Years 5 to 9
Foundation maths
Number sense, fractions and ratio, early algebra and the written methods that secondary school assumes are already fluent. Each week ends with a short set of problems to finish at home.
Small-group tuition · Years 5 to 13
Steady weekly teaching in groups of six
Stone Loom is a quiet upstairs study centre for maths, English and science. Every group keeps the same tutor and the same seat all term, so nobody spends a session catching up on where they left off.
Autumn term at a glance
- Term dates
- Twelve teaching weeks, with a one-week break at half term
- Group size
- Six learners maximum; paired study available for Years 12 and 13
- Session length
- 75 minutes for Years 5 to 9, 90 minutes for Years 10 to 13
- Sessions run
- Tuesday to Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings
How sessions work
Four steps from first conversation to end of term
We would rather be clear about the routine than promise a transformation. This is what joining a group actually involves.
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A short conversation
You tell us the year group, the exam board where relevant, and the two or three topics causing the most trouble. We say plainly whether we have a group that fits.
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A starting-point task
Before the first session the learner works through a short written task at home. It is not a test and it is not marked competitively — it tells the tutor where to begin.
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The weekly session
Each session opens with ten minutes of recall on earlier topics, then works through one new idea with practice at the table. Tutors read over shoulders rather than lecture from the front.
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A written note at half term and term end
You receive a short note naming what has been covered, what has settled, and what is still shaky — written in plain sentences, not grades or percentages.
Programmes
Four subject lanes, each with its own rhythm
A learner can hold places in two lanes at once, as long as the sessions fall on different evenings. Everything below runs for the full twelve-week term.
Years 10 and 11
GCSE maths and science
Topic-by-topic teaching mapped to the board your school follows, with past-paper technique from the spring term onwards. Combined and separate science groups are taught separately.
Years 7 to 11
English and writing
Reading comprehension, essay structure and the difference between describing a text and arguing about it. Learners bring their own set texts; we do not run a separate reading list.
Years 12 and 13
A-level paired study
Two learners with one tutor, for maths, physics or chemistry. Paired rather than solo because explaining a method to someone else is the fastest way to find out whether you know it.
Weekly timetable
When each group meets this term
Groups keep the same slot for all twelve weeks. Availability below is updated at the end of each enrolment week.
Day
Time
Group
Availability
DayTuesday
Time16:45 – 18:00
GroupFoundation maths · Years 5 to 7
AvailabilityTwo places
DayTuesday
Time18:15 – 19:45
GroupGCSE maths · Year 11
AvailabilityWaiting list
DayWednesday
Time16:45 – 18:00
GroupEnglish and writing · Years 7 to 9
AvailabilityOne place
DayWednesday
Time18:15 – 19:45
GroupA-level paired study · Maths
AvailabilityFull
DayThursday
Time16:45 – 18:15
GroupGCSE science · Year 10
AvailabilityThree places
DayThursday
Time18:30 – 20:00
GroupA-level paired study · Physics
AvailabilityOne pair slot
DaySaturday
Time09:30 – 10:45
GroupFoundation maths · Years 8 and 9
AvailabilityFour places
DaySaturday
Time11:00 – 12:30
GroupEnglish and writing · Years 10 and 11
AvailabilityWaiting list
The study room stays open for half an hour after every evening session so learners can finish a question or start the week's set work before heading home. No booking is needed for that.
Who teaches here
Three tutors, and the same face every week
A group is taught by the tutor who set it up. Cover is only ever arranged within the centre, and you are told in advance.
Nadia Okonjo
Foundation and GCSE maths
Nadia spent nine years teaching secondary maths before moving to small-group work. She is unusually patient with number work that was never quite secured in primary school, and she teaches method before shortcuts.
Tomas Iversen
GCSE science · A-level physics
Tomas runs the science lanes and the paired physics study. He starts most topics with a rough sketch on paper, because a diagram someone drew themselves is easier to recall in an exam hall than one they copied.
Priya Raman
English, reading and essay writing
Priya teaches the writing lanes. Her sessions spend as much time on planning a paragraph as on writing it, and she marks for argument first and presentation second.
Common questions
The things families ask before booking
Can we try a session before committing to the term?
Yes. The first session of any group can be taken as a single trial. If it is not the right fit you tell us that week and nothing further is due; if it is, the place is held for the rest of the term.
What happens if we miss a week?
The tutor sends the week's worked material so nothing is lost, and the next session opens with a recap that includes it. Missed weeks are not rescheduled individually, because moving one learner between groups disrupts two rooms rather than one.
Is there homework between sessions?
Around twenty to thirty minutes, set at the end of each session. It is deliberately short: it exists to keep the method warm for seven days, not to add a second workload on top of school.
Do you follow our school's exam board?
For GCSE and A-level groups, yes — tell us the board when you enquire and we will place your learner with the matching group. Where a group mixes boards, the tutor teaches the shared content and flags the differences in writing.
How will we know whether it is working?
You get a written note at half term and at the end of term naming what has been covered and what is still unsteady. Between those, you are welcome to ask the tutor for a short update after any session.
Should we choose a group or paired study?
Groups suit learners who are broadly following their class but need a second pass at the topics. Paired study suits Years 12 and 13, or any learner whose gaps sit several years back and need to be worked through in order rather than alongside a group.
What notice do you need if we stop?
Two weeks' notice in writing, at any point in the term. We ask for it so the place can go to the next family on the waiting list rather than sitting empty until January.
Enquire about a place
Tell us the year group and the sticking point
A short message is enough. The more precisely you can name the trouble, the faster we can say whether the right group exists.
- We reply within two working days, including a plain yes or no on availability.
- If a lane is full, we say so and give the position on the waiting list rather than suggesting a substitute.
- Nothing is booked from this form — a place is only held once you have confirmed the slot by email.