Testimonials
Helen has been an incredible tutor for my daughter. When she started tuition at the beginning of Year 10, she was working at grades 5–6. Thanks to Helen’s support, she achieved grade 9s in both English Language and Literature — something we never thought possible. Helen is patient, kind, and extremely dedicated. She provides excellent resources, practical tips, and plenty of exam practice, which not only improved my daughter’s grades but also boosted her confidence in the subject. I would highly recommend Helen to anyone looking for the best English tutor.
Krupa Mehta
Helen has provided huge support for my daughter through her GCSE English Language and Literature courses. I was impressed with Helen’s knowledge of the specific exam board requirements, and she gave my daughter the confidence and the skills to really understand what the exam questions were asking her to do. We were delighted with the continued improvement in our daughter’s results and her excellent GCSE grades. As a result of working with Helen, she is now going on to study A-Level English.
Vicki Perry
I'm so glad I found Helen to tutor my daughter Rebecca. Before starting her tuition Rebecca was getting 5/6 in her mocks for English Literature which was lower than the grades she was getting for all her other subjects. Helen went through thoroughly the texts for the course with Rebecca and always gave very useful feedback on Rebecca's work to us both. Rebecca always said how helpful the lessons were and that she really enjoyed them too. Rebecca received a 9 in her English Literature exam which we are both so delighted with. I know this would not have been possible without the lessons from Helen. We are both so grateful.
Sarah Townshend
Our son had originally got a 6 in gcse English Language but felt he was capable of getting a better grade. Helen did a great job in helping him prepare for a resit over just a handful of weeks. She worked through his original papers and gave him new techniques and practice to help push up his chances of getting a better grade. She was encouraging and structured in her approach and communicated and connected well. He achieved a 9 in his resit and Helen was a huge help in attaining this and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her to others.
Simon Reynolds, St Albans
I'm so grateful to Helen for helping my son with dyslexia to not only pass his English Language GCSE resit but to achieve 2 grades higher than his first attempt. Helen assessed his individual capabilities and gave him encouragement and clear techniques to answer the different types of questions. She provided past paper resources, which she marked and provided feedback on in a positive way to enable him to pick up enough additional marks to not only pass but exceed our expectations. Helen's patience in dealing with an often grumpy teenager was also much appreciated, I really do think she did an amazing job.
Louise C, St Albans
Helen worked with my twin boys to prepare for their English Language resits in November 2024. Both my sons really appreciated her supportive and patient teaching style. Outside of lessons Helen provided home work at my request, which really kept the boys focussed in between their weekly tutoring lesson. I'm so pleased to say that both my sons passed and they couldn't be happier. I can't thank Helen enough as I'm not sure we would have had the same outcome without her and I would highly recommend her to others!
Helen D, St Albans
Helen has been really helpful for the independent schools' English 11 plus. She is friendly, well organised and has taught great techniques. My son passed for independent schools partly because of Helen's help. I would recommend Helen for 11+ English.
Rama, St Albans
Helen is a fantastic tutor who knows the English Language and Literature curricula inside and out. We approached her after my son was predicted low grades in both English GCSEs and with her help he achieved 2 to 3 grades higher than predicted! From the first session, she identified where he needed help or was losing marks unnecessarily and worked with him across all of the GCSE papers to increase his knowledge and focus his answers. His confidence shot up and he enjoyed her sessions so much that he asked to schedule extra ones leading up to the exams. We were so lucky to find Helen and are so grateful for everything she did to raise his grades.
Myf Hopkins
5 star quality tuition from a very special and exceptional English teacher. Helen tailors her lessons according to the needs and abilities of the student and works through with an individual plan. My daughter wrote essays and they would be evaluated and worked on how she could have improved it in the next lesson. This was never done in school, let alone marked and was absolutely invaluable and made all the difference to her confidence as well as going from level 4s to a high 6 and 7 in literature. So many English teachers tell them to "just write it" and Helen has a wealth of experience in showing them HOW to write it in a relevant way. I thoroughly recommend Helen for any child of any ability as she is incredibly kind and dedicated, working hard to improving their grades. My son was also tutored by Helen and achieved amazing results. My children were so impressed with her lessons, they were eager to work with her as they quickly picked up improvement was on the cards, which in their cases was key. Thank you Helen.
Sue M, Radlett
Our daughter was very stressed about her English GCSEs and was feeling overwhelmed. Helen helped her improve her essay writing skills and created a revision plan. She got a 9 in English language and 9 in literature! Helen made such an incredible difference to her and we are so grateful. We can't thank her enough for all of her help.
AS, Radlett
My daughter has just received her GCSE grades and thanks to Helen she got a grade 8 in English which surpassed our expectations! Helen is very professional. My daughter benefited greatly from her tutoring and enjoyed each lesson with her.
If you are searching for an English tutor then look no further!
John Mitrache
Helen was recommended to us by a colleague for her excellent quality of tuition. She has an extensive knowledge of the GCSE syllabus for literature and language and has considerable experience in the field. She is reliable and has a great work ethic.
She has enabled my son to reach his potential and is able to focus on points of weakness, build confidence and motivate him into writing essays, which he did not enjoy/do prior to Helen. Helen has tailored her approach to teaching him with how to answer questions for the best possible outcome.
His improvement in English has helped him progress in other subjects and is now looking at higher grades in history and RE due to a more articulate approach to answering questions. Most importantly my son has enjoyed his English lessons and always looked forward to them.
S Mathewson, Hertfordshire
Helen initially started tutoring my middle son a couple of years ago, when he was in Year 8. He has never found English easy and was really struggling. She not only helped him catch up but also boosted his confidence. He is currently in Year 10 and is already working at a level 7. He now says English is his favourite subject!
Helen also helped my older son with his GCSE revision. Her sessions were invaluable and she was a tremendous support. He achieved a GCSE level 8 for both AQA Language and Literature.
Helen is currently also tutoring my youngest son for his 11+ examinations and I am so happy! She is outstanding, he not only looks forward to the sessions but his academic improvement has been remarkable. He achieved 20 points above average, in his year, for a recent comprehension exam.
Helen always plans lessons in advance, gives fantastic feedback and is realistic with her homework expectations. I am so grateful I found Helen and would not hesitate to recommend her.
Sara Barton
Helen has been such a blessing for my daughter, completely turning around her expectations with regards to her academic ability and massively affecting not only her English results but all her other subjects now that, thanks to Helen, she has the right tools to construct an essay. Her marks have improved by two grades across the board. Helen is a wonderful and inspiring teacher and I just cannot recommend her highly enough.
Rachel Sullivan, St Albans
Helen has been an amazing find. She has done everything possible to support my Year 5 son, offering a warm and comfortable online learning environment. For the first time, she made him feel really 'heard' when talking to him about his learning concerns and failing self-confidence. Helen is hugely experienced - you just know you are in safe hands - and she is so happy to share her knowledge. I gained more talking to her in our initial conversation than from years of parents' evening meetings. She really cares about her students, wanting them to be the best they can be. Helen is warm, kind and funny, and we are very lucky to be working with her.
Karen McKenna, Potters Bar
Lovely Helen is the most amazing, caring tutor I could ever wish for my son to have come across. She deserves a medal! Her approach to her work and her students is so up there. In these crazy times it is wonderful to know he is being so looked after.
Lucy Barltrop, London Colney
I highly recommend Helen from Ready Set Pass. Her strong experience, personable approach and carefully planned English lessons have been incredible for over two years now. Helen also provides excellent feedback following each session, and takes the time to stay close to parents to gauge how and where she can add most value. I am happy to email or speak to other parents about how Helen has helped us!
D. Rabin, Hertfordshire
I am so delighted that we found Helen to help with my son's preparation for his GCSE in English Literature and I thoroughly recommend her tutoring service. Helen is a consummate professional - confirming each meeting in advance by text, arriving promptly and well prepared for each session with a myriad of printed materials to support the lesson. She is knowledgeable about her subject and importantly about what the examiners are looking for in assessing examination answers. She is also friendly, approachable and has a rare gift for imparting her understanding and enthusiasm for literature. My son positively looked forward to English studies with her - something sadly he never felt at school.
MT, St Albans
I worked with Helen in the English department of Northwood College, a selective girls' school, for five years. Helen is a highly capable teacher and achieved outstanding results with our pupils. I can thoroughly recommend her as a skilled and dedicated professional tutor.
Navahra Lindsay
I cannot recommend Helen enough! I was blessed to work with her for over a year when she was my Head of Department in English. In my eight years of teaching I have never worked with a better one and let me explain why. Helen was a very patient boss. I was Australian and new to the specifications. She would always have time to explain things to me, no matter how busy she was. Helen's kindness and encouragement allowed me to grow in confidence as a new teacher in England and flourish. The students at our school felt the same way about her. Students loved coming to her classes and sang her praises. They admired her wealth of knowledge and were inspired to grow as learners. At her last school Helen improved student learning 3 times more than what it had been before. The results grew exponentially. She is a magnificent human being and fantastic at what she does.
Jaelithe Wedd
I worked with Helen as a member of her English team. Under her leadership as Head of Department, she continuously demonstrated professionalism and a vast wealth of knowledge for a variety of specifications and units. Her confidence and resourcefulness made her well suited in using personalised strategies for the needs, skills, and weaknesses of each student in lessons and in individual and group interventions. Her personalised approach aimed to benefit the students' well being and academic success, and inspired genuine confidence in her learners. Her polite and cheerful approach make her a wonderful colleague, leader, and tutor!
Laura Kaminski
Helen has been a valued and trusted friend for a number of years now. We share a love of literature and the first time I met her I was struck by her calm and friendly demeanour. I know she is extremely diligent in her preparation for lessons and with her many years of experience combined with her professional approach, I have no doubt that students will benefit enormously from her tuition and, which I am sure is also extremely important, enjoy their lessons with her. I have no hesitation in recommending her to prospective students and their parents.
Alexandra Day
