Woodruff Tutoring

NEW COURSE!
One year International GCSE chemistry
IN PERSON
Preparing young people to take their exams in summer 2026

All details on attached flier, drop me a message for more details.

Please feel free to share with other home educating families who might be interested

This is always such a bittersweet time of year as my students head off to face their exams.

This year I have taught almost 70 students in live online classes, preparing them to take their international GCSEs in Physics, Chemistry and Biology with many more accessing prerecorded versions of the courses.

It is always such a privilege to encourage and inspire young people with a curiosity for the world and to give them the tools to understand what they are observing.

I love it when students take the time to send in words of gratitude - it was a treat to read this last week from an incredibly hard working student:

'I'd just like to say my science teacher Lucy is the most fantastic, hands on and caring teacher I have ever had!! She is a really amazing teacher and has given me the ability to feel confident for my upcoming exams!'

This year I am considering branching out and offering an in person chemistry course. More details to follow.

I am loving being back at work after a slower season over the summer.

Today I have been planning an amazing course exploring Life Processes while also learning about fungi... we are going to be looking at symbiotic relationships between fungi and other organisms, learning how fungi feed and reproduce, making spore prints, microscope slides and bread all while learning about so many key biological principles - its going to be fantastic and it's not too late to sign up. 6 Hours of online, quality, hands on tutorials for only £45.

Find out more and sign up here:

homemadeeducation.com Exploring Life Processes with a Focus on Fungi online distance learning course – biology (KS3 science) pre IGCSE GCSE course from HomeMade Education – run by a home educator, for home e…

Well done to all of you who have collected your grades today, you have worked so hard and really deserve to celebrate your achievement. You did it, you conquered your GCSEs. I hope you can now go on to the next stage in your journey with boldness and confidence. You have got this.

What an absolute pleasure to recieve this email from a student yesterday:

I just wanted to say a big thank you for teaching this course, chemistry was not always my favourite and previous attempts at self learning chemistry proved inconsequential, however this course helped me to understand and love chemistry. I may not have the best grades, yet I’ve come out the other side with a great appreciation for chemistry (and of course the chemists who understand it).

(Shared with permission)

Final session of this years Astronomy GSCE class finished today. It's always a bittersweet moment saying goodbye to students who have worked so hard all year and watching them journey on into the next stage of their lives.

I love teaching Astronomy - it is such a fascinating subject and one you can get out and see in action almost instantly.

If you want to dip your toe in and learn a few of the basics so you know how to get out and enjoy the skies then check out my 6 week 'Introduction to Astronomy' course.

Alternatively if you want to wrestle with some of the big questions like 'What is Dark Matter?' or 'Could I fall into a Black Hole?' then I highly recommend my 'Exploring the Mysteries of Space' course.

Both are prerecorded so you can watch the tutorials whenever you like and cost only £45 for 6 hours of teaching as well as weekly assignments and quizzes.

If you already know you love the subject then sign up to next years Astronomy GCSE course, or if you are already doing the course elsewhere but finding the maths overwhelming I also have a 'Maths for Astronomy' course - so really there is something for everyone!
PM me for more information on any of these!

I thought I would share some ideas for getting your young people passionate about science - the thing I love about science is that it is a curiosity about the world. Children are born curious so they are already scientists from the moment they start trying to grab things and putting things in their mouths, all we need to do is nurture their curiosity.

One of the ways I love encouraging children's curiosity is with excellent books, Charlotte Mason talks about 'Living Books' which Emily Cook describes as:

'... one that was written by one person who has a deep passion for the subject they are writing about. It’s a book that draws you into the story, captivates your imagination, makes you to care about the subject or characters, and gets you to think. A living book should enrich your life in some way, either by teaching you something new or expanding your point of view. Think about the books you’ve read in your life that have really stuck with you – these are living books. A living book is one that changes you just for having read it.'

https://buildyourlibrary.com/homeschool-tidbit-what-is-a-living-book/ #:~:text=A%20living%20book%20is%20one%20that%20changes%20you%20just%20for,—%20Charlotte%20Mason

With that in mind I have put a selection of science focused living books I love for different ages in the comments so you can have a browse and find something that would work for your young person - please do add any of your own. (I have not included reference style books in this list)

Homeschool Tidbit: What is a Living Book? - Build Your Library I’ve you’ve spent any time in the homeschool world, you’ve heard people use the terms living books and twaddle. But what do those words mean?

Well thats a wrap - my 2022-2023 Biology and Chemistry International GCSE classes are officially over, its been an absolute pleasure teaching such a committed and hard working bunch of students who I believe are fully prepared and equipped for the exams ahead.

If you would like to study with me next year I believe there are still some places available although they do sell out quickly and I would be surprised if there are many left after half term, next year I am offering live courses in:
Chemistry, Physics and Biology International GCSE
Astronomy GCSE
As well as a prerecorded Double Award Science International GCSE.

All courses can be watched on catch up if the time does not suit.

Courses start in September, are very affordable and include weekly tutorials covering the entire syllabus as well as exam technique. I also provide a comprehensive weekly homework plan consisting of assignments, revision card guides, mini videos, relevant web pages, topic by topic questions, creative ideas for learning information and, most importantly, practice exam questions from week 1.

I get a lot of positive feedback from my students who really enjoy my teaching style and consistently do well in their exams.

For more information and to sign up please visit this website:

homemadeeducation.com HomeMade Education offers UK IGCSE and GCSE exam boosters and exam preparation short courses ks3 ks4

If you are joining me for this terms block of sessions exploring plants then don't forget to make sure you have plenty of large seeds such as bean seeds available as well as glass jars, we are going to be doing experiments to discover the optimum conditions for seedling germination among many other things. Get in touch if you haven't reserved your place yet as there are still a couple of places available, 12:30-1:30 on Tuesdays, aimed at KS3/11+.

I am going to be more proactive about sharing fab stuff.

Genetics is one of my favourite topics and my 'Practical Genetics' class was recently studying epigenetic changes.

This is a fascinating article that is fairly easy to read (although contains difficult subject matter) exploring how the epigenome means our trauma response can be passed through generations.

Get in touch if you would like to sign up to watch the prerecorded class.

Can the legacy of trauma be passed down the generations? Our children and grandchildren are shaped by the genes they inherit from us, but new research is revealing that experiences of hardship or violence can leave their mark too.

Exactly one week after the equinox and its finally starting to feel like spring!

Come and explore the beauty around us in my next 12 week Biology block aimed at students aged 11+ where we will be studying the unexpectedly fascinating world of plants. We will be discovering where they get their energy, how they work alongside other organisms to create balanced ecosystems and even work to combat climate change, we will be looking at different ways plants reproduce and what conditions they need to grow.

This will be a very hands on course with opportunities to grow seeds, dissect flowers and even clone your own plants - a full resources list will be sent out prior to starting (you probably have most of the things in your garden already).

There are limited spaces still available as class sizes are restricted to 8 students. Sessions will run weekly on zoom at 12:30 on Tuesdays starting on the 18th April and cost £120 for the 12 week term. Email [email protected] to book your space.

I am also running a 6 week 'Introduction to Electricity' block starting on the 18th where we will explore what electricity is, the difference between series and parallel circuits, begin to look at some of the calculations involved when studying electricity and have a go at making our own electromagnets. Places for this course as well as any of my wide range of prerecorded courses can be booked via the website below.

If your young person is looking to study for GCSEs next year bookings for my very popular courses starting in September are now live and filling up fast, you really need to book in quick if you want a place. This year I am running:

International GCSE's in Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Double Science
GCSE in Astronomy

Information about these and a range of other excellent courses run by the tutors I work alongside can be found here:

HomeMade Education Delightfully Unique, Online Learning.

Happy New Year!

I hope you are feeling positive about 2023 and what it has in store for you.

Lessons officially restart next week and I still have a couple of spaces on my 11 week block on 'Electricity' aimed at young people aged 11-13 and my 6 week 'Introduction to Organic Chemistry' aimed at those preparing to take GCSE/IGCSEs in Chemistry in the next year or so.

Get in touch to sign up or find out more.