Dr P 4 Physics
Private & Group Physics Tuition
Achieve your academic goals with my expert Physics tuition, focussing on GCSE, A-level, University Entrance Exam and Interview preparation.
There’s only one of me, so to be able to help more students, including those who cannot afford traditional private tuition, I have developed two small group courses covering the core content common to most exam boards. Both courses also include a focus on effective revision strategies and exam technique – based on my experiences as a principal examiner.
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My physics journey
With over two decades of teaching and examining experience, I am dedicated to helping students unlock their full potential in physics. Through private and group tuition, tailored resources, and innovative approaches, I help students not only improve their grades but also develop a genuine appreciation for the subject.
When I was 14 I saw this episode of The Outer Limits and loved playing Outpost on my PC, both of which piqued my interest in Nanotechnology. Reading Eric Drexler’s Engines of Creation and tracing the origin of the field to Richard Feynman’s “Plenty of room at the bottom” talk, my academic journey had its course set.
I entertained the thought of applying to CalTech, MIT or Cambridge, but the application processes seemed to unfamiliar and daunting and just at the right time a new £5M Nanotechnology group was launched at the University of Birmingham and my mind was set. I’ve since helped guide hundreds of students go through the UCAS process and am yet to find anyone else who even considered only applying to one university – I’m still not sure how I managed to convince my school to let me take that risk!
There were many bumps in the road and I was convinced that 4 years later I was going to stay in Birmingham, but the Professor their suggested that I might be better suited to Cambridge. The process to join for a PhD was actually pretty straightforward, once I’d charmed a Professor with my stories about nanobots curing cancer and assured him I’d be graduating with a 1st class joint honours degree.
The next 9 years were spent in Cambridge, mostly playing cricket and running the postgraduate bar at Churchill College. Having taken a slight reality check my ambitions of nanobots were replaced with making use of magnetic barcodes to help diagnose various genetic diseases quickly and efficiently – a fantastic research project I could talk for hours about – so much so I wrote a whole thesis on it and made seven prize-winning posters!
Then just when things were looking settled, I was about to be able to call myself “doctor”, things took a dramatic turn with the death of the Professor I had managed to charm. The department did what they could to stabilise the research group, supporting everyone to finish their PhDs and bring in new leaders, but I could no longer enjoy doing pure research – it was all about “publish or perish” and writing grant proposals that no longer had the big name of our deceased Professor as the PI. With half my time dedicated to paperwork and trying to secure every bit of short-term extension funding I could, the research dream needed to wake up to reality.
Now also thinking about buying a house and starting a family, I needed a secure long-term job to apply for a mortgage, but what else could I do?
My teaching journey
It turns out there was (and still is) a massive teacher shortage in key subjects, one of them being Physics, and with a first class degree and/or PhD I was eligible for a £20k government grant. In hindsight I should have waited another year, I think it went up to £25k the following year and is currently £29k or £31k if you get an IOP Scholarship.
Because I was a career changer, I was also eligible for an additional £4k grant from the Ogden Trust, who just wanted me to say I’d last in a state school for 3 years. I took them up on their generous offer and was already collecting many feathers for my teaching hat, as I had also secured an IOP Scholarship, even though there was no additional financial incentive.
Doing my PGCE in Cambridge allowed me to continue playing cricket for another year as well as supervising the first year undergraduates for my college – this was what really sparked my appetite for teaching – finding a way to explain a concept that suddenly made it click where the lecturer had failed. I had been supervising for about 6 years and had noticed each year the 1st year course becoming simpler and simpler – it had to be dumbed down because A-levels were no longer preparing students to become physicists. They could pass the exams obviously, but they struggled to actually problem solve and think logically outside of the box.
I wasn’t the only one noticing, it turns out Lisa Wright and Mark Warner had secured several million pounds from the government to try to address this project. I was on board with their mission from the start and am proud to be an Ambassador for what has now grown into Isaac Science – it’s an absolute no-brainer for anyone teaching or studying STEM subjects.
One more knock on the door and feather to collect came from CIE, who were also desperate for examiners. Even with no classroom experience, they just wanted people who could do physics to help with exam marking. Seeing exams as part of the “dumbing down” problem as teachers would try to teach to the exam rather than just teach physics, I saw this as a way to get in and make change from the inside.
Teaching to tutoring
After 13 years in the classroom, mostly doing things that I love – teaching motivated kids A-level physics and running tonnes of outreach and enrichment activities, a relocation to the North-West of England has forced me to give up a dream job, which I don’t think I’ll be able to replace. I’m keeping my eyes peeled for a part-time role in a sixth form college, but to fill the void I thought I’d take the best bits of those last years and turn them into an online course that I could teach from home.
I’m happy to report that I was able to make a couple of small changes to a new CIE syllabus, but perhaps the biggest impact was that I spent about 5 years actually writing the exam papers and moving the standard away from rote memorisation towards proper problem solving skills.
I must have marked close to 5,000 real exam papers and I think I’ve seen it all – which has given me plenty to think about when building the online courses. Exam technique and effective revision strategies play a key role in securing top grades, of that I have no doubt.
I’ve also gained feathers (badges technically) by working with STEM Learning, delivering masterclasses and camps for students and teachers and love sharing my best tips and tricks, because it turns out teaching isn’t always easy.
Oxbridge support
If you’re thinking of applying to a competitive university or degree apprenticeship and you need to secure an A/A* in physics then I could be exactly what you need – you are the kind of student I designed my course for.
Although hiring me is very useful in order to feed my family, hiring a (long-term) tutor shouldn’t be a knee-jerk reaction to a bad test result, take a step back and decide properly. Here’s my first mantra…
“In order to know what to do when you don’t know what to do, you must first know what you don’t know – you know?!”
Why not test your knowledge with these carefully crafted (not by me) diagnostic tests for electricity, mechanics and kinematic graphs.
If it turns out you know everything already, that’s great! If however, you’ve identified some gaps – maybe my group tuition course is a good option and you’ll have just unlocked a 20% discount code for it!
You can book in a no-obligation 30 minute consultation with me and I’ll help to lay out the options clearly and honestly. Some people realise that they already have access to plenty of tools, but they just weren’t using them effectively!
Another feather/side-project was to co-write the original Preparing for the PAT (Physics Aptitude Test) course that I helped run with Oxford University. From 2026 the PAT has been replaced by the ESAT, and I’ve spent 100+ hours reworking and updating the old course into the new and improved “Preparing for Oxford Physics” course.
Registration is FREE for year 12 students and normally opens in April with the course running from June to December
If you’d like to take a look at some of the guides and question packs from this course that I’ve written, check out the links below. I’ve also included a recording of webinar #2, where I go through a set of solutions.
Mission
My Mission
… is to empower students with the knowledge, confidence, and curiosity needed to excel in physics. By combining expert tuition, interactive resources, and clear explanations, I help learners overcome challenges and achieve academic success.
Vision
My Vision
… is to create a learning community where physics is accessible, inspiring, and enjoyable for all. By fostering collaboration, curiosity, and critical thinking, my vision is to shape future scientists, innovators, and educators who thrive in a knowledge‑driven world.
Justin was a great help to my son with GCSE Physics. Justin not only quickly gauged where my son required support to plug gaps in his knowledge but explained concepts clearly and gave opportunities within the session for my son to apply and receive feedback on this learning. Justin also recommended a range of useful resources that my son could use independently to reinforce Justin’s teaching. Justin not only has fantastic subject knowledge, but is highly skilled at explaining this is an accessible way, with patience and good humour. Thank you, Justin!
I’d highly recommend Dr Justin Palfreyman as a Physics tutor. Whenever I’m struggling to understand a difficult concept, he can communicate it in a way that makes it make sense to me. He always takes time to establish a strong foundation before building on that to teach more advanced material. I don’t think I’ve ever felt rushed or overwhelmed learning from him.
One thing I really appreciate about Justin is his breadth of knowledge. I often ask him questions that go well beyond the scope of specification, and he’s always been able to answer them thoroughly and give suggestions as to where I should look if I want to learn even more about the topic outside of our sessions
Beyond his expertise, Justin is a genuinely warm and friendly person with a brilliant sense of humour. I think that what’s just as important as the academic side of things is that learning is enjoyable and, with Justin, learning never feels like a chore
For anyone looking for a Physics tutor with a fantastic teaching style and outstanding subject knowledge, I can’t recommend Dr P enough. He’s been a game changer for me
Dr Palfreyman is an excellent physics tutor. He has been teaching my son since summer of year 12 and I only wish we had found him earlier in the year. He is both kind and understanding about the pressures that pupils are under and is very focused in his lessons. To ensure that not a second is wasted, he plans every lesson based on the pupil’s request/ mutual decision. I had enrolled for fortnightly one to one lessons but my son requested for them to be weekly as he enjoyed and found them to be very useful..I look forward to further guidance and support from Dr.Palfreyman as we approach the final months towards A level exams.
Dr Justin Palfreyman has been a massive help with my A-level Physics. Before starting lessons with him, there were a lot of topics I found confusing, but he explains things in a simple way that actually sticks. I’ve become much more confident answering exam questions and understanding the theory behind them.
He’s also really encouraging and easy to talk to, so I never feel awkward asking questions if I’m unsure about something. Lessons are always productive but still relaxed and enjoyable at the same time.
I’d definitely recommend him to anyone looking for a Physics tutor who’s knowledgeable, supportive, and genuinely cares about helping students improve.
Services
Tailored Tuition & Resources
As a dedicated tutor, I provide personalized tutoring and resources to help you excel in Physics. Explore the services I offer to help you achieve academic success.
A-Level Physics Tuition
GCSE Maths for Science
History of Science Lectures
Schrödinger’s Chat
History of Science Lectures
Join me for a fascinating 6-part lecture series on the history of scientific discoveries.
GCSE Maths for Science
Supporting learners to overcome mathematical challenges and improve their grades.
A-Level Physics Tuition
Personalized sessions that make A-Level Physics engaging and easy to understand for every student.
My Impact in Numbers: Helping Students Achieve Their Academic Goals, One Lesson at a Time
A-level students taught
Real Exams Marked
History of Science Lectures
Teacher Resource Sharing Hub
Schrödinger’s Chat
Join a growing community of Physics teachers across the country and share the resources that make your lessons shine. In Schrödinger’s Chat, you’ll find lesson plans, worksheets, and other valuable materials – all available for free.
Let’s Learn Together!
If you’ve fallen out of love with Physics; you’re struggling with the mathematical nature of the subject; you’re not sure how to revise effectively or demonstrate your knowledge when it comes to exams; you really need to secure a top grade to get into your dream university or next step. It’s time to get in touch and get you back on track!
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