I have 5 children, Mark has worked with the oldest 4 so far.
Mark worked with my oldest daughter who has exam panic. She would do amazing mock exams but arrive at the actual exam feeling physically sick and she'd fail. Mark came in and re-organised her life. He put all her subjects in boxes to help her quantify everything. He made a huge map on the wall and helped her understand what she had to study and how. He really helped her to understand what she wanted and how to get there. Similarly for her A-Levels, SATs and university applications - he'd calm her down and help her divide up the work for each day. Mark played a huge role in her life, in this case it was not about teaching skills but all about calming a child and working on the self esteem. She got 9A* and 3As, brilliant SAT grades and was accepted into Penn, Darthmouth, Harvard and chose Brown.
My second child was a totally different story. She is confident and sporty, a daring ambitious polo player, bright, but not always focused on her study. With her he had to teach. From a low base he told her she would learn maths to the point that she would enjoy it and do well. It was intensive 5 hours a day over holidays and very last minute. Whenever she wassn't concentrating he'd focus her, go for a walk, have a quick chat and get back to work. With her at boarding school I couldn't be on top of the game. The school predicted her Cs and Ds and Mark rescued her and she got 5As, 3A* and 2Bs. She now Majors in maths and teaches others, which she loves.
The 3rd, was very confident but has exam panic. The Headmaster recommended we apply for St Pauls, Westminster, Kings, Latymer, and Eton for boarding school. He didn't get into Eaton, Kings, or Westminster - due to exam panic. When Mark started working with him, he saw that our son hadn't been prepared for the exams. The school hadn't picked up his dyslexia and he wasn't getting the extra time and proper support he needed. St Pauls has an interview instead of a computer based test. His interview was with a Chemistry teacher - he loves Chemistry - and he got in. I had ask the school why it was the tutor who found the dyslexia not them. Mark supported me and encouraged us to do the dyslexia tests. Mark provided invaluable mentoring and teaching.
4th child aged 9, very calm a bit cocky, likes school and isn't stressed, and he got into Kings. He didn't need much help but when he wants it, he asks for Mark. He moved to Kings when he was 8 and it was immediately a lot harder than his previous school. He asked for Mark once per week.
The problem with giving Mark's number is everyone want's him. People send me flowers and call me in tears to say thank you. He changed our lives with his tutoring - a real super tutor and top of my list for everything.
Academics have never been so important for me, I grew up on a beach so when we moved to London friends had to hold my hand as a mother to navigate the English exam system. Mark was our headmaster. He says languages are not his thing, but he has found us many language and other tutors when he didn't cover the subject. His specialty is to organise a child's mind.
