Mrs Dacres

Please introduce yourself

Hey there! My name is Mrs Dacres and I have been tutoring for over 10 years. During this time I have also worked as as an in-centre tuition Director, a schools Programme Manager and I am currently a Further Education Programme Manager.

What subjects do you specialise in?

11+GCSE English Language and LiteratureGCSE and A Level Sociology.

What is some advise you'd give to parents supporting their child with the Eleven Plus?

Encourage your child on a regular basis. Hearing positive and affirming words of encouragement from a parent will help your child thrive especially through some of the more challenging topics they're learning.

What advise would you give to GCSE English students?

Assessment Objectives (AO's) are your friend! They're not just decorative language examiners like to use to sound good, but rather see it as a road map to help you form stronger, more accurate answers. Familiarise yourself with each AO so that you know what you need to do for each question!

What is your most memorable successes?

Assisting one my GCSE English Language students in jumping 3 WHOLE GRADES and seeing their face as they opened their test results! Their hard work, efforts and dedication truly paid off and it was such a pleasure being a part of their journey.

What is your one top tip for A level Sociology students?

Past papers! Past papers! Past papers! The more past papers you complete, the more prepared you will feel ahead of any exam, whether it's a mock exam or the real thing, get comfortable practising as this is the only way you will be able to quickly identify the areas you need the most support in. If you need help, give me a shout! 

What is your tutoring style?

I encourage all my students to lead from the front! There's no better way for me to understand how best to support each student without truly understanding their goals and what they want to achieve for themselves. Whether that's to become more academically astute in a particular subject or to build personal confidence. Once I have understood their goal from their own perspective, I will tailor my approach and teaching methods accordingly.

What is your best moment teaching?

The exact moment when my students reach, what I like to call, their 'Eureka Moment!'. I enjoy working with my students to help them polish their skills so that they can become more confident in whatever goal they have set out to achieve. Whether that's mastering the 'PEE' paragraph technique in GCSE English language, independently solving an algebraic equation in 11+ or confidently defining sociological approaches to research methods in GCSE/A level Sociology. Once it clicks, it clicks!

What is a common mistake you see students make?

Not remembering to underline the key parts of a question (especially in an exam). You'll be surprised at how easy it is to misinterpret a question by simply failing to highlight all the important words and phrases - it only takes 10 seconds and remember, every mark counts!

What inspired you to get into teaching?

I've always loved teaching! I really enjoy the feeling that comes with truly understanding and retaining a topic for the first time and working with others to help them achieve that same feeling comes naturally to me

And finally, tell us a fun fact about yourself?

I love roast potatoes! I could eat a whole tray all by myself!