Online lessons · In person in Sittingbourne, Kent

Mandarin tuition in Sittingbourne and online

  • Currently based in the UK
  • Native Mandarin speaker and qualified UK teacher (UCL PGCE, QTS)
  • Enhanced DBS checked, 14 years of teaching experience
  • GCSE, IGCSE, A Level, IB, HSK and KS3 lessons
  • Online or in person, for children, teens and adults
  • Book free 20-minute trial lesson or level check, no payment needed

Free 20-minute level check

Talk about your goals, try a few short tasks and get a course suggestion. No payment or card needed.

Book free level check
Courses for individuals

GCSE Mandarin support

Preparing for GCSE Chinese?

One-to-one GCSE lessons covering all four skills, planned around the learner’s exam board, tier and the areas they find hardest.

  • Speaking practice from a teacher familiar with exam board marking criteria and speaking exam requirements, with clear feedback after each task
  • Listening and reading technique, using exam-style questions under timed conditions
  • Writing and translation practice on every theme, with corrections and model answers
  • GCSE and IGCSE Chinese, Foundation and Higher tier

£50 per 60-minute one-to-one lesson

10% off 5 lessons, 20% off 10 lessons. Online or in person in Sittingbourne.

Book a free 20-minute level check More about GCSE lessons →

For individuals

Pick the course that matches your goal

Prices are per student for a 60-minute lesson, online or in person in Sittingbourne. Other lesson lengths on request. Not sure which course fits? Start with a free 20-minute level check.

Free 20-minute level check

Free
免费水平评估 · New students
Course details

A 20-minute online conversation to check the learner’s level and goals, then a suggested course and plan. Not a full lesson. Children attend with a parent or guardian.

20 minOnlineNo payment needed
Book a free level check →

GCSE Chinese

£50 /hr
GCSE 中文 · Years 9–11
Course details

All four papers: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Speaking practice with a teacher, exam technique for listening and reading, and timed writing and translation on every theme.

GCSE & IGCSEAll four skillsHigher & Foundation

YCT for children

£40 /hr
少儿汉语 · Ages 5–11
Course details

Games, songs and picture stories that build towards the YCT (Youth Chinese Test), the official Chinese exam for young learners, levels 1–4.

YCT 1–4Early years & primary

KS3 Mandarin

£45 /hr
初中中文 · Years 7–9
Course details

Pinyin, tones and core characters, school topics and homework support. Builds a strong base before choosing GCSE.

Years 7–9School supportGCSE foundations

A Level Chinese

£55 /hr
A Level 中文 · Years 12–13
Course details

Translation, reading and listening technique, and speaking exam preparation, including the independent research project.

IRP supportSpeaking examA* results

IB Mandarin

£55 /hr
IB 中文 · IB Diploma
Course details

Individual oral preparation, paper 1 text types and paper 2 listening and reading technique.

Mandarin BAb initioSL & HLGrade 6 results

HSK preparation

£50 /hr
汉语水平考试 · Teens and adults
Course details

The HSK (Chinese Proficiency Test) is the official international Chinese exam. It is useful for studying in China, where Chinese-taught degrees and scholarships usually ask for HSK 4 or 5, and it adds points to a China work permit application. Level-by-level vocabulary and grammar, with past-paper practice under exam timing.

HSK 1–6New HSK 3.0 (levels 1–9)HSKK speaking

Everyday Chinese

£50 /hr
日常生活汉语 · Adults
Course details

Ordering food, travel, small talk and family life. Useful from the first lesson.

Beginner to intermediateTravel

Travel Chinese

£50 /hr
旅游汉语 · Adults
Course details

A short course before your trip: airports, hotels, taxis, ordering food, directions, shopping and paying.

Survival phrasesNumbers and moneyShort course

Business Chinese

£60 /hr
商务汉语 · Professionals
Course details

Meetings, emails, negotiations and etiquette for working with Chinese partners and clients.

MeetingsEmail writingEtiquette
10% off when you book 5 lessons
20% off when you book 10 lessons

KS3 Mandarin only · Learn together and save

KS3 Mandarin small groups

Small-group lessons are offered for KS3 Mandarin (Years 7–9) only. Bring a sibling or friends: each extra student takes £5 off everyone's hourly price, up to 5 students. All other courses are taught 1-to-1.

Prices per student, per hour. Pack discounts apply to 1-to-1 lessons.

Courses for schools

For schools

Bring Mandarin and Chinese culture to your school

After-school clubs and enrichment programmes for students of all ages and abilities, led by a qualified UK teacher who works in a school now. Prices on request. Full details for schools →

After-school clubsWeekly Mandarin and culture clubs for primary or secondary
Enrichment daysChinese New Year and festival days, workshops for whole year groups
Beginner MandarinSpeaking, listening, songs and games for complete beginners
Exam preparationYCT, GCSE, A Level and HSK groups, including speaking practice

Programmes are tailored to your students, age groups, timetable and budget.

Why schools work with me

  • Qualified UK teacher with QTS and current school-based experience
  • Enhanced DBS checked and safeguarding trained, familiar with school policies
  • Age-appropriate teaching from early years to sixth form
  • Suitable for complete beginners and existing Mandarin learners
  • Language and qualifications: builds towards YCT and GCSE where wanted
  • Authentic culture woven into every session
Enquire for your school

Chinese culture

Hands-on culture workshops

Fun, creative sessions that make Mandarin memorable. Available as one-off workshops, holiday workshops, or a regular part of lessons and clubs.

Lantern making

Make and decorate paper lanterns for Chinese New Year and the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Paper cutting

Fold and cut traditional window flowers and the character 福 for good luck.

Calligraphy

Hold a brush the traditional way and write your first characters in ink.

Dumpling making

Fold jiaozi together and learn the food words and table phrases that go with them.

Chinese chess

Learn xiangqi: the board, the river, and how each piece moves. Great for strategy lovers.

Festivals and traditions

Chinese New Year, the Lantern Festival, Dragon Boat and Mid-Autumn, with crafts and stories for each.

Stories and games

Traditional tales, the zodiac race, chopstick challenges and playground games.

Zen tea (禅茶)

A quiet, unhurried experience of the whole tea ceremony, from preparing and brewing the tea to drinking it. Simply watch and taste, taking time to relax and unwind.

ChildrenTeenagersAdultsFamiliesSchools
Booking

How it works

From first message to first lesson

Start with a free level check

Book a free 20-minute online level check on the calendar. No payment or card is needed, and children attend with a parent or guardian.

Choose a course and pay

Pick a course and number of lessons below and pay securely through Stripe. Card details never touch this site.

Book your lesson times

After payment, the Stripe confirmation page links to the booking calendar, where you request your lesson times. Jane confirms each booking, usually within two working days, and you receive a confirmation email. All times are UK time.

See your progress

After each half term you get a short report on speaking, listening, reading and writing.

Your free level check

A 20-minute online conversation, not a full lesson.

  1. We talk about the learner’s goals, such as an exam, school support or travel.
  2. I check their current level with a few short speaking, listening and reading tasks.
  3. I suggest a suitable course and learning plan, with no obligation to book.

Book

Book and pay for a lesson

Not sure which course fits? Book the free 20-minute level check and we will decide together.

Course
Students in the group

How many lessons
Where
Preferred first lesson (optional)
Preferred start time (optional)

Your preferred day and time are only a preference to help planning. They do not reserve a slot: you request the actual lesson time on the booking calendar after payment.

All lessons are 60 minutes. For 30, 45 or 90-minute lessons, please ask me.

About Jane

Your teacher · Jane

A native speaker with fourteen years of teaching in China and the UK

I am a native Chinese speaker. I taught in a secondary school in China for seven years, then spent seven years teaching in the UK, from nursery and primary to secondary and adults. I trained at UCL and currently teach Mandarin in a UK school. I am familiar with exam board marking criteria and speaking exam requirements, so I know what is expected.

7 + 7Years teaching in China and in the UK
Grade 9Top GCSE grade, achieved by students I have taught
A*Top A Level grade, achieved by students I have taught
Grade 6IB Mandarin grade achieved by students I have tutored
  • Familiar with exam board marking criteria and speaking exam requirements

    Students practise with exam-style question types, timings and mark criteria.

  • PGCE from UCL, with Qualified Teacher Status

    Trained at UCL and experienced in UK classrooms, I know the curriculum and exam requirements inside out and have taught with a wide range of textbooks, including Jinbu, the main exam-board course books, Easy Steps to Chinese and the HSK Standard Course. Lessons use proven teaching methods, with clear goals, plenty of practice and useful feedback, so every learner knows how to improve.

  • Tailored, engaging lessons students enjoy

    Each lesson is adapted to the learner's level, interests and goals, with games, real-life tasks and plenty of speaking, so students stay motivated and make steady progress.

  • Enhanced DBS checked and safeguarding trained

    Parents can book with confidence. Lessons with under-18s follow school safeguarding practice.

  • Experience at every level

    Seven years teaching secondary students in China, and seven years in the UK with early years, primary, secondary and adult learners, including GCSE, IGCSE, A Level and IB exams.

FAQ

Questions

FAQ

Which exams do you cover?

GCSE and IGCSE Chinese (Foundation and Higher tier), A Level, IB Mandarin B and ab initio, YCT levels 1–4, and HSK levels 1–6 as well as the new nine-level HSK 3.0, which becomes the standard HSK exam from December 2026. Certificates from the current HSK stay valid.

Where do lessons happen?

Online by video call, or in person in Sittingbourne, Kent, at a mutually agreed location. Lessons at the tutor’s or the learner’s location can be discussed before booking. Online lessons need a laptop or tablet with a microphone; shared whiteboards and slides are provided.

Is the free level check a full lesson?

No. It is a 20-minute online conversation to understand the learner’s goals, check their current level and suggest a course. It is free, needs no payment or card, and children attend with a parent or guardian.

How do small-group bookings work?

Small groups are available for KS3 Mandarin (Years 7–9) only. Send me a message with who is joining and when suits you. Once we agree a time, each family receives its own payment link, or one family can pay for everyone. The group is confirmed once every place is paid. If places are still unpaid 48 hours before the first lesson, families who have paid can switch to 1-to-1 lessons at the normal price or get a full refund.

Can I cancel or move a lesson?

You can reschedule free of charge up to 24 hours before the lesson. Later cancellations are charged in full.

Can you run a club at our school?

Yes. I run after-school Mandarin and culture clubs and enrichment days. See the page for schools, or use the contact form and choose “School programme or workshop”.

Do lesson packs expire?

A 5-lesson pack is valid for 8 weeks and a 10-lesson pack for 16 weeks from the first lesson.

My child speaks Chinese at home. Is this for them?

Yes. Heritage speakers often need reading and writing more than speaking, and GCSE preparation is planned around that gap.

Do you teach simplified or traditional characters?

Simplified characters with pinyin, which is what UK exams and HSK use. Traditional characters are available on request for adults.

Contact

Ask a question

Tell me about the learner, their level and their goal. I will reply as soon as I can, usually within two working days.

For parents and adult learners only. Students under 18 must get in touch through a parent or guardian.