The Oxford Grad Tutor

Spencer Mitchell · GCSE, A-Level, Higher and IB tutor

Maths, Economics and Politics, taught by an Oxford PPE graduate.

Whether you're aiming for an A*, trying to move up a grade or finding a subject difficult at the moment, I'll meet you where you are and help you move forward with confidence.

Book a free 1-hour trial Hear from my students
Spencer Mitchell in Oxford graduation gown and cap, smiling, in front of the Radcliffe Camera.
Graduation Day at the Radcliffe Camera, Oxford
  • 4 A*s at A-Level, in Maths, Economics, Politics and History
  • First-Class mark in Oxford's Quantitative Economics paper
  • 15 students supported to Oxford or Cambridge offers
  • Enhanced DBS and member of The Tutors' Association

Free · 15 minutes

Consultation

A short call for students or parents. Tell me what you're finding difficult and what you're aiming for, and we'll work out whether I can help.

Free · 1 hour

Trial session

A full lesson, so you can see how I teach before deciding anything. You'll still get a lesson pack of the work we complete together.

Subjects

Real understanding first, then the marks.

Mathematics

I taught myself A-Level Maths in a gap year and achieved an A*, then gained a First-Class mark in Quantitative Economics at Oxford. Rather than relying on memorisation, I help you understand where methods come from and why they work, building difficult ideas from first principles.

Online Maths, on an Interactive Whiteboard

We work through problems together on an interactive online whiteboard, just as if we were sitting side by side, using diagrams, graphs and visual tools so each step makes sense.

Rebuilding Foundations

Students often get stuck because an earlier part of a topic was never fully understood. Where necessary, we go back and rebuild those foundations properly.

Two Oxford Economics Grads on Your Team

I teach Pure Maths, Probability and Statistics, and my colleague and fellow Oxford graduate Hamza teaches Mechanics. We keep a shared record of your progress and regularly discuss where you're doing well and where you may need more support.

Enquire

Economics

I first started teaching Economics in Sixth Form, helping other students after school when our class had fallen behind. After an A* at A-Level, I studied Economics as part of Oxford's PPE degree, and I love learning, teaching and talking about it.

  • Building knowledge and understanding

    We work together on an online whiteboard to break down diagrams, calculations and difficult concepts, until you can explain the ideas confidently in your own words.

  • Turning that knowledge into marks

    We work through specifications, past-paper questions and mark schemes to see what your exam board is looking for, then practise planning essays, applying theory and tackling unseen questions.

  • Revising Economics properly

    Effective learning is active, not passive. I show you practical methods to remember content, retrieve it under exam conditions and apply it to unfamiliar questions.

Enquire

Politics

I achieved full marks on half of my A-Level Politics papers, then focused on British government, British political history and comparative government at Oxford. From the age of 15, I was also shadowing my MP in Parliament, attending party conferences and campaigning.

  • Building knowledge and understanding

    We explore the arguments, institutions and developments behind each topic, so you understand why things happen and can discuss them confidently.

  • Turning that knowledge into marks

    Using past papers, mark schemes and examiner guidance, you learn to interpret questions, select the right material, structure essays, use evidence and reach convincing judgements.

  • Revising Politics effectively

    Politics has a huge amount of content, so we structure your knowledge, build a bank of useful examples and use active recall, so you can apply it all under exam conditions.

Enquire
  • Online lessons taught from wherever suits you
  • Worldwide UK and international students, in your time zone
  • £50 per hour for GCSE, A-Level, Higher and IB
  • Lesson packs after each lesson, to revisit and revise from

How it works

Two free steps before you commit to anything.

  1. Have a chat

    Book the free 15-minute consultation and tell me where things stand and where you'd like to get to.

  2. Try a lesson

    Take the free 1-hour trial session and see whether my teaching suits you.

  3. Carry on, if it's working

    Lessons are planned around your needs and move at a pace that suits you. There's no long-term commitment, so you're never locked in.

About me

Hello, I'm Spencer.

Real learning is active, not passive, and involves making plenty of mistakes along the way.

I read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Harris Manchester College, Oxford, where I had the time of my life. I achieved A*s at A-Level in Maths, Economics, History and Politics, and full marks in my EPQ.

My route to Oxford wasn't straightforward. I didn't really connect with education until Sixth Form, needed additional support with my dyslexia, narrowly missed out on Oxford at my first attempt, and eventually went as a mature student.

So I know that academic progress is rarely straightforward, and I enjoy working with students at every stage, especially those on a non-standard path.

I first started teaching in Sixth Form, helping other students after school when a difficult change in teaching had left our class behind. It's still the part of any subject I love most: guiding someone to the moment it suddenly clicks.

Mock Interview Scholarship

Free Oxbridge mock interviews for state-educated and disadvantaged students.

Every year I offer free mock interviews to eligible students who've been invited to interview at Oxford or Cambridge.

At Oxford I was awarded a Crankstart Scholarship, which included a volunteering commitment. I chose to spend that time supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds with their Oxford and Cambridge applications, and it's what gave me the tutoring bug. This scholarship keeps that going.

What you get

  • A realistic mock interview on the Philosophy, Politics or Economics component of your course, free of charge
  • Practice explaining your thinking on a problem you haven't seen
  • Specific feedback on what interviewers are looking for, and what to work on

Who can apply

You need to meet all three of these requirements.

  1. You're a British or Irish national.
  2. You've been invited to interview at Oxford or Cambridge for an eligible course.
  3. At least one of these applies to you:
    • You've only ever attended state schools and colleges
    • You've spent time in care
    • You receive free school meals

Eligible courses

My mocks cover only the part of each course in bold. With History and Politics, for example, we'd practise the Politics, not the History.

University of Oxford

  • Computer Science and Philosophy
  • Economics and Management
  • History and Economics
  • History and Politics
  • Philosophy and Modern Languages
  • Philosophy and Theology
  • Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE)
  • Physics and Philosophy
  • Psychology, Philosophy and Linguistics (PPL)

University of Cambridge

  • Economics
  • History and Politics
  • Human, Social and Political Sciences
  • Land Economy
  • Philosophy

Places are limited, so please apply as soon as you receive your interview invitation.

Apply for a place

Get in touch

Start with a free conversation.

Tell me what you need and I'll reply personally.

Your message comes straight to me.

Prefer email? Write to me at

Spencer@TheOxfordGradTutor.com

I'm a
Are you 18 or over?
Subjects (optional, tick any that apply)
Eligibility (see the requirements)

Which of these apply to you? Tick all that apply.

I'll only use your details to reply to your enquiry. If we go ahead, I may occasionally mention my other services or referral scheme. Just tell me if you'd rather I didn't. See my privacy policy.

What my students say

“I only had one mock interview - but it was with Spencer, and that was enough. He identified precisely where my thinking needed sharpening and, as it turned out, told me to expect content that was indeed the subject of an interview. I later made a subject access request and discovered I’d placed 4th out of 475 candidates in the admissions process post-interview. What surprised me, though, was how much of our session focused on the psychological components: cadence, framing pressure, walking in with the right mindset etc. That was, if anything, more valuable than the academic preparation itself. I’d recommend him without hesitation!”
Ibrahim Philosophy, Politics and Economics, Oxford
4th out of 475 candidates post-interview

Fast-track Maths

Spencer was both an inspiration and a fantastic tutor. He broke down the A Level Maths content in a way that made it accessible and intuitive, covering the material in just four months. From having never studied A Level Maths, Spencer was instrumental in helping me achieve the conditions of my Oxford offer.

Vish, Philosophy, Politics and Economics, Oxford

My mock interviews with him completely changed my mindset on the interview, what once felt like a dreaded day of immense pressure became a relaxed and enjoyable conversation I looked forward to with people who genuinely wanted to hear what I had to say.

Ismaeel, Economics, Cambridge

Spencer's mock interview was honestly as close to the real thing as I could've asked for. Even more valuable was the feedback he gave me afterwards, which helped me to further understand what an Oxbridge interview is actually assessing and allowed me to perform confidently in my real interviews.

Adam, Philosophy, Politics and Economics, Oxford

I genuinely think Spencer’s mock interview and advice was some of the best I received. In particular, the Game Theory interview was extremely similar in style to my actual interview, which meant I felt far more confident and fluent in answering their questions.

Daniyaal, Economics, Cambridge

His feedback was specific, organised and yet also gentle in the way in which it was delivered … Spencer graded me on each criteria that I would be assessed on, which also helped me tailor my answer better.

Jaslene, Economics, Cambridge

He gave me clear guidance on what to focus on and ran a very realistic mock interview. … The actual interview ended up being surprisingly similar, which gave me confidence and helped me succeed.

Oleksii, Economics, Cambridge

Over the last year, Spencer’s help has made the difference between getting my Oxford offer and not even getting an interview.

Khalid, Philosophy, Politics and Economics, Oxford

I couldn’t ask for better help from Spencer. He provided an attentive and caring approach and his support made a big difference to my confidence and understanding. I really enjoyed our sessions where I was at ease and pleasantly challenged.

Mahdiyah, Philosophy and Theology, Oxford

Spencer was a fantastic tutor, who really helped boost my confidence before my interviews. He was very patient, and gave helpful and insightful advice. I would definitely recommend him to others!

Zander, History and Politics, Oxford

Reapplicant

Spencer offers specific feedback with direct improvements on how to showcase your thinking, structure arguments, and communicate in an Oxbridge interview environment, which proved especially helpful. The preparation was very efficient, and I would highly recommend it to anyone aiming at Oxbridge!

Anonymous, Economics and Management, Oxford

My sessions with Spencer were very thoughtful and engaging. Despite being in the hospital during my actual interview I am very grateful for choosing Spencer to help with my preparation and will carry this enthusiasm for the rest of my academic journey.

Anonymous, Philosophy, Politics and Economics, LSE