Reading the question
They can't work out what the question is actually asking.
We take the topic straight into exam-style questions, so the pupil practises the thing they'll actually be assessed on rather than a tidier version of it.
Specialist online Chemistry tuition, Scotland-wide
Chemistry, taught by someone who knows exactly how it’s marked.
Specialist online 1:1 tutoring for Scottish pupils studying National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher Chemistry, taught by a Chemistry teacher with twelve years in the classroom and experience marking for Qualifications Scotland (formerly known as SQA).
Not sure if tutoring is the right fit? I'm happy to answer any questions before you decide.
12 years teaching Chemistry in Scottish classrooms…and marking for Qualifications Scotland
“I couldn't have done it without her, that's a fact.”
Online 1:1 · 1-hour lessons · £45/hour · National 5, Higher & Advanced Higher
Why marks go missing
Most pupils don't fail Chemistry because they don't understand it.
That gap, between understanding chemistry and answering a Qualifications Scotland question about chemistry, is where most marks are lost. It's also the part that's hardest to fix alone, because it needs someone who knows precisely what a marker is looking for.
Writing the answer
They know the reaction, but not the wording.
I've marked for Qualifications Scotland. Once you've marked hundreds of scripts, you stop guessing what an examiner wants and start knowing.
Losing confidence
A subject they used to be fine at starts to feel like one they're bad at.
What matters most to me is that pupils feel able to ask the question they think is stupid. Confidence comes first; the marks follow it.
That's the gap my lessons are built to close.
What I teach
Every level of Scottish Chemistry, under one roof.
Support is tailored to the course and to the pupil, whether that means shoring up the basics or sharpening technique in the final weeks before an exam.
How it works
Three ways to work together.
Most pupils come for regular weekly lessons through the year. Some need something more specific.
£45/hour
Weekly Chemistry tutoring
Regular 1:1 lessons across National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher. Consistent support that builds understanding, confidence and exam technique over the course of the year.
Online 1:1Usually 1 hour
Taught by Lisa McCulloch
£50/hour
Advanced Higher project support
Guidance and feedback at any stage of the project, from choosing an area of investigation to interpreting results, handling uncertainties and strengthening the written report.
Guidance and feedback. The work stays the pupil's own.
Online 1:1Usually 1 hour
Taught by Lisa McCulloch
By arrangement
Revision and exam preparation
Shorter, focused support closer to prelims and final exams, aimed squarely at technique when it counts most.
Subject to availability
Taught by Lisa McCulloch
Inside a lesson
What actually happens in an hour.
No two lessons look the same, because no two pupils arrive with the same problem. The structure, though, is consistent.
Enquire about lessonsA topic that didn't land in class, a homework question, an upcoming assessment, a past paper that went badly. The pupil sets the agenda; I make sure we cover what matters.
I create notes and resources live during the lesson: explanations, worked examples, diagrams and key definitions, all shaped around the way that pupil is thinking about the topic, then take it straight into exam-style Qualifications Scotland questions.
Lesson notes are saved as PDFs and uploaded to the pupil's own Google Drive folder, so by exam season they have a revision resource built entirely around their own gaps. Where extra practice would consolidate a topic, I set targeted questions and give feedback.
Lisa
First Class Honours
Chemistry, University of Glasgow
Who you’d be working with
Hello, I’m Lisa.
I graduated from the University of Glasgow with a First Class Honours degree in Chemistry, then completed my PGDE in secondary teaching. Since then I've spent twelve years teaching Chemistry in schools and thirteen years tutoring pupils one-to-one and in small groups. I've also marked for Qualifications Scotland, which shapes how I teach more than anything else on my CV, because once you've marked hundreds of scripts, you stop guessing what an examiner wants and start knowing.
What I care about most is that pupils feel able to ask the question they think is stupid. Confidence comes first; the marks follow it.
- 12 years
- teaching Chemistry in Scottish schools
- 13 years
- tutoring one-to-one and in small groups
Before you ask
Questions parents usually ask.
Anything not covered here, just ask. I’d rather answer it before you book than after.
Ask a questionNational 5, Higher and Advanced Higher Chemistry. BGE Science support may also be available depending on the pupil's needs and my current availability.
Still unsure? Email me directly.
Thinking about Chemistry tutoring?
Places are limited by the number of hours in a week, and popular after-school slots go first. If you'd like to talk about lessons, get in touch and tell me the pupil's level, what they're finding difficult and when they'd ideally like lessons, and I'll come back to you.
Or email lisa@scottishchemistrytutor.co.uk