Physics tuition · A-level → University · Milton Keynes & online

Most physics tutors re-teach the textbook. I find out why it didn’t stick first.

I’m a physics education researcher with UK Qualified Teacher Status. Before your first lesson, your child sits a short research-validated diagnostic (the same instrument used across UK universities), so we teach the actual misconception, not the symptom.

Book a free 20-min consultation How the diagnostic works

PhDPhysics Education

3,000+students assessed

QTS+ ex-Head of Dept

DBSEnhanced, current

Try the diagnosticQ.07 / mechanics

A ball is thrown straight up. At the very top of its flight, the net force on the ball is…

Common misconception. Not quite. The key distinction is between velocity and force: at the top the velocity is zero for an instant, but the net force (and acceleration) is constant throughout the journey. Gravity does not switch off at the peak.

This is one item of a 30-question instrument I use before lesson one, and again after a term, so you can see measured progress.

The method

Diagnose. Teach. Measure.

Decades of physics education research show students don’t fail because they missed a page of notes; they fail because of specific, predictable misconceptions. My doctoral research maps exactly these. Tuition works when it targets them directly.

STEP 01 · WEEK 1

Diagnose

A 30-minute validated diagnostic pinpoints which concepts are secure, shaky, or built on a misconception. You receive a plain-English report before we book a single lesson.

→

STEP 02 · ONGOING

Teach to the gap

Lessons target the diagnosed misconceptions using evidence-based techniques from the research literature, not a second pass through the same explanation that didn’t work at school.

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STEP 03 · EACH TERM

Re-measure

The diagnostic is repeated. You see the shift, item by item: measured progress, not a tutor’s reassurance.

About your tutor

Dr Ashutosh Pathak

Physics is more than a subject. It is a way of thinking.

My approach to teaching has developed through years of working with students and researching how they learn physics. I am particularly interested in why students can sometimes use the right formula or arrive at the correct answer without fully understanding the physics behind it.

That experience shapes the way I teach at Principia Tutoring. Understanding comes before memorisation. Students are encouraged to ask why, question assumptions and develop the confidence to tackle problems they have not seen before.

Of course, examination results matter. But my aim goes beyond preparing students for the next test. I want them to develop a strong understanding of physics and become confident, independent problem solvers.

PhD, Physics EducationMSc PhysicsQTSEnhanced DBSPublished researcher

FAQ

The practical details

Where do lessons happen?

Online via video call with a shared interactive whiteboard, or in person in the Milton Keynes area (your home or an agreed public venue). Online lessons are recorded on request so students can rewatch.

What does the free consultation cover?

Twenty minutes with you and your child: current situation, goals, and how the diagnostic works. No obligation, no selling; just an honest conversation about whether tuition is the right next step.

How does the diagnostic work?

Your child completes a 30-question instrument online before our first lesson. I score and analyse it, then send you a plain-English report mapping which concepts are secure and which are built on misconceptions. We then plan tuition around the gaps.

Do you follow exam boards?

Yes: AQA, OCR and Edexcel. I also work with Cambridge Pre-U and the International Baccalaureate. The diagnostic is board-agnostic; the content targets the physics regardless of specification.

What about the bookshop?

I’ve written a series of workbooks and practice papers aligned to the tuition programme. Students can purchase them online through the bookshop and have them delivered or collected at lessons.

Get in touch

Book a free consultation

Tell me a little about your situation and I’ll reply within 24 hours. No obligation, no high-pressure sales; just an honest conversation about the best way forward.

tel +44 7833 814972
email ashutoshpathak@principiatutoring.uk
area Milton Keynes & online