School Tutoring
University Tutoring
Professional Tutoring
Online English Language Tutor Sarah
Sarah
Literature PhD
$46/hr
I am passionate about literature, and I want my students to enjoy themselves while they gain confidence and skills.
Sarah0 classes
Leeds University - Literature - PhD
I am passionate about literature, and I want my students to enjoy themselves while they gain confidence and skills.
| Recent Students: 0 |
| Total Hours: 0 |
| Last Online: |
| All-time Students: 0 |
| Total Classes: 0 |
| Signed Up: |
| Recent Students: 0 | Total Hours: 0 | Last Online: |
| All-time Students: 0 | Total Classes: 0 | Signed Up: |
About Me
I am a magpie in my reading tastes and formats, although I always come back to books. I have a list of authors whose work I intend to read that I regularly update.
I have two teenage daughters and they tell me that English lessons in school are often lacking: they can seem boring, uncreative and formulaic. That saddens me because everyone has something to gain from reading and writing well. You lose so much if the ambiguity, playfulness and power of language are not communicated.
Alongside my freelance work I am a published writer of non-fiction and, recently, fiction. Writing is challenging and it helps keep me sharp as a teacher because I understand failure and the need to learn and improve my skills. I am forever questioning word choices, asking what effect I am trying to achieve as well as exploring an individual word's significance and placement, or why a character just said what they did - the essence of English GCSEs!
I went to Durham University to study English Literature and that opened the door to a larger world of writers from countries like Canada, the US, Australia, and New Zealand, whose work I went on to explore. In my twenties while working in magazine journalism I went back to university to study for a Master's and stayed to do a PhD, although I never expected to! I had an encouraging supervisor and felt passionately enough about my studies to support myself until I won a scholarship, so I know something about the value of a good teacher and perseverance.
Tutor Experience
I am versatile. I have taught in academia, prison and online, and worked as a writer and editor. I have taught Shakespeare, Critical Thinking, Feminist Writing and Canadian Literature to young adult and mature students in HE settings, such as the Universities of Leeds, Calgary (Canada) and Huddersfield, as well as Functional English Skills to challenging learners in Norwich Prison.
As an Editorial Contributor for Edelman UK, I drafted white papers and articles for corporate clients and put into action many of the skills I have taught students. So, I understand the relevance of my subject and how what you say and how you say it can impact the message, which has ramifications for you and others.
For the past year, my work as an online tutor has meant engaging with the struggles of a young refugee for whom English is a second language. It is a closer teaching relationship, with individual needs at its heart, and I have enjoyed trying to help my student stay motivated, even as the odds of passing his English Language GCSE seemed against him. My student has come to understand how engaging with fiction and non-fiction texts can help him pass science exams and participate in a larger world.
It is this ability and confidence that I want to give students who work with me; it doesn't matter what their level is or whether they like Dickens, but what they can gain by engaging critically and creatively with someone else’s writing. Everyone is different, of course, and with tutoring you need to interest the individual and understand their needs. Most will have an opinion: I can help them learn to back it up, organise their thoughts into an argument and try and have fun as we build towards better marks.
Topic Expertise
English Language and Literature GCSE and iGCSE (AQA and Cambridge International)
English Literature A Level (AQA)
I have enough breadth to my experience to be able to adapt to different exam boards and assessment criteria
Shakespeare, 19th, 20th and 21st century fiction, drama and poetry in English
Testimonials
Dec 2025
Hi, my name is Demir and I am a Turkish student who is doing A-levels in Physics, Maths, and Chemistry. I contacted Sarah last December because I needed extra support with my English in general and specifically in writing. I was required to take the GCSE English Language exam in order to start my A-levels.
In my original country’s education system, we never had any progressive experience with writing, as it was mostly focused on memorising. Hence, this GCSE English Language exam was targeting my weakest area, firstly because English is my second language and secondly because I did not have the ability to write academically.
Luckily, I had the best and most qualified teacher for this matter. Whether it was her talent in spotting my weak points or the simple motivation she gave me to keep going, I handled this exam as well as I possibly could. She gave the most beneficial feedback to help me keep improving and kept reminding me of the exam’s time-limit difficulties.
In our last weeks, we were doing mock exams together under time limits, and in fact, I felt the same feelings, pressure, and anxiety as in the real exam. This helped me prepare for the scenario and put me a step ahead of other students.
I passed with a 5! I feel very lucky and blessed to have met her. If she wasn’t my teacher, I don’t know what would have happened. She is highly qualified and experienced in preparing students for this exam.
Tutoring Subjects
Background Checks
Verified
Qualifications
PhD (Leeds University)
MA English Literature (Leeds University)
BA (Hons) English Literature (Durham University)
A Levels: English Literature, French, History (A, A, B)
Availability
| Weekdays | Weekends | |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | ||
| Afternoon | ||
| Evening |