Holly is a Cambridge English graduate and experienced 11+ English tutor with more than fifteen years of experience across English tuition, selective school entrance preparation, university admissions and academic mentoring.
Her specialist areas include:
– 11+ English preparation for leading independent and selective schools
– Reading comprehension, inference, creative writing, grammar and vocabulary
– English Language and English Literature
– GCSE and A Level English
– Essay writing, literary analysis and academic writing
– School entrance and university interview preparation
– Oxbridge and Russell Group university applications
– Personal statements, academic enrichment and application strategy
Holly has extensive experience preparing pupils for competitive 11+ entrance examinations. She helps children read perceptively, draw thoughtful inferences and express their ideas clearly, developing strong comprehension and creative writing skills alongside confident examination technique. Her background as a professional writer brings particular depth to her English teaching, helping pupils develop an individual voice and greater control of language.
She has also guided students through competitive UK university applications, including successful applications to Oxford, Cambridge, UCL, Bristol, Edinburgh and Newcastle. Her admissions experience spans subjects from English and the humanities to Medicine, Natural Sciences, Archaeology, Anthropology and History of Art.
Holly’s lessons are tailored to each student’s needs, confidence and ambitions. She begins by identifying their current level, academic goals and areas of difficulty, then develops a clear, structured plan for progress.
For 11+ pupils, Holly combines close reading, comprehension and vocabulary development with engaging creative writing tasks. She helps children understand what questions require, support their answers with evidence and organise their writing clearly.
Targeted work on grammar, expression and examination technique strengthens both accuracy and confidence.For older English students, lessons develop literary analysis, persuasive argument and precise written expression.
For university applicants, Holly encourages deeper exploration of their chosen subject, helping them strengthen their written applications and prepare thoughtfully for interviews.
Her background as a professional writer, performer and Cambridge English graduate gives her teaching an engaging and creative quality. She is particularly effective at helping students articulate ambitious ideas with clarity, confidence and individuality.
Holly encourages students to question, discuss and refine their thinking. Her aim is to build lasting academic confidence and independence alongside thorough preparation for examinations and interviews.
University of Cambridge — Fitzwilliam College
MA Cantab, English
University of Cambridge — Fitzwilliam College
BA (Hons) English
Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts
Postgraduate Diploma in Performance (Acting)
