Low Confidence to Winning Awards: Student A’s Experience

Student A, a Year 8 pupil at Gordon’s School (OFSTED ‘Outstanding’) began tutoring after a confidence-shaking assessment. His mother describes how he regained his confidence and won a non-fiction writing award along the way.

Proof of this review is available on request

Why did you seek tutoring?

My son started tutoring with Ankit in November 2025 after receiving a 2+ in his English KA. As he has ADHD and dyslexia, he felt quite lost and unsure about how to improve.

What were your first impressions of tutoring?

From the very beginning, Ankit’s sessions focused not only on English skills, but on developing curiosity, analytical thinking, and the ability to understand the author’s intentions. Most importantly, he encouraged my son not to be fearful of expressing his own ideas and interpretations, while teaching him how to present them more clearly and effectively. Ankit has helped him develop a much clearer structure in both his thinking and writing, which has been invaluable in helping him stay on track during longer tasks.

What are sessions like?

Sessions are carefully tailored to the themes and texts currently being studied at school, and Ankit takes detailed notes throughout the lessons so they can be reviewed later. This takes away the pressure of having to listen, process information and make notes all at once — something that can be particularly challenging for a child with ADHD and dyslexia. Instead, my son is able to focus fully on understanding and learning. Ankit’s knowledge of both the GCSE and A-Level curriculum, together with his passion for English, is evident in every lesson. I often find myself sitting nearby during the sessions and learning something myself. He makes lessons interesting, engaging, humorous and very hands-on, always thoughtfully adapting his teaching to my son’s needs. He has shown great patience, understanding and encouragement, helping my son to build both confidence and skills in English.

How did you know tutoring was working?

Within just six months, his marks improved from a 2+ to a 4-, and he even went on to win a non-fiction writing competition. My son responds extremely well to Ankit’s calm, humourous and supportive approach. He explains concepts clearly, breaks tasks down into manageable steps, and helps him feel capable.

Since working with Ankit, I have seen improvements not only in his English work, but also in his confidence analysing texts and approaching written tasks more independently.

Gordon’s School, an outstanding state school in Surrey