I`m a friendly and understanding person, with a commitment to helping others to get it right.

I have an Oxford degree in Classics and Modern Languages and a CELTA qualification in teaching English as a foreign language.

I`ve lived abroad for many years, so I speak some languages (French and Italian) almost to the standard of native-speakers.

Over the last few years, I`ve taught some wonderful students at primary, GCSE and A-level. Pupils have come from schools as diverse as Reigate Grammar, Caterham, St Bede’s, Tiffin, Hinchley Wood and Ardingly, and adults working in sectors such as finance, manufacturing and retail have also been my pupils.

Maybe I could help you (or the scholars in your family)?!

References

Here are just a few of the very kind references supplied by some of my pupils or their parents:

“Ian helped me with some tutoring for my Latin A-level in 2018, mainly focusing on unseen passages from Ovid and Livy, where I wanted some more assistance. With his support I got the A grade I needed to get into Durham University. A couple of years later, Ian gave me some Italian lessons ahead of my Erasmus year at Bologna, where I’m now studying.

“Ian’s classes were always well prepared. At the beginning of our tutorials together, he set a general exercise to identify my weak points; the sessions were then tailored to each of my needs. Each class followed on seamlessly from the previous, so I felt that my learning was constant and streamlined.  Mr Furnivall’s tutoring was the perfect extracurricular support that I needed alongside my school studies. Ian taught me far more than just Latin and Italian, which made the tutoring experience all the more pleasant and memorable. 

“Ian was an excellent teacher, and has since become a family friend. I would strongly recommend his tutoring in both Latin and Italian!”

GV, Redhill

“Ian is in his second year of teaching English Language and Literature to my son, now in Y8. He started tutoring for us in October 2019, when my boy was preparing for entrance exams for an independent school. He has also given occasional lessons to my daughter, now studying for GCSEs, ahead of school assessments in French and English. 

“Ian’s lessons are always dovetailed to the school syllabus, prepared in great detail, and completely bespoke to the areas where my son needs most help. if it had not been for Ian’s dedication and patience, also reinforcing his teaching in the form of regular assignments and tests, my son’s place at the highly selective independent school would have been border-line. Instead, he gained a place and was highly placed in his year group, and is scoring over 80% as an average score in all his exams at the school.

 “I hope Ian will continue tutoring for us right up to his GCSEs.”

AKS, Crawley

“Ian Furnivall provided tutoring for our family from May 2018 right through to November 2020. He taught Latin, French, English Language and English Literature to my son, and primary French and English (to KS2) to my daughter. He also helped out with some beginner Spanish lessons for myself and my daughter. Ian even organised theatre trips for us to see ‘Macbeth’ and ‘An Inspector Calls’, two of my son’s set texts.



"His lessons were always thorough, well-prepared and very effective. My son especially appreciated his support, as he achieved top (or very-near top) grades in all the GCSE subjects that Ian taught.”

Julia K., Thames Ditton