About Darren
Hello! I am Darren, an experienced educator with over 26 years of teaching and tutoring. I have taught History and Politics at GCSE and A level, as well as a broad range of subjects, including History, Geography, RE, and ICT, to learners aged 11 to 14. My career in schools across the North East of England has included roles such as Head of Department, Head of Faculty, Lead Practitioner and Assistant Headteacher.
I deliver tailored tuition and pride myself on creating lessons that meet each student’s individual needs. I specialise in helping students build confidence, develop deep understanding, and achieve exam success in History and Politics.
Outside of teaching, I have worked as a blacksmith, purchasing manager, and with the UK Passport Agency. I love travelling, exploring new places with my two grown up children, and football, having visited over 70 EFL and Premier League grounds.
In conversation with Darren
What inspired you to become a History Tutor?
I taught History and politics in secondary schools for over a quarter of a century and have always loved teaching to small groups or on a one to one basis. I enjoy the planning of bespoke lessons which are designed to meet the specific needs of the students. My favourite teacher was my A Level History teacher and he inspired me to teach the subject.
How does your background and your experiences feed into your tutoring?
I have always loved History since I was a young boy and grew up in the Historic Cathedral city of Durham. I have taken a number of people around Durham as a tour guide and it has been great to meet people from different backgrounds and from around the world. As a result, I have travelled to many historical sights around the world and it has been amazing to see places that have read about in books being brought to life. – from Cambodia to the Holy Land (see the photos), from the World War One battlefields to the Normandy beaches, from Berlin to Auschwitz. In my spare time I love going to spending time with my grown up family, travelling and visiting football grounds and musical venues which have some kind of historical significance
What teaching experience do you have?
I have taught for 26 years as a classroom teacher, Head of Department, Head of Faculty, Assistant Headteacher and Lead Practitioner. I have taught History to all year groups from 11 to 18 including GCSE and A level. In addition, I have taught Politics and Sociology to A Level. I have also mentored over 50 trainee teachers which has helped to understand how to adjust methods of learning to suit the needs of individuals as well developing my coaching skills.
How would you describe your teaching style and how do you adapt your lessons to suit the needs of your students and keep them motivated?
I would describe my teaching style as active and lively – I love bringing History to life by going into role as historical characters, moving around the classroom and using analogies to make the topics accessible to the students prior experiences. I like to get to know the strengths and areas of development of my students so that I can design lessons and activities that suit their individual needs and style of learning. I think that my enthusiasm and energy help to motivate and inspire my students.
What is your area of specialism?
I love teaching modern history – particularly British political history and international relations in the 20th century. I studied for four weeks in Jerusalem at the Yad Vashem Holocaust centre and this has given me a deep understanding of the background and events of the Holocaust.