Channel Tutoring Team · Fri, 21 Aug 2026
This summer, Channel Tutoring welcomed students to a focused programme of GCSE revision designed to help them pause, reset and head into the new school year with greater confidence. Our 2026 Summer School brought together focused subject teaching, thoughtful exam preparation and small-group support that gave students space to ask questions, tackle tricky topics and make meaningful progress.
Held at Elizabeth College, the Summer School was created for students who wanted more than a quick recap. Across two courses, our tutors supported them to strengthen essential knowledge, practise the skills that make a difference in exams and develop revision habits they could carry into the year ahead.
The first course, our five-day GCSE Boost Summer Scheme in Maths and English, took place from Monday 10 to Friday 14 August 2026.
The Maths sessions focused on topics that can feel hardest to revisit independently: ratio and proportion, surds and algebraic fractions, inequalities, completing the square, cumulative frequency, trigonometry, circle theorems, bounds and reverse percentages. Across the week, students brought these ideas together through mixed recap, topic testing, timed past-paper practice and feedback on the mistakes that can so easily cost marks.
In English, the focus was equally practical. Students explored language and structural techniques, selected and used evidence effectively, and developed confidence in evaluating arguments. The course also covered PEEL paragraphs, poetry analysis and comparison, creative writing and exam techniques that help turn good ideas into clear, well-structured responses.
The aim was not simply to cover more content. It was to help students approach questions more clearly, organise their thinking and stay calm when a paper asked something unfamiliar.
The following week, from Monday 17 to Wednesday 19 August 2026, our three-day GCSE Science course provided dedicated time for Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
Biology day covered key areas including cell biology and division, organisation in animals, the circulatory system, disease, homeostasis, the nervous system, hormones, metabolism and the liver. Chemistry day moved through atomic structure, bonding, chemical formulae and equations, quantitative chemistry, reactions and electrolysis. Physics day focused on radioactivity, circuits, formulae, graphs, data, calculations and application.
Throughout the course, students used exam questions to put knowledge into practice. They discussed common misconceptions, worked through multi-step problems and became more familiar with the way GCSE questions are framed.
The Summer School was built around the idea that students learn best when they feel comfortable contributing. Keeping groups small gave tutors the space to explain ideas in different ways, notice where someone was getting stuck and encourage students to take an active role in their learning. Information shared beforehand about exam boards, current grades, priority topics and learning needs helped the team tailor support where it mattered most.
Students also received revision resources to take home, so the work did not stop when the course ended. The goal was for every student to leave with something practical: a stronger grasp of key content, a clearer approach to revision and a little more confidence in what they could achieve.
The Summer School was led by a team of tutors who brought both strong academic experience and a genuine enthusiasm for helping young people succeed.
Dr Summer McLaughlin taught Maths and Physics. Having recently completed a PhD in Astrophysics at the University of Sheffield, she brought experience of teaching undergraduate courses. Jack Le Sauvage taught English, drawing on his excellent GCSE and A-Level English results and strong communication skills developed as former Head of Debating at Elizabeth College.
For Science, Zaheer taught Biology, drawing on his studies in Mechanical with Automotive Engineering at the University of Bath and his outstanding A-Level and GCSE results. Lissy taught Chemistry, bringing experience as a tutor alongside four A*s at A-Level in Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry.
A focused summer can make a lasting difference — and this programme gave students a confident, well-supported start to the school year.
