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Meet our team of French & Spanish Tutors
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Valerie Hurst
French Tutor
Bonjour! My name is Valerie, and I am a fully qualified French teacher with over 20 years of experience in state and international schools. I was born and bred in sunny southern France, and now live in York where I raised my two bilingual sons, and still work as a French teacher. I am also writing the 2 years course for the French IB Diploma Programme. I always had a deep love for the French language and culture. Throughout my career, I have had the pleasure of teaching students of all ages, levels, and backgrounds, and have developed a passion for helping them achieve their language learning goals.
My extensive knowledge of exam specifications for IB, AQA, Edexcel for A level and GCSE, and iGCSE has enabled my students to achieve excellent results consistently. I can offer help with exam preparation and revision, language clinics, and any kind of writing or speaking practice to improve skills and confidence.
Whether you are a beginner or an advanced learner, I provide personalized lessons that cater to your unique needs and interests. My approach to teaching is interactive, engaging, and tailored to your learning style. I incorporate a varied range of resources, including videos, music, and literature, to make your learning experience both enjoyable and effective.
As a language teacher, I understand that French is more than just a language; it's a gateway to French culture, history, and society. Therefore, my lessons go beyond language proficiency to include cultural immersion and practical applications. For instance, I can help you with dealing with buying French properties, applying for French citizenship, and navigating the complexities of French bureaucracy.
So whether you're a business professional, a student, or a Francophile, I am here to help you achieve your language learning goals. My extensive teaching experience, French background, and passion for French culture make me an ideal choice for anyone seeking to academically achieve, progress, or simply enjoy French in a lesson.
Sandra
Dorado Leon
Spanish Tutor
Approach
I am a Spanish native speaker who has lived in London for almost two decades. I have spent the last eight years of my career as a Spanish Assistant /Tutor working with y10s, y11s and sixth formers in preparation for their GCSE’s and A Levels. I have a very good understanding of the exam’s specifications, content and structure for each of the skills assessed (speaking, listening, writing and comprehension). Although not everybody has a flair for languages, I believe that with a bit of determination and guidance, every pupil can achieve their goal.
Hobbies
I am an enthusiastic reader of Historical fiction and I enjoy the numerous art exhibitions and theatre productions on offer. Activities which sometimes, I share with my daughters. As a good Spaniard, I enjoy my food, whether it's cooking or eating out with friends and I am always keen to discover the flavours of new cuisines.
¡Hasta la vista!
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Sandra
Ober
French & Spanish Tutor
I am delighted to introduce myself as a native language teacher with over 15 years of experience in independent and international schools. Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of teaching students from diverse backgrounds and cultures. My passion for foreign languages stems from my bilingual and multicultural family background, where French and Spanish seamlessly intersect.
Throughout my career, I have honed my expertise in developing my students; language proficiency by focusing on the four essential skills: writing, speaking, reading, and listening. I firmly believe that a comprehensive language education encompasses all these aspects, along with a solid foundation in grammar.
To make the learning experience engaging and effective, I create personalised lessons tailored to each student's needs and interests. I incorporate a wide range of learning materials, including videos, songs, literary extracts, and newspaper articles. By exposing my students to various forms of media, I aim to enhance their language skills while also fostering an appreciation for different cultures.
Additionally, I understand the importance of supporting my student's academic journey, particularly when it comes to exam preparation. I provide guidance and assistance in revising for exams, ensuring that my students feel confident and well-prepared. My extensive experience, multicultural background, and passion for languages make me a dedicated and effective language teacher. I am excited to continue sharing my knowledge and helping students achieve their language learning goals.
Romuald Boury
French Tutor
Bonjour! My name is Romuald, originally from the west of France. With 14 years of experience in teaching, I have specialized in imparting my native language, French, to students of all ages and levels.
My professional journey has led me to work in several international schools, where I have not only taught but also headed the French department. This dual role has allowed me to develop a deep understanding of the academic needs and challenges faced by students, particularly in exam preparation.
I am passionate about education and firmly believe in a personalized approach to teaching. Each student is unique, and my methodology adapts to meet their specific needs, always seeking to make learning both engaging and effective.
Apart from teaching, I am an avid sports enthusiast and walker. I enjoy hiking with my family on weekends.
I am here to support you in achieving your academic goals!
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Vicky Diprose
French & Spanish Tutor
Teaching French, Spanish, and English has been my passion for over two decades. With a background in leading Modern Languages Departments at prestigious schools like St Catherine’s Bramley, St George’s Weybridge, and Burntwood School London, I now work part-time at Holme Grange School in Wokingham and provide online tutoring for both children and adults.
Whether you're looking to learn, improve language skills, or seek support for studies, I offer assistance in various contexts such as conversation, business, socializing, or specific exam preparation. My expertise lies in teaching French and Spanish through Key Stages 3, 4, and 5 to Oxbridge level, covering AQA and Edexcel French and Spanish GCSE and A Level, with a special interest in teaching set texts and films.
Having a thorough understanding of exam specifications, I have extensive experience conducting speaking exams, serving as a marker/moderator for AQA and Edexcel. I've tutored students for IB, DELE, and DELF qualifications and taught EFL to individuals ranging from Year 3 to age 91. Holding a PGCE in Modern Foreign Languages from the Institute of Education at University College, London, and a Cert TEFLA from International House, London, I am well-equipped to cater to diverse learning needs.
My teaching approach focuses on engaging activities with a cultural context, fostering communication in real-life situations. I blend traditional and contemporary methodologies, utilizing various resources such as PowerPoints, worksheets, games, and digital apps to enhance listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills, whilst ensuring a firm grasp of grammatical structures.
Keen on staying updated with educational technology, I draw on my grown-up children's ideas for inspiration. My passion for Francophone and Hispanic countries, cultivated during my twenties living and working in France, Italy, and Spain, continues to drive me and I regularly advise on customized trips for students to Spain and France.
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Alice Uzzan
French Tutor
A born-and-bred Parisian, I moved to London four years ago, where I have continued to foster my passion for bespoke tutoring. With almost ten years of experience working with students of diverse ages and backgrounds, my expertise spans not only linguistic skills but also methodology and exam preparation. I am used to helping students not only achieve linguistic goals but organise their workload, plan revisions and mentally prepare for important deadlines. I firmly believe that students are best supported when lessons are tailored to their specific needs; therefore, as we work on achieving linguistic targets, I design lesson plans based not only on the student's individual interests but also the methods they're most reactive to.
When I am not teaching, I work in the film and TV industry as a translator, writer and consultant. This experience and knowledge influence my approach as I include a varied range of media in my lessons (from fiction film/shows to documentaries, literature to music, news articles, etc) to reinforce linguistic fluency through cultural exposure. I enjoy making my students practice their French through creative exercises that bring theory into the real world and foster each student's personal voice and individual understanding of French language
and culture.
Merci beaucoup !
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Corinne
Guion
Wellbeing & Resilience Coach
Experienced manager, coach, and mentor with a career spanning over 25 years, I now work with individuals as a Wellbeing and Resilience Coach. I work with adolescents (advanced DBS checked), young adults and individuals facing challenges in their professional, personal, or school life. Together, we explore simple techniques to help them be the best that they can be.
How do I work with a client?
Once we have discussed the challenges that the client is facing, we then explore simple physical and mental techniques such as breathing, gentle movements, guided meditation, and visualisations. My role as a Coach is to select the techniques that are better suited to the client and their presenting challenge, for a more impactful result.
The techniques are easy to learn and once the client has practiced them with me, they can use them in their own time, in any setting; empowering them to deal optimally with whatever challenge they are facing.
For example:
- Coping with stress
- Managing exam nerves
- Managing emotions, whether it is fear, anger or sadness
- Reducing the physical manifestations of stress/nerves (elevated heart rate, mind
going blank, dry mouth, sweating, shaking etc…)
- Getting in the ‘zone’ for optimal performance
- Enhancing concentration
Education
I trained in mindfulness, sophrology, non-violent communication, and coaching and I am an experienced mentor (I have volunteered as a Career Mentor at the University of Southampton for the last 7 years, focusing on helping students build their careers and supporting young women in particular). I am a member of the Complementary Medical Association and an Associate Member of the International Sophrology Federation.
Albane Smart
Psychotherapist
A former secondary school teacher and charity worker, I am a psychotherapist for children, adolescents and families.
Fully qualified, with a Masters in Psychotherapy for Children, Adolescents and Families, and a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), I offer consultations in English or French. Most of my clients are teenagers, students and adults.
My expertise includes anger management, identity crises, anxiety, peer pressure, depression, low self esteem, the feeling of feeling lost, burn-out, communication breakdown, relationship difficulties, bereavement, trauma, compulsory obsessive disorder, postnatal depression, and couples relationships.
If your children need help, or if you need help with your children - or just for yourself, please do get in touch.