Meet Clare
Biology Mentor & Exam Technique Specialist
Helping students turn Biology knowledge into exam marks through stronger exam technique, effective revision strategies and greater confidence under exam conditions.
Turning Biology Knowledge Into Marks
Clare is the founder of The A-Level Club and an experienced Biology teacher who has taught since 2011, specialising in GCSE and A-Level Biology. Having taught across a mixture of schools, most recently one of the best-performing state grammar schools in the country, she is known for her ability to turn students’ knowledge into the marks that secure top grades, through clear teaching, strong exam technique and a genuinely motivating style.
As both a GCSE and A-Level examiner, Clare brings a deep understanding of exactly how students are assessed and where marks are won and lost. She is deeply committed to helping students unlock their potential and become the best version of themselves.
Clare's Academic Achievements Include
BSc
Biomedical Sciences
PCSE
GCSE
Biology Examiner
A-Level
Biology Examiner
Clare began teaching in 2011 and has worked across a mixture of schools, giving her experience of students across the full range of abilities and an instinct for adapting her teaching to suit different learners. Most recently she taught at one of the best-performing state grammar schools in the country.
There, Clare served as both Head of Year and Head of House, roles in which she delivered lessons whilst playing a key part in the wider school community, consistently encouraging personal growth, resilience and academic ambition in the students she mentored. She has tutored privately since 2012, first founding Biology by Clare and later The A-Level Club, building a programme designed around exactly what students need to reach the very top grades.
She has extensive experience supporting ambitious students applying for competitive university courses and has worked one-to-one with elite performers, including a teenage Olympian, balancing demanding training schedules with the academic focus needed to thrive at A-Level.
As both a GCSE and A-Level examiner, Clare has first-hand insight into how papers are marked and the common mistakes that hold capable students back, insight that shapes the whole programme, from the exam-style questions to the way marks are won and lost.
Her qualifications include a degree in Biomedical Sciences, a PGCE and experience as both a GCSE and A-Level examiner.
Subjects & Exam Boards Supported
Clare primarily supports students studying:
OCR A-Level Biology
EdExcel A-Level Biology
AQA A-Level Biology
Teaching & Mentoring Style
Clare’s teaching philosophy draws on a simple idea from Adlerian psychology, set out in The Courage to Be Happy: that the role of a good teacher is not to direct or intervene, but to help a student become self-reliant. Teaching, in this view, is assistance towards independence, giving students the courage and the tools to face their own challenges rather than doing the work for them.
That belief shapes everything Clare does. She begins from respect, meeting each student as they are and helping them grow in their own way rather than into a fixed mould. She favours encouragement over empty praise, building students’ confidence by showing them they are capable, so they come to trust their own judgement under exam conditions.
Her aim is always for a student to leave not just knowing more Biology, but believing they can tackle whatever the paper puts in front of them and carrying that self-reliance well beyond the exam itself.
What Students Find Helpful
Students describe Clare as friendly, understanding and non-judgemental, someone who, in the words of one student, “makes you want to learn.” They value her patience, her encouragement and her ability to adapt to exactly what each student needs, whether that’s accommodating a demanding schedule or breaking a difficult topic down until it finally clicks.
Parents and colleagues consistently highlight her dedication, integrity and ability to inspire, and the way tutoring with Clare lifts the pressure of school and A-Levels rather than adding to it.
Strengths
Exam Technique
Examiner Insight
University Applications
Independent Learning
High Achievement
Confidence Building
GCSE Biology
A-Level Biology
Outside of Academics
Outside teaching, Clare enjoys running, including parkrun and the occasional half marathon, as well as staying physically strong in general. She finds that keeping active keeps her brain in gear and helps her perform at her best in her work.
She has two dogs and a love of horses. She also enjoys skiing holidays. For Clare, holidays and good food are the recipe for a good mood.
The Difference Parents and Students See
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