How online tutoring took a private school student from A predicted 6 to a grade 9 in IGCSE Maths
Student at a top 10 UK independent school
Tutored Online, 1:1 via Zoom
Starting point: Daughter predicted grade 6 and had lost confidence in maths. Son disengaged from science.
Result: Achieved grade 9 in Maths, 8 in Biology and 7 in Physics & Chemistry.
Outcome: Daughter’s maths improved and confidence grew, went on to book tutoring for her son.
Summary: A mother approached Julian. She was convinced her daughter, a pupil at a well regarded private school with a predicted grade 6, needed an in-person tutor to re-engage with maths. We agreed to trial online sessions. Within two lessons, it was clear the issue wasn’t ability but confidence, shaped by a difficult classroom. On results day, the student achieved a grade 9.
"JULIAN I GOT A 9 IN MATHS 8 IN BIO AND 7 IN PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY" IGCSE student, Private School London
The challenge
A client had real reservations about online tutoring. Her daughter was at a well-regarded private school, had a predicted grade of 6, and seemed to have lost confidence in maths entirely.
She also had a son who needed a tutor to rediscover his enthusiasm for science (Biology, Chemistry and Physics), but had the impression that he would only be able to focus 1:1 in person.
What did the first few sessions reveal?
Within the first couple of lessons with her daughter, it became clear that her understanding and ability were significantly stronger than her predicted grade suggested. She wasn’t struggling with the material, she was navigating a difficult classroom dynamic, the teacher had a strained relationship with the group, and a large portion of the class was underperforming as a result.
What did she actually need?
She needed a tutor who could:
- teach effectively
- help strengthen her ability to tackle longer, harder questions
- rebuild her confidence
- maintain focus when reading questions carefully under pressure
- set homework, focusing on specific past paper questions, lesson by lesson, until she got an excellent grasp of how to tackle each type of question
The method: targeted homework set lesson-by-lesson, focusing on specific past paper question types until she had a reliable approach to each one.
By focusing on the work rather than letting sessions become a space to dwell on negative classroom experiences, it helped her move on more quickly and use her time most effectively.
During Exam Prep
Despite getting 9’s in practice past papers, with plenty of time left to check over answers, she still got a 7 in one of her mock papers. After speaking to her, I discovered:
- She had insufficient sleep the night before the exam.
- Nerves affected her performance.
I shared some Research from MIT on how the effects of bad sleep can be detrimental to students’ grades, in the hope that she takes sleep hygiene seriously so that she is better prepared for her real exams.
"Wow. I had no idea that even such a small difference in sleep time or pattern could have this much of an effect on cognitive performance and general ability as well I really must start to make more of an effort to sleep more and be more consistent with my schedule. Its also not surprising that there was such a difference in my math test scores because one of the nights I slept around 6 ish hours and the other I slept about 8 or 9... thanks for showing me this" IGCSE student, independent school London
On Exam Day
My student messaged me after the exam. The method she’s describing is one we had worked on specifically for counter-questions: finding what isn’t being asked in order to unlock what is.
"Hi Julian. Just did maths paper two. It actually seemed ok and there wasn't anything that I absolutely couldn't do, so l think that the only thing marking me down would be silly mistakes which I tried to avoid... there was one counter question where your method really helped me because instead of finding what they were asking for you had to first find what they weren't asking for so that you could actually gain some information. The only reason I could do that was because of your method so thanks!!!" GCSE student, independent school London
on results day
Her daughter texted to say she’d achieved a grade 9 in Maths, 8 in Biology and 7 in Physics and Chemistry.
Her son has achieved great results in his common entrance/13+ exam results and is continuing his tuition with me for his IGCSEs.
This case reflects a consistent pattern in my tutoring
Results come from effective teaching and rebuilding confidence. Parents may find that the question they started with “online or in person?” turns out not to be the one that matters.
Online tutoring, done well, can outperform in-person sessions because the deciding factor is the quality of instruction, not the delivery method.
Recommendations from people you can verify.
Not anonymous reviews.
Most families find their tutor through personal recommendations, not agencies or anonymous review sites.
Every recommendation on this page is from a real person, verified on LinkedIn, who chose to put their name behind it.
Julian has been a real support as a Maths and Physics and Chemistry GCSE tutor. His patience and calm, his reliability and unflappable nature have been increasingly valuable to my daughter as the exam period loomed and then appeared. She made it, and we are all incredibly grateful to Julian for all his support. I thoroughly recommend enlisting his support.
Over the course of six years, Julian has successfully worked with two of our children. He helped them prepare for GCSEs, A-level and IB. He was always reliable, patient and well prepared. We have recommended him to friends and got but positive feedback!
Julian has worked with both my son and daughter over several years, guiding them through GCSE and A-Level mathematics, physics, and chemistry with remarkable rigour and patience. On many occasions I've seen Julian carefully break down complex concepts into manageable steps. His calm and thorough approach definitely led to both my kids feeling comfortable enough to ask questions and make mistakes as part of their learning.
Julian is a dedicated and very experienced tutor who supported my daughter in both Math and Chemistry for admission exams and IB. His clear explanations and patient approach made a real difference in her understanding and confidence. I highly recommend him to any parent seeking academic support for their child.
Juno Consultancy Limited trading as JKS Tutors, BR No.79750999. 8/F, China Hong Kong Tower, 8 - 12 Hennessy Rd, Wan Chai, Hong Kong © All Rights Reserved.