Testimonials

I wholeheartedly recommend Jo as an English tutor. Over the past six years, I've seen the incredible difference she makes in students' lives. 

Jo is a remarkably talented and dedicated English teacher. Her passion for literature, especially Dickens and its rich complexities, is truly infectious. She inspires even the most reluctant learners to engage deeply with English, helping them develop a genuine love for reading and writing. 

Her track record of outstanding GCSE results speaks volumes; Jo consistently helps students reach their full potential, often exceeding expectations. She builds excellent relationships with her students, earning their respect through her approachable and caring manner.  

For any parent or student seeking a highly skilled, passionate, and supportive tutor, Jo is an exceptional choice.

 I thoroughly recommend using Jo as an English tutor: whether your child needs some help with content, motivation, or engagement with the subject, Jo has a great track record of helping pupils to make impressive progress in English. 

She is incredibly passionate about the subject, and this always inspires the pupils she teaches across all year groups. Jo is also highly motivated to make sure all pupils that she works with succeed, and always ensures that they know she has a genuine interest in them and their progress. This leads to her having excellent relationships with pupils, and as a result of this she has a proven track record of impressive results with her GCSE classes, including resit groups, and progress with Key Stage 3 pupils. 

I have absolute confidence that hiring Jo as a tutor for your child will have a hugely positive impact on both their grades and on their interest in English. 

 Jo is a fantastic teacher of English. She has a consistent track record of getting results and supporting pupils in making progress. This is at every level of secondary teaching, with pupils in KS3, KS4 and GCSE resit for 6th form all making progress under Jo's guidance. 

Often Jo's exam classes exceed expectations, with pupils achieving grades that outperform pupils in sets above. 

She always builds a great rapport with her students - they want to learn from her and do well because of the mutual respect between them. 

Choosing Jo to tutor your child will not be something you regret - she will go above and beyond to ensure your child's success and confidence in English whatever their ability. 

I have known Jo for a number of years, and her professional and dedicated attitude towards the children in her classroom has always stood out. Her patience with ensuring that students understand key concepts, to stretching and developing students’ answers so that they can reach their full potential, is demonstrated whenever you walk into Jo’s classroom.

Jo’s passion for Literature is infectious, and she is able to get even the most reluctant learners to eventually quote Dickens and Shakespeare! Her knowledge stretches well between KS3 and KS4 and the results that her students receive are a testament to her hard work, dedication, and empathy.

If you are looking for a tutor that is willing to put 100% into ensuring that your child achieves the chance to be their best selves, I thoroughly recommend Jo as a tutor for your child.

Jo builds fantastic relationships with her students which enables them to progress. 

When teaching GCSE resit classes, many of Jo's students are able to achieve a grade 4 in the November resit and the progress by her resit classes is above the national average. 

At Key Stage 3, Jo is able to establish her students with the key English skills needed for future success alongside developing an enjoyment of the subject. 

 For the last several years, I have had the privilege of working with and supporting classes that Mrs Hicks has taught.

She is a very knowledgeable and professional teacher who can take complex ideas and present them in a clear and accessible way. I have seen pupils who have struggled with English grow in confidence and achieve excellent results. These successes have nurtured their self-esteem and enabled them to exceed their own expectations.

She shows a great deal of empathy and understanding. Her natural teaching ability and calm, effective manner are a benefit to any pupil who has the opportunity to be taught by her.

She will be greatly missed. I am confident that her new ventures will be a success, as I know how hardworking, caring, and professional she is.

 My daughter's start to secondary school was tumultuous, to say the least. She lost her grandfather just a few weeks into Year 7, and by not allowing herself to grieve, she became angry and difficult to reach.

I will always be grateful to Mrs Hicks for seeing beyond the behaviour, and for the patience, calm, and care she showed my daughter. She found not just a teacher, but a much-needed friend.

Somehow, Mrs Hicks helped my daughter come out of her shell. She began to work with enthusiasm and purpose. She always felt listened to and respected, which had a powerful effect on her, both as a student and as a young person.

She went on to pass her GCSE English with an excellent grade and, more importantly, a renewed sense of confidence.

Mrs Hicks always sees the best in her students. Her positive and engaging approach to teaching leaves a lasting impact.

  I want to thank you for everything you have done this year. You have encouraged her and supported her through her anxiety with assessments to the point she has completed some without breaking down, and this is because you have cared enough to help her and believe in her.

She has a real love for writing and I know you have encouraged this and taken time out of your busy days to read stories she has written and take an interest in her. She often talks about how she would like to be an author, and your interest means the world to her.

Also, I want to thank you for being the adult she trusts at school to come to with other recent issues with some of her peers and checking in on her. This past couple of weeks has been very hard for her at school and at home, when we have spent time supporting her and reassuring her, and it has been good to know you have been able to do the same in school.

She is disappointed that you will not be her teacher next year, but I have said that I am sure you will be available at times if she needs support. Thank you again for being a wonderful teacher and supporter.

 Jo was my teacher when I was in year 11 in school. I struggled to remember different quotes and key facts linking to English literature (Macbeth, Christmas Carol and An Inspector Calls). With English I struggled to remember how to write answers during the exam. 

Jo was very helpful and supportive with the structure that I had to remember. She taught me how to remember quotes and how to put in evidence into the answer and make it link to the question. 

Jo is very kind, caring and supportive. I went from a low grade to ending Year 11 with a grade 5.

Thank you for believing in Ryan and helping him gain the confidence to believe in himself. I do not know what grades he will attain, but you have helped him realise he is capable of more and he is aiming not just to scrape through; he is aiming for a 5.

Last week he told me that you were waiting for him with toast and an apple juice to wake him up for his exam. He was so pleased that you cared, as am I. Such a lovely and thoughtful gesture.

I am sure you will keep on inspiring the child that needs someone to help them believe in themself.

 Thank you so much for everything you have done for our daughter over the last two years. You have been an amazing support to her.

We cannot thank you enough for how understanding and compassionate you have been. It has made a world of difference.

Thank you again.

 I just wanted to write and say thank you so much for helping Owen to achieve a grade 5 in his English Literature exam.

Thanks to your excellent teaching, he is now able to start the college course he wanted, without the need to re-sit English. As you can imagine, he is over the moon, and so am I!

You are clearly a very talented teacher. We are so grateful to you for helping him to achieve such a good grade. We cannot thank you enough.