About

Qualified, experienced professionals with a track record of success

At Nexus Educate, we inspire home-educated students through engaging liberal arts courses, fostering critical thinking and effective communication skills for academic success and lifelong learning.

Our Mission

Our Vision

We guide students towards achieving their academic goals while ensuring they enjoy a fulfilling learning journey, equipping them with essential skills for both academia and the business world.

Established by an experienced senior teacher, university lecturer, examiner and home educator, Nexus Educate combines professional expertise with intimate knowledge of the practicalities of home learning. As parents of home-educated children, we understand the challenges involved in studying and gaining qualifications outside school. We know how students learn, the obstacles that can prevent learning, and the practicalities involved in preparing for exams. Our own experiences as home educators have played a significant role in the development of Nexus Educate, the courses we offer and the methods we use.

As professionals with years of practical experience supporting students from diverse backgrounds with a range of social, emotional and educational needs, you can rest assured that our approach is tailored to realising the potential of every student. The Educational Theorist, Thomas Carruthers, once described a 'good teacher' as someone who 'makes himself progressively unnecessary' and it is our ultimate aim is to equip students with the skills, knowledge and confidence to succeed independently. We work hard to achieve this aim in all we do.

We are passionate about liberal arts education. We love our subjects. We think our subjects are important and interesting, and we want to share what we know. We want our students to enjoy lessons, ask questions, discover answers and look forward to every class. We want every student to reach their desired academic destination, enjoy their learning journey and, at the same time, appreciate the scenery along the way.

Qualified and Experienced

At Nexus Educate, we only teach subjects we’ve studied to degree level or higher. But expertise alone isn’t enough. All our teachers are qualified educators who understand how students learn. We adapt our teaching to suit individual interests, abilities, and preferences, creating a tailored learning experience for every student. In addition to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), every Nexus Educate teacher has advanced qualifications such as Masters Degrees, Post Graduate Diplomas and/ or Leading Practitioner Status. We stay sharp by rigorously maintaining our subject knowledge and attending annual training to ensure our teaching strategies remain effective and engaging.

Monitored and Assessed

Great teaching is both an art and a skill. At Nexus Educate, our teachers have honed their craft over long careers in education, regularly assessed by expert practitioners and OFSTED during their time in schools. All Nexus teachers have a proven track record of delivering ‘very good’ or ‘outstanding’ teaching and strong student progress records. Many of us have also trained other teachers as Subject Leaders, University Lecturers, or Leading Practitioners in schools. We are proud of the certifications and professional milestones we’ve achieved, and we continually reflect and improve to maintain our high standards.

Up To Date

Nexus Educate Teachers are aware of the crucial importance of staying current in terms of educational policy, theory and in terms of individual exam boards. Teachers attend Exam Board training and have their marking moderated regularly, ensuring thorough familiarity with the latest syllabus requirements. Teachers also work as Examiners, assessing student work in their subject specialisms. All of these skills, and the feedback received rom Exam Boards and moderators enable Nexus Educate teachers to fine-tune their teaching and ensure students are fully prepared for exams. In addition to our academic expertise, all Nexus Educate teachers undergo regular training in Safeguarding, SEMH (Social, Emotional, and Mental Health), and literacy strategies, ensuring we can support students holistically.

Registered Professionals

Our membership of The Tutors’ Association, the professional body for the supplementary education sector (which requires enhanced DBS checks, verified Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), references and proof of professional standards) confirms our suitability and experience as learning providers. Every teacher is known personally to Nexus' Founder, has been observed teaching and had their schemes of work, lesson plans and results scrutinised.

All this means you can be certain of our credentials, and you can rest assured that Nexus Educate teachers are both good and safe.

Our Approach

We believe in flexible teaching, moulded to the needs of individual students and always choose content most suited to candidates' own abilities and preferences. This level of autonomy keeps our courses engaging and allows students to play to their strengths.

Lessons are designed to challenge and we always encourage students to aim for excellence. We extend and stretch more able students and guide students aiming for Grades 8/9 at GCSE, Grades A and A* at A Level and Oxbridge entry. We provide support and encouragement for students with a range of educational needs. Our SEND students regularly exceed expectations.

At Nexus Educate, we don't just lecture and set work. We actively teach. Our tried and tested approach is described below.

KNOWLEDGE

'Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress...' Kofi Annan

First, the topic is introduced and a body of knowledge is transferred from teacher to student. At Nexus Educate, we believe in tailoring our teaching to individual student's interests and helping them see the relevance and application of what they are learning. We love our subjects and we think it's vital that students are enthusiastic and interested in what they are learning so, at this point, we focus on fostering curiosity, aiding concentration and ensuring comprehension in a variety of ways.

UNDERSTANDING

'Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice' Anton Chekhov.

At this stage, teachers demonstrate the conventions of different types of question. We ensure students understand why they will be tested on the material and how to answer. We explain the different task types and spend time planning and modelling answers with students. We know that often the main hurdle for students is not learning the material but demonstrating what they know in the time they have available. We focus on guiding students on how to meet assessment objectives and planning and structuring answers.

APPLICATION

MASTERY

'Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.' Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

At this stage, we encourage students to try out their new understanding and skills by applying them to new questions, exercises, problems etc. This helps us to identify gaps in their understanding. At Nexus Educate, we set weekly homework tasks and give regular detailed feedback on work with targets for improvement. At this stage, we focus on building confidence. We support students in their attempts, providing examples and scaffolds if necessary until students are able to demonstrate what they know clearly, succinctly and independently.

'Mistakes are the portals of discovery.' James Joyce.

At this stage, we set lots of tasks and give lots of feedback, praise and encouragement. We ensure students understand assessment objectives and mark schemes and provide top mark examples to which they can aspire. We encourage students to review, edit and improve their work. At this stage, we encourage students to take account of the feedback given and work on specific targets. We think it's important to have a goal and for students to know exactly where they are on their journey towards achieving that goal. We support them in their home learning and provide additional materials and practise papers until they are consistently achieving.

We are dedicated, hard-working professionals who view teaching as a vocation.

Our teaching, planning, resources and results have been scrutinised by Ofsted on numerous occasions during our time in schools and reports cite our 'outstanding teaching'.

Nexus Educate is led and managed by Laura, a former Head of Faculty, Senior Teacher and University Lecturer with a genuine passion for teaching. Over a career spanning more than twenty years, she has taught, trained teachers and examined Liberal Arts Subjects for each of the UK Exam Boards at GCSE, IGCSE and A' Level. For the last ten years, she has worked as an Independent Consultant in Schools across London, advising, training teachers, raising achievement and teaching students with a range of abilities from a variety of backgrounds.

Ofsted reports on departments Laura has led comment on her 'very good management' and 'excellent schemes of work'. Laura managed and mentored The Secondary Teacher of the Year 2017, a Media Studies teacher in a South London comprehensive, and led and managed English and Literacy in the 2017 School of the Year. Work improving Literacy, English and attainment in the school was described as:

'a story of commitment, hard work and a steadfast belief in not just improving students academically, but personally. Teachers realised that by supporting students to pursue their existing passions, they could transform their academic achievement...That it managed to nurture unique talents alongside rigorous teaching... is a rare achievement.’ TES 2017

'...helped me hugely throughout my education, guiding me from GCSE through to A level with crucial exam practice and technique... Without her help, I would not have achieved my A grades.'

SD, Student

'...she would have been lost without your guidance...We are so thankful for everything you have done...including all the revision sessions! Thank you, thank you, thank you! When can I book my son in?

LB, Parent

★★★★★

★★★★★

Recipe for Success

Read about our ingredients and method.