Seamus Lavan - Private Tutor in South London
I recently graduated from Oxford University with a first class degree in English Language and Literature. Before that I attended Eton College on a full bursary, where I was awarded an Oppidan Scholarship for outstanding academic achievement. I left Eton with three A*'s and an A at A Level.
My passion for teaching started when in my penultimate year at school I volunteered at a local special educational needs school. I found it immensely rewarding to instill in my students an enthusiasm for learning that led to understanding and success.
My educational background means that I have a thorough knowledge of the private educational sector in the UK, from scholarship exams, to writing personal statements, all the way through to preparing for decisive Oxbridge interviews.
My teaching experience has helped me become a non-judgemental, patient tutor, who understands that making learning enjoyable is key to anyone's academic success.
Subjects I Teach
My Education & Qualifications
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University of Oxford, 2014 – 2017
English Language and Literature (BA): 1st -
School: Eton College
Eton College is one of the leading independent schools in the world. I received a full bursary to study here, and during my schooling was awarded an Oppidan Scholarship for outstanding academic achievement. In my final year I was made Captain of the Drawing Schools for my dedication to and success in the subject of Art. I was thus responsible for submitting work to and curating the exhibitions mounted for important dates in the school calendar, and for helping run the student Art Society. I left Eton with three A*'s and an A at A Level. -
School: The Dragon School
The Dragon is one of the foremost independent preparatory schools in the country. When I was ten I won a scholarship to study here as a boarder.
My Tutoring & Teaching Experience
My first teaching experience was at Eton when I volunteered as a classroom assistant in a special educational needs school in Slough. Teaching in this sector presents unique challenges, but overcoming these makes the eventual academic success of the students that much more rewarding. Teaching children with learning disabilities requires a great deal of patience and understanding. Further, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. These were extremely valuable lessons for me to learn at a young age.
The passion I developed for teaching during this period has led me into private tuition since university, where I aim always to maintain the same discipline I learnt volunteering.
My Approach to Tutoring
I am fortunate that so many of the teachers I had at Eton and the tutors I had at Oxford made me so passionate about the subjects I was studying. This is the reason why I still read so much for pleasure, why I engage so intently with the films and TV shows I watch, and why I have become so perspicacious in my analysis and discussion of news articles and current affairs. Because for me, these teachers made learning fun. It never felt like a chore or a means to the end goal of exam success; enjoyment was the end goal and the good results came naturally. My aim now is to share this gift with my students. When a teacher stokes the mind and the imagination in this way, success becomes inevitable, and it fosters in the student lifelong interest and curiosity.
Fun Facts About Me
Since leaving university I have been pursuing an acting career. I have performed in short films, music videos, and on stages in locations as diverse as the Globe's Sam Wanamaker theatre, and the gardens of the Palazzo Corsini in Florence. My passion for acting stems from the same place as my passion for literature; it's all about making the words leap off the page.
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