Our GCSE Maths Tutor – Connor Smith

I’m genuinely delighted to introduce our GCSE maths tutor Connor Smith, who has recently joined the Breakthrough Maths tutoring team here in the UK.

When I first met Connor, what stood out to me was his calmness and friendliness. He is just an all-round sound lad. But once you start talking maths with him, it becomes very obvious very quickly that this guy seriously knows his stuff.

Connor is a First Class Honours Physics graduate and is currently a PhD researcher at Northumbria University, specialising in physics. What really stands out is how well he can explain things in an extremely understandable way.

Originally from St Helens, Liverpool, he has spent years tutoring Maths across the UK and the UAE, with over 2,000 hours of one-to-one and small-group tutoring experience behind him. He has taught students from many areas such as St Helens, Warrington, Widnes, South Liverpool, North Liverpool, Wigan, and across Lancashire, supporting pupils attending a range of secondary schools and academies. This includes students sitting GCSEs through large academy trusts, grammar-style schools, and comprehensive schools — so he’s very familiar with the full range of GCSE ability levels.

In Connor’s own words, he is “passionate about maths and physics, teaching, and learning new things.” After spending even a short amount of time with him, you can tell that’s absolutely true. He genuinely enjoys problem-solving, thinking things through, and helping students reach those “ohhh… I get it now” moments.

One thing I really like about his approach is that he doesn’t just give students answers. He believes strongly in guiding students to the solution themselves, asking the right questions, and helping them build proper understanding. That aligns perfectly with how we teach at Breakthrough Maths. He’s also brilliant at using real-life examples to make abstract topics feel more relatable and less intimidating.

Connor will be leading our Year 10 and Year 11 Higher Level Maths classes each week, Monday – Thursday, following the Breakthrough Maths structured programme. That means:

• Starting with strong foundations (number skills, algebra basics)
• Building confidence through algebra and core GCSE topics
• Progressing into more challenging topics such as trigonometry, geometry, and statistics
• Constant revision and linking topics together so students see the bigger picture

Connor fits our ethos perfectly: calm, encouraging, structured, and focused on real understanding rather than shortcuts. We’re very lucky to have him on board, and I know students and parents alike are going to love learning with him. If you want to try out a free trial class with Connor, you can book your spot here.

Welcome to the team Connor!