Two students happy after receiving top grades

Selected testimonials from clients

Below are a selection of email and text messages I have received from parents and students on results’ day.

In some cases, names are omitted for confidentiality reasons. For references or further details, please contact me.

Recent Emails From Parents and Students

Hi Carl,

I hope you are doing well and are enjoying British summer.

Just wanted to let you know that I received my grades today with a 7 in chemistry and 43/45 overall.

I also wanted to say thank you so much for all your help in chemistry over the last 2 years!!

Best Regards,

**********

IB Higher Level chemistry student (summer 2022), Achieved Level 7, now studying medicine.

Hi Carl,

Hope all is well and you’ve had a good summer.

Sorry for not emailing sooner, just wanted to let you know that I got what I needed to get into my first choice uni, Imperial College London. Thank you ever so much for helping me get an A in chemistry (was 6 marks off an A*, SO CLOSE!!).

Wishing you all the very best and thanks again.

Kind Regards

****

A Level chemistry student (summer 2022), Achieved grade A, now at Imperial College, London.

Hi Carl,

Sorry its taken so long to update you but I got a 6! I was 5 percent away from a 7 however with my mock exam grade being a 3, a 6 is a really big improvement.

Thanks for tutoring me, it helped me so much and I definitely wouldn’t have done this well without your help.

Thanks so much,

****

IB Higher Level chemistry (summer 2022), Achieved Level 6 in chemistry, improved 3 levels.

Hey Carl,

Extremely happy with results.

9 Computer science, 9 Biology, 9 Chemistry, 9 Physics, 9 Maths, 

8 Classics, 8 Eng literature, 8 History

7 Spanish, 7 Eng language

Thank you for all the help with chemistry I was predicted a 5 before you helped me. Really appreciate it. Thank you *********

IGCSE chemistry student (summer 2022), Achieved Level 9 in chemistry, improved 4 grades.

Hi Carl, We are so pleased to tell you that ******** has achieved A* in his A level chemistry.

He has also got A* in Biology and Maths as well.

Thank you so much again for all your help with his A level Chemistry.

Mother of A Level chemistry student (summer 2021), Achieved A*, now studying medicine.

Dear Carl,

I hope you have had a lovely new year. Just wanted to let you know that I got my results yesterday and got a 7! I’m so pleased. Thank you for all your help.

Best wishes,

*******

IB Higher Level chemistry (November 2021), Achieved grade level 7 chemistry, now studying veterinary medicine.

We are off to purchase a stethoscope.

Thanks Carl so much for your support, encouragement & expertise.

Mother of A Level chemistry student (summer 2021), Achieved grade A in chemistry, now studying veterinary medicine.

Hi Carl,

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year, and that you were able to enjoy some celebrations. I received my IB results yesterday and was surprised but definitely very happy to receive a 45!! I just wanted to thank you so much for all your help in Chemistry – it was my second highest subject (after English) with an 88, and I really couldn’t have done it without you! Thank you for being such an amazing tutor – your explanations were always so clear and easy to understand.

Especially in the lead-up to exams, I was so amazed by how well you knew all the papers and how you could recall questions so quickly. Thank you for going the extra mile to answer my many questions and ensure that I understood the concepts. I’m also so grateful for all your feedback and advice on the IA – your help with the calculations and methodology was very useful. I’ve received the Chancellor’s scholarship,  and will be studying Biomedicine at the University of Melbourne for three years, followed by a guaranteed entry into post-grad Medicine – and I’m so excited to continue studying chemistry! Thank you for everything you’ve done.

Thanks,

***********

IB Higher Level chemistry (November 2021), Achieved level 7, now studying medicine.

Hope you are well.

I am pleased to let you know that I got a 6 in IB SL chemistry. I got a 6 in paper 1, 7 in paper 2 and 5 for my IA. I was in fact only 2 marks off an overall grade of 7.

I really appreciate all of the work and time you put in to helping me improve in chemistry.

Thank you so much for all your help! I am very grateful.

Best wishes,
*************

IB Higher Level chemistry (summer 2022), Achieved level 6

Dear Dr. Carl,

Thank you very much for teaching me Chemistry for the past two years of DP! I am very happy that I was able to have a teacher like you. You always made difficult concepts easier to understand, and I was able to get a lot of practice done with your support. Thank you for always making question booklets for me, even when I asked for practice material at the last minute.

Without your support, I would not have managed to receive a level 7 for my final IB grade in Chemistry HL! Thank you for everything once again!

IB Higher Level chemistry (November 2021), Achieved level 7, now studying medicine.

Hi Carl

I hope all is well with you.

You will be pleased to hear that A****** has been awarded A* grades in all 3 of her A level subjects (including, of course, Chemistry) which means that her place at Cambridge to study Vet Med has been confirmed.

I would like to thank you again for the excellent tutoring you have provided her with, which has made such a significant contribution to her understanding of the subject and to her confidence in dealing with the most demanding questions.

With best wishes

Parent of OCR A student, achieved A* in summer 2020 (Cambridge, Veterinary medicine)

“Hi Carl,

I hope you’re well! I just wanted to let you know that I got 2A*s in chemistry and biology, and an A in Maths.

So thank you very very much for all of your help and support over the last few years.

I appreciate it a lot!”

CIE A Level chemistry student, achieved A*, now studying medicine at Barts

“Hi Carl

I hope all is well ? Just to give you an update about B**********.

He was given AAB with the B in Chemistry and has been given a place at his first choice at Nottingham vet school. He is delighted and all of us just want to thankyou for all your efforts and support over the last 18 months. With very best wishes for the future”

Parent of AQA A level chemistry student, achieved B in summer 2020 (Nottingham, Veterinary medicine)

“Carl’s effective, patient and thorough teaching helped me achieve A*s in both GCSE and A Level Chemistry.

He tackled the areas which I found difficult, increased my confidence, and provided me with many resources to help consolidate my learning.

I would definitely recommend him as a tutor.

Thank you Carl!”

Results day message from CIE A Level chemistry student, Achieved A* in chemistry, now studying medicine

“Dear Dr Thirsk,

I am happy to inform you that I achieved A in chemistry, scoring 180 total. I am very satisfied with the results, a lot of that is due to our tuition sessions which brought me from C level to an A. It was truly helpful, so glad we found you. The teaching quality and the amount of resources was amazing.

Overall I got 3 A and therefore secured my place at KCL to study computer science.

Again thank you for all your help.

Wish you all the best,”

OCR B A Level chemistry student summer 2019, achieved grade A

“Hi Carl,

Just wanted to let you know that I got an A* in chemistry! I got the grades that I need so I’ve secured my place at Cambridge.

I’m so grateful for the tutoring – it made a big difference.”

OCR A Chemistry A Level student, Summer 2019, achieved A*

Dear Carl !

I would like to say personal thanks for your excellent job!! Chemistry was the most difficult subject where ***** had many problems and finally he got A!!! It is very good result and definitely it is your professionalism that made it possible . Many thanks from me and all our family for you help and very useful lessons!!!! It was really great !!!! With kind regards!! .

Parent of OCR B A Level chemistry student, summer 2019, achieved grade A

 “Hi, I’m just emailing to let you know I got A* in chemistry and AA in biology and maths so I’ve got in  to study medicine at Newcastle Uni. Thank you so much for all your help, I couldn’t have done it without you! All the best and take care, E********”

OCR A A Level Chemistry student, summer 2019, achieved A in final exam

“My daughter improved by two grades and achieved an A* in her IGCSE chemistry exam after getting Cs all year, thank you for your support, I will continue to recommend you!”

Dr S, daughter achieved A* in IGCSE chemistry (CIE)

“Carl was very concise and clear during his lessons. Very helpful in helping to understand the exam technique and also the fine details of each topic. My daughter achieved her A* in A level Chemistry due to his teaching.”

Dr P, daughter achieved A* in chemistry (AQA, summer 2018)

“Carl, thanks for your help tutoring Joshua. You exceeded our expectations and we were happy with the outcome. As a result, he is soon travelling to UK to take up a place at the University College, London. Thanks.”

Mr J, father of IB Chemistry HL student (achieved level 7)

“Сarl is an exceptional tutor.

In addition to his high level knowledge of subjects, he can interest a child in studying of science that each lesson will being looked forward. Before Carl started to prepare my son for 13+ exams to top rated schools, the topic of each session was planned a year in advance before the exam to cover all the material.

As a result, my son has got offers of place in both schools. Thanks a lot Carl!”

Mrs K, parent of 13+ science student

“Hi Carl,

I’ve got into the Royal Veterinary College to study Veterinary Medicine with an A in Chemistry!

I honestly can’t thank you enough for how much you have helped me grow in my ability and confidence. Thank you so so much!

Thanks again,  🙂 “

AQA A Level chemistry student, achieved A in summer 2018

“The news is good. Hannah got an A* in chemistry, plus A* in biology and A in maths. She has been accepted to Nottingham for medicine. Thank you so much for your help and support Carl”

Results' day text from parent of A Level student, achieved A* in chemistry (AQA)

“Hi, just to let you know I got an A in chemistry!!! I got into Imperial too!!! Thank you so much for all you have taught me, I will miss our lessons but not those NMR spectra!! Best wishes, Sophie”

A level chemistry student (AQA), achieved A grade, now studying chemistry at Imperial College

Dr Carl was an inspirational tutor for Phoebe. She was honestly hating chemistry at school and it was stressing her out because she wants to be a vet! However after a few sessions, she said to me “mum, I think I actually am starting to like chemistry!” and it was obvious that she was feeling more confident. That to me is the sign of a good teacher, they know how to build up a student’s confidence. When the exams were approaching he got her to do a few timed papers and marked them. His feedback really boosted her confidence because she was achieving good grades. I think the study skills he has given her are also helping her with A level because she seems to have settled in better than a lot of her classmates.

All in all, a great tutor that we are immensely grateful to!

Mrs S, daughter achieved A* in Edexcel IGCSE chemistry

“Carl is a fabulous tutor, he very quickly built a rapport with my daughter and this made her feel relaxed (she wasn’t sure about having lessons over the internet with a stranger!) She looked forward to lessons and we saw an immediate improvement in her confidence and school marks. We were all thrilled when she won a place!”

Parent of 13+ science student, successfully gained placed at The Durham School

“After getting a disappointing mark (C grade) in his exam, my son was on a real downer about his prospects of becoming a vet. Carl very quickly diagnosed there were some big gaps in his knowledge about chemistry that were tripping him up and worked with him until he mastered the topics. Thanks to Carl’s help, he obtained an A grade in the end and is enjoying A Level chemistry.”

Mr B, parent of AQA IGCSE student, achieved A grade

“Your way of explaining things is very clear and I thought the notes you gave were very detailed and helped me a lot as I was struggling to know what to revise. I am so delighted I got a 7 in my higher level chemistry. Thank you very much!”

IB HL chemistry student at Hong Kong international school, achieved level 7

“We were really impressed with the level of organisation and planning that Carl did to help Alex prepare for this 13+ exams. He was very flexible around vacation periods and always willing to update on progress, which I really appreciated. A big big thank you, Carl”

Parent of 13+ science student, successfully gained entry to Merchant Taylors'

“Dr Carl is an exceptionally knowledgeable and encouraging teacher. My son enjoys the lessons and after a bit of a shaky start his confidence at A Level Chemistry is now restored and he is averaging an A in his tests.”

Parent of A2 chemistry student (AQA), achieved A in final exam

“Stuart’s grades started flagging after a change of teacher at his school so we contacted Carl based on a colleague’s recommendation. He immediately made Stuart feel at ease in lessons and they started working through the topics methodically so that there weren’t any holes in Stuart’s knowledge. Stuart’s school would not give out any IB exam papers but Carl provided him with several sets to practise. He also set Stuart a few mocks to do – it really helped him with his exam preparation and he seemed much more relaxed as the exams approached. I was particularly impressed by Carl’s professional manner. I was kept informed regularly about Stuart’s progress and he was extremely flexible when it came to bookings around holidays.

You pay a bit extra but I would say he is proof that you get what you pay for. Would recommend without hesitation.

Stuart exceeded his predicted level 6 and got a 7!!!”

Parent of IB HL student, achieved level 7 in final exam

“Thank you so much for your help, you are really good at explaining things especially how to handle calculations without panicking. I feel like I learned more in 3 months than in the whole 2 years. I thought the Powerpoints you made were very professional and I like the way you relate topics to everyday life.”

IGCSE chemistry student, achieved A* in final exam

“I have worked with Carl for a few months in IB Chemistry. His help was benefit from my point of view. We focused a lot on questions and looked at the theory when needed. When explaining Carl was very precise with his word choice which made everything easier to understand. The class was very interesting and made the hours go by very quickly. He is someone that listen and is easy to talk to. “

IB Chemistry student, Swiss international school

“I really appreciated your help and I have come such a long way in a few months. Your professional approach and fairness when it comes to marking is a breath of fresh air compared to what I’ve experienced at college. I finally found difficult topics like reaction rates easy to understand. I was SO happy when I got my results and I know where to come if I ever have difficulty with chemistry again! (although you said there is not a lot of chemistry in chemical engineering!) Thank you!”

Current 3rd year chemical engineering student, improved from D to B at A Level chemistry

“You’re a fantastic teacher, I have gone from scraping a C to consistently getting A’s on past papers, even on the dreaded F325 papers!!!! I enjoyed learning with you and actually had a real laugh at times!”

OCR A Level chemistry student, achieved A, now studying law

“I was amazed by the improvement Dr Thirsk’s input triggered, in only 6 lessons Natalie went from hating chemistry to saying she is looking forward to A-level!”

Parent of GCSE chemistry student (AQA), achieved A in final exam

“Carl was a fabulous IB chemistry tutor for Sophie, we saw the difference immediately. His enthusiasm and knowledge helped her get her confidence back and he provided great resources for her to get on top of her exam preparation.”

Parent of IB HL student, now studying Natural Sciences at Cambridge

“We are indebted to Dr Thirsk, A****** was really panicking about her grades going in to her exams but he settled her down and brought out the best in her (she tells me she learned more in 3 months tutoring than in 2 years at school). She found his sessions enjoyable and the notes and question packs in particular helped her to be fully prepared in her exams.”

Dr Sha, parent of IGCSE chemistry student, achieved A*

“Carl was my science tutor for my entrance exam to get into Radley. I enjoyed classes with him SO MUCH and learned SO MUCH, probably more than in two years at school! He really understands how to get ideas across and I know his advice will be useful for when it comes to my GCSEs”

13+ science student, successful entry to Radley College

“I was very impressed by the thorough preparation Dr Thirsk did to understand what was needed with my daughter and it is obvious he spends time carefully planning how to get the most out of each lesson. My daughter was struggling with some of the maths in chemistry so he spent a lot of time doing practise exam questions. I was absolutely delighted (as was my daughter) when she came out with an A* in the summer!”

Mr P, parent of AQA GCSE chemistry student, achieved A*

“Hello Carl,
I just wanted to let you know I found out today I got into Royal Veterinary College London. I wanted to thank you for all of your tutoring because I would have had no chance of getting my Chemistry grade without you. I also wanted to thank you for the letter of recommendation you sent for me. If I can do anything for you such as a review let me know, I’ll recommend you to everyone and if you have an animal that needs fixing in five years time then let me know and I’ll fix it for free.
Thank you so much again.”

IB HL chemistry student, now training at the Royal Veterinary College

“O******* has got A* on physics and chemistry and unfortunately A on biology, but is going to remark it – it is very close to A* border.

Thanks again and all my boys send you their warmest regards.”

Parent of IGCSE student, tutored for biology (A), chemistry (A*) and physics (A*)

“Hi Carl,
An amazing day celebrating ********’s results and your name has been mentioned many times. A huge THANK YOU …..”

Parent of AQA A Level chemistry student, now studying veterinary science after achieving A grade

“Dr Carl went beyond our expectations, not only does he know his subject inside out he is able to explain things very well. I was surprised by how carefully tutoring was planned and he was always at the end of the phone if I wanted to know how things were going.”

Dr E, parent of A Level chemistry student, now studying dentistry at Newcastle University

“Carl did a very thorough job preparing for our daughter’s two tutoring sessions in IB Chemistry Higher Level. He sent a preliminary questionnaire, which helped focus the content of their sessions together. She was very happy with the help he was able to offer in exam technique — which is what she needed to focus on–as well as complex concepts relating to the curriculum. In addition, she found him encouraging and responsive: he was able to answer all her questions and went out of his way to let her know he thought she would do well on the exam she’s preparing to sit. It cheered her up. Carl also followed up well, with a detailed note to me about the work they did together, her response, and further areas for study.

In all, Carl was very professional and I would recommend him–indeed I have already recommended him, since Chemistry Higher Level IB tutors are very hard to find!”

Mrs H, parent of IB HL student

“Hi Dr Thirsk,
Just wanted to let you know that I did it!!! I got into medicine at QMUL with 2A*2A! Im over the moon!! Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for me. Some of your ‘stretch and challenge’ were absolutely hell at the time but I’m so glad I did them! Thank you for everything.
Many thanks”

A Level chemistry student (OCR), now studying medicine

“I can’t thank you enough for helping me figure out organic chemistry, Chem4 was killing me and I was getting nowhere in class. I now look forward to those questions, bring on the hexagons!”

Former A Level chemistry student, now studying medicine at Edinburgh University

“I was struggling a lot with the maths part of the course but your explanations helped me a lot and the notes you gave me were brilliant! You were right, chemistry is mostly practise and hard work!”

Gabrielle, achieved A* in chemistry (Edexcel A Level), now studying chemistry at Surrey

“We were thrilled to get Carl as Georgina’s tutor. Right off the bat, he quickly diagnosed her strengths and weaknesses and got to work helping her prepare for the exam. Her confidence went from rock-bottom to skyhigh, so did her enthusiasm, she was forever saying “did you know that…?” and quizzing me on science! She was successful in her tests and all in all, I can’t thank Carl enough for being a great teacher and great role model”

Parent of online 13+ science student, successfully completed 'The Challenge' and won a place at Westminster School

“Hi Carl,
Hope you are well.
We received our a level results on Thursday and we both got an A in chemistry! Overall I got AAA And I’m going to Barts (the Queen mary’s Medical school) to study medicine. S******** got AAB and he is going to Queen Mary’s to study Biomedical engineering. Thank you for all your help over the last year. You were so important in pushing our grades up to a higher level.
Thank you. “

Twins tutored for A Level chemistry (OCR), results day email 2018

“Dear Carl,
Just to let you know that E******** got an A* for chemistry ( also an A* for biology and one mark off an A* for English)
Thank you so much for all you help. I’m sure it made the difference between an A and an A*.
Now for the UKcat!
All the best and thank you once again.”

Parent of A Level chemistry student, achieved A*, currently studying medicine

“Hi Carl,
I just wanted to let you know I got AAA in Chemistry, Biology and Maths and I’m off to the University of Leicester!!
Thank you so so much for your help in Chemistry, I really couldn’t have done it without you! Apologies in the delay of letting you know, I’m currently drowning in uni paperwork!!
Thank you so much once again, take care and best wishes,”

A Level chemistry student (OCR A), achieved A in chemistry, now studying medicine