Zac was tutoring Y11 Mathematics for Claudia. I was analysing this session during a very tough time of an exam period for high school students, and could see she was very stressed with her maths and general juggling of her material across her subjects. So Zac took a good approach and was very helpful and took it very easy to help her confidence, while also assisting her and building up her knowledge for her exam.

Zac showed a strong awareness of Claudia’s emotional state, which is crucial during high-pressure exam periods. Rather than overwhelming her with large amounts of new content, he broke concepts down into easy steps and checked in frequently to ensure she was following along. His tone remained calm and encouraging, which helped reduce her anxiety and created a safe environment where she felt comfortable asking questions.

He also reinforced her progress, even with small successes, which gradually rebuilt her confidence in approaching more difficult problems. Zac was patient when she made mistakes, using them as learning opportunities rather than points of criticism. Overall, his supportive and student-centred style was particularly effective in helping Claudia navigate both the academic and emotional challenges of the exam period.

Lucas Sinnott