Tutoring & Admissions
Expert support for high-stakes academic challenges
Scafidi Education provides personalised academic support for students who need more than generic tutoring. Our approach combines deep curriculum knowledge, assessment expertise, inquiry-based learning and twenty years of international teaching experience.
Support is designed around the individual learner, with custom-designed materials and a clear focus on understanding both curriculum content and assessment expectations.
Demystifying assessment while developing student agency
Strong academic performance requires more than memorising content. Students need to understand what a task is asking them to do, how successful responses are constructed and how to apply knowledge independently. They need to make it easy for the person assessing to give them the marks!
Assessment Literacy
Help students understand assessment criteria, command terms, examination expectations and what strong performance actually looks like.
Inquiry-Based Learning
Use questioning, discussion and carefully designed tasks to develop understanding rather than simply supplying answers.
Custom-Designed Materials
Create resources around the individual student’s curriculum, areas for development and assessment needs.
Student Agency
Build the confidence and independence required for students to take greater ownership of their learning.
The aim is not simply to improve the next assignment or examination, but to develop more capable and independent learners.
Tutoring and examination preparation grounded in assessment expertise
Oscar Scafidi is a former IB Examiner and IB Examination Designer with extensive experience teaching in international schools. This provides students with support that connects curriculum content directly to the skills and assessment expectations they are expected to demonstrate.
Scafidi Education helps students successfully engage with curriculum content and testing requirements across a broad spectrum of subjects and academic tasks. Particular emphasis is placed on argument, evidence, research, source analysis, academic writing and effective examination technique.
Examination Preparation
Develop strategies for interpreting questions, planning responses, managing time and applying knowledge effectively under examination conditions.
Essay & Argument Development
Strengthen thesis construction, analysis, evidence selection, counterargument and academic writing.
Research & Source Skills
Develop effective research strategies, source evaluation, note-taking, citation and academic integrity.
Assessment Feedback
Use detailed feedback to identify patterns, clarify next steps and help students understand how to improve their own work.
Curriculum Support
Provide targeted support with difficult concepts, content and disciplinary skills.
Revision Planning
Help students prioritise effectively and build manageable, evidence-informed revision strategies.
Preparing students to think under pressure
Preparation for Oxford, Cambridge and other highly selective universities should focus on the quality of a student’s thinking rather than rehearsed answers.
Oscar studied at the University of Oxford at undergraduate and postgraduate level and has extensive experience preparing students for demanding academic interviews and selective university applications.
Academic Profile Development
Help students identify meaningful ways to demonstrate intellectual curiosity and academic engagement beyond normal classroom requirements.
Written Applications
Support students in presenting their academic interests, experiences and motivation clearly and convincingly.
Interview Preparation
Use realistic mock interviews to develop confidence, intellectual flexibility and the ability to respond to unfamiliar questions.
Thinking Aloud
Develop the ability to explain reasoning clearly while working through complex or unfamiliar material.
Argument & Counterargument
Practise constructing, defending and revising arguments when challenged.
Unseen Material
Use unfamiliar texts, sources, problems and stimuli to develop the type of adaptive thinking required in selective academic interviews.
The goal is not to script answers. It is to help students become more confident, flexible and intellectually independent thinkers. Thinking under pressure is key!
Experience across teaching, assessment and university preparation
University of Oxford
Undergraduate and postgraduate study in History & Archaeology.
King’s College London
Master’s degree from the Department of War Studies.
International Baccalaureate
Former IB Examiner and IB Examination Designer.
International Education
Twenty years of teaching experience across international schools in Africa and Asia.
Custom Curriculum Design
Extensive experience developing context-specific learning materials, assessments and inquiry-based curriculum.
Student-Centred Practice
A consistent focus on student agency, voice, inclusion and high expectations.
Personalised around the learner
Academic support is tailored to the student’s curriculum, goals, existing performance and areas for development. Sessions can focus on ongoing learning, specific assessments, examination preparation or longer-term academic development.
1. Understand
Identify the student’s goals, curriculum and current areas of strength and development.
2. Diagnose
Review existing work, feedback and assessment expectations.
3. Develop
Use targeted teaching, questioning, practice and custom-designed materials.
4. Apply
Help the student transfer learning independently into assessments, examinations and academic discussion.
Discuss the right support for your student
Whether the priority is IB examination preparation, stronger academic writing, improved assessment performance or preparation for a selective university application, Scafidi Education can provide personalised support built around the individual learner.
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