YEAR 12 · IB ENGLISH A · CYCLE 2
Year 12.
Support beyond
the lesson.
12 October-8 November 2026
One four-week fee.
Teaching, feedback and agreed extra guidance.
More sophisticated texts. More independent
writing. A school week that can fill up quickly.
See how regular English teaching, personalised feedback and academic coaching fit together across one four-week course. Additional lessons we agree to arrange are included in the same fee.
AN ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE
Meet Maya.
Maya is a Year 12 student taking IB English A: Language and Literature at Higher Level. She enjoys discussing ideas, but the step up from GCSE has exposed a difficulty: her essays identify techniques more readily than they explain how a text creates meaning.
Her schoolwork includes Othello, non-literary texts and History essays. This example follows her first term. Text choices, school tasks and additional sessions illustrate one possible programme; they would be adapted to each student.
01
A regular lesson
A fixed two-hour English lesson each week provides continuity and time for discussion, writing and feedback.
02
Work that shapes the teaching
Questions, classwork and homework help the tutor decide what to explain, practise and prepare next.
03
Further Guidance, included
Agreed additional lessons and academic coaching form part of the same four-week fee.
THE COURSE IN PRACTICE
Four weeks.
A response to what Maya needs.
Her regular lesson stays in place. The preparation, practice and additional guidance respond to her work and the week she is having.
01 12-18 OCT
Explain the effect
02 19-25 OCT
Build an argument
03 26 OCT - 1 NOV
Make a start
04 2-8 NOV
Work independently
All times below are in Maya’s local time, Europe/London. Session times illustrate this example, and school term dates vary.
01
12-18 OCTOBER
Good ideas need
clear explanation.
Maya can spot a striking image or a persuasive phrase. Her teacher’s feedback asks the harder question: what does it make the reader think, and why does that matter?
MONDAY 12 OCT · 16:00–18:00
The regular English lesson
Using a selected advertisement, Maya and the tutor explore how wording, image and layout address a particular audience. Maya explains an interpretation aloud, tests it against the text and writes an analytical paragraph by hand.
The tutor’s questions help her develop the explanation beyond naming a technique.
THURSDAY 15 OCT · 09:00
Practice around one difficulty
Maya and a parent receive a PDF containing feedback on her paragraph, an annotated example and a short task on connecting evidence to purpose. The task responds to the gap revealed in Monday’s writing.
SUNDAY 18 OCT · BEFORE 18:00
An attempt worth reviewing
Maya emails her revised paragraph and highlights one explanation she is unsure about. She stops within the weekly homework hour. Her question helps the tutor prepare Monday’s discussion.
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How do the language and visual choices in this advertisement encourage its intended audience to respond?
Select one precise detail. Explain what it suggests, how it addresses this audience and how it supports the advertisement’s purpose.
Audience · purpose · evidence · explanation
What this shows: Maya’s writing determines the next teaching priority. Feedback leads to a specific opportunity to practise.
02
19-25 OCTOBER
A stronger argument.
Across her schoolwork.
Maya’s English work turns to Othello. Meanwhile, a History essay has plenty of information and an uncertain line of argument. Both tasks call for careful selection of evidence.
MONDAY 19 OCT · 16:00–18:00
From observation to interpretation
After reviewing Week 1, Maya studies a selected passage from Othello, Act One, Scene Three. She considers how Othello presents his experiences and how his language influences the audience’s view of him.
She develops a focused claim and chooses short quotations that can support it.
THURSDAY 15 OCT · 09:00
Additional help with a History essay
Maya emails her school question, notes, attempted plan and specific questions. In an agreed session, she works through what the question requires, weighs her evidence and organises a clearer argument.
Her parent is informed. Maya completes the school submission herself, within the school’s assessment rules.
Agreed additional lesson included in the fee
SUNDAY 18 OCT · BEFORE 18:00
Apply the feedback
Thursday’s PDF targets the reasoning in her English paragraph. Maya submits a revision before 18:00 on Sunday, within her homework hour. A fortnightly parent update explains the teaching focus and next steps.
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How does Shakespeare use Othello’s account of his experiences to shape the audience’s view of him?
Use a short passage studied at school. Develop one interpretation and explain how particular language choices support it.
Interpretation · characterisation · argument · evidence
What this shows: Support can extend to essay-based schoolwork in humanities subjects. The additional discussion is covered by the course fee.
03
26 OCTOBER-1 NOVEMBER
When the workload grows,
start with one task.
Maya has several school tasks competing for her attention. She has done the reading, but keeps putting off the writing. She worries that other students have adjusted to Year 12 more easily.
MONDAY 26 OCT · 16:00–18:00
Coaching makes room to begin
The tutor listens and helps Maya identify the most pressing task. Together, they break it into manageable steps. Maya selects one claim, gathers evidence and begins a paragraph during the lesson.
The planned literary analysis is reduced and revisited once she can give it useful attention.
THURSDAY 29 OCT · 16:00-16:45
A shorter session with a clear purpose
After requesting further help, Maya attends an agreed 45-minute session. She explains where she stopped, tests an interpretation and writes the next part with guidance available. Her parent is informed.
Agreed additional lesson - included in the fee
THURSDAY 29 OCT / SUNDAY 1 NOV
Keep independent work manageable
Thursday’s PDF contains a shorter follow-up, reflecting the direct guidance already provided. Maya sends what she has completed before 18:00 on Sunday, including any remaining question. There is time for rest alongside schoolwork.
-
What is one claim you can support about how Othello presents himself in the selected passage?
Choose a brief quotation. Explain one word or phrase before adding a second piece of evidence. Begin with one achievable paragraph.
Prioritising · asking for help · planning · confidence
What this shows: Coaching addresses what is preventing Maya from learning. Academic work is adapted and followed up, with additional guidance when agreed.
04
2–8 NOVEMBER
Explain an idea
Make it her own.
Maya now practises explaining an interpretation with less prompting. The aim is to see which skills she can use independently and which still need attention.
MONDAY 2 NOV · 16:00–18:00
A short oral explanation
Using a literary passage and a non-literary text she has studied, Maya explores a focused issue in how people are represented. She selects her own evidence, gives a short explanation and answers follow-up questions.
This is early oral skills practice. The tutor helps her refine a broad idea into an argument she can support.
THURSDAY 5 OCT · 09:00
Feedback she can act on
Maya receives a brief written review, a fresh analytical task and a checklist drawn from her recurring errors. She practises writing for 25 minutes without prompts, then reviews the paragraph herself.
The task and review fit within her weekly homework hour.
SUNDAY 8 NOV · BEFORE 18:00
Review the work, then plan ahead
Maya submits the new paragraph and identifies one improvement and one remaining difficulty. The tutor compares it with Week 1 and sets a priority for the next cycle.
A parent update explains what the work shows, what still needs teaching and how support can develop.
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How do choices in the two selected texts shape our view of a person or group?
Choose a focused issue supported by both texts. Explain how specific choices create meaning, then respond to questions about your interpretation.
Oral explanation · textual choices · independent judgement
A short practice activity, not a scheduled assessed IB Individual Oral.
What this shows: Progress is checked through Maya’s own work. The next cycle begins with evidence of what she can do and what would help her next.
WHAT THE FEE COVERS
The support changes.
The four-week fee
stays the same.
In Maya’s example, regular teaching, work between lessons and agreed additional sessions form one personalised course.
Keeping enrolment to just 6–8 students for 2026/27 gives Grades & Growth time to prepare, review and respond.
Regular one-to-one English teaching
Preparation based on her work and questions
Personalised practice and detailed feedback
Academic coaching on confidence and workload
Agreed additional writing and study guidance
Parent updates at least once a fortnight
THE PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENTS
A Clear routine.
Room to ask for help.
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The four-week pack is emailed to Maya and a parent at 09:00 on Thursday 8 October, in her local time. They print it and keep it ready for lessons. Weekly additions are sent on Thursdays.
Independent homework is intended to take up to one hour per language each week. Maya submits before 18:00 on Sunday, including unfinished work and questions. If she is struggling, her work helps us decide what additional guidance would help.
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Students are encouraged to request guidance themselves, with parents kept informed. Additional sessions are usually arranged on Wednesdays or Thursdays according to learning needs and availability. There is no fixed weekly allowance for additional guidance; the sessions in Maya’s example are illustrative.
Friday–Sunday sessions are reserved for exceptional needs that cannot reasonably wait and depend on availability. Agreed additional lessons are included in the fee. When a live session cannot be arranged for an urgent request, email or video feedback can provide support.
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A student who misses a fixed regular lesson receives a personalised video lesson within 48 hours of its scheduled end. If the student has not joined within the first 15 minutes, the tutor begins recording the personalised lesson. Students can request further live guidance where needed.
This arrangement covers missed regular lessons. See the full terms for lesson arrangements and video make-up provision.
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Maya develops her ideas, selects her evidence and writes her own work. Guidance on school assignments follows the relevant school and awarding body’s rules.
Academic coaching supports learning, motivation and confidence. It does not replace counselling or mental health treatment. School text choices, assessment schedules and holiday dates differ; this page illustrates a possible cycle.
PLAN YOUR CHILD’S NEXT FOUR WEEKS
What would help
your Year 12 student?
Tell us about their course, recent feedback and what is proving difficult. We can discuss how regular teaching and additional guidance could fit their needs.