing the 11plusConsultancy in 2020, I have worked with 33 students, eight of whom were applying for full bursaries. 21 have been awarded places at SPGS. The rest have been offered places (and scholarships) at schools appropriate for their abilities and potential, including Wycombe Abbey, Latymer, JAGS, Godolphin and Latymer, City of London, North London Collegiate School. I am still working with five of these 11+ students, now at SPGS and NLCS, doing enrichment lessons. Meanwhile, my five recent Oxbridge students are all happily enjoying their English degrees at Oxford or Cambridge.

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I love English. I am lucky to have grown up in a family of English graduates, to have lived near good bookshops, libraries and theatres, and to have been taught by inspirational English teachers at Godolphin and Latymer in the 1980s. Not everyone is so fortunate but I believe it is never too late to fall in love with novels, poems and plays. I will help you to do better than you think is possible in your entrance exam, your end-of-year exams, your GCSEs, your A levels, even your degree, but I will also show you that English is an exciting, vital and enriching subject. I hope that after working with me you will decide that a Shakespeare play is worth seeing at the theatre because it is a play written by the greatest playwright we have ever known rather than a collection of words you are studying in class.

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The 11plusConsultancy service was terrific and the perfect solution to help our daughter prepare for the 11+. Sophie gave us an honest and clear assessment of our daughter's English level, which was extremely productive and helpful. In addition, Sophie's radiating positive energy, enthusiasm and evident passion for teaching is infectious, and our daughter loved working on improving and expanding her knowledge. The lessons achieved far more than preparing for the 11+; they gave our daughter the confidence and curiosity to investigate further, to want to learn more. Thank you, Sophie, for your tremendous help and support.

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Mother of student (11plusConsultancy 2021, now enrichment lessons and teaching younger sister). Student got into all schools to which she applied including St Paul's Girl's School, Latymer Upper, and Godolphin and Latymer.

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Sophie is an exceptional teacher! She worked with my daughter towards her 11+ exams and played a huge part in us getting offers from all top London schools we applied to, including SPGS. Sophie nurtured my daughter’s natural abilities, and helped her develop critical thinking skills so she could look at her work and think about how she could improve it herself. This meant my daughter wasn’t being made to fit into a mould or having to learn methods and techniques which a lot do tutors push children towards. Instead, my daughter developed her own individual style and great self confidence in her own abilities. Like a lot of bright kids, my daughter is strong minded and needs to understand and feel convinced of any feedback on her work. Sophie put a lot of effort in every lesson and worked patiently through every piece of work to give her that feedback and understanding. Her commitment and dedication to her students, is commendable. Sophie is very organised and takes the time to communicate with parents on a regular basis so we can work as a team. I will forever be grateful to Sophie for her refreshing approach and for inspiring this passion for English and love for learning in my daughter. Thank you Sophie!

 

Mother of student, 2023. Student got into St. Paul's Girls' School, NLCS & Tiffin Girls' School

You were one of the loveliest and most enthusiastic people ever to teach me, and I always looked forward both to your lessons and to creative writing group. You were so supportive and constructive about creative writing and helped me - and others - develop the confidence to do things like enter competitions. You always managed both to be encouraging but not patronising for people in the class who weren't convinced about the merits of studying literature, and inspiring to people who were already excited about it. To have a teacher who knew their subject inside out but was also friendly and approachable was amazing and I was definitely not the only person to hugely appreciate all of the energy and care you put into teaching us...

 

Former student from St Paul's Girls' School

Sophie came into my life at a point where I began to doubt my abilities as an English student. Incidentally, this was after I had finished school where I had excelled in exams, but felt stunted in terms of my broader intellectual development when it came to applying to university. I was initially apprehensive at the prospect of using Skype for tuition, but as said by others, it is really like being in the room with her. I can only say that I’ve encountered a fair few highly qualified tutors, but none with the warmth nor commitment that Sophie has put into helping me. She is incredibly well-versed in English, to an extent that I hadn't seen with my own teachers at school, or anyone for that matter. Her breadth of knowledge and experience has enriched my essays, and the discussions I have had with her have greatly improved my confidence in practical criticism. She has encouraged me to read more carefully and be more discriminating in my responses, but more importantly, she has helped me understand why I want to read the subject at university. It also helps that she is very down to earth, which really makes a difference when you’re talking to someone who knows a lot more than you. I recommend her in the highest terms.

 

Student who received unconditional offer for Cambridge, Jan 2017

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