Bristol home tuition
experienced, caring tuition, tailored to your needs
face to face or online
Hello. Welcome to Joanne Priest Tutoring. One to one tuition at home, face to face or online
Why work with me?
You may be looking for a tutor for any number of reasons. You might need support for a particular upcoming exam or assessment, to reinforce learning in a subject or where there may be difficulties, or even to challenge and develop untapped potential.
I can help you with all of these.
Finding a tutor is daunting. So many agencies claim they can find you the perfect tutor, but they cannot guarantee someone experienced and qualified, with the necessary skills and experience to teach effectively – and engagingly.
I can bring you all of these – and I build happy and long-lasting relationships with my students and their families.
Unlike with an agency, with me you will get flexibility, no hidden fees or unexpected costs, no obligation to pay for a large number of lessons in advance, and all of your communications are directly with me.
From talking with families over the years, I know how vital it is for you to get a feel for the person you will be entrusting with your child’s or maybe your own education.
Read about my experience and approach on this site – and if interested please do send me an email, and we can arrange a phone call soon and explore the possibility of working with each other!
English at all levels, including as a foreign language and adult learning
Maths up to and including GCSE and adult learning
Additional humanities subjects including history, geography, psychology and sociology at all levels
Essay and dissertation services – how to write, proof reading and copy editing
Face to face in the Bristol area at your home or mine. Online lessons delivered over Zoom or Skype to anyone anywhere!
My educational background and experience
With a history degree from Exeter University and a PGCE in secondary education from Roehampton, I have over 23 years’ experience of teaching and tutoring, in both state and private sectors, in the UK and overseas.
I have tutored in Bristol for 12 years; with 6-year olds just starting their learning journeys, through teenagers needing support with life-changing exams, to adults seeking a little help to get back into education.
History was my main classroom subject, and I expanded my teaching far beyond this to nine academic subjects. This enables me – unusually for a tutor – to offer support in a range of areas such as English, maths, history, psychology, sociology and geography.
This means I often work with families for many years. I first began working with one of my clients in 2011 while the children were at primary school: the youngest has just finished their final year of A level support!
As well as tutoring, I’ve marked exams and edited educational resources, having worked as Launch Editor for Teachit History in 2012, and I bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to inform my teaching practice. I have also taught English as a foreign language with children and adults in both South Korea and Japan.
I still have as much enthusiasm for tutoring as I did when I began, perhaps even more so after the challenges to education of recent years.
My philosophy and approach
My approach is holistic, builds confidence, is engaging and fun!
Holistic: I believe fostering curiosity, critical and creative thinking is fundamental to quality teaching; helping students make links between subjects and with their own life experiences.
Confidence: is the key to effective learning. I believe in my students, and belief can be infectious. I love seeing my students achieve more than they ever believed possible. Confidence is often the first change students, parents and teachers notice – and the word used most often in testimonials.
Engaging: Tuition works best when tutor and student are engaged towards the same goal. I take time to understand students’ interests, likes and dislikes, then work with them on our learning plan. It helps that I show my own enthusiasm and passion for interesting stuff!
Fun: I create a relaxed, enabling atmosphere. As a life-long learner myself, I make my lessons dynamic and fun: if we’re laughing, we’re learning! Play is powerful: I use puzzles and games to introduce new concepts, practise skills and assess ability. I've created and curated a great number of these kinds of resources – particularly effective for younger learners and in English and maths.