Revision Courses 

GCSE REVISION COURSES IN GUILDFORD 

GCSE: ENGLISH LANGUAGE and literature

Easter Holidays 2026

GCSE English Literature: A Christmas Carol

Date: Monday 30 March 2026
9.00am – 3.30pm (with a 30-minute lunch break)

This full-day intensive revision workshop is designed to improve exam performance in the A Christmas Carol question of the GCSE English Literature exam, across all exam boards. Students will follow a carefully structured programme that includes:

• Plot and Structure: clear revision of the novella's key events to secure a confident overview
• Characters and Quotations: focused study of the main characters, supported with essential quotations for exam use
• Themes and Quotations: exploration of the central themes of redemption, social responsibility, and inequality, paired with high-value quotations
• Language, Structure and Form: how Dickens' narrative style and literary methods create meaning and impact
• Context (AO3): strategies for weaving relevant Victorian context into responses for top-band marks
• Exam Technique: planning under timed conditions, crafting sharp introductions and conclusions, and writing analytical paragraphs with precision and depth
• Take-Home Resources: students will leave with a pack of additional high-grade learning resources to support further study and revision at home

Extended Support:
After the workshop, students will complete one essay response at home. This will be marked using the exam board's criteria, with detailed personalised feedback provided.

Who is it for?
Perfect for Year 11 students preparing for their final exams and for ambitious Year 10 students seeking early mastery of this set text.

Cost: £220 per student

GCSE English Language: Creative and Imaginative Writing

Date: Tuesday 31 March 2026

9.00am- 3.30pm  (with a 30-minute lunch break)

This one-day workshop focuses on mastering the creative and imaginative writing skills required for GCSE English Language examinations across all exam boards, including iGCSE. Students will be guided through a carefully structured programme designed to develop:

• Techniques for crafting vivid, original descriptive and narrative writing
• Strategies for planning and structuring responses effectively under timed conditions
• Ways to expand vocabulary and use ambitious sentence structures with confidence
• Approaches to refining tone, atmosphere, and perspective to meet the highest grade criteria
• Practising exam-style tasks with personalised feedback during the session
• All materials are supplied, including prompts, model responses, and opportunities for personalised feedback during the session.
• The session ends with a mock exam which is marked using the relevant exam board mark scheme and a GCSE grade awarded including steps for further improvements

Extended support: To consolidate learning, each student will be invited to submit one piece of creative writing completed at home after the workshop. This will be marked personally using the relevant exam board's mark scheme, providing detailed feedback and clear next steps.

Who is it for?
Perfect for Year 11 students preparing for upcoming exams and for ambitious Year 10 students eager to gain an early advantage. This course typically improves a student's results by at least one grade. 

Cost: £220 per student

Numbers are limited to maintain a small-group, high-support environment.

GCSE English Language: Non-Fiction and Transactional Writing

Tuesday 7 April 2026

9.00am- 3.30pm  (with a 30-minute lunch break)

This one-day workshop focuses on mastering the non-fiction and transactional writing skills required for GCSE English Language examinations across all exam boards, including iGCSE. Students will be guided through a carefully structured programme designed to develop:

• Techniques for crafting engaging and persuasive writing in a way that meets all the criteria of the mark scheme
• Strategies for planning and structuring responses effectively under timed conditions
• Ways to expand vocabulary and use ambitious sentence structures with confidence
• Approaches to refining tone, atmosphere, and perspective to meet the highest grade criteria
• Practising exam-style tasks with personalised feedback during the session

All materials are supplied, including prompts and model responses. 
The session ends with a mock exam which is marked using the relevant exam board mark scheme and a GCSE/iGCSE grade awarded including steps for further improvements

Extended support: To consolidate learning, each student will be invited to submit one piece of writing completed at home after the workshop. This will be marked personally using the relevant exam board's mark scheme, providing detailed feedback and clear next steps.

Cost: £220 per student

GCSE English Language: Creative Reading Skills

Thursday 9 April 2026

9.00am – 3.30pm (with a 30-minute lunch break)

This one-day workshop is designed to help students master the reading skills required for GCSE English Language examinations across all exam boards, including iGCSE.

Creative reading is one of the most misunderstood – and most heavily weighted – areas of the English Language GCSE. Many students lose valuable marks not because they lack ability, but because they are unclear about what examiners are really looking for and how to shape their responses effectively under timed conditions. This workshop removes that uncertainty.

What students will learn

Students will be guided through a carefully structured programme that develops:

• Clear strategies for analysing unseen fiction extracts with confidence
• How to identify and explore writer's methods (language, structure and form) in a focused, relevant way
• Techniques for selecting and embedding quotations effectively
• How to write perceptive, well-structured responses that meet top-band mark scheme criteria
• How to manage timing and prioritise marks in the reading section of the exam
• How to avoid common mistakes that limit grades, even in otherwise strong answers

Throughout the day, students will practise exam-style questions, with explanations of exactly how marks are awarded and how to turn good responses into high-scoring ones.

What's included

• All materials provided, including carefully chosen exam-style extracts
• Step-by-step modelling of high-quality responses
• Guided practice with individual feedback during the session
• A full mock reading assessment at the end of the day
• Marking using the relevant exam board mark scheme
• A GCSE grade awarded, with clear, personalised targets for improvement

Extended support

To consolidate learning, each student will be invited to submit one additional creative reading response completed at home after the workshop. This will be marked personally using the relevant exam board's mark scheme, with detailed written feedback and clear next steps.

Who is it for?

Year 11 students preparing for their final GCSE English Language exams

Ambitious Year 10 students who want to build strong foundations early

This workshop is particularly effective for students who feel unsure about how to “analyse properly” or who consistently underperform in the reading section despite strong written skills. In most cases, students see an improvement of at least one GCSE grade as a result of applying the strategies taught.

Cost

£220 per student

Places are strictly limited to maintain a small-group, high-support learning environment and to ensure every student receives meaningful individual feedback.

GCSE English Literature: An Inspector Calls

Date: Friday 10 April 2026
Time: 9.00am – 3.30pm (with a 30-minute lunch break)

This full-day intensive revision workshop is designed to significantly improve exam performance in the An Inspector Calls question of the GCSE English Literature exam, across all exam boards. Students will work through a carefully structured programme that builds both secure knowledge and high-level exam skill.

The day will include:

• Plot and Structure: a clear, focused overview of the play to secure confidence in the narrative arc and key turning points
• Characters and Quotations: in-depth study of the Inspector, Sheila Birling, Mr and Mrs Birling, Gerald Croft and Eric Birling, supported by essential, high-utility quotations
• Themes and Quotations: responsibility, class, power, gender, social inequality, capitalism and socialism — explored with exam-ready evidence
• Language, Structure and Form: how Priestley's methods (dramatic irony, stage directions, symbolism and structural choices) shape meaning
• Context (AO3): practical strategies for integrating Edwardian society, class structure, Priestley's political views and post-war context without forcing context
• Exam Technique: planning under timed conditions, writing incisive introductions, and developing analytical paragraphs that meet top-band criteria
• Take-Home Resources: students will leave with a pack of high-grade revision materials to support continued study at home

GCSE English Language: Non-Fiction and Transactional Writing

Friday 29 May 2026

9.00am- 3.30pm  (with a 30-minute lunch break)

This one-day workshop focuses on mastering the non-fiction and transactional writing skills required for GCSE English Language examinations across all exam boards, including iGCSE. Students will be guided through a carefully structured programme designed to develop:

Techniques for crafting engaging and persuasive writing in a way that meets all the criteria of the mark scheme
Strategies for planning and structuring responses effectively under timed conditions
Ways to expand vocabulary and use ambitious sentence structures with confidence
Approaches to refining tone, atmosphere, and perspective to meet the highest grade criteria
Practising exam-style tasks with personalised feedback during the session

All materials are supplied, including prompts and model responses. 
The session ends with a mock exam which is marked using the relevant exam board mark scheme and a GCSE/iGCSE grade awarded including steps for further improvements

Extended support: To consolidate learning, each student will be invited to submit one piece of writing completed at home after the workshop. This will be marked personally using the relevant exam board's mark scheme, providing detailed feedback and clear next steps.

Cost: £220 per student

Extended Support:
After the workshop, students will complete one An Inspector Calls essay response at home. This will be marked using the exam board's criteria, with detailed, personalised feedback provided.

Who is it for?
Ideal for Year 11 students preparing for their final exams and for confident Year 10 students aiming to secure early mastery of the text.

Cost: £220 per student

About GCSE English Revision Days: 

I have been a  full-time private tutor for over eight years providing both one to one and group tuition to hundreds of students in Guildford and the surrounding areas. I run these GCSE intensive revision courses in the school holidays as an alternative to my weekly one-to-one tuition sessions which are usually fully booked. All courses are suitable for both year 10 and year 11 students.  Students are welcome to bring a light snack - still water is provided. I provide all other resources. There is no obligation to attend every revision session - you can choose which areas you would like your child to improve depending of your their most recent mock result and school reports. I am happy to help you decipher the school report to help you decide which course would be most appropriate at this time. I am also happy to provide you with additional feedback after your child has attended the course and provide ideas for further targeted revision between now and their final GCSE exams.

Please feel free to call if you have any questions.