Tony and William Tutoring Show (TAWT)

Tony gets his bearings under the tutelage of William regarding state and private sectors and their competing roles in national and / or global economies. In this episode, William and Tony dive straight into foundational economic theory, exploring the eternal debate between state control and the private sector. They examine the core economic problem of limited resources versus unlimited wants, the...

In this episode, hosts Tony and William are joined by mature learners Michelle and Dale as they reflect on their personal journeys to overcome educational hurdles later in life. Both guests share how early life challenges—ranging from severe illness to frequent moves—created long-standing barriers and anxieties surrounding mathematics. They discuss their experiences taking the Functional Skills Le...

In Episode 14 of the Tony and William Tutoring podcast, we dive deep into the world of A-Level Biology, university admissions, and effective study strategies. We start with a quick catch-up (on water infrastructure and government tendering processes!) before jumping into crucial updates for university applicants. We break down the updated UCAS personal statement structure for the 2026 application...

One host (William) introduces some Year 12 AQA A-level Economics to the curious non-economist other host (Tony), in a bid to educate him on topics of interest. Tony's curiosity leads them to contemplate some broader topic perspectives. Tony tries to connect the academic discipline of Economics to the real world, at times playing devil's advocate with his ideas about Economics and its real-...

Tony and William welcome a guest, Kazim Ladimeji, who has an HR background and in 2015 self-published a book about AI and the Future of Work, "Will The Future Workplace Still Need You?: An essential career survival guide for the imminent future". Tony and William ask Kazim questions about whether the development of AI panned out in the way he outlined, what we should all be doing to upsk...

Join hosts Tony and William as they explore the theme of "New Beginnings," examining the latest shifts in education, student choices, and emerging technologies. From returning to the classroom to the rise of artificial intelligence, this discussion breaks down what these changes mean for students, parents, and educators alike. Key Topics Covered:The Educational New Year: Managing tutorin...

This week, Tony and William do a quintessentially British check in before talking about how AI is affecting their inner circle, society and the educational landscape. They offer their opinions and speculations, as well as their hopes and worries. Then their attention drifts to the modern history of education in China (in contrast to last week's episode regarding the history of education in the...

Episode 9What is the true purpose of education, and is the UK’s modern system actually fit for purpose? In this episode, we unpack the historical evolution of British schooling—from Victorian mandatory education and the enduring grammar school debate to university expansion and degree ROI. We also discuss global cultural attitudes toward learning, the impact of private tutoring on social mobility,...

Are exam grades losing their value, or is modern education finally getting fairer? In this episode, Tony and William break down the high-stakes chaos of Results Day—from sixth form entry hurdles to the calculated gamble of paper remarks. Results Day & Sixth Form Hurdles: Navigating points barriers, grammar school thresholds, and the headache of post-GCSE subject timetabling. The Great Remark G...

Tony and William further reflect on Tony's travels in China, his recent experience as a host family hosting a female Japanese student in Stroud, and how these inform his impressions of China and Japan and their educational systems, culture and language. Their conversation inevitably strays from the beaten path, with musings on other topics of mutual interest, but is grounded in first-hand expe...

After a 6 week hiatus, Tony and William Tutoring returns with a conversation about Tony's recent travels around China, and how these inform his knowledge of modern China in many respects (Chinese culture, etiquette, technology, education, differences with the West in terms of what is "normal"). William was last in HK 15 years ago, and mainland China 12 years ago! Timestamps00:00 Asia...

William and Tony discuss the differences between teaching in a classroom and tutoring in person or online. William has more classroom teaching experience in a range of private schools, whilst Tony is a full time tutor with a state school teaching background. Most of Tony's tutoring is evening work, on a one-to-one basis, both online and in-person (in Science and Maths), whilst William teaches...

Tony and William touch on broad themes relating to personal development, with Tony talking about overcoming and changing bad habits in his quest to regain "normal" weight, ideas of "Tiny Habits" and effectiveness in good habit development, "Mindset" and its role in facilitating life-changing new learning and other topics. Interestingly this was recorded just days befo...

In this third episode, William recounts his experiences of teaching, living and bringing up his family in China and Vietnam over more than half of his life. Tony also recalls experiences from the early 2000s in southern China as a teacher and Western expat. They compare thoughts on the education system in the East with that in the West, and bring it forward to the modern day. As a current and futu...

Tony tells William about his ultimately successful application to Downing College, Cambridge University in 1997, leading to his studies of Natural Sciences (biological) from 1998 - 2001. He compares the experience of applying for Cambridge then with the process in the modern day, and how they differ, but also some commonalities in terms of the types of candidates that may succeed. William tries to...

In their first episode, Tony and William introduce themselves before doing a deep-dive into William's perspective on all things A-level Economics. Tony asks William the questions to enable him to share his expertise, and Tony tries to make sense of the answers he provides. Why would students study A-level Economics in the first place, what is it, what sorts of questions do students have to ans...