A serious method, taught
by someone trained to teach it.
Bruno van Bergen — private History tutor for KS3, GCSE and A-Level across Bristol, Bath and online.
History, taught as a way of thinking
I'm a PGCE-trained Secondary History tutor. I work one-to-one with KS3, GCSE and A-Level students who want History to make sense — not just to be memorised.
Most students I meet are perfectly capable. What they're missing is a method: a reliable way to connect causes, read evidence and build an argument on the page. My job is to give them that, and to make the subject feel learnable again.
I'm honest about what tutoring can and can't do. I won't promise grades I can't guarantee. What I will promise is a clear plan, steady feedback, and a calmer, sharper relationship with the subject.
The professional record
Stated plainly, without embellishment. Specifics such as DBS details can be confirmed directly when you enquire.
PGCE-trained in Secondary History
Formal training in the pedagogy of History — how the subject is structured, sequenced and assessed — rather than tutoring picked up on the side. The focus throughout was on teaching History as a discipline, not a set of facts.
School placement experience
Time spent teaching in real classrooms: planning lessons, managing mixed-ability groups, and marking work to exam-board standards. That experience shapes how sessions are paced and pitched.
A deliberate, structured method
Sessions are built around a clear progression — secure the knowledge, then the technique, then the writing. Nothing is improvised, and the student always knows why we are doing what we are doing.
SEN-aware practice
Experience adapting pace, structure and materials for a range of additional needs. The ambition stays high; the route to it is shaped around how the individual student learns best.
In practice that means starting where the student actually is, building secure foundations before exam tricks, and giving feedback that is specific and honest. Small, visible wins do more for a struggling student than any amount of pressure.
Why History matters
History teaches the skills that outlast any exam: weighing evidence, spotting bias, holding two competing accounts in mind and reaching a reasoned judgement. These are the habits of a careful thinker.
A student who can argue clearly from evidence is better prepared for almost anything that comes next — further study, work, and a world full of confident, unreliable claims.
What parents and students can expect
Stated as a process, not a promise of outcomes.
An honest first conversation
A free 20-minute call to understand the student, the specification and what success would look like.
A plan, not a guess
Sessions mapped to the school's scheme of work and the exam board, with clear priorities.
Visible progress
A short written summary after each session, so progress and next steps are never a mystery.
Realistic, unhyped feedback
Specific, encouraging feedback that names what is improving and what to work on — without overpromising grades.
Have a question before you enquire?
If you'd like to know more about how I work before getting in touch, the tutoring and pricing pages go into detail — or simply send an enquiry and ask.