Weekly one-to-one, online
£5860 minutes
Shared whiteboard and document camera so handwritten working stays the centre of the lesson. The board is saved and sent after each session.
One-to-one maths & science tuition
Fewer gaps. Better working. Calmer exams.
I teach a small number of students each term, one at a time, from first principles through to full past papers — so the method is understood before it is practised at speed.
- Years 7–13
- Online or in-person
- Weekly cycles, termly plans
The method
Four stages, repeated until the paper feels ordinary
Every student follows the same sequence, but the content of each stage is written for them. Nothing is taught twice because the plan already records what landed.
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01
Diagnostic session
We work through a mixed set of questions aloud so I can see where the method breaks — definitions, algebraic handling, or reading the question. You leave with a written summary of the three things worth fixing first.
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02
Mapped term plan
The topics are sequenced against the student's school scheme of work and exam dates, so tuition stays ahead of class rather than repeating it. Parents can see the plan and the week's notes at any time.
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03
Weekly teaching cycle
One new idea is taught from first principles, practised on graded questions, then checked against a question the student has not seen. Between sessions there is a short, specific task — never a generic worksheet.
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04
Exam rehearsal
Full papers under time, marked against the real scheme, then rebuilt line by line. We rehearse the boring mechanics too: question order, when to leave a part, and how to show working that earns method marks.
Subjects & levels
What I teach, and how far
I keep the subject list short on purpose. If a request sits outside it, I will say so at the consultation rather than take the booking.
| Subject | Levels | Typical focus |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | Year 7–13 | Algebraic fluency, fractions and indices, trigonometry, calculus foundations, past-paper technique. |
| Further Mathematics | Year 12–13 | Complex numbers, matrices, series, proof structure and writing arguments that a marker can follow. |
| Physics | Year 9–13 | Mechanics, electricity, waves and fields, plus required practicals and uncertainty questions. |
| Chemistry | Year 9–11 | Moles and calculations, bonding, rates and equilibria, writing six-mark answers to the mark scheme. |
| Entrance papers | Year 6 & Year 11 | Non-routine problems, timed reasoning, and interview-style explanation of a half-finished solution. |
Session formats
Four ways to work together
Rates are per session and billed monthly for the sessions actually taught. Teaching materials, marking and the written weekly note are included in every format.
Extended one-to-one, in person
£8290 minutes
Best for A-level and Further Maths, where a longer run lets us finish a full question set and a timed section in the same visit.
Paired or trio session
£34Per student, 75 min
Two or three students at the same level and pace, working the same set. It suits students who explain well out loud; it does not suit a student rebuilding basics.
Holiday intensive
£215Four-session block
A focused block across one school holiday on a single weak area — mechanics, calculus, or exam timing — ending with a full marked paper and a written next-steps note.
No registration fee, no minimum term and no charge for the consultation. If I do not think tuition is the right answer, I will tell you what I would do instead.
This term
Teaching timetable and open slots
Slots are held for the full term so a student keeps the same time each week. Where a day shows a waitlist, I will tell you the realistic wait at the consultation.
- Monday 16:00 · 17:15 · 18:30 2 open
- Tuesday 16:00 · 17:15 · 18:30 Full
- Wednesday 15:45 · 17:00 (extended) · 19:00 1 open
- Thursday 16:00 · 17:15 · 18:30 Waitlist
- Friday 16:00 · 17:30 (paired only) 1 open
- Saturday 09:00 · 10:45 · 12:30 (extended) Waitlist
School holidays run on a separate intensive timetable. Term-time slots pause automatically during the two-week December break and are held for your return.
About
I’m Mara Ellingsen, and I tutor nine students a term
I spent eleven years teaching secondary maths and physics before moving to private tuition full time. The reason was simple: in a class of thirty you can see the misconception but rarely have the twenty minutes it takes to unpick it. One to one, that is the whole job.
My teaching is unglamorous on purpose. We write things out, we talk the method back, and we re-test it a fortnight later when it has had time to be forgotten. Students who have been told they are “just not a maths person” usually turn out to have four or five specific gaps and a habit of rushing.
- Background
- MSc Mathematics; qualified secondary teacher, maths and physics.
- Experience
- Eleven years classroom teaching, including four as a head of department; six years private tuition.
- Examining
- Former GCSE mathematics marker, which is where most of my mark-scheme habits come from.
- Checks
- Enhanced background check held and renewed; certificate shown at the first session on request.
Questions
What parents usually ask first
Is the first session really free, and what happens in it?
Yes. The 90-minute diagnostic is unpaid and carries no obligation. We work through mixed questions, I note where the method breaks down, and you receive a written summary of the first three things worth fixing — which is useful whether or not you book further sessions.
How much work should my child expect between sessions?
Around 30–45 minutes a week, set as two or three specific questions rather than a worksheet. The point is to find out whether this week’s method survives without me in the room. If school workload spikes, tell me and I will cut the task, not the teaching.
Will I be told how my child is progressing?
Each session adds a short dated note to the shared plan: what we taught, what the student could do unaided, and what is still shaky. Every half term I write a longer summary with the topics still outstanding before the exam.
What is the cancellation arrangement?
Cancel or move a session with 24 hours’ notice at no cost, and I will offer an alternative time that week where one exists. Inside 24 hours the session is charged, because the slot is held. Illness is an obvious exception and I do not count it.
Can we start mid-year, close to exams?
Often, yes, but the plan changes. From about eight weeks out we stop trying to cover everything and instead target the highest-value topics and exam technique. If there genuinely is not enough time to make a difference, I will say so at the consultation.
Would a paired session suit my child, or should it be one to one?
Paired works well when both students are at a similar level, moving at a similar pace, and willing to explain their thinking out loud — it adds useful discussion. It is the wrong choice when a student is rebuilding foundations or is reluctant to be seen getting something wrong.
Do online sessions work as well as in person?
For most students, yes, provided we can both see handwritten working. I use a shared whiteboard and a document camera, and I ask students to work on paper rather than type. For Year 7–9 students who drift easily, in person is usually the better start.
Book a consultation
Tell me about the student
A few lines is plenty. I reply within two working days with the slots that fit, or an honest note if I am not the right tutor for what you need.