Oxford graduate and award-winning playwright offers tutoring in Creative Writing and English at 11+, 13+, KS2, KS3, GCSE, A Level.

Find out more about Leo

• When did you develop an interest in your chosen field and in private tutoring?

  I've had a love of writing almost as long as I can remember. I was always excited about creating characters and worlds and telling stories. It's a huge passion for me and it's something I always try to help my students build an interest in too. I started tutoring in 2010 and I've kept working in the field because it feels so rewarding to help students grow as readers and writers and to see them reach their academic goals.

• Tell us more about the subject you teach, the topics you like to discuss with students (and possibly those you like a little less).

  In writing, character description is always fun as when students master the basics it adds so much to their stories. In English more broadly, comprehension is something I've specialised in and I especially enjoy working on the ISEB Pre-Test comprehension. I have a set process I get my students to follow and it usually makes their scores shoot up in mock tests and it's great to see their confidence go up at the same time.

• Did you have any role models; a teacher that inspired you?

  I remember my English teacher in Year 9 left a big impact on me. Looking back, she always made a huge effort to make lessons fun and interactive and I would walk to English excited to continue with novels we were reading in particular. As a young writer, she gave me so much positive reinforcement and increased my confidence and commitment and I always want to do that for my students too.

• What do you think are the qualities required to be a good tutor?

  It's crucial that tutors know their subject inside out and are able to explain it in terms that an eight-year-old or ten-year-old can fully understand and be engaged by. Strong communication skills are a must as are listening carefully and being observant. Patience and adaptability is important and being willing to let go - sometimes if a student isn't grasping a particular topic, it's something that will take longer and it's better to switch things up in the lesson and come back to it with a fresh mind the next time.

• What were the difficulties or challenges you faced or still facing in your subject?

  I grew up in the period where intensive learning of highly technical grammar and all its varied terminology in primary school had more or less disappeared from the curriculum. When I started tutoring in the 2010s, I ended up having to refresh myself on a lot of the terms and classifications used for functional grammar which children would automatically master through speaking and hearing English every day anyway. I don't set the national curriculum though and I have a strong track record in helping children master the even more daunting array of technical grammar they're expected to know for the 11+ and pre-tests.

• Do you have a particular passion? Is it teaching in general or an element of the subject or something completely different?

  Alongside my teaching and tutoring, I work as a playwright. What first drew me to this kind of writing is how collaborative it is. A play script is like a blueprint for a building which hasn't been realised yet and it's always thrilling to see how the director, actors and designers come together and bring a play to life.