Welcome! Thank you for visiting my page. Please read on to learn more about my approach to learning and the services I offer.

I enjoy working with children and watching them grow in confidence and skills. I have worked closely with parents in my teaching roles and can support with ideas of how best to encourage and consolidate their child’s learning. I am an experienced classroom teacher with practical know how and knowledge of our education system. I am enthusiastic, kind, and resourceful - exactly the traits a tutor needs to work successfully with children.

I have an enhanced DBS check!

Certificate Number 001869942021

and can provide references from colleagues, parents and children.

“Thank you Mrs Parry, for being kind and teaching me to read and write, your lessons were always fun.” M (ex-pupil).

“Lovely teacher. Very supportive of my special needs child. My child has learned so much.” Miss WA (online tutoring)

Ruth Parry, MA (Edin), PGCE

  • Qualified primary teacher with 20+ years experience of working with children.

  • Early Years Practitioner.

  • Certificates in: Understanding Autism; Neuroscience in the Early Years; SEND in the Early Years; and Mental Health in the Early Years.

  • Member of the National Handwriting Association

  • Morrells Handwriting Tutor.

  • Teaching Maths 8 to 14 years - Level 2 Open Learn.

  • Attended a variety of Curriculum, Research and SEN linked workshops at the Twinkl Festival of Tutoring (Summer 2025).

  • It is important for me to keep revisiting and reflecting on my knowledge, skills and teaching strategies, with this in mind I aim to seek out relevant courses, workshops and webinars to keep me up-to-date and engaged with the latest research. I will add these to this list to build a strong basis for my tutoring qualifications.

How can one-to-one tutoring help your child?

  • Provide a strong foundation for learning and development.

  • Enhance cognitive skills.

  • Build confidence.

  • Promote a love of learning from a young age.

I offer personalised support in these years to build skills in reading, maths, and critical thinking. As an experienced teacher, I can create a positive atmosphere that promotes curiosity and confidence, adapting to each child's learning style. By using engaging and creative methods, I hope to inspire a love for learning and give your child confidence to progress in their learning journey, raising their self esteem and aspirations throughout primary.

I offer face to face and online sessions to improve your child’s early reading skills, comprehension and creative writing. I can support progression in maths and foundation subjects at KS1 and into the challenges of KS2.

I am also qualified to deliver a handwriting programme which helps children and young adults improve their handwriting and confidence for written assessments and exams. This approach involves analysing a student’s writing, posture, and grip to identify weaknesses in co-ordination, and using a series of focussed exercises to help break bad handwriting habits and support improvements in speed and legibility. This is designed for Key Stage 1 and older children. For children in Foundation Stage, my approach would be to consolidate gross and fine motor skills through activities outdoors and indoors to promote pre-writing skills before formalising with a workbook. More resources and information about this approach can be found here.

Examples from handwriting sessions, as the letter formation improves and the letters begin to have even size and sitting on the line.

Building beautiful sentences from mixed up words.

Keep calm and all will be well! I felt very brave on this visit to Butterfly World.

Phonics and Early Reading Tuition

I have always enjoyed delivering phonics lessons and using a range of methods to keep the children interested and involved. They will often not realise that they are reading and practising their blending skills, as they are enjoying themselves and keen to do more. Early phonics is fun when it is active and the learning is delivered consistently in a variety of ways. Using games and songs, as well as materials like sand and playdough, helps embed spelling and improve that vital hand-eye co-ordination which supports strength for sustained handwriting.

For older children in KS2 finding funny and engaging texts is very important to their development as independent readers. I love these books by Guy Bass as they give lots for the reader to talk about with me and so much grammar linked with the way the author plays with words. This can be a lot more interesting and challenging than the decodable reading books.

My first degree is in English and at school I was such a nerd! I would request extra grammar exercises and studied Latin so that I understood the roots of many words and of our own grammar. I love wordplay and encouraging children to think about why the author has chosen certain words, why they have structured their writing in a particular way and especially what hints the author gives you about what might happen next in a story. Teaching the children to look carefully at the text, ask questions and reflect is important. Encouraging them to trust their understanding and justify their own answers, helps them develop the analytical skills which are necessary for study of literature and language in high school. It is good to be challenged to think for yourself and build the confidence and vocabulary to explain, consider and debate.

Phonic Screening

Year One Phonic Screening takes place once a year, in June. Children are given a booklet containing both real and made-up words, which they then have to sound out and blend. If they do not successfully read a majority of the words provided, then they have to re-do the activity the following year. The more practice a child has reading and speaking both types of words, the less daunting this screening activity will be, and the more success they shall have making their way through the booklet. I can support their skills and develop their knowledge of the sounds covered in the Screening with games, reading challenges, and activities.

I can support children in consolidating and applying their number skills through Reception, KS1 and lower KS2 levels. It is important to work out where the gaps in their knowledge lie, and work together to find strategies which they can apply to understand and overcome challenging areas. I can provide regular practice recalling number facts and patterns in a relaxed and supportive environment. I use a variety of resources to visually support maths concepts and help children consolidate their knowledge. Working together through hands-on games and word problems can be a real boost to a child’s confidence, and help them to make practical links between different maths facts and concepts. I have recently updated my maths teaching skills through the Open University. This course has built my own confidence in teaching maths and working through misconceptions. It has also shown me how important the student’s grasp of basic concepts is, and made me proud of my own teaching in KS1 and Early Years.

Maths Tuition

Some examples of resources, lessons and my own revision of primary maths.

For face-to-face tutoring, small groups, or friends, I have a garden room set up for working together. As you can see, there are lots of books in the room - as a family, our shared passion is reading. I also have many picture and primary-level reading books, from across my time working as a teacher and raising three children, meaning that it is never difficult to find a suitable story to read or share.

I also work with other tutors to share ideas and resources for teaching and supporting children’s learning. It is fabulous to find new approaches which can work for the individual child, and reassuring that good practice can be shared in the tutoring world!

HOW IT WORKS

If you would like to find out more about any of my services, please contact me on this form.

Or email on

Ruth.Rhubarbtutoring@gmail.com