We boost confidence and knowledge in maths and English from KS1 right through to the end of GCSE's i Clara James Tutoring offer to give the best possible help.
We can provide lessons online or in your home (Government Guidelines allowing) so that you don't need to venture out on these cold, dark evenings. We provide everything that will be needed in the lessons so there is no extra out lay for the parents. We use a range of resources so that we cater for every learning style. We make the lessons fun so that the tutee is in the right frame of mind of mind
21/08/2026
We don't claim to understand everything about ADHD, ASD, dyslexia, etc. Our goal is to understand the child sat in front of us and what they need in that moment.
A year or two back I wrote this book about different learning styles, if you would like a copy (a gift from me to you - no strings attached) please do get in touch and I will happily pop a copy in the post for you
20/08/2026
Clara James hasn't grown because we discovered the perfect formula for knocking on someone's door, delivering exactly 60 minutes of maths and leaving again.
It's grown largely through recommendations.
Through conversations.
Through relationships with families.
And I've been thinking about what actually creates those relationships.
I don't think it's usually the big things.
It's hundreds of tiny interactions.
Closing the gate because it was closed when you arrived.
Taking your shoes off unless you're told not to.
Remembering the dog's name.
Remembering that last week a child told you they were going somewhere at the weekend — and asking them how it went.
Not making them feel stupid when they don't understand something.
Noticing that they're quieter than usual and wondering why, rather than just pushing on with the lesson you'd planned.
Talking with their parents rather than at them.
Taking an extra couple of minutes at the end because Mum or Dad has something they're worried about.
Remembering that you've been invited into someone's home and treating it, and the people (and pets!) within it, with respect.
None of those things individually builds a successful tutoring business.
But collectively?
They create how someone feels about you.
And I think that's incredibly important.
We can provide our franchisees with resources, systems, policies, marketing support and training.
We can show them what's worked for us and help them avoid some of the mistakes we've made along the way.
But I also want to pass on the little things.
The things that are so easy to overlook because they don't appear on a balance sheet or marketing plan.
Because when a parent recommends you to another parent, they probably won't say:
"Their operational systems are excellent."
They'll say:
"They're brilliant with him."
"She really understands her."
"They actually care."
"My daughter loves seeing her."
That's the reputation I want Clara James to carry as it grows.
Not just that we're good at teaching maths and English.
That we make people feel seen, respected and cared about.
Because ultimately, people may come to us for tutoring.
But the way we treat them is what they'll remember.
If that's the sort of tutoring business you'd like to build — one where relationships matter just as much as resources and results — I'd love to have a chat about The Clara James Approach
Send me a message and let's chat.
Today I've had the privilege of sharing in some GCSE results and having conversations with parents about what those results actually mean.
And I've been reminded again that sometimes the number on the piece of paper is only a tiny part of the story.
For some young people, getting through school has been an achievement in itself.
For some, walking into that exam hall took courage.
Some have battled anxiety, SEND, illness, difficult circumstances, a lack of confidence or years of believing that they simply weren't very good at the subject.
And yet they got there.
I can still remember receiving my GCSE results.
We were on holiday in Turkey at the time, and I remember thinking that if I didn't find out my results, nobody would ever need to know how badly I'd done.
Looking back, I don't know exactly what I was frightened of.
Perhaps it was failure. Perhaps it was years of comparison with my brother. Perhaps it was the thought that I'd worked incredibly hard and somebody might look at my grades and think, "If that's what you achieved after working that hard..."
Perhaps I was worried about letting my parents down or simply about being judged.
But I do know that I wasn't thinking about everything I'd done to get to that point.
And that's what I want every young person receiving their GCSE results today to remember.
Your grades matter, of course they do. They can determine what happens next and sometimes open or close particular doors.
But they don't tell your whole story.
They don't show the hours you worked.
They don't show the times you wanted to give up but didn't.
They don't show the subjects you found incredibly difficult but kept turning up for.
They don't show the confidence you've gained, the friendships you've made, the challenges you've overcome or the person you've become along the way.
So whether there's a 1, a 3, a 5, a 7 or a 9 on that piece of paper today, please don't allow that number alone to determine how proud you are of yourself.
Celebrate the grades you're delighted with.
Acknowledge the ones you're disappointed by.
Then remember everything it took to get you to the point where you could open that envelope today.
Hold your head high.
You got there.
And that deserves to be recognised too.
20/08/2026
My thought for today:
20/08/2026
Good luck today with the GCSE results. You really deserve the grades that you have worked so hard for. I hope it has been a really brilliant summer and today is the icing on the cake.
Let me know how you get on.
Good luck
When I first started tutoring I had so many voices inside my head telling me I was a fraud and that I shouldn't be doing this.
For years, I dreaded going to a new family because I was sure that this was the family who was going to discover I wasn't actually a very good tutor. And no one ever said it, only me and my self doubt.
Slowly over time you start to notice that when people are commenting about you it's with love and warmth and kindness. They are sharing your name because they have appreciated what you have done for their children, their family.
And that voice inside your head starts to fade.
Then, recently I got braver and I started to tell people that I wanted to franchise the business. People congratulated me on the idea, they asked me why I wouldn't do it. And the more I opened up to the positive words I was hearing the more confident I felt and the more I started talking about it. About our ethos that we should be working with the child sat in front of us in that moment - not the syllabus, the lesson plan, their label. Them as an individual.
What, I am trying to say is if you are considering becoming a tutor and you too are hearing those negative voices of doubt, please remember that they only exist in your own head. Please do give it a go because you could change a child's life, or even the lives of many, many children and that is something you should always hold your head up and be proud of.
So, good luck. I wish you well on your journey and if you want a chat or have any questions, please do ask. I am always ready to help:
[email protected]
We celebrate great grades.
But we celebrate something else too...
The child who finally puts their hand up in class.
The student who stops saying, "I'm just stupid."
The anxious learner who walks into an exam believing they can do it.
The child with dyslexia who realises their ideas matter.
The student who moves from "I can't" to "I'll have a go."
Because while grades can change a child's future...
Confidence changes the rest of their life.
Because success is measured by more than a grade.
Good luck tomorrow
It's bizarre how the more passionate you feel about something the more you want to talk (shout) about it
19/08/2026
A little peek inside the Clara James Franchise HUB today...
Before deciding what to post online, start with the family you want to help.
What are they struggling with?
What are they worried about?
What would genuinely make life a little easier for them?
Then start there.
I think marketing works best when it feels like helping, rather than shouting.
This screenshot is taken directly from the online marketing section of our Franchise HUB, and I thought it might be useful even if you're not part of Clara James.
If you're thinking about becoming a tutor, or you'd like to build a tutoring business but you're not quite sure where to start, I'd be very happy to have a chat.
No pressure. Just a conversation.
[email protected]
18/08/2026
September and the return of the school year is slowly starting to loom. Some will be shouting with joy, others will be wondering where those weeks have gone and wanting them to start over.
To help us to get back into the school term vibes, maybe this word search will help:
Timetable
school bag
Pencil case
Stationery
Teacher
New uniform
Blackboard
Chalk
Nerves
Excitement
Maths
English
PE
Science
Art
Enjoy and let me know how you get on
| Monday | 8:30am - 3pm |
| Tuesday | 8:30am - 3pm |
| Wednesday | 8:30am - 3pm |
| Thursday | 8:30am - 3pm |
| Friday | 8:30am - 3pm |