Hi, I'm Toby.
I tutor maths in Rochester and online — primary, KS3, GCSE, A Level, and adults who want back in. I did an Open University maths degree in my 30s — putting right what I'd always seen as a mistake in not going straight from school, though I don't believe in regrets — and was consistently surprised when people told me they couldn't do maths. Once I graduated, I trained as a teacher to try and change this perspective for as many students as I could. I've been a qualified teacher for 4 years and this year decided to change things up a little. But I'm still just as keen to help people change their perspective on maths, which is why I started MathsHawk. Outside of tutoring, you'll usually find me lost in a cryptic crossword, an escape room, or a niche puzzle called slitherlink — turns out the puzzle-solving brain and the maths-teaching brain aren't all that different.
My approach
We'll work together to identify topics or areas that you feel less confident with, and I'll break these down into the individual facts and skills you need to develop your confidence. Whether in person or online, I will model solutions for you in real time, and explain ideas using visual representations to help you understand what's happening clearly.
I encourage my students to try things, make mistakes, and learn to be comfortable not getting everything right the first time. We can take this at your speed, with a strong focus on building strong foundations rather than rushing through everything.
Qualifications & experience
- BSc Mathematics, First Class Honours
- 5 years teaching experience, 4 of them since qualifying
- QTS, PGCE, with a current DBS enhanced check
- Specialising in Edexcel, but happy to work with any exam board
- Member of The Tutors' Association
“You are careful to avoid creating any unhealthy dependencies and to avoid engaging in any practice which undermines the independent learning of students.”
The Tutors’ Association Code of Practice, 1.9
That is the clause I would have written myself. The aim is for you to need me less each term, not more.
- Based in
- Rochester, Kent
- Sessions
- Home visits within 5 miles of Rochester, or online
- Levels
- Primary, KS3, GCSE, A Level, Adults
Confidence is a skill, and it's teachable — same as fractions.
I feel that often when people think they can't do maths, they've not been taught to appreciate how much maths they already do, and how much broader a subject it is than simply numbers. There are so many different ways to be mathematical. It's like realising how many languages the world has but claiming to not be able to speak because you only know one of them.
Students often have to perform maths under pressure and can sometimes be made to feel silly if they get something wrong. No one should have to feel that pressure or that shame. We'll work on building your confidence so you can be proud of your mathematical ability, whatever it looks like.