Average UCAT score in top 1%. Nearly all of my tutees achieve an offer from their preferred medical school. Over 30 years of exceptional success. Ranked # 1 for UCAT and interview preparation.

Find out more about John

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

  I first started tutoring when I was at school and I really enjoyed it and had some spectacular successes. I continued tutoring whilst studying Biochemistry at university and after I had gained my PhD and was working as a postdoc at Oxford University I decided that I should follow my passion and become a teacher. The joy and satisfaction from helping others to do better than they had ever hoped has stayed with me throughout my career in teaching and as a private tutor. I feel very lucky to be doing something that I really enjoy.

• 2) 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 specialise in teaching A level chemistry and biology. I love it, nearly all of my students gain an A*, and over 30 have scored 100%. I don't see my role as just giving students the knowledge and understanding of the subject but in teaching them the most efficient and effective ways of studying so that they don't experience the stress that most students experience and are really well set up for university and beyond. I also really enjoy the challenge of helping students to get into medical school. I have over 30 years of exceptional success with this and probably have the best record that there is in terms of the UCAT scores that my students gain and their conversion rate with interviews.

• 3) Did you have any role models; a teacher that inspired you?

  I was incredibly lucky to have lots of great teachers when I was at school so it is really difficult and a little unfair to single out any one teacher. From my success in International sport you might think I'd pick one of my sports teachers or coaches but if I am forced to choose just one teacher that inspired me then I would pick the maths teacher that I had when I was 14. I had just switched from a below average 11-16 state comprehensive school to a fantastic HMC boarding school and there were lots of maths topics that I had never studied. Not only did he sit down with me and identify the topics I needed to catch up on but he gave me all the resources I needed and the confidence and motivation to excel. He was always happy to make time to go over tricky exam questions with me and kept a folder of hand written answers for the last 20 years of maths papers in his pigeon hole outside the staff room. I ended up taking my O level maths at the end of that year and scoring 100%. He knew exactly what I needed to hear and when, and this insight and interest is something that really marks out the most exceptional teachers. He inspired me to push super hard with my O levels, gaining straight As and coming top nationally in 3 of them, and he gave me the confidence to take my A level maths and A level further maths early.

• 4) What do you think are the qualities required to be a good tutor?

  There are lots of qualities that are needed to be a really good tutor. Firstly you must know the subject inside out. I think that you should be able to get 100% yourself with some ease (or 95% on a really bad day) and to do this you probably need quite a bit of experience as an examiner and as a teacher. A really good tutor is going to be very invested in helping the student to excel and has to understand what obstacles are in the way and how to overcome them. This is something that takes years to develop and you are always learning. Patience is a must, being methodical and meticulous is vital, and having a good sense of humour and fun really helps as well. Honesty and integrity are also very important.

• 5) Provide a valuable anecdote related to your subject or your days at school.

  Like most students there were plenty of times at school when I messed up and it was how teachers responded that probably had a bigger impact on me than when everything was going right. An example is when I foolishly decided to try and speed up a reaction of hydrochloric acid with calcium carbonate. Rather than following the experimental method I ground up the calcium carbonate chips to give a bigger surface area and increased the concentration of the acid but I didn't realise just how much faster it would go. The chemistry lab we were in was a converted old building that had a very high ceiling. There was a loud bang followed by very fine white dust descending. The reaction had produced carbon dioxide gas so quickly that the glassware had shot up to the ceiling and returned as a fine powder! Instead of being in real trouble, and perhaps being put off the subject, there was no fuss at all and I received encouragement rather than a reprimand. In less than 10 years time I was lecturing in chemistry at Oxford and if I'd had a different teacher who wasn't so encouraging I don't think that would have happened.

• 6) What were the difficulties or challenges you faced or still facing in your subject?

  The main difficulty that I had when at school, and particularly at university, was balancing my studies with high level sport. It made me very good at maximising the effectiveness of the time I spent studying or training but it was really challenging. As a teacher I think this experience has always made me avoid setting the 'make work' tasks that are so common and to always concentrate on what is most effective and efficient. It has also given me more insight into how to help students balance their studies with other commitments.

• 7) Do you have a particular passion? Is it teaching in general or an element of the subject or something completely different?

  My passion is in helping students to excel, not just academically but in all areas of life, and I view my students as my legacy. Hopefully they will all go on to great success in life and make a really positive difference to society. I'm old enough that many of my former students have already made their mark in different professions!

• 8) What makes you a Superprof (besides answering these interview questions :-P) ?

  Well I think I'm at a very different level to most tutors with my understanding of what examiners are after, and of course with my exceptional track record of success. However, the real difference might be the commitment that I have to my students and how much I enjoy helping them. I also have a very unusual level of experience with a PhD and MA Ed, 30 years in top HMC schools and as an examiner, and more than 10 years as the Director of Teaching and Learning at a top school and as an Inspector for ISI. It is very unusual for someone with my career in teaching to decide to retire at 53 to become a full time tutor and I think this further emphasises just how much I love tutoring.