The Moment It All Began

Over a decade ago, I was teaching in a state secondary school when I witnessed something that stuck with me. On A-Level results day, a student I knew, although not from my class, opened her results to find she had missed the grade she needed for her course in veterinary medicine. I stayed with her as she phoned the university, only to be rejected.

​

A couple of weeks later, her mum contacted me to discuss ways forward and asked if I would tutor her for a resit. I agreed, and the following year she achieved an A*, securing her place at the University of Bristol to study veterinary medicine.

​

That experience changed the direction of my career. I realised that resit students often face the toughest challenge: they’ve left the structure of school, have far less support, and yet still need top-quality chemistry tuition to reach their goals.

​

My Background in Chemistry and Education

My journey into education began while studying Chemistry at Imperial College London. I volunteered with their outreach department, running summer schools where students could experience real chemistry in university labs. We also visited schools across London, and I was shocked at how poorly equipped many were. In some cases, we had to take our own measuring cylinders and glassware because the schools had so little equipment.

​

While many of my fellow students went on to corporate jobs, I decided to go into teaching. I completed a Master’s in Education at the University of Cambridge and have since taught in both the state and independent sectors, including some of the most elite schools in the country as well as inner-city schools.

 

20+ Years of Teaching and Examining

I’ve been tutoring for over 20 years, working with dozens of resit students who have gone on to study medicine, veterinary science, and Russell Group science degrees.

​

Alongside teaching, I’ve spent two decades as an examiner, marking for all major UK exam boards. For the past 10 years, I’ve also been directly involved in exam production by editing, writing, and reviewing exam questions. This gives me a unique insight into exactly what examiners are looking for and the common mistakes that cost students marks.

​

Why Take Two Chemistry is Different

One of the biggest problems in A-Level Chemistry is that getting a good teacher can be hit-and-miss as many A-Level chemistry classes are taught by non-specialists. I want to level the playing field by giving every student access to the kind of specialist, exam-focused teaching usually only found in the best schools.

​

Take Two Chemistry is built around bite-sized, modular learning. Although traditional tutoring is available, you can alternatively choose only the modules you need — whether that’s plugging gaps in your knowledge or rebuilding from the ground up. Every module is focused, structured, and designed to build confidence quickly, with clear goals and targeted exam strategies.

 

My Mission

Resit students are often some of the hardest-working, most determined learners I’ve met. You’ve already done the course once and now it’s about getting the teaching, support, and exam preparation that will finally get you across the line. My mission is simple: to give you the tools, clarity, and confidence to achieve the grade you deserve.

​