Biology
Cells, enzymes, genetic crosses, ecosystems and the human body, with diagrams drawn and labelled by the student rather than copied from a screen.
Per hourfrom $44
Cells, moles and circuits, one idea at a time
One to one biology, chemistry and physics tutoring for students aged 11 to 18, online or in a quiet study room. Esme Adair matches every session to the student's school year and course, and begins by finding the idea that went missing.
3 sciencestaught by one tutor
Ages 11 to 18matched to the school year
Online or in personsame notes either way
Three sciences, one tutor
Most students are stronger in one science than the others, and the weak one drags the rest down. Esme teaches all three, so a session can follow the gap wherever it leads.
Chemistry
Atoms and bonding, moles and equations, rates and energy changes, explained with models on the desk and plenty of calculations worked through together.
Per hourfrom $44
Physics
Forces, energy, waves and circuits, with equations rearranged step by step and units checked every single time, so the maths stops getting in the way.
Per hourfrom $44
What comes up, school year by school year
Courses and their names differ between countries and schools, so the first session starts from the student's own syllabus and exercise books. This is the usual shape of things by age.
| Age | Biology | Chemistry | Physics |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 to 12 | Cells, microscopes, food chains | States of matter, mixtures | Forces, simple circuits |
| 12 to 14 | Organ systems, photosynthesis | Atoms, elements, simple reactions | Energy, light and sound |
| 14 to 16 | Genetics, enzymes, homeostasis | Bonding, moles, rates | Electricity, waves, radioactivity |
| 16 to 18 | Biochemistry, cell biology in depth | Organic chemistry, kinetics, equilibria | Mechanics, fields, quantum basics |
Sessions follow the school's order of topics where possible, so tutoring backs up classroom lessons instead of racing ahead of them.
Practical write ups, rehearsed at the kitchen table
Many test questions ask about experiments a student did once and half remembers. Sessions rebuild them on paper: the aim, the variables, a fair test, what was measured and why the results might be off. Where it is safe, a simple version is tried with kitchen items, such as sugar dissolving at two temperatures.
Nothing hazardous is ever done at home or online. Experiments involving flames, acids or mains electricity are talked through with diagrams and photos instead, and never attempted on a kitchen counter.
- Variables named and controlled
- Results tables and graphs drawn by hand
- Errors and improvements explained
- Only safe kitchen experiments at home
Topics students bring to the bench
Usually a homework that would not come out, or a test topic that never quite clicked.
- Moles and ratios
- Balancing equations
- Photosynthesis rates
- Genetic crosses
- Series and parallel circuits
- Motion graphs
- Rearranging equations
- Ionic and covalent bonds
- Electrolysis
- Waves and the spectrum
- Respiration
- Specific heat capacity
Students in their last two school years often bring past questions from their own course, and those become the plan for the session.
Fees by the hour, or by the revision block
Study room sessions cost a little more because of the room. The first session is shorter and cheaper, so nobody commits before seeing how it works.
First session
once$30
- A look at exercise books and recent tests
- The idea causing most trouble, found
- A short plan for the weeks ahead
Online hour
an hour$44
- Notes and worked examples sent after
- School homework welcome
- A parent can join the call
Study room hour
an hour$52
- Models and diagrams on the desk
- A seat for a parent in the room
- After school and Saturday slots
Revision block
five hours$200
- Built around the student's own topic list
- Practice questions marked together
- Online, in person, or a mix
Fees go to Esme directly, after each session or at the start of a block. A session moved with a day's notice is rebooked; a late cancellation is charged in full.
Parents nearby, online and in the study room
Esme holds the background checks required for tutoring children where she works, and keeps them current; what is required varies from country to country. In the study room the door stays open and a parent is welcome at the side table. Online sessions run on a link sent to a parent, never to the student alone.
Sessions are matched to the student's age and level, and no grade is ever promised. Marks depend on many things outside a tutor's hands, so progress is reported honestly each half term, listing the topics that are secure and the ones still shaky.
- Background checks held and renewed
- Door open, parents welcome to sit in
- Online links sent to a parent
- Honest progress notes, never a predicted grade
Around the study room
Questions at the start of term
Can one tutor really cover all three sciences?
Up to the age of sixteen, comfortably. For the last two school years Esme takes students in any of the three, and says honestly if a particular course goes beyond what she teaches well.
Will sessions raise a student's marks?
Many students feel more confident within a few weeks, but no tutor can promise a grade. Marks depend on the student, the school and the day of the test, so Esme reports on topics mastered instead of predicting results.
How does an online session work?
A video call with a shared whiteboard, the student's exercise book held up to the camera when needed, and notes sent afterwards. A laptop or tablet works better than a phone, and a quiet corner matters more than any equipment.
Does the tutoring follow our school's syllabus?
Yes. The first session looks at the course outline and the exercise books, and later sessions follow the school's order of topics. Exam boards and course names differ by country, so nothing is assumed.
Are experiments done during sessions?
Only safe ones, such as dissolving, floating and sinking, or timing a pendulum. Anything involving flames, acids or mains electricity is discussed with diagrams instead.
Can a parent stay for the session?
Yes, in the study room or on the call. Many parents sit in for the first session and step back once their child is comfortable.
Notes from families and students (example reviews)
Our son had decided he was hopeless at chemistry. Two months of moles worked through slowly in the study room, and now he explains them to his sister.
Physics equations finally make sense now that units get checked every time. The notes sent after each online session are what gets read the night before a test.
Esme never promised a grade, which was refreshing. She told us which biology topics were secure and which needed more time, and that honesty is why we stayed.
Request a first session
Say which science, the student's age and school year, and whether online or the study room suits. Esme replies by the next working day with a time, an alternative close to it, or an honest note if her week is full.
- Sessions matched to school year and level
- A parent may sit in, in person or online
- Fees paid to Esme directly
The study room and the online link
In person sessions use a quiet room upstairs at the library; online sessions run on a link that reaches a parent the day before.
Reach Esme
A quiet study room above a community library in the town centre, or online from anywhere with a steady connection
Session hours
| Monday to Thursday | 16:00 to 20:30 |
| Friday | 16:00 to 18:30 |
| Saturday | 09:00 to 13:00 |
| Sunday | Closed |
Arriving for a session
Take the library lift or stairs to the first floor and knock on the room set aside for study groups. Parents can wait in the library below or sit in on the session.