Claire Jennings is the Area Advisor and Tutor Manager for North and East Hampshire. Before running this area, Claire was head of business and economics. We know that clients and tutors are interested to know more about their Area Advisor and we also asked Claire how she is transitioning all of her tutoring to online due to Coronavirus.
What were you doing before taking on Home-School Tutoring North & East Hampshire?
I was head of business and economics with a twelve years’ service in mainstream education and I have a Masters in learning and teaching.
What drives your passion for learning and education?
I was born into a family of teachers, so teaching is in our blood. As a child I role-played being a teacher. My love for teaching has developed ever since. I personally love the learning process, I have a continuous improvement attitude to life and enjoy broadening my knowledge and learning new things. Currently, I am studying to become a personal performance coach which fits neatly with teaching, mentoring and tutoring.
As a person not motivated by financial rewards; the satisfaction of seeing my tutees gain confidence and find satisfaction from achieving a grade that they have been working hard for, is the best reward! As a teacher, I love results day and seeing my students open their GCSE and A-level results and knowing I helped them outperformed their target grades.
I know that you tutor yourself. What do you enjoy about tutoring?
I enjoy tutoring and working in small groups with students/ tutees as it gives me a chance to 100% personalise the learning for my client’s needs. For example, planning the sessions to encompass the clients area of interest. My first HST client has a passion for football and so for each session, I will relate Business to the football industry. This is beneficial, as it maintains the client’s interest in the topic and also makes the learning REAL. I put in a lot of effort into planning my sessions and expect my students to match that in terms of their independent learning for the session. High expectations = high attainment.
In light of our current situation, how are you supporting your clients and tutors to go fully online?
We already offer high quality online tutoring and I have been working hard to support my tutors and teachers’ transition online. We’re really pleased with the outcome so far and some of my clients prefer it. Home-School Tutoring has also developed online safe-guarding practices and policies for both clients and tutors alike which we here strongly adhere to.
We are building a platform for online workshops which will go live shortly. These online workshops will be age specific and bookable in advance.
The intention is to support parents by giving them the opportunity to plan around their work commitments. These affordable workshops will be fun, educational and social. The desired outcome is that a child learns a new skill in the comfort of their own home and eases the parents’ homeschooling pressure.
What drew you to this role of becoming an Area Advisor for North and East Hampshire?
When my son started primary school, I had to put my son first and looked for alternative career options that enabled me to be present for my son at the same time as helping others to reach and exceed their potential. I was drawn to Home-School Tutoring as it enables me to put back into the community on a larger scale. I know there is a shortage of teachers and tutors in the area and I would like to encourage and train new tutors, offering an opportunity for people to change careers and become tutors and maybe find a love for facilitating learning which might springboard them into a teaching career. Teachers who have industry experience bring a wealth of knowledge to the education sector. I feel delighted to be a Home-School Tutoring Area Advisor for this well established brand.
What makes Home-School Tutoring North and East Hampshire different to other tutoring agencies?
- We actively look to respond to local needs e.g. provide online tutoring.
- HST Area Advisors live within the community so they know the areas and the local needs.
- We provide a personalised service where we only provide the RIGHT tutor for the client. We know our clients and we match our tutors with love and attention.
- It is not about the money it is about giving every child the same opportunity for success.
- We provide affordable workshops.
- Support local schools with staff shortages.
- We are honest and only have high quality tutors who have a passion for facilitating learning.
- We are a community of teachers and tutors, so education is at the heart of everything we do. We have a supportive and working community which shares best practice, experience and resources which enables all areas of HST to grow and develop.
- Happy tutors = Happy clients
Tell me three qualities your tutors must have?
They must be passionate, relational and reliable.
And finally, what do plan and hope to offer in the near future?
I would like to differentiate from traditional tutoring and offer a variety of options to make tutoring an option for all parents. I plan to think outside the box and offer a variety of tutoring options for the mass market. With budget cuts in education and health, there are areas in which we as a brand can help ensure all children and adults get the education they deserve. I am keen to support Hampshire people learn and grow. Education services is an interest; how best can we support our schools with our network of tutors and other people willing to help. A problem shared is a problem halved.
If you are considering tuition for your child or you are a qualified tutor, passionate about learning and education, please do get in touch with Claire today:
Claire Jennings MA BA (Hons) PGCE
Tel: 07470 422 420
E: claire.jennings@homeschooltutoring.co.uk