À propos
28 years of teaching French.
Fully qualified. Native speaker. Enhanced DBS checked. From Year 7 to postgraduate level — every level, every age, every kind of learner.
28 years
Teaching experience
Secondary, sixth form, higher education and online
All levels
Y7 to postgraduate
GCSE, A Level, undergraduate and postgraduate
Enhanced DBS
Up to date & fully vetted
Enhanced DBS certificate — current and valid for working with children and young people
Native speaker
French native speaker
Teaching French as a mother-tongue speaker — authentic accent, idiom, and cultural insight
Qualified
Fully qualified teacher
Formally qualified with decades of classroom and one-to-one teaching experience
AQA Examiner
Current & former examiner
AQA GCSE French examiner for 4 years (current) · Former AQA AS French examiner
My story
Why I teach French
I have been teaching French for 28 years — in secondary schools, sixth forms, universities, adult education centres, and now online. As a native French speaker and a fully qualified teacher, I bring both authentic language and rigorous pedagogy to every lesson. I am currently an AQA GCSE French examiner — a role I have held for four years — and have previously examined AQA AS French. That insider knowledge of exactly what examiners look for gives my GCSE and A-Level students a genuine advantage.
What I have learned over nearly three decades is that language learning is not about talent. It is about context, confidence, and connection. Whether I am working with a Year 7 student encountering French for the first time or a postgraduate refining their academic register, the same principle holds: when learners understand the culture behind the language, the grammar stops being a chore and starts being a tool.
I hold an enhanced, up-to-date DBS certificate and am fully vetted to work with children and young people of all ages. These lessons are built on the belief that every learner can make real progress — with the right teacher, the right approach, and the right encouragement.
Teaching philosophy
How I teach
Culture first
Language without culture is just vocabulary. Every lesson connects the French you are learning to the world it comes from — history, food, film, music, politics, everyday life.
No learner left behind
I have taught students who were told they could not do languages. I do not believe that. With the right approach, the right pace, and the right encouragement, every learner can make real progress.
Real French, from day one
Textbook French and real French are not the same thing. From the very first lesson, students hear and use the language as it is actually spoken — in France, in the Francophone world, today.
Modern and inclusive
The France I teach is the France of 2026 — diverse, green, creative, and complex. Not a museum of baguettes and berets, but a living society with extraordinary things to say.
Film and book studies
French cinema and literature are among the richest in the world — and studying them in the original language transforms your understanding of both. I offer dedicated film and book study sessions covering films such as Amélie, Les Intouchables, La Haine, L'auberge espagnole, Au revoir les enfants, Les 400 coups, Un long dimanche de fiançailles, and many more, for A Level students, undergraduates, and postgraduates.
Pronunciation demystified
French pronunciation has a reputation for being difficult — and it is true that it works differently from English. But it is also consistent, logical, and very learnable once someone explains the rules clearly. I dedicate real time to pronunciation in every course: how the sounds are formed, why silent letters behave the way they do, how liaison and elision work, and how to train your ear as well as your mouth. Students who once dreaded speaking aloud find that, with the right guidance, French starts to sound — and feel — natural.
Specialisms
Film studies & book studies
French cinema and literature are among the richest in the world. Studying them in the original language — with a teacher who knows the texts and the context — transforms your understanding of both.
French film studies
I offer structured film study sessions that combine close textual analysis with cultural and historical context, covering a wide range of contemporary and classic Francophone cinema — from Truffaut's Les 400 coups and Malle's Au revoir les enfants to Kassovitz's La Haine, Jeunet's Amélie, Nakache and Toledano's Les Intouchables, Klapisch's L'auberge espagnole, Jeunet's Un long dimanche de fiançailles, and many others. Ideal for A Level set texts, undergraduate modules, and anyone who wants to engage with French film seriously.
French book studies
From Molière's Le Tartuffe and Voltaire's Candide to Camus's L'étranger, Sagan's Bonjour tristesse, and contemporary voices such as Faïza Guène's Kiffe kiffe demain and Delphine de Vigan's No et moi, I offer guided reading and analysis of French literary texts in the original. The list also includes Maupassant's Boule de Suif et autres contes de la guerre, Etcherelli's Élise ou la vraie vie, Joffo's Un sac de billes, and Grimbert's Un secret. Sessions cover language, style, themes, and critical approaches — whether you are preparing for an exam, writing a dissertation, or reading for pleasure.
Press & translation
Reading the French press — and translating it
One of the most effective ways to develop real fluency is to read French as it is actually written — in newspapers, not textbooks. I use articles from Le Monde and Ouest-France as the basis for dedicated reading and translation sessions, available to intermediate and advanced learners.
Le Monde
France's newspaper of record — rigorous, formal, and rich in the kind of complex syntax and sophisticated vocabulary that A-Level and university students need to master. Articles cover politics, culture, international affairs, and ideas.
Ouest-France
France's most widely read regional daily — clear, accessible prose that is ideal for intermediate learners building confidence with authentic written French. Topics range from local news to national stories.
What translation practice involves
French to English
Translating from French into natural, idiomatic English — the skill tested at A-Level and beyond. We work on accuracy, register, and the art of conveying meaning rather than just words.
English to French
Producing accurate, fluent French from an English source text. Builds grammatical precision, vocabulary range, and an instinct for French idiom — essential for GCSE, A-Level, and university assessments.
Vocabulary in context
Real newspaper articles introduce vocabulary as it is actually used — in sentences, in argument, in tone. Far more effective than word lists, and far more memorable.
Discussion and analysis
Articles become springboards for conversation — discussing the content in French, analysing the argument, and practising the kind of critical thinking that exams and university seminars demand.
Press and translation sessions are available as a standalone focus or woven into regular lessons. Suitable for GCSE (Year 10–11), A-Level, and adult learners at B1 and above.
Qualifications & credentials
Training and credentials
Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)
Fully qualified to teach in UK schools
Enhanced DBS Certificate
Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check — cleared for work with children and vulnerable adults
28 years classroom experience
Secondary schools, sixth forms, universities, adult education and online teaching
AQA GCSE French Examiner (current)
Serving AQA examiner for GCSE French for four years and continuing — with direct, up-to-date knowledge of mark schemes, assessment objectives, and exactly what examiners reward
AQA AS French Examiner (former)
Previously examined AQA AS French, bringing first-hand insight into A-Level assessment standards and expectations
GCSE & A Level specialist
Extensive experience preparing students for AQA, Edexcel and OCR examinations
Film & book studies
Dedicated study sessions in French cinema and literature — covering contemporary and classic Francophone film and fiction — for A Level, undergraduate and postgraduate students
CEFR-aligned adult courses
Adult courses mapped to the Common European Framework of Reference A1–C2
Ready to start?
Whether you are a parent looking for a tutor, a student preparing for exams, a graduate or postgraduate needing academic French support, or an adult who has always wanted to speak French — I would love to hear from you.