Matthew - Physics tutor - London

One of our best tutors. Quality profile, experience in their field, verified qualifications and a great response time. Matthew will be happy to arrange your first Physics lesson.

Matthew

One of our best tutors. Quality profile, experience in their field, verified qualifications and a great response time. Matthew will be happy to arrange your first Physics lesson.

  • Hourly rate £140
  • Response Time 2h
  • Number of students 50+
Matthew - Physics tutor - London
  • 5 (81 reviews)

£140/hr

Contact
  • Physics
  • PAT

Cambridge Natural Sciences graduate. 9 years' experience preparing students for primary/secondary school exams, and school/uni admissions.

Lesson location

    • At Matthew's house: London

    • Online
    • at your home or in a public place : will travel up to 50 km from London

Ambassador

One of our best tutors. Quality profile, experience in their field, verified qualifications and a great response time. Matthew will be happy to arrange your first Physics lesson.

About Matthew

Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology
School/Uni Admissions

I am a full-time private tutor with over 8000 hours’ (9 years) experience, holding a BA (Hons) and MSci in Natural Sciences from Pembroke College, Cambridge. I support students both in person and online.

- All core subjects at primary school level in preparation for 7+ through to 11+ (including Common Pre-Tests, school assessments and interviews).
- Secondary school science and mathematics in preparation for 13+ (Common Entrance), 16+ (school assessments & interviews), GCSE/IGCSE, A-Level, IB and Cambridge Pre-U exams and coursework assignments such as the IB IA.
- University admissions to Oxbridge and Russell Group Universities (personal statement, interview, admissions tests inc. PAT, MAT, NSAA, ENGAA, STEP, TSA and BMAT).
- Foundation/university level tuition in engineering, physics and mathematics – and mathematical content of other courses such as economics, business and finance.
- Home-schooling: ranging from temporary support (e.g. online support while a student is quarantining) to full curriculum delivery over one or two years (where I am solely responsible for the child’s education in that subject).

Example schools my students have recently received offers from:
Westminster, St Paul’s Girls’, St Paul’s Boys’, City of London, Merchant Taylors’, Latymer Upper, Hampton, Godolphin & Latymer, Dulwich, Highgate, St Augustine’s, UCS, Brighton College, Alleyn's & Wellington (I collect details on exam and interview questions from every student, culminating in a very large and insightful database!)

I am currently the Oxbridge mock-interviewer for STEM subjects at Epsom College, and have formerly run PAT/MAT workshops at UCS.

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My background:
I graduated from Pembroke College, Cambridge in June 2013 with a BA (Hons) and MSci in Natural Sciences. Having covered a mixture of mathematics, physics, chemistry and materials science in my first two years, I went on to specialise in Experimental and Theoretical Physics in my final two.

I developed my interest in education during my time at university through immersing myself in a wealth of educational projects. For example, through the Cavendish Laboratory Educational Outreach, I was placed part time at Coleridge Community College to act as an assistant physics teacher in my third year. I taught science, mathematics and English as a foreign language during my summer vacations in schools in India and China.

I am now excelling as a full-time private tutor and have established tutoring posts with many high-profile clients in and around London. I have been a tutor/educational consultant for 16 premier London agencies including Gabbitas and Oxbridge Applications and have acted as an agent myself for others. In November 2014, I was privileged to be invited to deliver Oxbridge Applications workshops to several of the top schools in Hong Kong including La Salle, German-Swiss International School and Harrow International. Currently, I am the Oxbridge mock-interviewer for STEM subjects at Epsom College, and have formerly run PAT/MAT workshops at UCS. I always strive to be the best tutor I can, and I am open to working with clients from all backgrounds and situations.

I am passionate about helping children secure a solid education, to lay the foundations for a successful career later in life. My Cambridge education has opened a wealth of opportunities and I too want to help children receive the best education so they can go on to achieve great things.

Outside the education sector, I have completed a prestigious geophysics summer internship at BP's North Sea Headquarters and worked for the Pembroke Development Office as a fundraiser as part of the Pembroke College Telephone Campaign.

In my spare time I enjoy travel and over the past decade have visited many exotic locations such as Australia, Southeast Asia, India, China and the Americas. I have taken an interest in algorithmic trading and have found it fascinating how tools learnt in A-Level/university mathematics and physics can be applied to the world of finance. I often share observations with students to inspire them and demonstrate how the skills they are honing are transferrable beyond the world of academia. Finally, I am a sporty individual having achieved a black belt in kickboxing and played badminton for my college at university.

University :
University of Cambridge
- Natural Sciences (Physical) (BA) [2:1]
- Natural Sciences (Physical) (Master's) [2:1]

School :
Desborough School

A Levels
- Physics [A]
- Maths [A]
- Further Mathematics [A]
- Chemistry [A]

AS Levels
- Biology [A]

GCSEs
- Religious Studies [A]
- Physics [A*]
- Physical Education (PE) [A]
- Maths [A*]
- Information and Communication Technology (ICT) [A*]
- Geography [A*]
- French [A*]
- English Literature [A]
- English Language [A]
- Drama [A]
- Chemistry [A*]
- Biology [A*]
- Art and Design [A]

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About the lesson

  • All Levels
  • English

All languages in which the lesson is available :

English

There are three roles I can take as a tutor. Firstly, I can act as a resource to help the child through homework assignments and explain difficult material in textbooks. Secondly, I can act as a teacher and deliver lessons in parallel to the school curriculum, tailoring a custom made course to target the child's interests. Finally, I can act as a mentor to help the child manage their own learning in order that they may maximise their potential. Usually parents request a balanced mix of all three and as the tutorials progress we can continually evolve the approach to exactly meet the interests of you and your child.

For university admissions, my services range from personal statement and interview advice to a bespoke course guiding the student through the entire UCAS application service right up to the final stages of interview preparation. It is advised to start early in order to ensure students have completed all the recommended extracurricular readings and activities to ensure a competitive application.

Being a car driver, I am in a unique position (compared to most London based tutors) to travel out to hard-to-reach places by public transport in the Northwest, West, Southwest and Central London areas and beyond into Surrey, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. I tutor all times of day and every day of the week which makes me very adaptable to each client’s schedule. Normally, I will have certain days of the week where I try to concentrate work to a particular area of London, but again can be flexible which is made easier by the fact I drive.

In recent times there has been a large-scale adoption of online teaching. Having already taught regularly over Skype/Zoom for international clients in China, Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and Russia, during the pandemic I was able to easily adapt my provision of lessons to meet government lockdown regulations. I have a dual webcam display which seamlessly transitions between my handwriting and my profile, enabling a very clear and effective delivery of lessons, including mathematics. Further, I also use a collaborative online whiteboard (BitPaper), compatible with tablets, which I find invaluable for teaching younger students where it is essential for both student and tutor to monitor every stage of each other’s working.

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Rates

Hourly rate

  • £140

Pack prices

  • 5h: £700
  • 10h: £1,400

online

  • £140/h

Matthew's Video

Find out more about Matthew

Find out more about Matthew

  • When did you develop an interest in your chosen field and in private tutoring?

    I developed my interest in education while reading Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge by immersing myself in a wealth of educational projects. For example, in my third year, through the Cavendish Laboratory Educational Outreach programme, I was placed part-time at Coleridge Community College as an assistant physics teacher. I taught science, mathematics and English as a foreign language during my summer vacations in schools in India and China.
  • Tell us more about the subject you teach, the topics you like to discuss with students (and possibly those you like a little less).

    I teach a broad spectrum of subjects and levels:
    - All core subjects at the primary school level in preparation for school entrance assessments.
    - Secondary school science and mathematics across all exam boards (including IB).
    - University admissions to Oxbridge and Russel Group Universities including personal statement, admissions tests and interview support.
    - Foundation/university tuition in engineering, physics and mathematics (including the mathematical content of other disciplines such as economics and finance).

    I enjoy exposing myself to a wide range of teaching responsibilities. Not only do I find the variety refreshing, but it is fascinating to explore the different teaching methods required at different levels. I am sure you will appreciate the contrast of explaining arithmetic to a four-year-old versus conceptualising complex numbers with an A-level student – the former possibly being the harder!

    Having specialised in physics in my last years at university, I do have a natural inclination towards this discipline. I believe the full potential of physics can only be unlocked by mathematics, so my lessons make robust use of mathematical principles and models. Nevertheless, I believe there is the tremendous value offered by all the STEM fields and I willingly indulge in teaching across the whole spectrum.
  • Did you have any role models; a teacher that inspired you?

    I have always been fond of my A-level maths teacher. I met up with him recently and was impressed he had maintained a teaching position at my secondary school, even after retiring. We reminisced on our classes. As a small class of two, there was ample opportunity for my classmate and I to explore our individual curiosities. Happy to stray from the intended lesson plan, my teacher nurtured a passion for mathematics rather than a necessity to pass exam papers, which has maintained my enthusiasm for the subject till this day. In this vein, I encourage input from my students to individualise their lessons to maximise engagement and allow them to cultivate their interests.
  • What do you think are the qualities required to be a good tutor?

    Knowledge. Enthusiasm. Relatability. Organisation.

    It goes without saying a good tutor must have a sound understanding of the subject they are teaching. However, there is no use harbouring a wealth of knowledge if you cannot captivate your audience. A varied teaching style, a trove of anecdotes and a relaxed manner of teaching will help any tutor win the attention and admiration of their students. Whenever possible, I integrate elements of my students’ hobbies and extra-curricular interests into my lessons to demonstrate the relevance of what we are learning beyond the abstractness of academia. Finally, it is important a tutor demonstrates the highest levels of organisation and professionalism when committing to a role and delivering classes. Punctuality, reliability and preparation are paramount to earn the trust of the student and their parents/guardians.
  • Provide a valuable anecdote related to your subject or your days at school.

    At university, students were given access to liquid nitrogen to analyse the behavioural changes of materials at sub-zero temperatures. But liquid nitrogen of course has other more useful applications, such as making ice cream! So yes, on one occasion we brought our mixing bowls and various ingredients and set about making some exquisite ice cream samples. We then took our ice cream to the History of Mathematics lecture (where students were allowed to bring their own food) and had a gloriously gluttonous afternoon.
  • What were the difficulties or challenges you faced or still facing in your subject?

    Despite having taught thousands of hours of mathematics and battled algebra of the highest complexity during my mathematics modules at university, I would still argue I am rather imperfect at mental arithmetic. As will be familiar to anyone who has studied a mathematical discipline, being categorised as a ‘maths boff’ apparently automatically makes you a human calculator. ‘What is this four-digit number multiplied by this three-digit number?’ you hear them cry with misplaced anticipation. Well, that is exactly the problem. Mathematics and arithmetic are not synonymous, neither in meaning nor as indicators of one’s abilities in the other. It is very possible to be magnificent at maths but awful at arithmetic, and it is important students are not disillusioned at a young age if they struggle in the latter. I believe my own struggles with arithmetic have helped me empathise with my students, and let them in on the tricks I employ to aid my own mental calculations.
  • Do you have a particular passion? Is it teaching in general or an element of the subject or something completely different?

    I have recently taken an interest in algorithmic trading and have found it fascinating how tools learnt in A-Level/university mathematics and physics can be applied to the world of finance. Probability is an integral component of this process, and it is fascinating to put theory to practice and achieve real results. Statistics is often stigmatised as a chore by many students, so it invigorates them to see an application beyond fancy figures and pretty pie charts!
  • What makes you a Superprof (besides answering these interview questions :-P) ?

    I believe my students always have the final say, so if you believe I could be your ‘Superprof’ please get in touch to arrange a class!
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