Gavin McCay - The Chemistry Tutor

31/08/2026

As the saying goes ‘better late than never’. Just got this message from a student: 😁🙏

“Yes Gavin, thought I’d let u know that I got an offer to study medicine at Queens yesterday. And a massive part of that was down to u. Thanks again sir 🙏”

🥳🥳🥳

Had no offer and had planned a year out. But once Queens saw his grades (including A* in Chemistry) they soon changed their minds 😂

31/08/2026

I posted this last year. But it still applies!!!

16/08/2026

Update on this wee Armagh superstar.
Overall grade = A
And now off to uni to pursue a Masters degree in Chemistry.
A proper success story and living proof of how hard work pays. 💪

16/08/2026

A message for students who have just received AS level results. ✅ ❌

The football ⚽️ season is about to start up again so lets use a football analogy.

If a team is 1-0 down at half time they don’t give up. 😢 They don’t be totally despondent and throw the toys out of the pram 😡. Instead, they reflect on the first half, (here is the really important part) ADAPT TO BRING ABOUT THE REQUIRED IMPROVEMENT ⬆️ in the second half 💪.

If a team is 1-0 up at half time they don’t start partying 🥳 and crack open the champagne 🍾. They reflect on what went well and prepare for the second half.

If the AS result you got is not as good as you had hoped for remember its only half time!!

Also if you did well remember, its only half time.

Lots to play for in the second half. 💪💪💪

14/08/2026

2026.

Just over halfway through but what a year so far!!

World cup ⚽️🥅

Solar eclipse 🌓 (though my wife 👰‍♀️says this was the biggest disappointment 😢 since our wedding night).

And my best year ever for A-level Chemistry results . 🥳🥳🥳.

The results are in and I am so pleased 😁 for every one of my outgoing students!!

From medicine 🩺 to pharmacy 💊 to accountancy 🔢 and beyond I wish them all the best 💪😁.

A* to A: 56% (NI average 45%)
A* to B: 83% (NI average 73%)
A* to C: 100% (NI average 90%)

13/08/2026

For the day thats in it lol 😆😆

"I was going to do Travel & Tourism but I got into Medical School!"...

13/08/2026

13/08/2026

For my A2 students this is gonna be a record breaking year (more on that later 🥳).
But I want to make a post focusing on a particular group. ✅
Students who, this time last year, were disappointed (some - in their words “devastated”) with their AS results. 🥲🥲
They reached out. 📲
I helped them. 🤓
They smashed it out of the park. 💪
I am so happy for them. 🥳🥳🥳

12/08/2026

A first!!!
I have just had an enquiry 📲 for this coming year from someone I tutored years ago. For their child who is starting A-level.
Gulp. Im old. 👨🏻‍🦳👨🏻‍🦳

04/08/2026

Nearly AS/A2 results day! Summer 😎 is going sooo fast 🫣. My availability for 2026/27 is limited and filling quickly but I have some spaces for my AS & A2 classes in Strabane, Derry and Online.
If your AS result isn’t what you hoped for and need some help in year 14 I have lots of prior success 🏆with such students……