Kate W.

I am a qualified English teacher, with over 18 years’ teaching experience and an English specialist; I have a BA and MA in English Literature, from Bristol University (Russell Group).

I spent my first 4 years of teaching in a British school rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted, where I taught English at KS3, KS4 and KS5. I then accepted the role of Head of English at the International School of Turin and then moved to the International School of Rome, again as Head of English, where I taught English Language and Literature iGCSE and IB.

Since my return to the UK, I have spent 2 years at a prep school teaching the 11+ and the last few years at independent London day schools, where I focused on English Language and Literature GCSE and A Level.

I am also an Examiner for AQA and will be examining GCSE English Language and Literature for the summer 2025 exams.

Many of my students have achieved grade 9 at GCSE and many A level students have progressed to Russel Group tier Universities. I have recently had a rewarding experience tutoring a student from Ukraine who was struggling with her GCSEs; after 4 months of tutoring with me she improved by 4 grades, in her final GCSE English Language exam.

Having taught both internationally and in the UK, I embrace the challenge of working with students from a range of cultural backgrounds, helping to shape them into excellent communicators and encouraging them to nurture a deep appreciation for both English language and literature; it’s clear that if the teacher is knowledgeable and genuinely passionate about their subject, then pupils will engage. I promote critical thinking and encourage students to learn through risk-taking, inquiry and debate, rather than passive acceptance.

I believe that the highest quality learning takes place in environments where expectations are high but also where respect, tolerance and trust are prioritised. I aim to teach English Language and Literature in a manner which empowers and enables students to become confident, resilient young people who can articulate their ideas with awareness, empathy and compassion.