Newcastle-based married couple embark on shared education venture
With Neil and Melodie Watson driven to combine their skillsets and diverse experience, they decided to set out on pastures anew. Now, in a venture steeped in community spirit, they have embarked on a shared career journey and together, have launched their new education business, Tutor Doctor. Designed to help children to grow in confidence and ability, the couple’s in-home and online tutoring business covers Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and the surrounding areas including Whitley Bay, Gosforth, Ponteland and out to Hexham.
With 25 years’ experience as Managing Director of manufacturing companies, Neil decided it was time to apply his business skills to giving back to his community. Meanwhile, Melodie brings with her 22 years of experience in education, working in high schools within pastoral departments. As a Student Welfare Manager, Melodie is aware of the demands on students’ mental health, school pressures and peer pressures as well as their education.
“As a Student Welfare Manager, I’m attuned to the stresses and struggles that students feel,” explained Melodie. “There are huge benefits for a local personalised tutoring company to provide extra support to local students with their school curriculum. The education we provide with Tutor Doctor will improve young people’s confidence, ability and importantly, their results. Students have so much potential academically and we’re delighted to have that opportunity to help unlock it.”
“Melodie and I identified the opportunity to bring bespoke and supplementary learning that’ll bring local students’ academic success and enhance their executive functions to carry them through their whole lives. We want to make our mark on education provision. With tutoring partnerships increasing through the support of NTP, Covid 19 catch up premium and pupil premium grants, we hope Tutor Doctor will become an asset to local schools in the area,” added Neil.
As a true family run business, Neil and Melodie’s passion for improving the lives of students and families in the community runs deep, with the Hexham-based pair seeing the ongoing struggle students are experiencing as they recover and catch up on the learning lost from the pandemic. Melodie has a passion for education and drive to change the trajectory of students lives in the region. She hopes her expertise of the local student population will help raise the standards of personalised and bespoke tuition services to supplement their mainstream education experiences.
“As passionate members of the community, we are committed to do our part and help students rediscover their love for learning,” said Melodie. “There are huge benefits to personalised tutoring companies intervening and contributing to help students find the spark that they may have lost over the last few years. Some of our tutors have had personal experience of being privately tutored during their own education, which helped them achieve their academic potential, so fully understand the benefits it offers. Our longer-term plan is to become the go-to tutoring company in the area. As for now, our priority is to become a trusted and established education provider for families.”
“Students today have so much potential academically, and we’re so proud to have this opportunity to nurture it,” added Neil. “We fully understand the responsibility we’re undertaking and are excited to get started. With our personalised approach to every step of the process, we know so many students will reap the benefits of learning and developing in the safe space that we offer. The demand for services such as ours is present in the whole region, and we know that we’re well equipped to reach any family that knocks on our door.”
Designed to help students grow in confidence and ability, Neil and Melodie’s in-home and online tuition service is a long-needed step in improving the lives of students in Tyneside communities. In a position that will truly allow them to make a difference, the Watsons hope to play a part in improving the overall standards of local education provision. For further information about Tutor Doctor and its tutoring services, please visit https://www.tutordoctor.co.uk/newcastle-upon-tyne/
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