I'm a highly experienced and successful independent, online tutor and examiner for the OCR board's
A-level Philosophy & Ethics.
A frequent question I'm asked is "How do I get an A or A* at A-level?".
I've developed a
tuition system
for my A-level students, focused on achieving excellence in exams.
The main focus is on understanding the examiners' A01 and A02 assessment objectives, and then
learning how to craft essays that meet, or even, exceed them.
My system of tuition for both the AS and the A2 A-level Philosophy & Ethics, has four main components:
The philosophy essay writing masterclass teaches the core knowledge and skills needed to answer
the OCR's exam questions. This includes an introduction to the examiners'
A01 & A02 assessment objectives.
These fundamental essay writing and exam techniquue skills are then developed by writing a series of essays, carefully
selected to develop their understanding of each topic systematically.
Each essay is returned with:
So the reading, planning and writing of each essay, followed by reflection on my comments, is a rich, formative learning experience.
We do have occasional tutorials; to introduce a new topic, or to discuss an essay that has not gone too well. However, their
effectiveness should not be exaggerated. The greatest improvements come from developing the core skill of writing exam-style essays
through regular, monitored practice.
As the exams approach, we switch to hand-written, timed essays under exam conditions, answering mock exam questions
The OCR board's AS level Philosophy & Ethics specificaton emphasises
the "rigorous study of religion" and the ability of candidates to
"reflect on and develop their own values, opinions and attitudes in the light of their learning."
The rigour comes from analysing and evaluating philosophical arguments; and the development
of values, opinions and attitudes is a consequence of coming to a critical judgement on key issues
precisely as a result of this analysis and evaluation.
The OCR AS level comprises two papers Philosophy of Religion (571) and Religious Ethics (572). These
are divided into the following topics:
Philosophy of Religion (571)
Religious Ethics (572)
The OCR board's Philosophy & Ethics A2 level specification emphasises the same
aims and objectives as the AS level; however, as a comparison of the assessment
objectives shows, much greater emphasis is placed on the evaluation of argument.
A2 Philosophy & Ethics is split into two corresponding papers:
Philosophy of Religion (581)
Religous ethics (582)
