Our Senior Tutors

Supporting you throughout your journey

We know that both consistency and expert guidance are essential in achieving an effective level of personalised support. That's why you'll be assigned a dedicated Senior Tutor who will support you throughout your time with us, to the day you receive your exam result and beyond.
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Senior Tutors have a compete, holistic view of a student's academic and pastoral needs. They work closely with teaching and boarding staff to ensure that the student is happy and is set up to succeed at reaching their individual goals. They unobtrusively monitor attendance, behaviour and academic progress, removing obstacles whilst giving students the freedom to manage their own workload and develop key life skills.

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Dedicated mentorship and support

A Senior Tutor acts as a student's career guidance counsellor, mentor and confidante, supporting them in a number of ways:
  • They help with university applications, including researching courses and admissions criteria, supporting with personal statements and ensuring that they stay on track to reach their goal
  • They work with students on their personalised learning plan, liaising with teachers and pastoral staff to identify any issues or areas to develop
  • They are the sole channel of communication between the College and a student's parents/guardian, ensuring that no information is lost and the student receives focused support at home as well.

Meet the Team

As soon as you enrol at the College, you'll be assigned one of our friendly Senior Tutors. Meet them below!
Ali Farr
Ali Farr

Ali has been a Senior Tutor at the College for 3 years. She has a degree in Media and Communications and PGCE in teaching (Post Compulsory Education) from Oxford Brookes University in addition to an ILM in Management. With over 20 years' teaching experience, she has taught  A Level, BTEC and GCSE Media Studies and Business across Further Education, State Secondary and SEN Specialist schools during her career.  I have had a range of roles in Teaching and Lecturing, and was also previously Assistant Head and Head of Sixth form in a SEN Specialist school for students with ADHD and Autism.

"I love my job as I enjoy working with students. The role is very busy and varied and I feel I am able to help students achieve their best."

Robert Harris
Robert Harris

Rob has been a Senior Tutor at the College for three years, having previously taught Sociology, Politics Psychology, Media Studies and Critical Thinking over a 14-year teaching career. He has a first-class degree in History and Social Science from the University of Birmingham and a Master’s degree in Sociology at Nuffield College, University of Oxford. He worked for a number of years as a researcher at The University of Oxford’s Department of Public Health in the Health Services Research Unit, before moving into teaching full time. He was Head of Sociology and Critical Thinking at Wolsey Hall Oxford before moving into his current role at Oxford Sixth Form College.

"It is a pleasure to be able to assist the students outside of the pressures to achieve specific grades and so help them develop not just academically but as young adults. Seeing students becoming more confident within themselves and their studies is without doubt one of the best things about this role."

Senior Tutors - Feature Cards - ST Profiles
Vicky Gao-Baker

Vicky has recently joined the Senior Tutor team, having previously taught BTEC at the College. She holds an Executive MA from King's College London, an MSc in Finance and Financial Management Services from Tianjin University, China, and a BSc in Business and Finance Management from Oxford Brookes University. She has 15 years' teaching experience and has worked across the state, independent and Higher Education sectors.

"Watching my students grow and achieve during their time with us is the most rewarding thing. It's wonderful to see this and know I've made a difference."

Student testimonial

Hear from Theo

Listen to Theo's experience of the support she received from her Senior Tutor.