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My name is Cat Ward and there are two things in particular that I absolutely love doing: one is solving mathematical problems, and the other is helping other people to get their head around maths, especially if they feel lost in the world of numbers or have been struggling to understand certain parts of it.
I have professional experience as a teacher, TA and private tutor, as outlined in one of the personal profile sections below. In 2024 I moved from Hertfordshire to Wolverhampton, along with my youngest, our elderly cat and two recently rescued Frenchies! Now that I have settled in after the move and alterations to my house have been completed to create an appropriate learning space for my students, I am able to provide 1:1 in-person maths tutoring sessions for students who live in and around West Wolverhampton.
I have three grown-up children and I tutored each of them to succeed with passing their Maths GCSE exams. My eldest has told me that she would never have achieved a Grade A in Maths without my help. My middle child is autistic so I have experience of supporting someone with special educational needs in my personal life as well as my professional one.
My most recent experience has been working full-time as a Maths Teaching Assistant in a secondary school in Hertfordshire. I saw first-hand how the disruption caused by the pandemic had led to a major setback in the education of many children, particularly in relation to their progress in maths. My main responsibility was to support students of all abilities on a 1:1 basis, including those with EHCPs, when they needed guidance in understanding topics, as well as assisting them to provide a boost to their confidence during maths lessons.
Whether your child needs help to iron out a few issues that are preventing them making effective progress with their maths, or they simply feel totally confused and have convinced themselves that they will never understand the subject, please feel free to get in touch with me - call 07762 239390 or 01902 569443 to talk through your situation and discuss how I may be able to help.
Please note that I am more than happy to tutor adult learners too!
Tailored tutoring sessions
Session content is tailored to suit each individual student's needs. My aim is always to provide bespoke sessions and deliver content in an engaging way that doesn't feel like just 'more of the same' when compared to school classwork and other tutoring schemes.
Dedicated maths room
My house, in the Compton Park area of Wolverhampton, has recently been altered and extended to provide a dedicated learning space equipped with whiteboards and other resources. The space has been adapted so that the facilities are completely separate from my private living space, with a waiting area and WC in the front porch.
1:1 in-person learning experience
This learning space provides an ideal environment for focused maths learning. I work one-to-one with students in-person so that they receive my full attention and can themselves concentrate fully on what they are doing. This means that more effective communication is achieved when compared to other styles of maths tutoring such as online and/or group sessions.
Provision for SEND & SEMH students
I am able to adapt my tutoring sessions to make the content more accessible for students with special educational needs, or those who require support related to social, emotional and mental health needs. For example I can allow for short breaks, or part of a session can be done on our feet to help those who need to move about, rather than being sat in a chair for a whole hour.
I will encourage students to take their own notes and provide extra activities for them to work on in between tutoring sessions. Where appropriate this may include watching video-clips or reading about mathematics to discover what an amazing subject it is when it is not restricted to standard curriculum topics.
'I remember how kind and patient Cat was with students when we worked together and how she took the time to get to know what made them tick. She is so passionate and curious about maths and will share that enthusiasm with the young people that she teaches.
She will be brilliant as a private maths tutor and definitely gets my recommendation!'
J Moss
Maths Teacher
Testimonial - 24 Nov 2024
'Cat is a wonderful maths tutor. She has made the tutoring bespoke to my child's needs and offered loads of useful resources for revision/consolidation in between sessions.
Most importantly she built a great rapport with my child straight away and it's been a really positive learning experience.'
B Simpson
Parent of Upward Maths student
Google review - 30 Dec 2024
'Cat is dedicated to teaching maths so that it is accessible to whoever she is teaching. She is enthusiastic with flexibility which ensures students remain engaged throughout the lesson.
She is dedicated to ensuring that whoever she is teaching fully understands the work, effectively tailoring the tutoring style to suit the student.'
R Burdick
Science Teaching Assistant
Google/Facebook review - 2 Dec 2024
'Cat's enthusiasm for maths is infectious. She is one of the most knowledgeable people I know who makes learning fun and engaging.'
L Bainbridge
SEN Teaching Assistant
Google review - 29 Nov 2024
I regularly supported students with special educational needs in my role as Maths TA, including when they required a separate room when completing tests and exams.
On one occasion I was working with a student who was unable to sit still and was constantly asking all sorts of questions and fidgeting with anything and everything around him. I kept the mood light and calmly brought his focus back to the test paper repeatedly, thus enabling him to provide answers to all the questions within the 1-hour time limit.
This took place in the school maths office and Sarah, the head of maths, was working quietly on some admin in the corner of the room while the test took place. After the student had left she turned to me and said:
"Wow, Cat!!! You have the patience of a saint!"
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