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Building Confidence through Connection, Mindset & Thoughtful Instruction
Helen W.
Reading, English & Maths Tutor | Years 1–9
Reading • Primary English & Maths • Language Intervention • Study & Exam Skills
Helen is an experienced teacher, Reading Specialist and former psychology lecturer who combines strong educational experience with a deep understanding of how children learn.
She tailors her teaching to the individual student, helping children and young people strengthen their academic skills whilst developing confidence, independence and a more positive approach to learning.
15+ YEARS
Education Experience
UK & Jersey
PGCE/QTS
Primary Education
University of Hertfordshire
PHD
Psychology
University of Leicester
“Children make the greatest progress when teaching begins with understanding the individual child – how they learn, what they find difficult and what helps them feel confident enough to succeed.”
About Helen
Helen is an experienced teacher, Reading Specialist and tutor with a professional background spanning classroom teaching, school leadership, Special Educational Needs support and psychology.
During her teaching career, Helen has taught across the primary age range and held senior positions including Deputy Headteacher, Senior Teacher and Key Stage 2 Leader. She has also worked as a Literacy Coordinator, Assessment Subject Leader and mentor to trainee and newly qualified teachers.
Alongside her teaching experience, Helen has a PhD in Psychology and spent more than a decade teaching psychology at university level, including as a Senior Lecturer at The Open University. This combination gives her a particularly strong understanding of learning, behaviour and the importance of supporting the whole child.
Helen has tutored online since 2021 and currently supports students from Year 1 to Year 9, including Reading, English, Maths, Language Intervention and Study & Exam Skills.
"Our 11 year old daughter really enjoys her weekly maths sessions with Helen and has made excellent progress. We would highly recommend."
E. Adkins (Google Review)
Reading, English & Maths
Helen combines extensive teaching experience with an understanding that children do not all learn in the same way.
She has particular experience in literacy, reading, phonics and writing alongside Primary Maths, and has supported children individually, in small groups and within the classroom. Her professional experience includes working with children with Special Educational Needs, English as an Additional Language and emotional or behavioural difficulties.
Helen uses a range of approaches – including visual, auditory and kinaesthetic strategies – to make learning more accessible and engaging. She takes time to identify what a student understands, where difficulties may be occurring and which approaches help that individual make progress.
As students grow older, Helen can also support the development of study and exam skills, helping them become more organised, confident and independent in their learning.
How Helen Teaches
Understanding the learner
Helen's starting point is the student rather than a fixed teaching method.
She pays close attention to how each child responds to different approaches and adapts her teaching accordingly. Visual, auditory and kinaesthetic strategies can all form part of her sessions, depending on what helps that particular student understand and retain new learning.
Her approach is supportive and encouraging whilst remaining purposeful, with progress carefully monitored over time.
Building Strong Foundations
Helen understands how important secure foundations are for later learning.
Whether a child is developing reading and phonics, strengthening written English, becoming more confident with Maths or learning how to approach independent study, Helen works carefully to identify gaps in understanding before building towards more complex learning.
Her classroom and tutoring experience allows her to connect individual tuition with the skills students need to participate more confidently and independently at school.
Supporting the Whole Learner
Helen's background in psychology and wellbeing brings an additional dimension to her teaching.
She recognises that confidence, emotional wellbeing and learning are closely connected, and that a student may struggle academically for many different reasons.
Her experience includes supporting students with SEN, EAL and emotional and behavioural difficulties. Helen also has experience supporting students with learning challenges including ADHD and autism, adapting sessions to the needs of the individual learner.
Her aim is to create an environment in which students feel understood and supported whilst maintaining clear expectations and meaningful academic progress.
Helen herself identified individualised teaching, monitoring progress, personal relationships, child-centred practice and sensitivity to SEN, EAL and children's mental health as important elements of her teaching approach.
What Parents Say
"I had a meeting with my daughter's English teacher, and she said that she is jumping up a class in the new term. Her confidence has improved, and her English has improved tenfold. Now she is reading for an hour every night and is a different girl. We must thank you for supporting this improvement and finding the way to give her a boost. What a change!" - Parent of Student (Year 9)
More Than Academic Progress
For Helen, successful tuition is about more than completing a piece of work or improving a particular skill.
Her background in education, psychology and wellbeing gives her a strong appreciation of the relationship between learning, confidence and emotional wellbeing.
Helen helps students recognise their progress, develop resilience and discover strategies they can use more independently. For older students, this can extend to study and exam skills, helping them approach increasing academic demands with greater confidence and organisation.
Her aim is to help students become increasingly capable and independent learners, taking the confidence and strategies they develop during tuition back into school and their wider learning.
The Student Before the Curriculum
Helen sees the individual student before the curriculum.
Her aim is not simply to teach Reading, English or Maths, but to understand how each student learns, where they may be experiencing difficulties and what will help learning become more accessible.
By combining individualised teaching with encouragement, humour and clear expectations, Helen helps students develop both their academic skills and greater confidence in themselves as learners.
Qualifications and Experience
Qualifications:
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PhD – Psychology
University of Leicester -
PGCE (Primary) / QTS
University of Hertfordshire -
National Professional Qualification in Senior Leadership
National College for Teaching and Leadership -
Middle Leaders Development Programme
National College for Teaching and Leadership -
BSc.Econ. – Psychology
University College Cardiff -
Wellness Practitioner
Teaching Experience:
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Primary Class Teacher
Years 2, 3 & 4 -
Deputy Headteacher & Senior Teacher
-
Key Stage 2 Leader
-
Literacy & Assessment Subject Leadership
-
SEN Teaching Assistant
Individual learning support -
Mentor
PGCE, SCITT & Newly Qualified Teachers -
Psychology Lecturer & Senior Lecturer
Including The Open University -
Online Tutor
Since 2021 -
Additional Experience
Reading • Phonics • Literacy • Maths • SEN • EAL • Pastoral Support • Assessment • Individual & Small-Group Teaching
Could Helen be the Right Support for your Child?
Choosing tuition is about more than finding somebody who knows the subject.
Our free consultation gives us the opportunity to learn more about your child, understand where they may be finding things difficult and consider the type of teaching approach that could help them move forward with greater confidence.