Daniel Okonkwo

Daniel teaches chemistry and combined science, and he keeps a past paper from every exam board within reach during lessons. That is deliberate. Pupils often practise questions written in the style of a specification they are not sitting, then meet unfamiliar wording in the real thing and freeze. Daniel teaches the vocabulary of the subject alongside the content, so command words, required practicals and data handling stop being a surprise.

Lessons tend to begin with a topic the pupil has just covered at school, checked quickly by recall questions rather than a full test. Then they work through exam-style questions together, with Daniel asking the pupil to justify each step. Mole calculations, electrolysis, rates of reaction, bonding and the six-mark explanations all get the same treatment. He is firm about units, significant figures and showing working, because those marks are the cheapest ones to win and the easiest to throw away.

His view is that chemistry rewards patience more than talent. A pupil who can describe what is happening at particle level, in plain words, will usually write a better answer than one who has memorised a phrase they do not understand. Progress reports go to parents so the work between lessons is clear.