Have you ever wondered why we’re here, and what we’re doing? No, not in the deep metaphysical sense (although our science tutor could probably explain it all…). We mean us, George Alexander Tuition – team GAT .
Would you like to know a bit more about who we are, how we deliver maths and science tuition to our students, and why our Director George Alexander started this business in the first place? If so, you’ve come to the right blog, because our latest post features an interview with the man himself. So, pull up a chair, grab a glass of something warm and spicy, and read on…
Hi George, thanks for agreeing to do this interview. We’ll try to make it as engaging as your maths lessons are…
(laughing) Compliments don’t get brownie points, you know…
Why did you start GAT?
So, basically, I’ve always loved maths, and I’ve always loved teaching. Even when I was at Uni, I worked as a private maths tutor with children who were sitting their 11+ exams and transitioning to secondary school. After Uni I worked as a data analyst in the NHS and with the fashion brand Roland Mouret. It kept my inner maths-geek happy, but it wasn’t where my passion lay.
Education kept calling, so I took on a couple of mathematics consultancy posts – one was with Pearson (the owners of the Edexcel exam board) – I helped them develop a cutting-edge app for A-Level maths and calculus. The other was with a tech start-up who were developing a new 11+ online course. I enjoyed these roles more than my “day job” in data analysis, so I decided to move into maths teaching full-time. Firstly, working as a maths teacher in an award-winning independent school in London, then setting up George Alexander Tuition
What’s the goal for team GAT?
Well, in terms of our ethos – we want to help young people discover the joy of learning maths and science. STEM subjects if you will. That’s our driving force. Children often get anxious about maths and science, and that anxiety makes it even harder for them to learn. Plus, in-school lessons, especially in maths, have a reputation for being boring, which tends to put students off from taking the subjects beyond GCSE. Basically, maths and science have an image problem and we’re here to give them a makeover! We’ve been operating as a specialist STEM tutoring agency for a couple of years now, and we’re expanding our tutoring team, so we’re hoping to work with even more young people over the next 12-18 months.
What services does GAT offer?
So firstly, we’re a London-based service offering private, 1-1 maths and science tuition for Children aged 10-18. That means we work with children who are preparing for their 11+ and entrance exams, right up to A-level students who are preparing for their exams and university applications. Our lessons can be delivered online or in-person, meaning we can work with children outside of London too. There’s been a big rise recently in the number of children who are being home-schooled, so we also work with parents to design and teach bespoke STEM learning packages that meet their child’s needs.
Do your tutors work with children who have SEN?
I’m glad you asked that. Supporting SEN students is an issue that’s really close to our hearts. We know from personal experience that traditional classroom learning doesn’t always give neurodivergent children the best opportunities, and all too often those children don’t get chance to reach their potential, especially if their confidence has been knocked. We absolutely work with children who have SEN, the same way we would work with any other student. They go through our individualised assessment process, and we work with them to identify their strengths first to build their confidence, then focus on areas where they need extra help.
So how does your tuition service work? – talk us through the process
It’s usually the child’s parents who contact us. Often, a friend has recommended us, but we get a lot of enquiries through our website and social media too. We have a good chat with the parents about their child’s needs, their goals, and the parents’ expectations. We can talk to the child too if they have questions. If they’re happy, we book an assessment with their child. Don’t worry – it’s not an exam! The assessment is just to help us identify where the child is at in terms of their learning, and (most importantly) where their strengths are.
Then the regular lessons start – we do them at a time to suit the child, and we can do them online if that’s easier in terms of their schedule. Our tutors always work off strengths first, to help the students build self-belief, then we work through the areas that they don’t find so easy, at a pace that suits the child. The lessons will continue for as long as the child needs them to – we don’t have a set period because every child is different.
We’ve met you – who else is on the team?
So, there’s me, I’m the head Maths tutor, but you knew that! (laughs). Suhail is our head science tutor. He’s got a lot of teaching experience, and a blue belt in Jujitsu!! Suhail doesn’t just have GCSE and a-level teaching experience, he’s worked with International Baccalaureate students and students preparing for their UCAT tests (you have to pass these to study medicine or dentistry at Uni). We’re glad to have him on the team because most tutors don’t have this experience.
Our senior maths tutor is Shishir, he’s got a background in marketing and statistics, as well as being an experienced tutor. He’s a weightlifter too, he even won the British powerlifting championship in 2016!! So, he understands the importance of mindset and self-motivation, and the value of learning from setbacks to come back stronger. But then, he’s an Arsenal fan, so setbacks are par for the course really (laughs).
You’ve had a YouTube channel for a couple of years now – tell us about that
So, I started the YouTube channel as a place to share tips and tutorials for GCSE and A-Level maths students. Some of them are short clips, about 30 seconds, just to illustrate key points, some of them are a little longer. Basically, the videos break key concepts down into bitesize chunks so they’re easier to understand. I use music and graphics as well to help explain things clearly – it’s not just videos of me talking about maths. Although the videos from last year do include some great footage of my lockdown hair!! I do all the editing myself, and my media team share them on our socials too. The tutorials are mainly aimed at our students, whereas our social channels are more for parents, to help them understand how we work and what we’re about.
What’s one thing you want young people to understand about maths?
We want them to know that it’s not boring, or hard, or irrelevant. They CAN do it; they just need to believe in themselves and have the subject taught to them in a way that engages them. To have someone teach them at THEIR pace and show them how maths can help improve their life chances and career prospects. Actually, a better question would be “what do I want young people to know about themselves?” – and the answer is that we want them to believe in themselves and their abilities, and not to be afraid of maths.
Ok, last question. How can parents contact you to find out more and book a tutor?
Important question. You can book a tutor directly through our website, So, parents can drop us an email at info@gatuition.com, or they can WhatsApp us or call us on 07494 672719. We’re active on Instagram and Facebook too, so parents can message us there if they prefer. We’re happy to speak with students too, but we need to speak with their parents or carers first to get permission.
