Meet Suzy Mersereau
Every student is capable of more than they realise. My job is to help them discover that. Better grades are simply what happens next.
20+ Years' Teaching GCSE English │ Current GCSE English Examiner │ BA (Joint Hons) English & Writing │ PGCE & Qualified Teacher Status
Why Much Ado About Learning exists
Over more than 20 years of teaching GCSE English, and through my work as a GCSE English examiner, I've seen bright, hardworking students who don't achieve the grades that reflect their potential. They revise, memorise quotations and put in the effort, yet their grades fall short of what they could have been.
Much Ado About Learning exists to change this.
I don't believe students fail to reach their potential because they lack ability. I believe it's because they haven't yet had the personalised guidance and feedback needed to unlock it.
Classroom teaching is general. Tuition is personal.
When every classroom contains dozens of different learners, all with different needs, even the absolute best of teachers are limited in how much they can do. Tutoring however, allows the time and space to understand how each student thinks, identify exactly what's holding them back, and build on the strengths they already have.
Because when students gain clarity, they gain confidence. And when they truly believe in what they're capable of, remarkable things begin to happen.
About Suzy
I've always had a great imagination. As a child, I was constantly writing stories, losing myself in books. Naturally, English was the subject where I felt most at home. Then, in year 8 I had the most amazing teacher.
Mrs Gregory immediately saw me - the quiet, hard working girl who was a bit shy in lessons. She read my work and recognised my ability. She read every piece I wrote, showered praise on my work and made me realise that I wasn't just good at creative writing, I could be exceptional. Not only did she shape my entire future, she also defined the type of teacher I wanted to be.
After graduating with a BA (Joint Hons) in English & Writing (Yes, that was her influence) from the University of Manchester and completing my PGCE and Qualified Teacher Status, I spent more than 20 years teaching GCSE English, becoming a GCSE English examiner and later a Senior Examiner. I've taught thousands of students, marked hundreds of GCSE exam papers and seen first-hand what helps students unlock their potential.
Today, I combine everything I've learnt as a teacher, examiner and tutor to help students achieve results that genuinely reflect what they're capable of. More importantly, I want every student I work with to leave believing something they may not have believed before:
That there is no ceiling on what they can achieve.
The Much Ado Way
Every student is different, but the principles underpinning my teaching remains the same:
Students need self-belief to achieve the top grades
And sometimes, this has to be built a little for them before they can self-activate their belief. The first thing I look for isn't what students are doing wrong, it's what they are already doing brilliantly. Every lesson builds on those strengths, helping students recognise their own ability and develop the confidence to take the next step.
A grade is a snapshot, not a ceiling.
Many of my students begin tuition feeling like they have failed before ever stepping foot into an exam hall.
I change this by showing them that their grade is simply a snapshot overview of skills - and a few little tweaks are often all it takes for those grades to move again.
Students don't need more effort, they need clarity
For most hard-working students, the missing piece of the puzzle is precise, actionable feedback that allows them to make small steps of progress every single lesson. It's knowing what they should keep doing as well as how to improve - and practise in applying these things that leads to rapid grade improvements.
Every student is capable of more than they realise. My job is to help them discover that. Better grades are simply what happens next.
Qualifications & Experience
Qualifications
✓ BA (Joint Hons) English & Writing
✓ PGCE & Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)
✓ NPQ in Teaching & Leading Development (NPQTLD)
✓ Enhanced DBS Certificate
✓ Up-to-date Safeguarding Training
Professional Experience
✓ Over 20 years English teaching experience in British schools
✓ Current GCSE English examiner (7 years experience)
✓ Senior Examiner experience
✓ Former Lead Practitioner for Teaching and Learning
✓ Former Head of Department
✓ Thousands of students taught
Why 'Much Ado About Learning?'
People often ask where the name Much Ado About Learning came from. The answer is of course, Shakespeare.
Much Ado About Nothing has always been my favourite play since I first studied it at school. I still have my A-level copy, full of notes, but the name means something more.
In the play, so much heartache is caused by people believing something that simply isn't true. Over the years, I've realised many students carry around their own version of that story.
They believe they're "just not an English person."
They believe their predicted grade defines them.
They believe they're just not clever enough.
More often than not, none of those things are true. Usually, there are just one or two skills standing between where they are now and what they're truly capable of achieving.
That's what Much Ado About Learning is all about.Helping students let go of the stories holding them back, so their grades, and more importantly, their belief in themselves, can finally reflect what they're capable of.
Every student is capable of more than they realise. My job is to help them discover that. Better grades are simply what happens next.