Humanities tuition

Humanities explores human experience, culture and ideas through disciplines such as history, literature, philosophy and religious studies. The label is broad: a learner analysing a poem needs different subject knowledge from someone comparing historical accounts.

The task examples below draw on England’s school curriculum and AQA subject guidance. Use your own course materials to identify the precise topic, texts and skills you need, including for courses elsewhere in the UK.

Consider a fictional railway company poster announcing a new line with the slogan “Everyone welcomes our railway”. A learner writes: “This proves all residents supported the railway.”

The first step is to separate the message from the evidence. The company created the poster to promote its railway; its intended readers are the audience. That purpose helps explain the positive wording, but the poster contains no account of what every resident thought.

A more careful response is: “The company wanted readers to see the railway positively. This poster alone cannot establish whether all residents agreed.” The source remains useful for studying the company’s public message. Its value depends on the question being asked.

For a follow-up, imagine a resident’s letter objecting to the line. It supplies evidence of that writer’s objection, but still does not tell us the balance of opinion across the town. Comparing further accounts would help test a wider claim.

This constructed example follows the National Archives’ source-analysis guidance: consider who made a source, when, why and for whom, then compare its evidence and limits. It shows the kind of reasoning to discuss with a prospective tutor.

Use a tutor’s profile to start a conversation about the actual work. A relevant qualification can inform that choice; ask how their teaching experience relates to your subject, stage and current difficulty. For several subjects, establish the fit for each one.

Latimer’s free introductory meeting is a chance to discuss goals, teaching approach and arrangements before paid lessons. A useful question is: “How would you help me move from describing this source or passage to explaining what it shows?”

Bring one recent piece of work, the material it responds to and any feedback. The suggested sequence below gives you and the tutor something concrete to discuss. For school learners, connect practice to the current classroom topic; for independent study, choose a reading or question that serves your goal.