Meet the Tutor: Helena, Reading and Slough Centres

Bringing a strong educational background and love of literature to Teachitright

Helena teaches at both our Slough and Reading centres and has been part of the Teachitright team for three years. With a strong background in education, she moved from full-time class teaching into tutoring, supporting children with the 11+, working in schools on post-Covid catch-up programmes with Year 2 and Year 6 pupils, and tutoring English and Maths from Year 6 right through to GCSE level.

She particularly values the small-group environment at Teachitright, where she can develop strong relationships with pupils. Helena describes it as a privilege to contribute to each child’s learning journey – helping them grow as individuals, build resilience, and achieve positive outcomes as they prepare for secondary school.

Her teaching style is collaborative and encouraging. She places great importance on children sharing their thought processes, even when they feel unsure, and then working together to overcome misconceptions. This not only deepens their understanding but also builds confidence and self-belief. Vocabulary is another area of focus in Helena’s sessions: she enjoys exploring meanings in context, breaking words down into roots, prefixes and suffixes, and using etymology to unlock new knowledge. To consolidate understanding, she often challenges pupils to use new words in both spoken and written work – sometimes even setting a ‘Word of the Day’ for them to explore further at home.

Her top tip for families preparing for the 11+ is to encourage children to explain their thinking out loud as they work through different types of questions, especially the tricky ones. This approach, she says, helps children become more reflective learners and gives parents valuable insights into how they are developing.

Helena has always loved reading, although it didn’t come easily to her as a child. Her mother, a primary headteacher, even doubted whether she would ever read independently – but through perseverance she proved her wrong and later went on to study English Literature at university. She now delights in passing on her love of stories to her pupils, with childhood favourites including Nina Bawden’s The Witch’s Daughter and Carrie’s War. She remembers losing herself in these books, identifying with the protagonists and engaging wholeheartedly with their emotional journeys.

Helena believes that what makes Teachitright stand out is how much children enjoy being part of the sessions, taking pride in their progress and celebrating their achievements. For her, watching pupils’ confidence grow week by week is one of the most rewarding aspects of tutoring.

Helena tutors at our centres in Reading and Slough. Find out more about our Reading or Slough centres

Find out how Helena and the wider Teachitright team can help your child succeed

We’ve supported thousands of children with their 11 Plus exams, and have excellent success rates.