Chris L.

I have recently retired after more than 30 years teaching Economics A level at one of the North of England’s leading independent schools, with over 15 years in charge of the department. I came rather late to teaching, after graduating in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) from Oxford University and then qualifying as a Chartered Accountant before a big change of direction!

I would like to think that I have very extensive knowledge of best practice in the teaching of Economics, and having always loved being in education am very keen to stay active as a tutor. Indeed, I’ve very quickly come to value the opportunity that one-to-one tutoring provides to get to know the individual student really well and to identify more reliably how precisely they can be helped.

Alongside the teaching of Economics, I’ve taught a little History, and have very considerable experience in Critical Thinking skills, which are central to many of the increasingly common university admission aptitude tests.

Away from academic life, I am a keen golfer and mountain walker, am kept busy by our wonderful 3 year old Labrador, and am well underway with the book of economic history that my twin sons challenged me to write upon my retirement! 

My starting point is a careful assessment of the current situation of each student, in terms of the resources they have been given, the way the specification content has been sequenced, the extent to which they have been drilled in the new vocabulary, concepts and perspectives, and the extent to which they have been challenged with written work. The subject is new at A level to most students, so the key to getting off to a good start is a realistic diagnosis of how things have been to date and how things can be made more secure.

From that foundation, my broad aim would be to provide the greatest enrichment and challenge that I feel the student can happily handle, looking to communicate as strongly as possible the excitement that a really confident economic understanding provides. And for those students with the appetite for it, I would always aim to engage with real-world policy applications, data and historical context, and would very happily recommend relevant wider reading. One of the principal reasons why students struggle with Economics is that it is too often left abstract and theoretical, with inadequate use of example, and this is something that can easily be put right. To the greatest extent possible - and this is something where teaching experience makes a huge difference - I would aim to get the student talking, with sympathetic and supportive lines of questioning, since actually using the new vocabulary and articulating the lines of argument is so crucial to embedding them securely.

I take pride in ensuring that students are left with useful resources to supplement what they already have, and will always take the time to provide meaningful feedback, and wherever appropriate will look to encourage additional writing and to assess it in line with exam technique requirements.

Perhaps above all else, I would hope to make each lesson fun, looking to develop a strong rapport and a trusting relationship with each student, confident in the knowledge that the engagement this brings is half the battle won!

For those focused on such things, I do have a great deal of experience preparing students for aptitude tests that involve Critical Thinking challenges (such as the TSA and BMAT), advising on personal statements and providing mock interviews.