About Us

After several years of working in a variety of creative roles including working in galleries and as a graphic designer, I decided to become a teacher. I felt compelled to share my experiences and insights with children and young people. I completed a PGCE in secondary Art and Design at Goldsmiths University London, where I soon found the most enjoyable part of teaching was around building relationships with the children. Seeing what children could achieve once they felt they were in a trusting situation is still a big part of my motivation to teach today. 

My teaching experience began in London after completing a BA (Hons) PGCE. I have over fifteen years’ experience as a Primary School Teacher, Secondary School Teacher and SENCO. My key focus has always been around creating access to learning through building confidence and expanding on existing strengths. In primary schools I sourced and installed literacy and phonics programmes throughout Key stages 1 and 2. Some of my happiest memories are of the performance assemblies that followed a merging of Literacy with Art. This enabled the children to write their own contemporary versions of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and create paper theatres and puppets of the characters. These experiences provided invaluable skills that I took into my role as a Workshop leader and Private Tutor at the Story Room.

Since joining the Story Room I have been amazed by the ideas and work that the children produce during workshops and one to one sessions. The fun atmosphere and unique surroundings fuel a release of imagination and storytelling.  I am a private tutor to children from year 3 all the way through to years 7, 8 and 9. I have a very natural teaching style and I have high expectations of all the children that I teach, whether they are preparing for the 11+ entrance exams or having general English booster lessons. Working with children in years 7 through to 9 has enabled insights and focus on the necessary preparation techniques for GCSE English, including analysis of texts, themes, language, characters, relationships and the historical context of the various GCSE chosen texts.  I really enjoy working at the Story Room and inspiring creativity, passing on my knowledge and developing children’s writing skills in a fun and inclusive environment. 

I have retained a focus on my artistic interests throughout my career, both in my teaching career and through self-generated opportunities to sell my own work. I have supplied a number of specialist stockists, most notably Benjamin Pollocks Toyshop in Covent Garden, famous for its paper theatres and unusual range of toys and games.  I was lucky enough one Christmas to be invited to take part in ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ Christmas themed window display. I was tasked with creating various props including – paper sledges and reindeers, magical Christmas fairies and a set of miniature fairy outfits including tiny crowns and wands for the wardrobe. A really delightful experience and wonderful to be able to observe visitors reactions to the final display!   

I tutor in:  

11 plus Entrance Exams

7 plus and 8 plus Entrance Exams

KS1, KS2, KS3 and KS4 English Booster

SATS preparation

Creative writing for all ages (one to one and group sessions)

GCSE ENGLISH

ISEB Common Entrance Exam (with a focus on independent writing) 

SEN (all ages)

GSCE ART 

English to my mind is the best subject at school but of course I am biased being both an English teacher and bookworm. It really has something for everyone; whether you like making up stories, talking about books or performing speeches about the state of the world: English is for you.  However sometimes students need a little help in finding their voice in this subject and this is where I come in.

In the last 5 years, I have enjoyed working one to one and in small groups, seeking to motivate and mentor my students.  Working with all abilities – from the underperforming and very unconfident to those who may be in a top set in a grammar school who are not being stretched enough – I can help.  Usually, my students far exceed their predicted grade and become more assured along the way – this often encourages them to work with a greater self-assurance in other subjects. One of my parents recently described her son’s experience of English tutoring as suddenly opening a Pandora’s Box in a positive way, helping him fuel an interest for learning. I am passionate about my students’ success both at school and in the exam hall. Though I consider myself an exam specialist, I am fond of identifying bespoke strategies that work with the individual student and not solely teach to the test.

Previously I worked at Highlands School for 10 years and there ran a fast track group for GCSE and taught solely exam classes across Key stage 4 &5 for GCSE and A Level. Since leaving after having my son, I have been focused on tutoring and have also moderated coursework for AQA.

I have a degree in English Literature from Loughborough University, a PGCE from London Metropolitan and more recently a Graduate Certificate in Linguistics from Birkbeck.  In my twenties, I worked in marketing, gaining experience in writing persuasive copy that has been invaluable to me as both an English teacher and tutor helping my students with both their university personal statements and writing in general.

LIST OF SUBJECTS CATHERINE TUTORS IN:

English KS3 booster/support

GCSE English Language

GCSE English Literature

Catherine can also assist with: 

EPQ writing

Writing a personal statement

Once upon a time I decided to be a creative writing coach for children. I was born in the beautiful blue city of Barcelona where I trained to be a Tax Lawyer. One Autumn I attended a series of lessons on Hamlet at the English Studies Faculty in Barcelona and a few months after I moved to London. Maybe I had heard the call of the English language. That was almost twenty years ago and the love story has endured.

I took an MA on Bilingual Literary Translation at Westminster University and later on a second MA on Comparative Literature at King’s College. I am now a freelance literary translator from English into Spanish, my last published translations in Spain are TimeRiders I and II, the first two books of a time travelling series by Scarrow for 11+ that have been a bestseller in England.

I have my dream jobs working with children at  The Story Room and with families and children at The Tate as a Tate Early Years and Families workshop innovator. I also volunteer as a Writing Mentor at The Ministry of Stories and I have attended multiple Creative Writing courses and workshops at City Lit, Birkbeck College and Arvon which have helped me immensely both in my own writing but also in enabling children to free their own creativity. I am also a qualified Neuro Linguistic Programming coach, which is helpful when children are stuck in a negative self-limiting belief and are really convinced they are ‘not creative’.

As an aspiring author I am working towards the publication of two Tales for children and a collection of Short Stories for grown ups.

My favourite part of working as a writing coach is when a child comes to a workshop and  looks down thinking he cannot ‘write’ anything because he does not ‘know what to write’ and then leaves proud and smiling, eager to show something he has ‘written’ and was ‘so easy to write’! The next time he attends, the only question is ‘what are we going to be writing about today?’. It’s amazing to see the transformation when children see that writing is not such a daunting task anymore.

I look forward to meeting your children at The Story Room workshops.

Àngels G.Vila

LIST OF SUBJECTS ANGELS TUTORS IN: 

•  Creative writing (small groups and one-to-one)
•  GCSE Spanish (all boards)
• A Level Spanish (all boards)

Allan Boroughs is a traveller and writer with a passion for classic adventure stories “in which a lot of stuff happens”. His debut novel, Ironheart, published by Macmillan in 2014, was inspired by his travels in Siberia, whilst the sequel, Bloodstone (Jan 2015) took him to the Antarctic. He is currently planning a trip to the jungles of Venezuela for the third book in the series.

Allan is also a founding member of Future Perfect Writers, who perform regularly at spoken-word events. He divides his time between his business in London and his home in Cornwall; he lives with his wife and two children

11plus maths (Year 4 and 5)

GCSE maths